1. I have a day job
I have worked as a clinical psychologist for almost 30 years and during this time I’ve had the privilege of guiding many people through challenging times in their lives. It is astounding how much our relationships in childhood and throughout our formative years our beliefs about ourselves, others, and our approach to life. Often people feel they are doomed for life, and never able to escape their past. This is one of the reasons Lanesbrough Hall speaks about the relationships of three generations of women, and how each of them deals with their past and changes the course of their individual futures.
Author Elisabeth Linley
2. Why I wrote a book
I have been an avid reader since I was a little child. I loved books and would, as my mum used to say, “devour” them. By the time I was 12 years old, I had read most of the English, French and Russian classics. I remember in the school holidays, I would literally read eight hours a day, of course after I had helped with the household chores. My mum thought it was “not normal”, and one should read a couple of hours a day to pass the time. But for me, I guess, it was like going on an adventure. I could slip into different worlds from the comfort of my room every day and experience the most wonderful exploits. It sounds like magic, doesn’t it? So that is why I always wanted to write a book and when I published Lanesbrough Hall, I hoped it will give others the same joy.
3. How did I write my book
People often ask me but how do you “just write a book” and where do you get the ideas and characters from? The simple answer is, I decided that was what I was going to do, committed to it and worked hard to learn the craft of writing - believe me the amount of do’s and don’ts are mind-blowing, and that doesn’t include learning about narrative arcs, pace or character development amongst others.
Once I get an idea of a story, I start seeing my characters in my mind’s eye. The creative process happens when I am doing something completely different, like walking, gardening, or simply having a cup of coffee. For me, this is the most time-consuming part. Once I have worked out the scenes, I treat the actual writing like my day job. I sit at my desk at 9 and finish at 6. Sometimes, I start in the evening and write into the night.
4. Authors who inspire me
We all have our role models, people that inspire us and to whom we aspire - and of course, as a writer there have been other authors who shaped my style of writing, my genre, and one reason, why Lanesbrough Hall is a dual narrative saga with a touch of magic.
Over the last decade I’ve read all Lucinda Riley’s books. It is so sad that she passed in 2021 and the thought that I will never again read one her wonderful books saddens me greatly, but I will forever feel grateful to her for inspiring me. Another powerhouse of a novelist I hugely admire, is Kate Mosse. Her Languedoc Trilogy, in particular, gave me so much joy and inspiration for historic novels. Mimi’s narrative in Lanesbrough Hall starts in 1953 and it was a lovely process to research that period. My next book, which I’ve already started is also a historic novel and it is set in 1750’s. So far, the research has been fascinating - especially in respect of women’s role in society - and very much an eye-opener.
5. Why I live in the middle of nowhere
I think of myself as an introvert, even though anyone who would meet me, would think otherwise. I have very little need for a social life and although I have a number of great friends, some of whom I’ve known for decades, only a couple of them live in England, and we rarely see each other. I truly love nothing more than nature and animals - they are the food for my soul- and what gives me joy and my passion for life. So at the first opportunity, I moved out of London into the countryside, but I was still living in a hamlet. In 2022, I fulfilled two of my dreams, apart from publishing Lanesbrough Hall, I moved back to the beautiful North. I live in Northumberland in the middle of nowhere, with sheep and cows or ‘yaws’ and ‘beasts’ as they call them up here. I listen to the murder of craws at dusk and the owls every night. On my walks, I regularly encounter pheasants, hares, deer, foxes, sparrow hawks, buzzards, and of course a myriad of small birds for company in the garden.
6. I see myself as a child of the world
People see me and almost always ask me the million-dollar question, ‘where are you from?’ I always struggle to give a one-word answer which people normally expect rather than hearing a saga. Over the years, I condensed my narrative to one sentence, Persian heritage, German born, Austrian citizen and UK resident. The truth is I don’t identify with any one of those countries. What my life experiences and living in different cultures has taught me is to be open and embracing of others. Ultimately, the geographical borders are of human-doing. The world, as a whole belongs to all of us and I feel I belong to the whole rather than an artificially demarcated section.
7. My favourite past-times
Anyone who knows me, tells me quite frequently “for goodness sake, just sit down for a minute.” I am afraid I am one of those people who is the happiest when they are doing something. I have to be mentally or physically active. I particularly love creating things. One of my biggest passions is my garden which gets a lot of attention during spring and summer months. I also enjoy knitting which I tend to do in the evenings alongside reading before bedtime. I am an avid walker and am out and about in the hills every day with my two dogs. I also enjoy my weekly swim and have regularly been compared to a fish. The most wonderful thing about all these activities is that time and space seem to disappear and there is only me and that moment.
8. An unusual thing I do
Many people have interests that are not commonplace. Some people skydive, others swim the channel, some others do bungee-jumping. I do lambing. For the last two years, I’ve helped my farmer neighbour with lambing in spring. It is the most extraordinary experience - which I love. It is the closest I can get to witnessing the marvel of life. In many ways more so than a midwife, because within under half an hour, the lambs stand on their own feet, walk, talk and start feeding. Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that they are incredibly gorgeous and absolutely adorable.
9. I believe “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Teilhard de Chardin summed it up perfectly for me with his famous quote. Spirituality means different things to different people. For me, it means that there is an overall creator and that we are part of it, also creators. In my daily life, I feel part of everything and the connection to “all that is”. I never forget that I am not defined by my life’s challenges. I don’t get bogged down by problems and focus on what I can learn and how that experience can help me grow. I listen to, and have always followed, my intuition. I firmly believe that whatever I give my attention and focus to, I can achieve/create. So every morning, I set my intention as what I want from for that day – for it truly is a new opportunity. Like a child, I am curious and experience joy in little things.
10. The message I would like to share with others
Focus on thriving and not just surviving every day. That means looking after and valuing yourself. It means taking yourself, your needs and ambitions seriously, committing to yourself and holding yourself accountable. It means following your dreams no matter how hard or how long it may take. It means trusting yourself to do right by you.
Scotland 1953: Mimi leaves her beloved Lanesbrough Hall and her teenage love, Will, behind to start university in St Andrews. When she meets Glen at a party, she is convinced she has found her new life full of glamour and independence away from the Hall. But destiny, it seems, has other plans for her. Torn between passion and convention, Mimi has to navigate her journey from a young, carefree girl on the cusp of adulthood to a lifetime of responsibility and secrecy that forever tie her to Lanesbrough Hall.
London 2019: Isabelle's ordered life as an ambitious doctor takes a dramatic turn when she unexpectedly inherits Lanesbrough Hall, her family's ancestral estate in Scotland. While browsing through her grandmother's diaries, Isabelle discovers long-buried secrets that have the power to bring everyone she loves closer together-or tear them apart. Determined to protect her family's future, Isabelle must step into the past and rewrite their history.
About the Author: Elisabeth Linley has a master’s degree in Natural Sciences and is a clinical psychologist. A nature lover, she lives in the Northumberland countryside surrounded by wildlife. In her spare time she enjoys long walks in the hills with her husband and their dogs; visiting stately homes and agricultural shows; cooking; baking; gardening; reading and knitting. Last, but not least, Elisabeth cherishes her relationship and time spent with her son. Lanesbrough Hall is her debut novel.
Lanesbrough Hall is out now - Paperback £11.00 - hardback £24.99 - Available via Amazon and to order in all good bookshops
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