N.A. Cooper released her debut novel, Ripple Effect, on 31st January this year and it has been met with wonderful praise. The psychological suspense novel had me gripped from the start and all the way through; there were so many twists and turns with such shocking final chapters. Natalie has recently signed a deal with Bloodhound Books for a further three books, which is fantastic news and will no doubt be keeping her busy for the foreseeable future. That is why we at Prose Before are very grateful to Natalie for agreeing to do this interview, and we hope you enjoy learning more about her as much as we did!
Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with Prose Before. Could you start by telling us about yourself and what you do when you are not writing?
When I'm not writing I love to read - anything from thrillers to romance to children's books with my sons. We're reading the Harry Potter series at the moment and watching the films afterwards - I'm a huge Potter fan! I also love to be outdoors and keep active. I'm a keen runner, mainly long distance, but I also enjoy swimming and long family bike rides.
For those who have not read Ripple Effect, would you be able to tell them a little bit about the book?
Ripple Effect follows Erin at two different points in her life - fifteen years ago and the present day. As a teenager, she begins an illicit relationship with her married teacher - an affair which ultimately ends in disaster. In the present day, Erin is unhappily married to a wealthy man, living a very lonely life. One day she is attacked while out running and is rescued by a local man, Nick. Following the attack, Erin begins receiving sinister letters and she discovers that someone has been watching her house. She doesn't feel able to confide in her husband, but she does confide in the man who rescued her. She's worked hard to distance herself from her past but as her life begins to unravel, she realises that the past may be catching up with her.
What drew you to writing a psychological suspense fiction book? Where do you get your inspiration from?
I come from a family of avid readers, so books have always been a huge part of my life. Some of my first memories are related to books - being at the library with my parents and siblings, reading at bedtime or on holiday. I was always writing stories as a child, and I never really stopped.
Psychological suspense has been my favourite genre to read for a long time now, so it felt like the natural choice for me to write my debut in this genre. I can find inspiration from all kinds of places but going out for a long run and clearing my head in the countryside helps me to think and begin to put an idea together. Sometimes an idea can come to me when I'm sitting in a busy coffee shop or doing the food shop, so I'll get my phone out and jot the ideas down into my notes.
You have shared with your Instagram followers that the dog in Ripple Effect, Bear, is based on your dog Charlie (who is adorable!). Are there any other characters loosely based on people you know or locations based on places you have been to?
There are definitely elements of people I know in some of the characters, but I wouldn't say they're based on them. For instance, I put parts of myself into Erin - her love of nature, her connection to the sea and her love of reading and running. But then there are parts of Erin that are completely made up. I think it's good to have that mix, it helped me to feel connected to the main character.
With regards to the location, the fictional town is a mix of places I know and love. The woodland is where I spent a lot of my childhood, and the park is somewhere I spend a lot of time with my children. It helped me to have the clear image in my head but with the bonus of it being a fictional town where I could put everything together.
What were the most challenging things about writing your debut novel?
I was mindful that Erin's relationship with her teacher needed to be handled sensitively while also being explored enough to tell the story, so that was a challenge at times. I wanted to show this man in a position of power manipulating a fifteen-year-old girl. I wanted to show how reckless he was being with her emotions and with his position of trust, and I wanted to write about the damage his actions caused and how it impacted Erin's life.
In terms of the practicalities, I would say keeping the momentum going at the start was the most challenging part. I had tried writing a book so many times before, but I always found that something would take me away from it for a week or so and I would struggle to get back into it. With Ripple Effect, I wrote most days and found that the more I did, the more I wanted to do.
Lots of authors have particular places to write where they feel most inspired; for example, a coffee shop or a home office. What are your writing processes, and do you have a favourite location to write?
I write at home when it's quiet, sat at my desk - not very exciting, I know! I haven't tried writing anywhere else using my laptop yet, but I often use my phone if I'm out and about and suddenly have an idea.
I don't tend to plan; when I have an idea, I start writing then carry on until I get to a point where a certain degree of planning becomes essential. Then I get my character profiles, maps, and key scenes down on paper and iron out any inconsistencies.
Congratulations on signing a deal with your publisher for a further three books! Are you currently working on a new project and can you tell us anything about it?
Thank you! Yes, I'm currently working on another psychological suspense but it's still in the early days at the moment. Hopefully I will have some more information about that soon!
Finally, do you have any advice or tips for aspiring authors?
I think my advice would be to keep writing and sort the editing out after you have a first draft. I used to play around with my opening chapters a lot and it can be really time consuming and stall the actual act of writing, so I've really tried to work on that. I try not to keep reading over what I've already done and just power ahead with a rough first draft, so that would be my advice for aspiring authors.
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N.A. Cooper’s book, Ripple Effect, is available to purchase now on Amazon
Follow N.A. Cooper on:
Instagram @n.a.cooperauthor
Twitter @NACooperAuthor
Blog post and interview by Francesca Rothery
@bookswithfrancesca
*Please note: All views expressed are those of the interviewee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Prose Before.
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