From the Type Face #2

During my search for advice and ideas about self-publishing, I’ve interviewed two professional authors, Rose McClelland from Northern Ireland and Dave Sivers, whose books are set in Buckinghamshire’s Aylesbury Vale. At first sight, it appears that their novels have little in common, but they share a strong sense of place, and a sensitivity to issues of mental health. In ‘Under Your Skin’ Rose’s characters suffer psychological abuse, while Dave’s protagonist has trust issues. Both authors describe ordinary people struggling to maintain a sense of well-being under extreme stress.

“Under Your Skin” is Rose McClelland’s fourth novel. Her previous three were romantic fiction, published by Crooked Cat/ Darkstroke Books. For the Black Box theatre in Belfast, she has written two short plays. On her You Tube channel she posts book reviews, and she writes theatre reviews for her blog. Rose has two rescue cats – Toots, who is ginger with an inquisitive face and Soots, who is black and hops along on his 3 legs looking ever so cute.

My initial interest in Rose’s writing was sparked by her detailed and engaging descriptions of Belfast, where I grew up in troubled times. In ‘Under Your Skin’, the action takes place in enticing cafés and restaurants, and the reader can sense the ‘buzz’ of a thriving economy. However, beneath the warmth and vivacity of city life flows an undercurrent of abuse and fear. Strong and capable in her professional life, for Hannah, social acceptability depends on winning and keeping the approval of a man. This leaves her open to manipulation, exploitation and deathly danger.

Loarn: The geography of Belfast plays a significant part in ‘Under Your Skin’. Is there any part of the story that is characteristic of Northern Ireland, or is Hannah’s situation universal?

Rose: Yes, the geography of Belfast does play a part in the novel. I envisioned the #FindHannah campaign taking places on the heights of Cave Hill whereas the reader knows that she is trapped in a basement. The reason why I set the novel in Belfast is because that is where I have lived for the past 15 years and I think it is best to write about what you know. Some of my previous novels were set in London and Brighton as I lived there for some years also. Unfortunately, the situation of domestic abuse as highlighted in this novel is not simply characteristic of Northern Ireland but is a universal situation. The recent pandemic and lockdown have unfortunately seen a rise in these cases and it is a topic I feel strongly about and wanted to depict.

Loarn: To what extent do some female characters in ‘Under Your Skin’ expose themselves to psychological abuse? I’m thinking of the expectations they have of relationships with men, the value they put on material proofs of love and the status they believe marriage gives.

Rose: That’s a very interesting question although a difficult one to answer. The issue of domestic abuse is such a complicated one. I think that there tends to be a very toxic combination of abuser and abused. The abuser tends to prey on victims who may be more vulnerable. Perhaps they don’t have the support of family or perhaps they are more open to abuse. I do think this can come in many forms. For example, there can be a huge societal and peer pressure to be married and have 2.4 kids. Pressure from parents or grandparents to settle down and have children/ grandchildren.

This pressure to fit into the ‘norm’ can result in rash, rushed decisions to marry without really knowing the true nature of one’s partner. There can be an element of fantasy about the marriage rather than the reality of the actual relationship. For some, the idea of being in love can be more appealing than the actual reality of what someone is like. Of course, there is also the fact that abusers/ narcissists often paint themselves as very charismatic/ charming initially so that by the time the abused has fallen in love and is sucked in emotionally, it is much harder to leave the relationship. It is also much harder to walk away from abuse when there are children involved and the commitment of a mortgage or financial dependencies.

Loarn: One of your characters has a senior male colleague who flirts with her in a way that amounts to sexual harassment. Although this puts her in an uncomfortable situation, she accepts his behaviour as normal. What gave you the idea of highlighting this issue by telling her story?

Rose: To be honest, that storyline came about by accident. Initially I imagined that those two characters would have flirtatious banter. However, it is true what they say, your characters do have a habit of telling you what path they want to go down. The more you get to know a character, the more they tell you how the story will progress. As the novel developed, it became apparent that the line between flirtation and banter was too thin and the female character did feel uncomfortable with it. Because of her desire to climb the career ladder and because of his seniority over her, how would it appear if it seemed she couldn’t “take the banter”? Without giving any spoilers, I do think that this novel does portray strong female characters and an ability to handle such situations.

Loarn: Is it significant that several of the young women you write about are unsupported by family or friends? How important are women’s organisations and refuges in the fight against domestic abuse?

Rose: Yes indeed, it is hugely significant. Firstly, I do believe that abusers tend to prey on women who are unsupported by family and friends. But secondly, I believe that part of the abuse is alienating her from family and friends so that she is completely dependent on him emotionally and financially. That is why women’s organisations and refuges are so vitally important. Not only can they keep the woman physically safe and prohibit the man on the property, but they also have experienced women who have tread the same path, have come out the other side and can offer support and advice. I should of course add that it is not just women who are subject to domestic abuse. Men, of course, can be victims too.

Loarn: Which part of the book did you write first, the beginning, the end or the middle?

Rose: I wrote the beginning first as I wanted to have a strong sense of the narrative voice. I wanted Hannah’s narration to be intimate, honest and compelling. I wrote the book in chronological order, but I did plan thoroughly in advance, so I had a strong sense of how it would end and the various plot points in the story.

Thanks so much for having me and for such interesting questions!

Loarn: Thank you for giving such thoughtful answers!

Dave Sivers is a successful Indie author, whose books include the Archer and Baines contemporary crime novels, and the Lowmar Dashiel crime fantasy novels. He has also written for magazines and the amateur stage. Dave’s new detective series opens with ‘In Ink’ (DI Nathan Quarrel, Book 1), a stylishly crafted tale perfect for fans of police procedurals. When he’s not writing about harrowing murders, Dave can be found cooking or maintaining his allotment.

I picked up ‘In Ink’ because I have family in Buckinghamshire. I found Nathan Quarrel an engaging hero, a solid citizen, devoted to his firefighter wife, who has well-concealed trust issues due to his troubled childhood. Skilfully blending real and imagined locations, Dave carries the reader on a journey through the secrets of a close community.

Loarn: Are there any disadvantages to using real locations?

Dave: There are some, the principal one probably being the risk of getting something wrong! I think you have to take care, as well. I find my readers enjoy seeing places they know featuring in a crime thriller, but whether I use the actual names of places or use fictional names (that savvy readers will decide is a particular place anyway), the world of the books is only a fictionalised version of the real world. But even then, I would never be derogatory about a place. In the real world, people live there. Readers of the Archer and Baines novels will know a dodgy estate in Aylesbury called The Northfields often features. This is entirely imaginary and, as far as I know, nothing like it exists in the town. 

Loarn : How important is local history to you as a writer?

Dave: Setting is important to me, and so I often like to give a bit of context to a place, and a bit of interesting local history is often very useful. Tring features quite a bit in In Ink, and I love the connection with the Rothschilds in Victorian times. In a very different way, Hemel Hempstead’s more recent history as a ‘New Town’ in the 1960s fascinates me – partly for the ‘neighbourhoods’ that were created, and partly because a number of villages that were subsumed into Hemel still, getting on for 60 years on, very much regard themselves as distinct villages. Knowing and showing where a place comes from can help create atmosphere. The trick is not to overload the story with background at the expense of pace.

Loarn: If Quarrel and his wife Laura went through a bad spell, how would it impact on his career?

Dave: Outside of the grandparents who raised him, Laura is the only person Quarrel has really let into his life and allowed himself to trust; since his grandparents died, she’s been the only one he thinks he can rely on. It would depend how bad a spell it was, but if he thought he was in danger of losing her, or couldn’t trust her after all, it would most likely be devastating for him. He'd feel completely isolated and unable to trust anyone. It would certainly affect his work and, because he wouldn’t be prepared to talk about it, it might damage colleagues’ perception of him; but it could also have a catastrophic impact on his mental health.

Loarn: If one of his female colleagues was promoted over him, how would Quarrel react?

Dave: He has a female boss, and has great respect for her. He’d be fine with any colleague being promoted over him, male or female, if he thought it was deserved. But he’s only human. If it was a promotion he’d hoped to be considered for, he’d probably dwell on why the other officer got it and not him, and he’d be resentful if he thought he’d been treated badly. Even then, he’d be determined to work with them and be professional. He detests professional jealousy.

Loarn: What are Quarrel’s food Heaven, and food Hell?

Dave: He has a sweet tooth, and cake is his great weakness, so a patisserie would be his food Heaven. Much to Laura’s annoyance, he can put cake away without gaining an inch on his lanky frame. He also likes a nice glass of wine. He’s much more disdainful of fast food, which he doesn’t really regard as ‘real’ food. A burger bar, or maybe even a barbecue, would be his idea of food Hell.

Thanks for coming over and grilling me. You’ve asked some great questions!

Loarn: Thank you Dave, you’ve given great answers!

PS from Loarn: If you enjoyed reading the answers Rose and Dave gave to my questions, and would like to see more of my interviews with working authors, please subscribe to my newsletter.