Jody Klaire

Hi guys!

I began writing the first draft of Noble Hearts this week. It’s always a thought that I might not get the voice after returning from another project or that I may find getting into it hard.
I don’t know why because Aeron flowed right out onto the page as if she’d been itching to have another adventure. It makes me smile writing her, it really does.
Hindsight was potentially really difficult to write: the characters were in hairy situations; I was juggling how and when the reader needed to see through their eyes, and I wasn’t really at my best.
Somehow though,  it was like a conversation with friends. Each gave the other space to show what was important for the story. Perhaps that’s what Aeron’s books are for me, and I hope the reader, a chat between good friends.
I’ve learned so much about America through research but mostly through the lovely folks I’ve come to know. It’s given me the opportunity to learn how each of them feels about their country, the differences we have and the things in common. Like Aeron, Frei and Renee, they are warm, generous and always happy to share their love for their home.
When I visit a state or city with Aeron, it reminds me a lot of the people I’ve chatted to who live there and also my long suffering editor who gently tells me that I’ve reorganised American geography… again; that Americans really don’t go putting ketchup on their hot dog; that they wear sneakers or tennis shoes never trainers, no matter how I try to sneak it in; that a scrambler is a dirt bike, and they spell it “center.”
I love it. I love all the little intricacies and try really hard to reduce the “Britishisms” with each book. I’ve no idea if I’ve succeeded but she hasn’t sent me her therapy bill yet!
Hindsight, to me as an author, stands as a reminder of the warmth and kindness of the folks across the pond. The book, as a story, stands for how some people’s light shimmers beneath the rubble, and with a little help from caring hands, that shimmer turns out to be a priceless gem.

Have a great weekend!

Big smiles,