Recently I’ve published Only Hummingbirds Fly Backwards under the pen name of Rosie Parker. This is because it’s a change from my usual genre, and also because it’s a novelised memoir.
The novel took me many years to get to this stage, as I struggled to find the right form in which to publish this story of a young man who goes out on his motorbike one sunny April’s day, has a freak accident, and is changed forever. Loosely based on my own brother’s brain injury, I wanted to fictionalise it so that I could write in a more honest and authentic way than if I was constantly worried about what our parents, or his family might have to say!
I’m very proud of this novel. Indeed, Lola Jaye, the prize-winning author of Attic Child, said: “Rosie Parker has woven together a poignant tale of heartbreak, love and loss – done so with her familiar mix of warmth, humour and empathy.”
I have also given an interview for the RNA writer’s blog where I discuss why and how I wrote this novel: