When I decided to write a story, I knew the style I was going for. I love books written by Janet Evanovich, her heroine is sassy, brave but clumsy and impetuous, that’s how I wanted Stephanie Rhodes to be. Try reading “One for the Money.” In some of Evanovich’s books, she writes about a woman who goes home to have Sunday dinner with her crazy family, and the reason why I think I connected with that was because it reminded me of my family in some way.

After getting a job and moving to North Lincolnshire, I still went home to visit my parents nearly every weekend. Partly because I wanted to, partly because I felt obliged to, if I didn’t then I was sent on a huge guilt trip mostly by my mum. As I imagined Stephanie’s family, I saw my mum and dad at different times in my life. 

Barbara, the mum, is based a little on my mum when she was younger. Always in the kitchen, keen for me to have friends over and worried about everything.

She’s always in the middle of arguments, trying to keep the peace whilst looking after everyone, particularly trying to keep dad happy.

Stephanie’s dad, Malcolm, is older and very old fashioned. He likes dinner on the table at a certain time, does crossword puzzles in the newspaper and likes everything to run smoothly. Malcolm reminds me of my dad when he was older, he didn’t like change and enjoyed a good debate.

Grandma Bettie is a force of nature and reminds me of my mum when she was older and living with my family. I was her carer and it was not easy. She spoke her mind, had no filter and, probably due to her Parkinson Disease.

I don’t know how my parents would have reacted to me writing a novel. My dad would probably be complaining that it doesn’t compare to Fyodor Dostoevsky, and tell me how many books of his he’d read, probably in Russian.

Yes, in their own way, they would have been proud.