NK Chats To…Jane Harvey

Hello Jane. Happy Birthday to your book, The Landlord of Hummingbird House. Can you tell us a bit about it and what inspired it?

The Landlord of Hummingbird House is book one of a series, and it focuses on April, whose relationship has failed, and she is forced to start again. She moves into the house, where there are a number of tenants in her building from all walks of life – but who are also loyal friends. The book explores how easy it is to make inaccurate judgments about people. April’s first impressions (and the reader’s) are slowly unravelled, and a secret comes to light. It’s quite an easy-read book that touches on some dark themes, but ultimately focuses on the power of friendships.

If you could pick a new house and city to move to, where would you go and why?

I’m an island girl and I love sunny weather and sea-swimming – though the warmer and clearer the sea, the better!

If I could move without hassle and consequence, I think I’d go to a Greek island and live alone, with peace and quiet – but close enough to the beach for my swims and to a town for occasional sustenance and socialisation, on the rare occasions I might need these!

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals? For example, do you need silence? Are you a morning, afternoon or evening writer? Need caffeine?

When I first came back to writing, I had a strict structure and routine, but now writing is so embedded into my life that it has slithered into all the nooks and crannies and gaps in my life, and I don’t have a routine – except at times of impending deadlines!

I do, however, have high expectations of work count and what I can achieve. I create a calendar for the year and work to deadlines and personal expectations for what I will publish. So I don’t allow myself the luxury of only writing when I feel inspired. If I did, I’d be far less productive. I have to grab ideas and hold onto them, or even chase them, when they do appear. Stories often come to me when I have a moment to let my mind drift. Driving a regular route, doing the dishes, etc. Sometimes it’s the setting, sometimes the twist, but often the character that comes first.

From first draft to final publication, how long does it take you to complete a novel? Also, do you have advice when approaching research and editing? When do you know you’ve done enough of both?

Jane’s Writing Space

I am an organised and prolific writer, and although I may write at any time of day or in various settings, I do write several times a week, and often for hours at a time. I am keen on plotting and have organised files and notes, and can sometimes write and edit a novel in six months.

That being said, this tends to be the case with contemporary (or at least twentieth-century) novels, but I have found a recent venture into historical fiction – a story set in the sixteenth century – has taken me far longer. With that, I found there were times I was checking every sentence for fear of inaccuracies. My advice in that case is 1) to remember that the work is fiction, not biography and 2) that an author’s note, explaining your choices, is a godsend!

What was your route to publication like? Did you self-publish or was it via a publisher? Do you have any advice in relation to your route?

I self-published this series and am very glad I did. All writers have their own reasons for publishing the way they do, and I would loathe to be too prescriptive about what is the ‘right’ way to publish. For me, I loved the independence, control and speed of publishing this way. The pitfalls, of course, are that self-publishing requires a steep learning curve and a wide-reaching set of skills.

Which songs would feature on a playlist for this novel?

April is the key character in the book and is in her late twenties, as well as being broken hearted, so perhaps some Adele and Ed Sheeran would be on her playlist!

The Landlord of Hummingbird House is the first book in a series. What are the challenges when writing as part of a series and what are the benefits?

I hadn’t intended this to be a series when I started. The concept arose after various reviews started requesting the back stories of the other characters who appear in the house, alongside April.

As a writer, the benefits have been how well I know the characters. This means part of the work is done for me before I even start! The characters motivations, appearance, history and personalities are already established. Many readers love to get fully immersed in the characters of a book. The challenge is keeping all my facts straight!

What’s your favourite word and why?

This is a great question for me (and a hard one!) I love words – not just their use but also sounds and origins.

I think my favourite word is ‘sesquipedalian’. It actually means long-winded or a polysyllabic word, and is therefore self-describing! Ask me next month, however, and you may get another answer as I am definitely a ‘word nerd’.

Out of all the books you’ve read (that aren’t your own), which one would you like to forget just so you had the pleasure of rediscovering it?

When I first read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell I was utterly blown away. I may not be able to forget it, but I am ecstatic that a film adaptation comes out this autumn and am desperately hoping it will meet expectations.

Any other advice for aspiring writers that you’d like to share?

I would also say: don’t wait. There will never be a perfect time to start writing, and the more time you spend practising, the better you will be. And read – widely, voraciously, and with an enthusiastic appetite but a critical eye.

Would you rather –

Have the ability to see into the future or be able to visit the past?

I think the future looks like it could be a scary place right now, so it would have to be the past.

Have the ability to move things with your mind or read minds?

I’m not sure I’d like everything I ‘read’ so I’d have to be able to move things with my mind!

Sing or dance to your favourite song for the rest of your life?

Sing!

Have money or power?

I suspect having money leads to a great deal of power (sadly).

Drink tea or coffee?

Oh, I don’t mind. I like both. Coffee probably edges it, as I do like my early morning cup!

See the movie or read the book first?

Read the book.

Read a Paperback or eBook?

This is hard.

About Jane Harvey –

Jane Harvey is a pen name. ‘Jane’ crafts fun fiction for the thinking woman, where she enjoys exploring unexpected friendships and writing happy endings. In ‘real life’, her (prize-winning) fiction is a little bleaker.

She was born and raised on the beautiful island of Jersey, CI, and lives with two males and a dog.

 Say hello to Jane via Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

About The Landlord of Hummingbird House – 

April needs somewhere to live – and peace and quiet to heal her wounds. The tenants of Hummingbird House have other ideas.

When April moves into Hummingbird House, she is intrigued by her mysterious landlord, Dai.

With a bruised heart and a distinct lack of furniture, she spends the summer getting to know the other occupants. As she smartens up her home and makes peace with her recent past, she befriends Paul, a solitary ex-chef, and Betty, an elderly lady who lives in the basement flat.

But Hummingbird House holds many secrets, and the relationships of the tenants are not as straightforward as they seem. April learns some shocking truths one eventful night and realises that victims and villains can look the same.

The Landlord of Hummingbird House explores unlikely friendships, unexpected love interests, and family relationships. Here, everyone is in need of a second chance – and appearances can be deceptive.

The Landlord of Hummingbird House is book 1 of 4 in the heartwarming Hummingbird House series and was released in August 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Waterstones and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.