1.‘In Darkling Wood’ started life 3 years ago as a dual narrative between Florence and her maid. It was called ‘The Secret Stranger’ and wasn’t about fairies at all!
2. My mother-in-law owns a piece of woodland; in it is a beech tree with a fairy door.
3. Borage the huge, hairy lurcher in ‘In Darkling Wood’ is my dream dog type. (but don’t tell my Jack Russells!)
4. In Darkling Wood was the hardest of my 3 books to write. I nearly gave up on it countless times.
5. The story starts on Armistice Day- November 11th. Incidentally, on this date in 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer.
6. When writing In Darkling Wood, I deliberately didn’t read any contemporary fairy fiction. All I read were old folk tales and accounts of the Cottingley fairies stories. I wanted my fairies to represent a ‘feeling’, rather than be part of a fantasy world.
7. The cover for The Snow Sister- coming out in October- is my favourite cover yet !
In Darkling Wood is published on the 2nd July 2015 by Faber and Faber.
Summary
When Alice's brother gets a longed-for chance for a heart transplant, Alice is suddenly bundled off to her estranged grandmother's house. There's nothing good about staying with Nell, except for the beautiful Darkling Wood at the end of her garden - but Nell wants to have it cut down. Alice feels at home there, at peace, and even finds a friend, Flo. But Flo doesn't seem to go to the local school and no one in town has heard of a girl with that name. When Flo shows Alice the surprising secrets of Darkling Wood, Alice starts to wonder, what is real? And can she find out in time to save the wood from destruction?
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