Author Interview: Catherine Issac

I am very excited to be taking part in the blog tour for the wonderful You Me Everything by Catherine Issac today. Catherine's novel has taken the book world by storm and is receiving some wonderful reviews. I was thrilled to be able to chat to Catherine about her writing as she introduces us to her latest novel and reveals where she gets her ideas...

Hello Catherine, a big, warm welcome to Bookaholic Confessions! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself...? 

I’m Catherine Isaac, author of ‘You Me Everything’. I was previously known as Jane Costello and wrote nine bestsellers under that name, including ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Girl On The Run’.

I am really excited about reading your novel, You Me Everything. Can you tell us a little more about it?

It’s about a single mum called Jess, who takes her ten-year-old son William to the Dordogne in France to rekindle a relationship with his father Adam, from whom she’s estranged. The prospect of spending a summer with her ex is Jess’s idea of hell, even if it does mean staying at Chateau de Roussignol, the luxurious hotel he runs. But her mum, Susan, who is in the late stages of Huntington’s disease, believes strongly that William should have a relationship with his dad and Jess wants to honour her wishes.

How did you come up with the idea for the story?

It was after someone I know discovered that his mother had been diagnosed with HD and I was struck by the ripple effect of the condition and how it affected other members of the family. But I didn’t want to simply write a book about a disease. I wanted to write about love, in all its forms. I’ve come to think of ‘You Me Everything’ as a love story in the widest definition of the term. It’s about love at its worst and best, but most of all, it’s about finding every bit of joy in life, no matter what is thrown at you.

Are any of the characters in You Me Everything based on anyone in real life or are they entirely fictional?

No-body is based 100% on a real person, but I’ve picked out the odd characteristic of people I know and love. William in particular – Jess’s 10 year old son – was written when one of my sons was the same age, so it made it easier to make his dialogue authentic.

You Me Everything has been receiving AMAZING reviews already! How does it feel when you hear that a reader has enjoyed your book?

The reception to the book has been phenomenal and when I hear that my work has affected someone positively, it really is the most rewarding part of this job. That’s what makes social media so great for an author – you have that link that years ago simply wasn’t there.

What advice would you give to any aspiring authors out there?

I’ve been asked this question so often lately that I actually ended up writing a whole section on my website dedicated it. It’s at https://www.catherine-isaac.com/writing/ if you’re interested. But there are a few things that are essential: read widely, write often (even if it’s only a little bit at a time), prepare yourself for a lot of re-drafting and bumps along the way.

Who are your favourite authors and what kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I don’t stick to one particular genre and enjoy reading as widely as possible. I’ve recently discovered Audible, which I love because it means I can have more than one book on the go at once. I love the classics – I’m currently listening to all 36 hours of David Copperfield – but also a good thriller or a sweeping, emotional story that really makes you think. My favourite book of all time is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

And finally – can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

I’ve just finished my next book, A Blanket of Stars, which is set partly in Italy and partly in the UK which I’m very happy to say will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2019.

Click here to get hold of your copy of You Me Everything.

A huge thank you to Catherine for answering my questions and to Jessica at Simon & Schuster.