Hello subscribers! I hope you're all well! I can't believe that it's been ten months since the launch of Moat Hill Hall which seems somehow like a distant memory that I still hold firmly in my mind. I have had an absolute blast meeting everyone at the book signings and want to thank each and every person who have bought the book! To everyone who has read it, I hope it didn't disappoint. I would really love to see what you thought of it! Please drop me a comment here or a review online. Your reviews not only mean a lot to potential readers, but are also incredibly invaluable to me.
As I am about to enter the marketing campaign and the exciting launch of the second book, I'd like to go into the research that went in behind the creation of it.
The Night Counsellor is set in a mental hospital in the 1950s. It is my first historical fiction blended with mystery, suspense and romance. I have deliberately chosen this decade because it strikes me as an interesting time being post war and in many respects, a decade of change. Under the glow of victory, rationing is coming to and end, the country expands in economic growth, fashion becomes brighter in colour, households start to enjoy new white goods such as fridges and washing machines. Many women, however, return to their roles as housewives after the war - except for those who have no choice or want to push the boundaries. And 1952/1953 formed the bridge between the death of a king, and the rise of a young queen. In terms of medical health care, the NHS in Britain is newly formed which would impact on the running of the traditional systems of mental hospitals and years later, the transition of patients from the institution back into society which in itself proved to show problems.
If any one hasn't been for a day out at Beamish, I highly recommend it for some authentic time travel! The 1950s street is nearly finished with the hair salon, police station, police houses, terraced and semi-detached housing, a bistro and chippy were open with a very welcoming, nostalgic vibe! If you'd like to get your hair styled at the salon, I suggest heading over first thing to make a booking. Getting a ride on a tram through the 1900s streets is always one of the highlights. I'm looking forward to another visit over there soon and see the theatre in completion!
High Royds Hospital in Menston has been a huge source for research in the treatment of patients in a hospital before it was closed down and converted into luxury apartments. There is a lot you can find through recorded interviews with the hospital's attendants, nurses and patients that describe the some of the horrors that the mentally ill suffered, but nothing feels as real as personally visiting the place itself. I went on a drab, rainy day and the giant clock tower still looms ominously over the site. Learning about the old asylum ways has both been fascinating, heartbreaking and terror inducing. Mental health was not as understood as it is today and many conditions were mis-diagnosed.
Lastly, I visited the Mental Health Museum in Wakefield. An insightful and thought provoking experience on the treatment of mental health from the 1800s to the present day - and how things have changed! Here, I learnt so much about how these places were ran, the uniforms staff wore, the physical restraints patients had to wear before medical advancements into sedatives were found, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and lobotomies.
Below is a picture of a single padded cell that is on display at the museum - its discolouration brings vivid imagery of its use throughout the years. Who would that soul have been, crouching low in the corner, hugging their knees tight to their chest? What was their name? Which family did they belong to?
The mental hospital, location and characters in my book are all fictional, but the foundation of it is inspired by real life events and places. My main character, is Jane Galloway, a strong woman that goes against the grain and pushes political and social boundaries ahead of her time, not just out of ambition, but out of necessity. I cannot wait to introduce her to all of you!
The Night Counsellor is out on Thursday 17th October. Pre-order your own paperback first edition or the kindle edition now!
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