Fresh Chat | The Joy in Being an Author with Dani Atkins author of THE STORY OF US

Thank you for joining us here at Fresh Fiction. THE STORY OF US is your second novel and is released in the United States on June 9!

THE STORY OF US has tragedy, betrayal, a love triangle, friendship, secrets, and hard choices…the kind of story you read with one hand pressed over your heart. But THE STORY OF US is about hope, courage, and forgiveness. Did you know from the beginning how the story would end or did you learn along with Emma?

I have to admit there is a lot going on in THE STORY OF US and in places it is very much an emotional rollercoaster ride. When I begin a novel I know just two things: where it will start, and where it will end. It’s the bit in between that I am never quite sure about. Not knowing every detail of the story, but living through it as it unfolds, is both exciting and at times quite scary. It also means that I can experience it as I hope the reader will do when they read it. (All of this sounds like a very cunning author device to cover up the fact that I am rubbish at planning!)

Many writers have particular rituals that prepare them for writing. For some it’s making coffee in the morning, for others it’s yoga or walking the dog. What do you do to prepare yourself to write?

I had a very idealistic image of how it would be to work as a full time author. I thought I would sit down at my desk at nine o’clock each morning and then work continually until around five each afternoon (with an indulgent hour off for lunch, of course). It didn’t take long for me to discover that I’m nowhere near disciplined enough for that! I have a tendency to get horribly side-tracked and it can sometimes take me ages to finally “get going”.

I do begin each day by walking my dog (Dusty, a four year old border collie) and I find this gives me an excellent opportunity to think about what I want to write that day (which is about as much forward planning as I every manage to accomplish). I particularly enjoy planning dialogue whilst on these walks, and will often be found saying my characters’ words out loud to the empty English countryside as we go. I am sure that anyone I happen to meet must think I am crazy – I know my dog does!

I read in an interview that you’re inspired by Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks. Can you see yourself writing in other genres in the future or is contemporary romance the perfect fit for the stories you want to tell?

I love writing, and I love a good story. To me the greatest joy in being an author is when you have a story that you just have to share, be it a contemporary romance, a thriller, or a young adult novel. I very much hope that in the years to come I will continue writing the kind of contemporary romances for which I am presently known, but also journey into other genres as well. Before THE STORY OF US and THEN AND ALWAYS were published I was working on a young adult novel, which I would very much like to dust off and return to one day. So, in answer to your question… never say never.

Can you tell us what your fans have to look forward to from you in the future? Any chance you’ll be coming to the States?

I am currently working on my third novel, which I hope to complete very soon. It is an emotional drama, dealing with love and family and relationship issues and I am already in love with the characters within it. It will be published in the United Kingdom at the beginning of 2016.

I would love to visit the States, particularly if it gave me the chance to meet some of the readers who have bought and enjoyed my books. As a family we have visited Florida a few times on holiday, and five years ago my daughter and I came for a very brief sightseeing trip to New York. But it was nowhere near enough, and there is so much more of your wonderful country that I would love to see, and so many people I would love to meet.

One last question, our readers want to know what’s at the top of your Summer Reading list?

As usual my wish list of summertime reading is far greater than the time I know I will have to read them. I am, however, determined to set aside some “me” time to enjoy FINDERS KEEPERS by Stephen King (although I believe the plot is going to scare the life out of me) and also The Miniaturist THE MINIATURIST by Jessie Burton (which lots of people have recommended to me). And lastly, like most of the rest of the reading world, I simply cannot wait to read GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee.

About Dani Atkins

Dani Atkins lives in rural Hertfordshire, England, with her husband and two children.

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About THE STORY OF US

For fans of David Nicholls’s ONE DAY and Liane Moriarty’s WHAT ALICE FORGOT, here’s a page- turning novel about a young woman who is torn between two men, and who must determine where— and with whom—her future lies.

Emma is just days from marrying her childhood sweetheart, Richard. But what should be the happiest time of Emma’s life takes a turn for the worse when, on the night of her bachelorette party, tragedy strikes. Thanks to some quick thinking from a stranger, Emma is pulled free from a totaled car before it goes up in flames. But another passenger is not so lucky.

The wedding is postponed as family and friends deal with their shock and grief. But soon, secrets come to light that have Emma questioning her relationships—and her engagement. Making matters more complicated is the emotional connection she feels with Jack, the mysterious man who saved her life. It’s a crisis no bridal magazine has ever covered: What do you do when, on the eve of your wedding, you find yourself in love with two men?