Should Have Told You Sooner follows a museum professional navigating the complexities of motherhood, the aftermath of divorce, and a career opportunity that leads her abroad. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

The idea for Should Have Told You Sooner came to me while I was immersed in a book of Welsh folk tales. One story in particular, “The Lady of Llyn Y Fan Fach,” captivated me and set my imagination racing. In it, a young farmer named Gwyn visits the lake named in the title, and while he is there, a most beautiful fairy rises from the water and speaks to him. She is Nelferch, and in an instant, Gwyn is in love. Nelferch agrees to marry him, sacrificing the watery world she knows for a life with him on dry land, but their union ends in disappointment and pain. Long after finishing the story, I kept thinking about Nelferch and Gwyn and all the ways we might harm those we profess to love. It wasn’t long before I stopped thinking about the folk tale characters and began imagining a more contemporary pair.

What is one pivotal moment in the story that you think best defines Noel?

After Noel leaves a heart-to-heart talk with Henry, the young artist she’s been working with, she makes a side trip to an art museum instead of returning right back to work. Their conversation has shaken her – and I won’t say why because spoilers! – and as she’s walking through all the London neighborhoods that were her haunts while she was a student, both Henry’s words and her memories are running through her head, and she’s letting them. Until this moment, she’s been the person who put her memories in a box and closed the lid tight on them because the idea of revisiting that part of her life was too painful. I think it becomes clear here how hard it’s been for her to live with the memories and also how hard it’s been to live without acknowledging them, and not only for herself. She realizes something has to change.

Is there any moral or idea that you hope readers take away from the story?

I always hope my stories make readers think about how complex and flawed and yet deserving of grace we all are. That living is all about change and growth and doing the work that helps us heal both ourselves and our relationships with others.

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

I’m currently working on the sequel to Should Have Told You Sooner, and I have two other novel projects that are in early planning stages. If the sequel is finished within the year, it could be out as early as 2027.

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