I’m delighted to be hosting today’s stop on the blog tour for The Note by Zoë Folbigg, a delightful story about how a little note can change your life forever. I’m thrilled to bring you an interview with Zoë in which she talks about her book, love at first sight and juggling writing and family life.
About the Book
One very ordinary day, Maya Flowers sees a new commuter board her train to London, and suddenly the day isn’t ordinary at all. Maya knows immediately and irrevocably, that he is The One. But the beautiful man on the train always has his head in a book and never seems to notice Maya sitting just down the carriage from him every day. Eventually, though, inspired by a very wise friend, Maya plucks up the courage to give the stranger a note asking him out for a drink. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? And so begins a story of sliding doors, missed opportunities and finding happiness where you least expect it. The Note is an uplifting, life-affirming reminder that taking a chance can change everything…
Format: eBook (293 pp.), paperback (304 pp.) Publisher: Aria Fiction
Published: 21st Sep 2017 (eBook), 2nd Nov 2017 (paperback) Genre: Romance
Pre-order/Purchase Links*
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*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme
Find The Note on Goodreads
Interview: Zoë Folbigg, author of The Note
Without giving too much away, can you tell us a bit about The Note?
The Note is a story about following your heart, taking a chance to make something happen. It’s about a woman called Maya, who’s 28 and works for a fashion retailer, who falls in love with a stranger from afar on her daily commute into London. The novel follows how she manages to pluck up the courage to give the handsome stranger a note – and the consequences when she finally does. It also follows her on the rollercoaster at work with crazy colleagues and the ups and downs of her friend’s relationships as a parallel to hers. It’s about being brave, it’s about love, and it’s about friendship.
So you obviously believe in love at first sight?
Yes I do! I was once a bystander in a crowded bar in a Mexican backwater with my English friend by my side when she locked eyes with a handsome Mexican across the room; he couldn’t take his eyes off her. They’ve been married almost twenty years. Then it happened to me with Train Man, although it took him a little longer to fall for me…
James, Maya’s ‘beautiful man on the train’, always has his head in a book. Why does being a keen reader add to a person’s attractiveness, do you think?
Well if you’re a book lover you’re more likely to find a book lover attractive. And I wanted to give the sense of what a quiet romantic James was, so it was helpful to do this through the books he reads on the train.
Who would be top of your wish list to play James and Maya in a film of The Note?
Ooh that’s a tricky question! Well if they were British it would have to be Tom Hughes for James – tall, dark, quiet and broodingly handsome. And I guess Jenna Coleman for Maya as their chemistry in Victoria is so charming. My dream Hollywood stars would have to be Ryan Gosling and… I think still Jenna Coleman. She has the spark that I intended for Maya.
You’ve had a very successful career in journalism but did you always want to write a novel?
Yes I did. I used to get home from school and write short stories for my best friends – usually involving them getting together with whichever pop star they most fancied at the time. Then when I was working on women’s magazines I saw many of my contemporaries (Katy Regan, Ali Harris, Erin Kelly, Dorothy Koomson…) release brilliant novels and I thought ‘Maybe I can do that!’
What was the biggest challenge you encountered when writing The Note?
Only having short windows in which to write because I have two young boys. So I had to fit writing into naptimes at first or three-hour windows when they were at nursery. It’s got a bit easier now I have a school day to write in, but still, it’s hard to turn on the creativity and write on demand because I know I won’t be able to write after 3pm.
Do you have a special place to write or any writing rituals?
Well, now both my boys are at school I have a ritual of dropping them off, going for a run or doing a workout, then using that exercise time to think through my structure/plot/whatever stumbling block I might be facing. Then I go home, shower and write, write, write until school pickup, refuelling with Green & Black’s throughout the day!
Which other writers do you admire?
I love Isabel Allende for her epic stories, romantic heroes, strong women and magical realism. And Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Laura Esquivel, Octavio Paz. Of my peers I love Katy Regan and Ali Harris, whose books are warm and witty and charming and uplifting. At the moment I mostly read children’s books – Andy Stanton is a current favourite. He has me and my sons in fits of giggles every evening with his Mr Gum books.
What’s your favourite type of book for a long train journey?
Well, I haven’t had a long train journey alone in almost eight years, as I’m always entertaining my children, so I have lots to catch up on: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, and of course Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee, which I still haven’t read.
What are you working on next?
I’m writing my second novel, which is also about star-crossed lovers, falling in love in peculiar circumstances – although my second book doesn’t feature railways at all!
Thank you, Zoë, for those fascinating insights into the life of a writer. I’m sure the many fans of The Note are eagerly awaiting your next book.
About the Author
Zoë Folbigg is a magazine journalist and digital editor, starting at Cosmopolitan in 2001 and since freelancing for titles including Glamour, Fabulous, Daily Mail, Healthy, LOOK, Top Santé, Mother & Baby, ELLE, Sunday Times Style, and Style.com. In 2008 she had a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – a man she had met on her daily commute. She has since married Train Man and lives in Hertfordshire with him and their two young sons. This is her debut novel.
Connect with Zoë
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