Congratulations on Over To You! What first sparked the idea for your book, and at what point did you realise it was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I’ve always been fascinated – to the point of obsession – by female friendships. The intensity of them; the inherent competition and comparison; and the undeniable love. I’ve met some of my closest friends in newsrooms and wanted to explore how those relationships are affected by such a high-stakes industry. I wrote the Prologue first – loosely based on an experience from my very early journo days – and from there the rest of the plot unfolded rather quickly!

Can you walk us through the journey from that initial idea to holding the finished book in your hands?

A lot of time writing… even more time stressing about writing! I’ve always written ‘for fun’, so when I first pitched the idea to my publisher, I already had the Prologue written, and detailed character descriptions for my main three characters. When I finally held a physical copy of Over to You for the first time, I was so overwhelmed! I couldn’t quite believe I’d managed to pull it off! I also hadn’t realised how much I’d written – more than 400 pages!

How long did the whole process take, and what were the biggest surprises along the way?

All up – from initial pitch to final edits – two and a half years! I think I was most surprised by how thorough the editing process was. I’ve never written a novel before so was completely new to the whole process. I remember when I finished my first draft (a year after signing my book deal) I thought (incorrectly) that I wouldn’t have much to fix. The first structural edit was brutal but enlightening and completely reshaped the novel (especially the ending). At times it felt like there would never be an ‘end’ to the edits.

What did you enjoy most about the writing process, and what did you find the most challenging?

Every second I was actually writing/typing/plotting I loved. I learned I’m a fast writer and could actually race through my allotted chapters for each deadline easily. However, the biggest challenge was forcing myself to start writing each time. When I started, I was very committed to ‘writing at least 200 words a day’. Which was just not feasible. Over the course of writing Over to You I was working full-time at 10/The Project, was filming a second tv show and recording two podcasts. The only way I got it done was to block out full days whenever I could and write as fast as possible.

Now that it’s out in the world, how does it feel to share something so personal with readers?

Nerve-wracking! So very, very nerve-wracking! I have to say though that I genuinely love the book (I know I’m biased) and enjoyed every single re-read (and there were maaaaannnnnnyyyyyyy)! I think I’ve captured the newsroom/media industry authentically and I’m really excited now to see what people think. It’s wild to me that everyone will be able to read it!

What do you hope people take away after reading it?

I hope they are left wanting more, honestly. I can see Over to You being a series. And that no one is perfect – my characters are all flawed. They do things that will have you laughing, yelling, pulling your hair out, scoffing, and crying. But (hopefully) you love them anyway!