Everything Changes But You: Fun Facts Part 1

• Ally and Gavin were named after two characters from the BBC drama, Cutting It, although in the show Ally’s actual name is Alison and not Alana as in Everything Changes But You.

• Ally, Gavin, Jared, Freya, Jimmy, Linda and Bob are all characters from my previous book, A Beginner’s Guide To Salad. Westerley’s gets a little mention too!

• Naming Clementine posed the biggest problem of all the characters. The short list comprised of Meredith, Theodora and Clementine.

• My favourite childhood book is The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann, so I named Ally and Gavin’s local pub The Farthing in honour of it.

• The video for Take That’s ‘Everything Changes’ takes place in Diner 360 (as written on the window), so I named a café Diner 360 in the book.

• While writing the first draft of Everything Changes But You, I was introducing my children to Sabrina The Teenage Witch, so it seemed fitting to name Ally and Gavin’s former school Westbridge High after Sabrina’s school.

• Keith Barry was a character I resurrected from a previous (unpublished) book I wrote. I loved his character so much, I had to bring him back.

• The Housing Warehouse is based on a real shop not far from where I live. I based a Christmas short story there, which you can read here 

Be careful what you wish for...

Ally Richmond is dreading turning thirty and bidding farewell to her youth. And when her husband says he wants to start a family, she begins to panic.

Is this all that life has to offer from now on? Popping out babies and growing old gracefully? She wants a life crammed with glamour and spontaneous adventure, not one full of dirty nappies and night feeds.

When Ally makes a silly birthday wish for a new, exciting life, her wish is granted.

But when Ally is presented with the freedom and opportunities she craves, she soon realises this new life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that there really is no place like home. But can she find her way back - or is she stuck in this new reality forever?

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