Hi Jackie. Thank you for bringing your birthday blitz tour to Novel Kicks. Can you tell us about your book, Notebook Number Nine and what inspired it?

Notebook Number Nine is the story of a young woman who has an epiphany one day and realises that everything is a lie! Not just in her own life, but everywhere she looks. She decides that she’s had enough and determines to undertake a journey of self-discovery and a search for real truth. The problem is, she’s just a ‘normal’ person. She can’t afford to escape to a monastery up a mountain or a beach in Bali. Can just anyone find out what’s actually real? Or is it only for those who can afford it? I’ve always had an inquisitive mind. I was one of those children that constantly asked questions that irritate the hell out of grown-ups. I read too many so-called ‘self-help’ books over the years that made no sense to me and didn’t help at all. I grew up on a council estate in Hackney, and I wanted to write about a journey of self-discovery for those of us who still have to pay the gas bill. It’s a novel that asks a lot of deep questions, but with a good dose of humour and common sense. Ultimately, it’s a human story full of hope.

What is your favourite word and why?

I’m not sure why, but I love onomatopoeic words (that sound like what they’re describing), like ‘Boing!’ and ‘Thwack!’ and ‘Sizzle!’

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals – coffee? Silence?

Coffee – yes! Silence – only when I get to the editing stage. My favourite writing spaces are coffee shops, especially ones in train stations, so the background noise often helps. You can catch some fascinating snippets of conversations.

Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?

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