The Story Behind The Story
The idea behind For Our Children's
Sake came
out of rejection. My first submission to Harlequin Mills and
Boon was a 'near miss' for the Modern/Presents
line. After two rewrites and a long wait, it was ultimately
rejected because it fell between the Tender/Modern divide.
Although I was reading books that occupied that zone it wasn't
where they were acquiring.
Desperately disappointing, of course, but it had come close
enough for an editor in the Richmond office to offer to 'hold
my hand' through my next submission. Sitting on a grassy
hillock at the RNA Conference in 2003, Kim Young and I discussed
whether I should aim squarely at Modern or at Tender. On the
basis that it's easier to change plot than voice I decided
to aim for Tender.
Someone had once said in my hearing that they'd heard
Kim liked 'marriage of convenience' stories. Whether
that's true or not I still don't know – but
it meant that I was going to come up with at least one in the
batch of six synopses I was writing for her to look at. All
I had to do was come up with an idea for why I'd marry
a man I didn't love! And For
Our Children's Sake started to come together.
 Out
of the selection I sent her, For
Our Children's Sake was the story idea she chose.
Then I had to write it...
My local park became the place where Dominic sees Chloe for
the first time. Not in Shropshire, I confess.
The much-loved Victorian terrace where Lucy lived is based
on my friend Helena's house. Helena is a fantastically
artistic person with the kind of home that's perfect
for sitting in front of an open fire, drinking red wine and
eating home-made pizza. Sitting at my computer it occurred
to me that Lucy would be very comfortable in a home like that.
Magpie that I am, I borrowed bits, mixed it with others and
came up with Lucy's comfortable Shropshire home.
 I must also mention that the fallen-off coat pegs in Lucy's
hall do not belong to Helena. They belong to a different friend – Helen – and
one of my sons knocked them off in the week I was writing that
scene. Very embarrassing.
A family visit to a Bonfire Night celebration prompted the
setting for Dominic to come and find Lucy.
Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated on the 5th
November each year. Nowadays, with health and safety such an
issue, we're all encouraged to go to the kind of public
display Lucy takes Chloe and Abby to. There's usually
a huge bonfire and a spectacular firework display. As a child
it's quite magical, partly because of the fireworks and
partly because you have to stay up 'til after dark.
On 25 November, 2003, I submitted the finished manuscript
of For Our Children's Sake.
On 1 December, I had the call I was waiting for...
March 2005 in North America - isbn: 0373038380 NOW
AVAILABLE!
November 2004 in AUS/NA - isbn: 0733555381
October
2004 in the UK - isbn: 0263838560
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