Paula Hawkins emerged as a top author in the beginning of 2015. Her novel The Girl on the Train is the main favorite for the best book of the year. The title already earned huge praise by readers and critics. The thriller set a record with four consecutive months (From February to March) as a winner of our Amazon Bestselling Ranks.

Photo credit: Arild Vågen

43-year old former business reporter at Times is hiding her personal life. The new millionaire was busy after the release of The Girl on the Train and traveled a lot to promote the book. However she found time for a romance.

Land of Books received interesting info of the love story between Paula Hawkins and her new boyfriend. Probably some of you may not agree about digging into the personal life of the famous author, but I am sure all the fans are curious to know who is sleeping next to the new prodigy of English literature.

Paula had a long time relation with a boyfriend. When they split she let her former partner to stay with her in the apartment in Brixton, London on Lyham Road. They are still living together.

The new boyfriend knew Paula for quite a time, says our source. They both went to skiing vacations with their friends, but just in the months after the book’s release they became a couple. According to the info we received the man’s name is Simon Davis. He is living in York and is personal injury lawyer with great experience. He is in his late 50s.

Paula is in the middle on the right side of the party with sunglasses. Simon is with neck protector over his head on the left side.
Photo: Facebook

“Paula and her previous boyfriend drifted apart romantically several years ago, but they still have a wonderfully close relationship,” says our source. “Paula have known each other with the new boyfriend for a number of years, but it is only now that they have got together! He is 13 years older than her. She is finding fame hard, so perhaps he is a father figure for her.”

Simon Davis
photo: Linkedin

Well, we also were able to track some pictures of the new boyfriend with Paula Hawkins. For the first time they traveled together to USA for a book tour of The Girl on the Train, according to our source.

We wish many happy days to the new couple. They are looking cute on the photo!

Here is some extra, not so juicy, info around Paula from her latest Facebook Q&A session with fans. Inside you may learn news about her next novel, the movie adaptation and the process of writing of The Girl on the Train:

– Paula, did you have any times when you experienced writer’s block during your writing of this book? If so, how did you push through?
– I don’t experience block so much as writing myself into corners which I then don’t know how to get out of. That’s when a fresh pair of eyes – an agent, editor or other trusted reader – is invaluable.
– How long did it take you to write the book from start to finish?
– It took about 13 months including edits – which I think is pretty quick. It was quite an intense writing experience.
– What are some of your favorite books? Are there any writers in particular who influence your own work?
– It was fun. I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson and Pat Barker. I’ve just finished Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff which I thought was outstanding.
– What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
– Don’t try to do it all on your own. Rely on your agent/editor/friends – otherwise you’ll drive yourself mad.
– I’d like to know what specifically inspired this book and if anything is true to life. Did the characters come to you over a long time, e.g. years, or did the idea come to you in an instant?
– The original idea for someone witnessing something from a train was inspired by my own commutes in and out of London. The character of Rachel was someone I’d been thinking about for a while – I’d actually used a similar character in another book I’d started writing which I never finished.
– Are you going to be involved in the film adaptation of the book?
– No, I’ve never written for film and I think adapting one’s own work is especially tricky, so I’ve decided to leave it up to the professionals.
– What is next for you?
– I’m working on the next novel at the moment. It’s also a psychological thriller, I’m hoping to finish writing within the next few months.
– Whenever I read a book I often wonder what I would do if I was that person in the book. It’s a strange feeling where no matter how twisted the character is one ends up walking in their shoes and always think that I would do worse things. Do u as a writer do/ feel the same?
– Definitely! I think it’s a sign of good writing if the author has convinced you that you that the characters actions – even if extreme – are still believable.
– Who was your favorite female to write in the book and also what gave you the inspiration for the story?
– Rachel is probably closest to my heart because she was the character I thought of first, she’s the one I lived with the longest. Writing Anna was fun though, because her internal monologue is quite frank!
– How did you go about getting the book published and an agent? Can you talk us through how that process went for you?
– I was working as a journalist when my agent approached me about a non-fiction project – so I was really lucky. Once I’d written the first half of The Girl on the Train my agent sent it out to a number of publishers – again I was lucky to get a great response.
– How did you go about writing the book? Did you have the concept planned out from start to finish or was it more of an exploration as you started?
– I had the general architecture of the story planned – I knew where it was going and I knew whodunnit, but there were still plenty of twists and turns along the way that happened organically.
– I recently read somewhere that you can see Hitchcockian influences in some scenes. Were you inspired by Hitchcock to bring the story to life?
– When I first started thinking about the idea of someone witnessing something from their commute, Rear Window immediately popped into my head. I love the atmosphere of paranoia and self-doubt that Hitchcock creates in his films, they’ve certainly been an inspiration to me.
– What was your process/writing schedule like when writing the book?
– I tend to work quite normal days – not exactly 9 to 5 but not far off. I was a freelance journalist before I started writing fiction so I’m quite disciplined. I tend to write at home in my study – I like complete silence and no distractions!
– A lot of people have compared your writing to that of GIllian Flynn. How would you say Girl on a Train is similar (or not) to Gone Girl?
– There are some similarities, most notably a challenging, complex, unreliable female protagonist. But our protagonists are very different – Rachel is a total mess – she’s certainly no Amy Dunne.

Don’t forget to check out our 13 Facts article about The Girl on the Train and Paula Hawkins