'I beg of you this one thing - that if I should perish here, in this foreign land, that you will look after her.'
March, 1914. When talented artist Isobel embarks on a journey to Egypt, it's to reunite her best friend Alice with her husband, Wilfred - and to use the stunning sights of Cairo as inspiration for her own paintings.
A whirlwind romance was the last thing she expected, but when Isobel meets Wilfred's handsome brother, Edward, neither can deny the strong connection between them - especially when unexpected tragedy strikes, leaving them all reeling.
Just as they get to grips with their grief, WW1 erupts, and the lovers are forced to separate. They promise to meet again in London. But when Edward is listed as 'missing - presumed dead' only weeks after landing in France, Isobel is devastated, unmarried and on the brink of ruin. She has only one way to save her honour... but it means betraying the love she holds so dear.
A heartrending and thrilling WW1 romance, In This Foreign Land is the stunning new debut from Suzie Hull, for fans of Kate Hewitt, Shirley Dickson and Kate Eastham.
Title: In This Foreign Land
Author: Suzie Hull
Published By: Orion Dash
Publication Date: 25th November 2021
What was the inspiration behind In This Foreign Land?
My novel changed quite considerably whilst being edited, but at its core the original idea still stands – I was on a train and passed a house where I knew a family lived a hundred years previously and I had an idea for a heart wrenching love story set in WW1, where the couple were torn apart by circumstances. As I passed the house I imagined the young woman hanging up nappies on a line and waiting everyday for a letter from her lover. I wanted to have part of their love story set in Egypt, but had no idea where to find accurate information of how they would travel there, and where they would stay etc. I mentioned this to my sister, and she paused, and said, we have two travel diaries from 1907/1908 in her husband’s family circle, and would I like to read them? Of course I wanted to read them! So whilst my own couple, Edward and Isobel have their own love story on the page, I was able to re-create the British community in Cairo directly from three women who journeyed there: Emma, Lina and Minna. I won’t spoil the plot of my novel, but suffice to say that life back in the early 1900’s was precarious when it came to personal health.
Did you always want to be a writer?
No actually, I didn’t, not at school anyway, but the desire to write started when I was at home with my first baby, (reader she is now twenty-six), and I started several books over the years. One even took fifteen years to complete! But basically the feeling that I wanted to write just settled into my soul and it wouldn’t go away. And here I am.
What other jobs have you had?
I love this question! Loads is the answer to that. I’ve been a chamber maid, a nanny, I’m a Montessori Nursery teacher. I’ve worked in retail for years as well as being a classroom assistant. On the side, I’ve also done various charity jobs, and now and again I carried out surveys for a major food retailer in Northern Ireland. My claim to fame is that I once measured up twenty-six Tesco stores to get new bread shelves fitted. I loved it as I could fit the work in around my kids, but I got to the point where I felt sick every time I went into a bakery department and believe it or not I am now gluten intolerant! Lol!
How did it feel when you were offered a publishing deal?
This is a dream come true. I know that’s a cliché but it’s true. I have cried many tears in frustration over the years because I knew this was what I wanted so badly. I’m just incredibly proud to get to this point and also very, very, grateful to my beta readers along the way and Rhea Kurien from Orion Dash for taking me on.
Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story.
As I said above, I started to write twenty-six years ago. That’s a very long time. I would have a burst at writing, then get stuck and set the manuscript away for a long time, sometimes even years; but I always came back to it and when I kept re-reading I thought to myself, you know, it’s quite good but I can do better. So I kept looking out for new opportunities and also other fellow writers on twitter and facebook who were also aspiring writers or just published. I found Hazel Gaynor who had just self-published her very first historical novel, ‘The Girl Who Came Home’, and also Carmel Harrington. I was awfully lucky to be able to join Carmel’s writing group, and that was my first major turning point. Then I joined the RNA’s New Writers Scheme which was amazing, but I submitted two other books first and then my newly published book three times! It took a lot of work. I was also mentored for six months by Sophie Orme who is an Editorial Director at Bonnier and she was the first person to really start working on this novel with me, and this gave me confidence that I was moving in the right direction. Like I said before, this novel has changed an awful lot from its early days when it started out as a dual-timeline and was called many different titles on the way. I think it’s taken four or five years for this novel to get to this point. It was nearly picked up by another publisher, but they decided they would rather it was purely historical rather than a dual-timeline and at the time I was nearly defeated in how to rewrite it yet again.
Cut to the pandemic. I was at home, with time on my hands, and was able to have a couple of sessions with Alison May and feeling re-invigorated, I re-wrote it again. Summer 2020 I subbed it to Charlotte Mursell who is with Orion, at the RNA virtual conference and she liked it, but still made some suggestions to improve it. Autumn 2020 I re-wrote it again, subbed it to Charlotte in December that year, plus several other publishers and this time it was like a little magical bell had rung. I immediately had interest from a couple of publishers really quickly. When the email from Charlotte dropped onto my phone I initially thought it was a rejection. My daughter had to make me re-read it. Charlotte loved the story but it wasn’t right for Orion but she was passing it on to their imprint Dash, and someone would be in touch. Wow! I still refused to believe that this was it, and even when Rhea Kurien booked a telephone call with me, I was still not 100% sure I was over the finish line. I cried when she actually said they were offering me a two-book deal. Note: when they ask to phone you, it is good news!
What other books have you written?
Many books which will not see the light of day. Some of my earlier books were a kind of Maeve Binchy Irish saga style. I also tried many times to write Medieval novels for Mills & Boon, and failed. I once got a super speedy rejection with two weeks from them which must have been a record. There are also a couple of Christmas contemporaries, one of which got to be short-listed in the Penguin Random House Christmas Love Story competition.
Have you ever had writer's block?
Yes. Anytime I feel sad and defeated it happens.
If so how did you overcome it?
Take time out. Read, watch films that inspire you, look after myself. It passes. Or, rather, my desire to write comes back again. You need to re-fill your creative well. Don’t worry too much about it.
What motivates you to keep writing?
I love writing stories and so far, I keep coming up with new stories in my head so I need to keep getting them down. I also love reading non-fiction historical books. They inspire me.
Where is your favourite place to write?
I have taken over the dining table and it is a mess. But I can look out towards the front of the house and down our lane and that motivates me. I do need to see nature in order to write.
Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa?
When I was writing the contemporary part of my dual-timeline my characters ate a lot of scones and were forever drinking coffee! I like a lot of coffee and cake when I’m writing. But I don’t think my mood affects my characters. It’s their journey I’m re-telling, as though it’s already happened so my current feeling doesn’t slide in there.
What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Join the RNA New Writers Scheme. Find other writers to connect with. Keep writing. If that is your biggest desire in life then keep at it and don’t give up.
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| Suzie with Annette Hannah at the RNA Industry Awards 2021 |
Which authors inspire you?
I’ve always read historical novels from when I was in Primary school and I’ve always been fascinated by WW1 and WW2. I read Judith Kerr’s ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’ as a child and couldn’t believe that a child the same age as me had had to escape from their home. As an adult, Kate Morton’s book, The Lake House totally inspired me to start writing dual-timelines and I am always on the lookout for great page-turning historicals, preferably if they are set abroad. Favourite authors are Iona Grey, Dinah Jefferies, Hazel Gaynor, Jenny Ashcroft and Jojo Moyes to name a few.
What are you reading at the moment?
I have just finished Jojo Moyes novel, The last Letter from my Lover, which I adored, and I’m about to start Pam Lecky’s book, Her Secret War.
If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?
Well even though it is set during WW1, Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, would be, well…perfect.
What is your next book about?
For my next book I took inspiration from my Quaker roots and I have written another love story set abroad at the start of WW1. This time I have incorporated a dual-narrative but it’s all set within the past.
Thank you so much for joining us Suzie and Good Luck with the book.
