It gives me great pleasure to welcome Peter Turnham onto the website today. Following a successful business career, Peter has written four novels, the third of which has become a bestseller on Kindle.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Peter.
Peter: I describe myself on my sales page as an “accidental author”. It might just as well read “unlikely author” because I started out with a distinct disadvantage. I am dyslexic, which means I have immense difficulty recognising the correct spelling of a word. It also means that my reading pace is glacial, and my attention span is short. The good news is that dyslexia places me among some rarefied company. Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Richard Branson, and Steve Jobs, not to mention Agatha Christie. The only writing I had done in the past was dry technical stuff associated with a previous career. That was all about to change.
While fishing in Cuba in 2017, I made the foolhardy mistake of thinking I could play tennis, something I hadn’t done for thirty years or more. The only good thing about a snapped Achilles tendon is that as a wheelchair patient, you get priority at the airport! Sitting at home in the UK with my leg in a brace unable to do anything was a recipe for insanity. So in sheer desperation I said to my wife Carol, “I’m going to write a novel.” Had I said I was going to climb Mount Everest or run the London marathon it would have been just as implausible.
The words ‘chapter one’ came easily, beyond that I had no idea. Eventually, I used a character based upon a larger-than-life friend of mine. The story then developed spontaneously, because I could visualise exactly what my character would do or say. I realised if I was to progress I would need to empathise similarly with entirely fictitious characters. My road to Damascus moment came one morning when I found one of my fictitious characters sitting next to me, writing his own story. As silly as it might sound, it was a revelatory moment.
That was when I took it seriously. With lots of help and advice from my wife Carol and a professional editor, I realised I was on to something. According to the editor, everything about my writing was wrong, except for one thing, I had this unexpected connection with my characters. As a dyslexic kid, I missed out on all the writing skills at school. Strangely, what had been a nightmare scenario for me has now become a passion. To cut that long story short, I rewrote my first novel, Autumn Daffodils, Charlie’s Story and we published it. The second book, Joanna’s Story is a continuation of the first novel. And so, from an unlikely beginning, an author emerged.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Peter.
Peter: I describe myself on my sales page as an “accidental author”. It might just as well read “unlikely author” because I started out with a distinct disadvantage. I am dyslexic, which means I have immense difficulty recognising the correct spelling of a word. It also means that my reading pace is glacial, and my attention span is short. The good news is that dyslexia places me among some rarefied company. Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Richard Branson, and Steve Jobs, not to mention Agatha Christie. The only writing I had done in the past was dry technical stuff associated with a previous career. That was all about to change.
While fishing in Cuba in 2017, I made the foolhardy mistake of thinking I could play tennis, something I hadn’t done for thirty years or more. The only good thing about a snapped Achilles tendon is that as a wheelchair patient, you get priority at the airport! Sitting at home in the UK with my leg in a brace unable to do anything was a recipe for insanity. So in sheer desperation I said to my wife Carol, “I’m going to write a novel.” Had I said I was going to climb Mount Everest or run the London marathon it would have been just as implausible.
The words ‘chapter one’ came easily, beyond that I had no idea. Eventually, I used a character based upon a larger-than-life friend of mine. The story then developed spontaneously, because I could visualise exactly what my character would do or say. I realised if I was to progress I would need to empathise similarly with entirely fictitious characters. My road to Damascus moment came one morning when I found one of my fictitious characters sitting next to me, writing his own story. As silly as it might sound, it was a revelatory moment.
That was when I took it seriously. With lots of help and advice from my wife Carol and a professional editor, I realised I was on to something. According to the editor, everything about my writing was wrong, except for one thing, I had this unexpected connection with my characters. As a dyslexic kid, I missed out on all the writing skills at school. Strangely, what had been a nightmare scenario for me has now become a passion. To cut that long story short, I rewrote my first novel, Autumn Daffodils, Charlie’s Story and we published it. The second book, Joanna’s Story is a continuation of the first novel. And so, from an unlikely beginning, an author emerged.
Alex: Can you talk us through your books?
Peter: My first two books met with modest success, and just enough acclaim to encourage me to continue. At that point I took a step back, and the entrepreneur in me took a long hard look at this new ‘career’ of mine. The first two books were hard to market because they do not fit into a specific genre; I needed something more focussed. I was born and brought up in London, where my parents lived through the war. As a youngster I would listen to their conversations, I was very much aware of what they had lived through. Cataclysmic events like the Blitz seem to not only create an indelible memory in the minds of those involved, it seems to form a collective national memory. It’s almost as if there is an epigenetic inheritance involved, because I feel a connection to the period. When you think about it, the Second World War affected everyone. It was a period of heightened senses and emotion, everything an author might wish to explore.
The basic idea for my third novel None Stood Taller was a young woman who loses everything during the Blitz and, as the book blurb describes, she is an unbreakable spirit. This is not the end, it is merely the beginning. Defying the expectations of her background and social class, she embarks upon an incredible journey that takes her from the ashes of the Blitz to the very top of the British wartime establishment. First and foremost, I write for my own pleasure, and in that regard, the reader and I share the same voyage of discovery. For that to work, the young woman Lily cannot exist as a notional personality, she has to inhabit my mind as a real person. It took about a week of sketching the outline of the character, and then miraculously she stepped off the page and started writing her own story.
Peter: My first two books met with modest success, and just enough acclaim to encourage me to continue. At that point I took a step back, and the entrepreneur in me took a long hard look at this new ‘career’ of mine. The first two books were hard to market because they do not fit into a specific genre; I needed something more focussed. I was born and brought up in London, where my parents lived through the war. As a youngster I would listen to their conversations, I was very much aware of what they had lived through. Cataclysmic events like the Blitz seem to not only create an indelible memory in the minds of those involved, it seems to form a collective national memory. It’s almost as if there is an epigenetic inheritance involved, because I feel a connection to the period. When you think about it, the Second World War affected everyone. It was a period of heightened senses and emotion, everything an author might wish to explore.
The basic idea for my third novel None Stood Taller was a young woman who loses everything during the Blitz and, as the book blurb describes, she is an unbreakable spirit. This is not the end, it is merely the beginning. Defying the expectations of her background and social class, she embarks upon an incredible journey that takes her from the ashes of the Blitz to the very top of the British wartime establishment. First and foremost, I write for my own pleasure, and in that regard, the reader and I share the same voyage of discovery. For that to work, the young woman Lily cannot exist as a notional personality, she has to inhabit my mind as a real person. It took about a week of sketching the outline of the character, and then miraculously she stepped off the page and started writing her own story.
Alex: Is there something that all four of your novels share in common - a common thread that runs through them all?
Peter: It has not been a conscious decision on my behalf, but there is a commonality that runs through my novels. I want my characters to stretch me emotionally; I want to be moved and inspired by them. While I was writing None Stood Taller, when Lily was happy, I was happy. If she was in tears, I was in tears. We shared the same emotion. It’s a big ask, but that is exactly what I hope for the reader. Let me indulge myself by quoting a small section of a review I received from a reader:
“Oh, my goodness! I’ve no words to describe how beyond this book was. Wow! I want to read it out loud to my children. It has inspired me with the strength of spirit displayed. I will never treat June the 6th the same again, ever. It is real. It is our life.”
I have no idea who this lovely lady is, but this is the kind of reassurance that every writer needs. Not everyone wants to be inspired, not everyone can make that emotional connection, but when I know it works for a reader, like it did for that reviewer, my satisfaction is boundless. When a reader says, “I felt as if I was there, the people were real”, this is what keeps me motivated. While it is immensely rewarding, it is also very challenging. The difficulty with historical fiction is combining the three elements of the novel.
Peter: It has not been a conscious decision on my behalf, but there is a commonality that runs through my novels. I want my characters to stretch me emotionally; I want to be moved and inspired by them. While I was writing None Stood Taller, when Lily was happy, I was happy. If she was in tears, I was in tears. We shared the same emotion. It’s a big ask, but that is exactly what I hope for the reader. Let me indulge myself by quoting a small section of a review I received from a reader:
“Oh, my goodness! I’ve no words to describe how beyond this book was. Wow! I want to read it out loud to my children. It has inspired me with the strength of spirit displayed. I will never treat June the 6th the same again, ever. It is real. It is our life.”
I have no idea who this lovely lady is, but this is the kind of reassurance that every writer needs. Not everyone wants to be inspired, not everyone can make that emotional connection, but when I know it works for a reader, like it did for that reviewer, my satisfaction is boundless. When a reader says, “I felt as if I was there, the people were real”, this is what keeps me motivated. While it is immensely rewarding, it is also very challenging. The difficulty with historical fiction is combining the three elements of the novel.
Alex: What in your view are these three crucial requirements of a compelling historical novel?
Peter: Element one is the fictional characters and story. The basis of any novel is a cracking story told through convincing characters. Element two is the historical detail, which must, by definition, be accurate. When dealing with World War Two, there are an awful lot of events taking place during a six-year period, and how those events affect people’s everyday lives also needs to be historically accurate. Element three for me has to be that essential emotional connection. I can’t just set the scene and tell the story, I live it through my characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. Marrying history seamlessly with emotion is a little like mixing oil and water.
I’ve experimented with different writing techniques, trying to convey that feeling of oneness between reader and narrator. The logic of third person perspective is that an omniscient third person can be in all places at once in order to convey the full breadth of the story. The limitation is that by definition the reader is once-removed from the characters. Conversely, the limitation of first person is that my story can only ever be told through the eyes of the narrator. The advantage for me is that my principal character is talking directly through the reader. Importantly, it also gives me direct access to my narrator's inner thoughts, which I think can sound contrived in third person. If you want to get inside a character, you need to get as close as possible.
Alex: What do you think are the most challenging aspects of writing historical fiction?
Peter: One of the first things I noticed when looking at some of the best-selling novels set during World War Two, was that a lot of them only pay lip service to the historic detail. I had two thoughts about that; on the one hand, I felt they lacked authenticity. On the other hand, they were the best-selling novels! Book reviews can also reflect that juxtaposition. It all depends upon which aspect of the book the reader prioritises. I am very much a gatherer of facts; the details need to be accurate, the history must be correct. Therein lies the problem for an author like me. My goal is unashamedly to make the reader experience every emotion that my character feels. I also want to detail the facts and history behind the story. I don’t want to alienate history buffs or the lovers of a good story, ideally I want to appeal to readers who have maybe not read historical fiction before.
There is another difficulty when you try to weave historical figures into your fiction. For example, I created a scene where the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, gives a speech to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) section, which Lily has helped to create. Writing a speech for Winston Churchill was not for the fainthearted. I felt a crushing responsibility to make it sound authentic; I worked on it for days. When I was finally happy with it, I was absolutely drained. In the following scene, Churchill asks Lily if she has lost anyone during the war. I was fine until Lily came to answer that question. I completely lost it at that point! All I can say is that if the reader can empathise with my characters as I do, then they are in for a challenging time!
Peter: Element one is the fictional characters and story. The basis of any novel is a cracking story told through convincing characters. Element two is the historical detail, which must, by definition, be accurate. When dealing with World War Two, there are an awful lot of events taking place during a six-year period, and how those events affect people’s everyday lives also needs to be historically accurate. Element three for me has to be that essential emotional connection. I can’t just set the scene and tell the story, I live it through my characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. Marrying history seamlessly with emotion is a little like mixing oil and water.
I’ve experimented with different writing techniques, trying to convey that feeling of oneness between reader and narrator. The logic of third person perspective is that an omniscient third person can be in all places at once in order to convey the full breadth of the story. The limitation is that by definition the reader is once-removed from the characters. Conversely, the limitation of first person is that my story can only ever be told through the eyes of the narrator. The advantage for me is that my principal character is talking directly through the reader. Importantly, it also gives me direct access to my narrator's inner thoughts, which I think can sound contrived in third person. If you want to get inside a character, you need to get as close as possible.
Alex: What do you think are the most challenging aspects of writing historical fiction?
Peter: One of the first things I noticed when looking at some of the best-selling novels set during World War Two, was that a lot of them only pay lip service to the historic detail. I had two thoughts about that; on the one hand, I felt they lacked authenticity. On the other hand, they were the best-selling novels! Book reviews can also reflect that juxtaposition. It all depends upon which aspect of the book the reader prioritises. I am very much a gatherer of facts; the details need to be accurate, the history must be correct. Therein lies the problem for an author like me. My goal is unashamedly to make the reader experience every emotion that my character feels. I also want to detail the facts and history behind the story. I don’t want to alienate history buffs or the lovers of a good story, ideally I want to appeal to readers who have maybe not read historical fiction before.
There is another difficulty when you try to weave historical figures into your fiction. For example, I created a scene where the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, gives a speech to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) section, which Lily has helped to create. Writing a speech for Winston Churchill was not for the fainthearted. I felt a crushing responsibility to make it sound authentic; I worked on it for days. When I was finally happy with it, I was absolutely drained. In the following scene, Churchill asks Lily if she has lost anyone during the war. I was fine until Lily came to answer that question. I completely lost it at that point! All I can say is that if the reader can empathise with my characters as I do, then they are in for a challenging time!
Alex: It's fair to say that None Stood Taller has been something of a runaway success having clocked up no fewer than 1,653 ratings on Amazon with an average of 4.4 stars. And on Goodreads it's done even better with 2,716 ratings and an average of 4.49 stars. So how do you account for its remarkable success?
Peter: I count myself very fortunate to be able to say that my novel has been successful. It has remained as an Amazon number one bestseller in one of its categories for many months. As a new and hitherto unknown author, it was the last thing I expected. Had it failed to resonate with people, I could easily explain how the system is stacked against an unknown author. Explaining why it has been so successful is altogether more difficult. I think the main character is the key. Lily Heywood is a young woman living in Stepney in the East End of London. She is an exceptionally gifted woman, but her social class and poor background restrained her expectations. To add depth to the character, she has a troubled upbringing with her parents, which involves her spending a lot of time with her grandmother in the Kent countryside. There is also an enigmatic family friend who is hugely influential in Lily's life.
When Lily is bombed during the Blitz she loses everything; it sets the scene for her to leave London and make her way in the world. She is a Cockney girl from the East End of London, blessed with prodigious talent, but restrained by her own demons and social class. Lily grows in stature throughout the book. She epitomizes the triumph of the individual against adversity. Edward, the Earl of Middlebourne, eventually employs her to manage his estate, or so she thinks. When Lily finds herself part of an SOE intelligence section, she is as far removed from her East End roots as it is possible to be.
Lily Heywood was a wonderful character to work with on so many levels. Her background, the social divide, and her feelings of family rejection all combine to make her a vulnerable person. Against that she has prodigious talent and a driving ambition to succeed, albeit for misguided reasons. Lily is tested at every level. The war brings death and despair into her life on several occasions, but she proves to be an unbreakable spirit. There is one last element to her life that comes to override all else. She falls desperately in love with Edward, but he is a member of the aristocracy, while she is a woman from the East End.
I was able to introduce the historical detail quite seamlessly. The central location for the story is Middlebourne Manor, Edward’s ancestral home. Having a secret intelligence unit based in Edward’s country estate gave me ample opportunity to introduce historical detail. I worried that perhaps there were too many layers to the story, but I think it is the central character that has won people's hearts. The story goes from 1940 up to D-Day 1944. There was no intention to continue the story beyond D-Day, but like a lot of readers, I simply became immersed in it. The moment the book was published, I found myself continuing Lily’s story beyond D-Day, and so The Final Year became a reality.
Alex: How do you feel about the second book now?
Peter: With hindsight the follow-on book was inevitable, there was so much left unsaid in book one. Lily’s love was torn between two men, and events in Normandy required a book in its own right. The result is a 164,000 word book that completes the period from D-Day to VE-Day. As I write this, it is still too soon to know how well it will do, but the sales are very encouraging. Am I pleased with it? You should never ask an author, we are often the least objective. From a purely personal perspective, I have to say I am delighted. I think it takes the first book and lifts it to new heights. The Final Year is not a stand-alone book; it is essentially part two. It was a wonderful journey for me, I found myself in situations that lifted my spirits, and many that brought me to tears. I didn’t plan any of the scenes, they all just happened spontaneously, and it is hard to choose one that stands out for me. But if I had to, I would ask the reader to be aware of the scene depicted on the cover. The Westminster Bridge scene came out of the blue, I didn’t see it coming. When I finally completed that chapter, I knew it was something special.
Alex: Where did you draw inspiration for Lily's character?
Peter: I would far sooner talk about my characters than myself, but I have to admit there is a lot of me in those characters. Like Lily Heywood, I originally came from London, and like Lily, we didn’t live in a four-storey townhouse. Dyslexia was unknown in those days, so I wasn’t dyslexic, I was just plain stupid! That did not make for a happy childhood I can tell you. My father, from whom I inherited my sense of humour, had a lovely way of explaining it to me. He said when God was making us, we had to stand in a queue to receive our various attributes. I must have stood in the same queue for too long because I received too much of some things and none of the others!
Perhaps he was right after all. I certainly spent some time in the manual dexterity queue, not to mention the one for determination. My cousin John and I built a highly successful business in dental technology, so successful, in fact, that we both retired at the tender age of 46 to concentrate on ‘other things’. I seem to have the knack of making anything out of anything. If I can imagine it, I just assume I can make it. My long-suffering wife Carol thinks I’m obsessive, can you believe it? You name it and I’ve probably made one; everything from a chess set with a table to stand it on, to the house to put it in. That house sits high in the Cotswold hills where, for thirty-odd years we have enjoyed our version of ‘the good life’. Modest financial success has given me my most valuable luxury; I can afford to pursue things for pleasure alone. Which is why finding I can write a novel that really moves people has been such a joy. Me not spending any time in that queue only adds to my pleasure!
Alex: Peter, what can I say? It's been an absolute delight to talk to you, and I can't wait to start reading None Stood Taller. Thank you so much for your time and such fascinating insights into your working methods. I could happily listen to you all day.
Peter: Thank you Alex. It's been a very great pleasure.
Peter: I count myself very fortunate to be able to say that my novel has been successful. It has remained as an Amazon number one bestseller in one of its categories for many months. As a new and hitherto unknown author, it was the last thing I expected. Had it failed to resonate with people, I could easily explain how the system is stacked against an unknown author. Explaining why it has been so successful is altogether more difficult. I think the main character is the key. Lily Heywood is a young woman living in Stepney in the East End of London. She is an exceptionally gifted woman, but her social class and poor background restrained her expectations. To add depth to the character, she has a troubled upbringing with her parents, which involves her spending a lot of time with her grandmother in the Kent countryside. There is also an enigmatic family friend who is hugely influential in Lily's life.
When Lily is bombed during the Blitz she loses everything; it sets the scene for her to leave London and make her way in the world. She is a Cockney girl from the East End of London, blessed with prodigious talent, but restrained by her own demons and social class. Lily grows in stature throughout the book. She epitomizes the triumph of the individual against adversity. Edward, the Earl of Middlebourne, eventually employs her to manage his estate, or so she thinks. When Lily finds herself part of an SOE intelligence section, she is as far removed from her East End roots as it is possible to be.
Lily Heywood was a wonderful character to work with on so many levels. Her background, the social divide, and her feelings of family rejection all combine to make her a vulnerable person. Against that she has prodigious talent and a driving ambition to succeed, albeit for misguided reasons. Lily is tested at every level. The war brings death and despair into her life on several occasions, but she proves to be an unbreakable spirit. There is one last element to her life that comes to override all else. She falls desperately in love with Edward, but he is a member of the aristocracy, while she is a woman from the East End.
I was able to introduce the historical detail quite seamlessly. The central location for the story is Middlebourne Manor, Edward’s ancestral home. Having a secret intelligence unit based in Edward’s country estate gave me ample opportunity to introduce historical detail. I worried that perhaps there were too many layers to the story, but I think it is the central character that has won people's hearts. The story goes from 1940 up to D-Day 1944. There was no intention to continue the story beyond D-Day, but like a lot of readers, I simply became immersed in it. The moment the book was published, I found myself continuing Lily’s story beyond D-Day, and so The Final Year became a reality.
Alex: How do you feel about the second book now?
Peter: With hindsight the follow-on book was inevitable, there was so much left unsaid in book one. Lily’s love was torn between two men, and events in Normandy required a book in its own right. The result is a 164,000 word book that completes the period from D-Day to VE-Day. As I write this, it is still too soon to know how well it will do, but the sales are very encouraging. Am I pleased with it? You should never ask an author, we are often the least objective. From a purely personal perspective, I have to say I am delighted. I think it takes the first book and lifts it to new heights. The Final Year is not a stand-alone book; it is essentially part two. It was a wonderful journey for me, I found myself in situations that lifted my spirits, and many that brought me to tears. I didn’t plan any of the scenes, they all just happened spontaneously, and it is hard to choose one that stands out for me. But if I had to, I would ask the reader to be aware of the scene depicted on the cover. The Westminster Bridge scene came out of the blue, I didn’t see it coming. When I finally completed that chapter, I knew it was something special.
Alex: Where did you draw inspiration for Lily's character?
Peter: I would far sooner talk about my characters than myself, but I have to admit there is a lot of me in those characters. Like Lily Heywood, I originally came from London, and like Lily, we didn’t live in a four-storey townhouse. Dyslexia was unknown in those days, so I wasn’t dyslexic, I was just plain stupid! That did not make for a happy childhood I can tell you. My father, from whom I inherited my sense of humour, had a lovely way of explaining it to me. He said when God was making us, we had to stand in a queue to receive our various attributes. I must have stood in the same queue for too long because I received too much of some things and none of the others!
Perhaps he was right after all. I certainly spent some time in the manual dexterity queue, not to mention the one for determination. My cousin John and I built a highly successful business in dental technology, so successful, in fact, that we both retired at the tender age of 46 to concentrate on ‘other things’. I seem to have the knack of making anything out of anything. If I can imagine it, I just assume I can make it. My long-suffering wife Carol thinks I’m obsessive, can you believe it? You name it and I’ve probably made one; everything from a chess set with a table to stand it on, to the house to put it in. That house sits high in the Cotswold hills where, for thirty-odd years we have enjoyed our version of ‘the good life’. Modest financial success has given me my most valuable luxury; I can afford to pursue things for pleasure alone. Which is why finding I can write a novel that really moves people has been such a joy. Me not spending any time in that queue only adds to my pleasure!
Alex: Peter, what can I say? It's been an absolute delight to talk to you, and I can't wait to start reading None Stood Taller. Thank you so much for your time and such fascinating insights into your working methods. I could happily listen to you all day.
Peter: Thank you Alex. It's been a very great pleasure.
