One of the best psychological thrillers for 2015 was released in October by Kathryn Croft. The Girl With No Past won many followers to the British author. The good news for the fans of our next guest is the premiere of the sequel – The Girl You Lost.
We are happy to welcome at Land of Books Kathryn Croft.

– Kathryn, what is your book The Girl With No Past about?
– The book is about a young woman called Leah, whose past comes back to haunt her. She lives a reclusive life as a self-inflicted punishment for something she did when she was younger but now someone has found out what happened and begins a reign of terror against her.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– I was just thinking of ideas and the beginning came to me, then I just worked out what I wanted to happen to the characters.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– If you’d asked me this I would have said editing, but now I think the biggest challenge is trying to write when you have a newborn baby!
– Tell us something more about your main character Leah? Is she close to someone from your real life?
– No, all my characters are entirely fictional, but sometimes I do steal names from people I know!
– How do you accept the comparison between your novel and The Girl on the Train?
– They are both psychological thrillers so fans of either book might like both, but the storylines are very different.
– Give us some insight about your debut book Behind Closed Doors?
– The idea behind it is what would you do if you thought you’d been through the worst time in your life, only to find that even worse was still to come. It’s about choices we make (good and bad) and their consequences.
– What the readers will find in The Stranger Within?
– Hopefully readers will find a shocking twist at the end that they didn’t see coming! This book deals with the difficulties of step-families and the consequences of lies and dishonesty.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– Each book is different but I would say approximately six months from start to publication. But that’s before having a newborn!!
– Who are you?
– I am a new mother and writer. Those things are who I am inside and out. I’m a perfectionist and extremely ambitious and I know how to laugh!
– What are your writing habits?
– I write most productively in the mornings and aim for 1000 words a day before I stop.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– I am actually blown away by how well the books are doing and it’s all thanks to my amazing publisher, Bookouture! Writing a novel is definitely a team effort!
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– I try to be as active as possible on social media but I am also lucky enough to have Kim from Bookouture, who is amazing at publicity and I’d be lost without her.
– When we will see your next novel and would you unveil something more about it?
– My new novel, THE GIRL YOU LOST, is out now! It follows the story of Simone and her husband Matt, whose six-month-old baby daughter was abducted eighteen years ago. They never found out what happened to her but suddenly now someone appears in their lives who claims to have information.
– Do you remember the moment when you decide to write a full novel and how you got motivated to do it?
– I have always wanted to write a novel and started my first one in 2000. I got to 50,000 words then abandoned it as life got in the way. However, I never gave up on my goal and started writing Behind Closed Doors in 2010, while I was still a teacher. Eventually I realised I’d never finish it if I didn’t give up teaching, so that’s what I did in 2012 and got the book finished! It was a huge risk but luckily it paid off!
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be?
– I do love this question and always ask the same thing: what is the meaning of life? My answer might vary slightly but I would say to achieve happiness by finding your authentic self.

To learn more about Kathryn Croft check out her Website
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Take a look at her books

The Girl With No Past
The Girl You Lost
The Stranger Within
Behind Closed Doors