Behind the Scenes with The Other Half

Before Tuppenny Bridge there was The Other Half.

A tale of two families. That was my premise. Two families who were very different and wouldn’t normally have anything to do with each other, except that a son from one family married a daughter from the other.

Honestly, I find it hard to remember a time when the Fletchers and the Kingstons weren’t part of my life, yet at the same time I remember distinctly when I first had the idea for How the Other Half Lives.

I was watching a programme on the television. I can’t remember what it was called, but it was something about Rich and Poor. A “poor” family swapped lives with a wealthy one - and each had to live in the other’s house, doing the sort of things they’d do in their everyday lives, and having the weekly disposable income that the other one would normally have.

It was a real eye-opener, and I thought it had huge potential as a story. I was soon thinking about the families I’d write about, and as soon as I began to give it head space, the characters started to appear.

Sally and Jason probably arrived first. A loving, working class couple, who worked hard but had never had much to show for it. I really liked them.

Next up were Elizabeth and Rafferty. I warmed to Rafferty immediately, but Elizabeth I wasn’t too sure about. Why was she so prickly? And why didn’t she appreciate what she had, with such a fabulous lifestyle and a husband who clearly adored her?

Then came Sally’s mum, Mona. Oh, Mona! Mona, who never goes anywhere without a packet of cigarettes in her hand; who collects teapots, even though she only ever uses teabags; who boasts about her “luxury holiday accommodation on the East Yorkshire Coast,” which certainly fooled the Kingstons!

I’ve had more messages about Mona than any other character I’ve ever written. Despite her bluntness, and her disgraceful lack of tact, readers seem to love her. It’s a good job really, because, hand on heart she was modelled on my nanna and her five sisters. Yep, there were six Monas!

I grew up within walking distance of all of them, and I could hear their voices in my head every time Mona spoke. I had a lot of fun writing her, and it brought back some very happy memories. My nanna and great-aunts could be absolutely cutting and they’d never heard of tact, but I loved their humour, their warmth, and their practical way of just getting on with things. They’d lived through some tough times after all.

One thing I didn’t understand about Mona, though, was why she hated Jason. It became very clear to me, almost as soon as I started thinking about the story, that she really didn’t think he was good enough for her Sally. And I couldn’t fathom that out, because Jason and Sally were a loving, happy couple. Weren’t they?

And then I began to notice things and put two and two together. And I understood why Mona didn’t like or trust Jason… (Confession: I love Jason. I understand him and have compassion for him, even if I don’t approve of his actions. I hope by the end of his story you at least understand him, too.)

The first book in the series was very much inspired by the television series I’d watched - except, for the story’s purpose it worked better if only the two wives swapped lives, rather than the whole family. Sally went off to live in the Kingstons’ luxury home in a stunning village on the Norfolk Broads. Elizabeth was banished to the Fletcher’s little house on a council estate in East Yorkshire.

Sally was fortunate enough to be accompanied by a relative of the Kingstons called Beau, who had agreed to film her experience for a documentary the Kingstons’ youngest son Ellis was making. Elizabeth got Ellis, which meant he was staying at the Fletchers’ house, too, along with Jason and the youngest Fletcher daughter, Summer.

Summer was a lovely character to write about, because she was an odd mixture of her mum’s kind heart and sensitivity, and her gran’s bluntness and lack of tact! She certainly led Ellis a merry dance.

As soon as I began writing How the Other Half Lives I knew I didn’t want to let these two families go. I had another idea brewing for a series called Tuppenny Bridge, and I could see the potential for some of my Other Half characters to make a new life for themselves there.

My initial plan was to write three novellas which would tell the story of the two families over the course of a year. I thought I’d rapid release them as How the Other Half Lives parts one, two and three, and then move on to Tuppenny Bridge. However, the family had stories to tell that I hadn’t been aware of. They were keeping secrets, and there was so much more for me to explore than I’d ever imagined.

The Other Half quickly grew, as the relationships between the Kingstons and the Fletchers changed. Secrets were exposed, lives shattered, new relationships forged, and an explosive finale was on its way.

Before I knew it I had three full-length books rather than novellas, even though they were still (at that time) labelled parts one, two and three. I released each of them within a few weeks of each other, and was delighted by how well they were received. I’d left the series in a place where I was ready to take some of my characters by the hand and lead them to the Yorkshire Dales and a new life in my pretty market town.

My next book was called Winter Wishes at The White Hart Inn, and was the first in my new Tuppenny Bridge series. Except, you’ll probably know it now as How the Other Half Loves, and it’s the fourth and last book in my The Other Half series instead.

How did that come about? Well, that’s a story for another time, and I’ll reveal all in my Behind the Scenes with Tuppenny Bridge blog post, coming soon!

In the meantime, if you enjoy stories about family relationships, told with lots of love and warmth and humour, sprinkled with secrets, lies, love and laughter (and some rather gorgeous settings) you’ll love The Other Half.

If you haven’t read them yet, why not give them a try? The series is a prequel series to Tuppenny Bridge, but it doesn’t matter if you’ve already read the latter series. These books work very well as standalone, though they will give you a greater depth of understanding into why certain characters behave as they do, and how they came to be in the Yorkshire Dales in the first place.

You’ll find out more about The Other Half series and how to buy the books here.

And if you haven’t already signed up to my newsletter, perhaps you’d like to consider doing so, as subscribers can get a free and exclusive copy of my novella, The Other Half - Just Married. This tells the story of the wedding that brought the Kingstons and Fletchers together. Yes, it’s Billie and Arlo’s big day - and you’re invited! Just click the book cover to subscribe.

Happy reading!