Black Sheep follows a woman living through abuse who flees to London and rebuilds her life, only to realize the past follows you and she has to confront the ghosts that left with her. Were there particular real-life influences behind the novel?

No, the story just came to me, I think because it was my desire to create a tragic character so that I could save her, in fiction.

Gem feels intensely real. How did you balance vulnerability and toughness in her character?

I think there is a part of Gem in all of us, and I chose a strong constitution in someone rather than a ‘lay down and die’ response, maybe to give hope.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Counseling was a very important theme, having experienced therapy and part training to be a counselor, in the past, which gave me some knowledge and enabled me to picture the scenes with Gem and her therapist. Relationships were also high on the list, as we all have expectations of people that often fail. And I suppose I explored my own reactions, e.g., with school friends.

What does Black Sheep say about identity after trauma?

That life experience shapes you as a person, especially with trust. Whatever you go through stays with you forever, but I wrote with a positive outlook, as I didn’t want Gem to be defined by her past, but rather to learn from it and move on.

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