Hello again! Today, I’m thrilled to have another blog tour post to share with you, this time an interview with Janine Beacham to celebrate her new release the Doll Twin!
1. Hi Janine, I’m so delighted to have you here today! Can you please describe THE DOLL TWIN in 5 words?
I’m so happy to be here! Thank you for hosting me on your blog. In five words: Creepy, thrilling, suspenseful, twisty, nailbiting! 2. The book is set in 1920, and explores what life was like following World War One. This is a fascinating time period and it’s hardly ever written about, so I wanted to ask what made you want to set the book during this time? What sort of research did you do about life during it? World War One was a time of seismic change, and the 20th century was never the same again. A whole way of life was upended. After that terrible, pointless war, people were dealing with the loss of millions, not just from war, but from the flu epidemic that followed it. Horses were being replaced by cars, and fashions were changing drastically with daring hairstyles and shorter dresses for women. There was new music, new technology, the birth of the cinema industry. I touch on these things in The Doll Twin. It seemed a good time to set a book about an amazing invention that completely unsettles the heroine. I researched early film stars, fashion, transport, music, school subjects, children’s games, the Spanish Flu, anything that related to Una’s world.
3. I also found the letter attached with the copy really interesting, as you mentioned the idea for this stemmed from thinking about sibling rivalry. Could you tell us a bit about that?
I’m glad the letter intrigued you. I know about sibling rivalry! There’s only a year between my sister and I. We have very different personalities and are both competitive. While we love each other, we constantly clash. We fought all through our childhoods, and though we try to get along now we are still capable of it, I’m sorry to say. So the jealousy felt by Una, the adopted child, for her seemingly perfect ‘twin’, Ani the Animated Curiosity, was not hard to imagine.
4. Una dubs her doll twin Ani (Animated Curiositiy) and though she is much more sinister, dolls are of course toys. Did you have any favourite or memorable toys as a child? How do you think you’d have reacted if they’d come to life?
I had an adored teddy bear named Beady and a few dolls, the oldest being Anne. I still have them. Like most kids I’d have loved them to come to life, but on another level, the idea is terrifying! The image of a walking, talking toy with a life of its own can be very sinister indeed. It’s literally the stuff of horror movies.
5. The people of the brilliantly named small town the book is set in, Knifely Stifling, are very superstitious. Would you say you believe in any superstitions? And I have to ask, where did the town’s name come from?
My mum wouldn’t let me put shoes on the table because of bad luck, and I still don’t like doing that even if they’re brand new, in a box. Ditto with having peacock feathers in the house. My family loves ladybirds, and seeing them is good luck. I love the name Knifely Stifling too! The town was originally named Tolley, but Knifely Stifling popped into my mind out of nowhere during a rewrite, and I had to use it.
6. Una has a motto that she repeats to herself throughout the book, and I loved it so much I’ve started saying it to myself: “maintain the light, and beat back the dark”. Is there anything similar that you say to yourself in moments where you need a little boost?
I’m happy that you love the motto. I’m a Tolkien fan and it reminds me of the quote, ‘Forth, and fear no darkness!’ I have no one motto in particular, but I like repeating versions of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ and ‘fortune favours the brave’ when I’m feeling disheartened or in need of a boost.
7. Something else I absolutely adored about the book is the sinister atmosphere you managed to capture from the first page, which of course only grows as things progress. What tips would you give other writers on achieving this?
Thank you! I’m proud of the book’s sinister atmosphere. I did try to capture foreboding right from the start, using the location of the windswept town by the sea, the spooky merry-go-round music in the night, and the creaky old house that is Copperlins. They helped to infuse the story with creepiness. And of course, building up the suspense with things that go bump in the night, before Ani appears.
8. Also on the theme of writing, what’s your writing routine like? Do you have any unusual habits or quirks?
My writing routine is usually sitting at my desk with my laptop, coffee nearby, and trying not to get distracted by the internet or household tasks (gosh, I really must dust that skirting board…) If I get ideas away from home I’ll scribble them on random bits of paper and try not to lose them.
9. Finally, can you tell us anything about what you’re working on at the moment/will be coming next for you?
Whatever it may be, I look forward to reading! I’m working on another spooky book, yay! It is a challenge to write one in a different setting to Twin. Think gloomy forests and ghostly apparitions. I hope you enjoy whatever comes next.
QUICKFIRE
In honour of spring, your favourite flower?
Ah, Spring. I love roses, but being Australian I will also say boronia, a native wildflower with a gorgeous, rich scent.
Favourite game? (video, board or otherwise)
My sister and I are unbeatable at Pictionary. And I love playing Uno, the card game, with my daughter.
Una’s love of the sea is very important, so what’s your favourite memory of being by the sea?
Favourite memories of the sea are childhood summers at the beach, getting sunburnt, swimming, pretending to be mermaids, building sandcastles, and in autumn of my dad rock fishing. We kids would climb rocks, and there was always excitement when Dad caught a salmon.
Top 3 books of 2023? Finding Bear by Hannah Gold, The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll, the adult novel In Memoriam by Alice Winn.
Three books you’re excited to read in 2024? The Forest of Intent by Frances Hardinge, The Royal Jewel Plot by A.M. Howell, The Island at the Edge of Night by Lucy Strange.
Thank you so much for reading! Have you read this/the Rose Raventhorpe series, or do you plan to? What are some motivational words you live by? I’d love to chat in the comments!
Amy xx
Golden Books Girl 