1. 1 Susannah was one of my favourite characters
despite being the most deranged (and also oh-so-well-developed). Did you have
any inspirations for her creating her character? (real-life or fictional).
She’s one of my favourite characters too. I have no idea
where she came from – there is no real
life inspiration. I think that most of us have, at some point or other in our
lives, come across difficult, complicated, dangerous women with powerful
personalities. She’s a kind of essence of all that!
2. 2. Kali’s sense of motherhood was a striking
feature in the novel. How she fought with the arch-villian to prevent the
demise of her child was described so vividly. How did you manage to pull off
this scene so well? Perhaps you put yourself your character’s shoes or you just
watch too much Angelina Jolie flicks?
I am really interested in the power of maternal feelings. I
was inspired in fact by a story I read in an American newspaper about a 19 year
old singe mother of a baby who had fought off two big guys who broke into her
house. The police officer in charge said ‘There’s nothing more dangerous than a
mother protecting her child’ and that stuck with me. The lengths we’ll go to to
protect our children can be almost superhuman (you hear stories of small women
lifting trucks off a child who has been knocked down etc). That’s what I wanted
to write about.
3. 3/ Still on motherhood, I find this title would be
well-loved by all mothers (new or old). What type of mummy would you
characterize your lead as? Is she a manic mummy who spends so much time noting
details other mothers would otherwise have ignored? Or would you characterize
her as an ignorant mummy. (Whatever your answer is, I’m hoping Susannah would
agree).
When it comes to Kali, I think
she is a fairly typical, stressed out mum of an active toddler – but her stress
of course is made much worse by the fact that her life has collapsed, and she
is in this alien place, with a dangerous person. And this is what drives her to
make questionable decisions. When it comes to Kali’s mother, Elena, her
mothering has been complicated and warped by her own history. She loves her
daughter, but the complexity of her history, means she has a hard time showing
it.
4. 4. What one tip do you think Kali would give to all
mothers?
“Trust your instinct!”
5. 5. Elena and Kali didn’t have the best
mother-daughter relationship. What’s the best tip you would give to all
daughters who have the same riotous relationships with their mothers?
Kali is determined not to make
the mistakes her own mother made, and not to let the past influence how she
mothers her own son. I think this is the strength in her (and also, in a sense,
the weakness). She is determined to be a better mother, but of course, she
can’t really escape her past, and the way she was mothered. So, where she gets
to in the end is a deeper understanding of how her own mother shaped her. This
will ultimately enable her to be a better mother to Finn, her son. I think that’s what we all have to do in a
way. By the way, my own mother – I’m very happy to say – was the best and most
loving mother I could have wished for!
6. 6 I described your novel as very well-researched
in my review. The information about killer whales was lovely to read about.
What do you think humans could learn from Killer Whales?
Killer whales are matriarchal for a start! They are also extremely loyal, with very
strong family bonds (and they stay with their mothers for life). They have
rituals and traditions and share ‘childcare’. There are numerous ways in which
they seem extremely sensibly organized!
7. 7. Which character in your novel are you more
likely to be?
I actually don’t feel as if I am
any of the characters - or maybe I am
all of them. Even Kali is very different to me.
8. 8. Are you working on something new? Could you tell
us what it’s about?
I have just finished my second
novel, The Other Child, which is set in a suburb of Boston, USA, and is about
the devastating secrets inside a marriage.
9.
9. Is there any question you would have wanted me
to ask?
Your questions were perfect!
Really interesting – thank you so much for having me on your wonderful blog,
and for supporting my writing. I hope you enjoy The Other Child as much as you
liked The Missing One.
For further information, my website is www.lucyatkins.com.
People can also follow
me on twitter: @lucyatkins or Facebook:
Lucy Atkins Writer.
All the best
Lucy.
To see my review of the amazing The Missing One by Lucy Atkins, click here.
To purchase the amazing The Missing One by Lucy Atkins, click here.
To stand a chance of winning a paperback of Lucy Atkins' debut, RT this on twitter and follow the blog account: @kobbyreviews
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