I sometimes get cross with myself for complicating my stories. It would be so much easier to write about what’s going on around me, rather than setting them across multiple timelines and countries. No research, no complex interweaving of ideas and plots, and certainly no... fun.
Because, despite my irritation, my imagination seems to thrive on that complexity. I adore reading about different times and places — how people lived, how they thought, how different and yet how similar they were to us. The trouble is, all that reading and inspiration has to be assimilated into a book — which, to be honest, can be quite the challenge! Luckily, I like a challenge.
And The Russian Girl is proving to be an enjoyable one. Beginning in St Petersburg in 1910, the story moves to Harbin, China, then to the US in the 1920s. From there, my heroine, Anna, travels to Napier, New Zealand in 1928. A lot of books have been read to make sure I get the details right!
Then there's Anna’s obsession with dolls’ houses — one I share. Cue more fascinating research. I had one myself once, and I’m fairly certain I played more with my daughter’s dolls’ house and dolls (she never dressed them properly 😄) than she did. But it’s not just miniatures I’m drawn to. My enduring fascination with old, abandoned manor houses also comes into play. And there’s a beauty of one in The Russian Girl — a place where my contemporary heroine, Jess, tries to solve the mystery of past events and family secrets, while also figuring out her own life. Her husband is… less convinced.
'I get it. The urge to get away from everything — family, friends, jobs. And I know we said we'd make a new start here, in Hawkes' Bay, and that's exactly what I want, too. You know that. But this?' He gestured around him. 'It's crazy. What on earth made you buy it?'
Because of what I found in the attic.
But Jess didn't voice her thought.
So, yes, The Russian Girl isn't progressing fast but I'm taking my time to make sure I get everything right. Because the longer I keep my head and heart in this story, the better it's becoming.
Diana