Now I See You follows a woman who must navigate a tumultuous relationship while transforming from a young lover to a woman of strength and resolve amidst the challenges of a sailing club backdrop. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Now I See You is inspired by the worldwide epidemic of domestic abuse and my personal experiences. I lived for many years with a coercively controlling partner who managed to make my world very small. I wanted to explore the multiple parallels of how abusers use coercive control in different forms of relationships to dominate, manipulate and alienate. I also wanted to show the strength and importance of beautiful friendships and how being able to lean on someone at different times in life is invaluable.

How did you develop the character of Jess, and what influenced her journey?

Jess’s character was inspired to demonstrate the full breadth of human growth from the ignorance of young adulthood, through to the strength gained from time and life’s journey. So often people are easily led and manipulated when younger. Jess’s journey is heavily influenced by my own experiences. I wanted to explore from a first person perspective how people find themselves in a relationship with an abuser. The love bombing in-between abusive and manipulative behaviours is often the unexplored and un-portrayed, yet extremely important part of the cycle of abuse. It’s difficult for people to understand why a victim stays in a relationship with someone who treats them so poorly. The truth is, by the time the abuse starts, a victim is already completely invested in that person and ultimately wants to believe the good in them. They want to believe that one day, the abuse will stop, and they can go back to the promise of what their life together was meant to look like.

The themes of resilience and overcoming adversity, I feel, are central to your book. Are these themes drawn from personal experiences or observations?

We don’t know our ultimate strength until adversity is thrust at us. Resilience is innate in all of us, even when we feel our weakest. Jess’s love story arcs from an exciting new romance to show a woman who is controlled and programmed to think she is worthless. This book is written from my growth and learning of my own strength and for the many millions of victims of abuse who feel they have no voice. You are stronger than you know.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have spent most of my career nursing and am currently working on a novel about a graduate nurse navigating her first year working on a general ward. There are many shocks, spills and thrills in Ruby’s journey to learning the skills of the job she always dreamed of. I am hoping to release my next novel in 2024.

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