Lizzy Barber’s debut novel, My Name is Anna, was the winner of the Daily Mail/Random House First Novel Prize and was published in 2019. She has written five mystery thriller novels, with Be Mine being her latest, which has quickly become a favourite among the reading communities. So, to celebrate her accomplishments, The Bombay Circle Press has brought you tea about her writing process, conception of the novel and much more!
What is a writing ritual or quirk of yours?
My favorite place to write is actually my bed, and I quite like lying on my stomach with my laptop out in front of me. It’s probably incredibly bad for my posture, but for some reason, that is where I get my best writing done.
What is a book you wish you’d written?
This feels like a really obvious answer for a typical bookish author, but I would have to say Wuthering Heights. It’s one of those enduring books that I return to again and again and absolutely love. Although I would say that I am a committed city girl—I’m not sure I would be able to recreate the beautiful wilds of Yorkshire, and we’d probably have to reset it in London.
What inspired you to write Be Mine?
I always think that my books are a complete mishmash of things that have happened to me across the years—different things I’ve been reading, watching, and things I’ve read about in the news. These all sort of percolate in my mind and somehow magically form a book. (It’s not really magic—it’s hard work!)
I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was hugely inspired by the case of NXIVM, an American wellness self-help organization that turned dark. When I thought about NXIVM and the idea of self-help and wellness, I became intrigued by where we turn in a secular society to feel that sense of belonging. I started to look into wellness and these big, splashy, well-branded organizations like Peloton, SoulCycle…this idea of people turning to a “club” for a higher sense of meaning or belonging, all so beautifully packaged that you didn’t see you were in too deep until you already were. Much like with a traditional cult.
The other huge influence for the book, and something deeply personal, was exploring motherhood and our sense of identity—the period of life where you go from being a singular individual to suddenly caring completely for another person. I particularly wanted to write about the experience of newborn motherhood and the huge range of conflicting thoughts and emotions that come with it: the overwhelming love and joy, the need to protect, but also the fear, anxiety, and constant worry about whether you’re doing things right, whether you measure up to other mothers, or even to your own ideal of motherhood—and of course, the pure exhaustion. I really hope that mothers in particular respond to Beth’s story and what she is going through during this period of her life.
What was the most difficult part of writing Be Mine?
I think that interweaving the past and plot storylines was very difficult. It was a balancing act. You’re dealing with not just one through line, but two, and hoping that those weave together and create a really engaging plot that keeps people flipping the pages.
What was a book review or feedback that’s really stuck with you?
One of the biggest thrills of being an author is people responding to your book. The thing I have loved about readers responding to Be Mine is how much they have loved the twist, because this was actually something I came up with partway through the writing experience—it was never in the original plan at all. People are really responding to it and didn’t see it coming. That’s the main thing people have said—that their jaws are on the floor from this twist. And that, for me, is one of the most exciting things to read as a writer.
Be Mine is available to buy at your nearest bookstores and on Amazon. Be prepared to cross the boundaries of madness with this novel!