AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS: KATHLEEN WHYMAN
Kathleen Whyman interviews the characters of her novel Wife Support System
Frustrated by the lack of support they get in their family homes, three friends move in together to help each other as they juggle careers, childcare and housework. Will their marriages and friendships survive, as one woman has her head turned by a handsome colleague, one fights to keep a dark secret and another tires of being responsible for toilet rolls?
Kathleen Whyman interviews her characters!
Kathleen: Lovely to meet you Erica, Louise and Polly. Thank you for talking to me. I understand that the three of you, and your five children, are house sharing. Can you tell me more about this?
Polly: You’re not going to publish the address, are you? Or take photos of us or the children.
Kathleen: No, don’t worry. I just want to hear about the inspiration behind the house share.
Erica: It was my idea. Many women struggle to keep on top of everything while working, looking after the children, doing everything at home and outrageously (throws hands in air) trying to have some time for themselves, while our partners do bugger all–
Louise: I wasn’t struggling. My husband Nick’s very hands on.
Erica: (carrying on as though Louise hasn’t spoken) It made me realise we’ve got the balance wrong. Instead of struggling on our own, and only seeing our friends now and again, we should live together and help each other out and just see our partners now and again. Or at weekends anyway. And just till I can get another nanny – my last one ran off with her boyfriend and dropped me in it.
Kathleen (to Louise): Why did you agree to the house share when you don’t need the help that Erica does?
Louise: (her cheeks flooding with colour) Nick’s writing a novel. I thought it only fair to give him some space. He misses us loads. Can’t wait for us to go back.
Erica: You could go home any time. You’re not being held captive here.
Louise: Wouldn’t be fair on the twins. They’d feel they were missing out. We’ll stay for a bit longer.
Polly: Stay as long as you like. The house is more of a home with all of you in it. It got a bit lonely sometimes when it was just me and the kids.
Kathleen: It’s lucky that you have such a big house to fit all of you in. Didn’t it used to be a B&B?
Polly: Yes. I inherited it from my grandparents. Made sense to come here and have a fresh start after my husband died. (She clasps a pendant around her neck with a shaky hand.) You mustn’t mention the address in the interview. I can’t have people knowing where we live.
Erica and Louise give Polly a quizzical look.
Polly: (laughs nervously) I mean I don’t want people knowing, not that I can’t have. You know how judgemental some of the school mums can be.
Erica: (rolls her eyes) Tell me about it. I thought I was going to start receiving death threats the time I forgot to switch my phone off.
Louise: It rang right in the middle of the school concert. (Crosses her arms.) And you answered it.
Erica: It was an urgent work call.
Louise: You said it was about an order for tit tape.
Erica: That is urgent. You’ve seen how skimpy some of the outfits the Sing to Win contestants insist on wearing are. The show couldn’t be classed as family viewing if I didn’t tape their tops to their bodies to stop them flashing everything. (Her earrings rattle as she shakes her head.) It’s not what I became a stylist for. I’ve got 20 years of experience, but they don’t listen to my advice half the time. I’m only 36, but they think I’m old and they know better.
Louise: You’re 42.
Erica’s jaw tightens.
Kathleen: What’s the best thing about living together?
Erica: Knowing that Jasmine’s being looked after. With three adults in the house, someone’s always around to drop the children to and from school, take them to their clubs, give them dinner, babysit. Everything the nanny used to do. (She reaches over and squeezes Polly’s hand.) I honestly don’t know what I’d have done if Polly hadn’t agreed to let us move in.
Louise: (gestures to a white board in the corner of the kitchen) I set up a rota system. The theory is that we take it in turns to feed the children, do the school runs, shop, unload the dishwasher and clean. I say theory (glares at Erica) because not everyone does what they’re supposed to do.
Erica: Work’s so full on I can’t always get away early or go to the supermarket on my way home. I’m sorry. I feel really bad about it.
Polly: I don’t mind helping out. I love being with the children. That’s the best bit for me – the kids and the company.
Kathleen: And for you, Louise?
Louise: (sighs) The twins are happy.
Kathleen: And what are the more challenging aspects?
Erica: The rotas.
Louise: We wouldn’t know what we were doing without those rotas. If you ask me, you should–
There’s an enormous crash upstairs. Polly jumps up, but Louise puts a hand on her arm.
Louise: Relax, it’s from George’s room. (Looks at me) My son’s a bit accident prone. My daughter, Tess, is a bit too.
Erica: Add that to the list of challenging aspects.
Louise opens her mouth, but Polly speaks quickly.
Polly: I love having everyone living here and so do George and Summer. We’d be happy if they all decided to stay here forever.
Kathleen: I’m sure a lot of mums out there would love to live with their friends and help each other out. It sounds like a perfect arrangement.
Polly nods enthusiastically. Erica and Louise don’t comment.
—
Kathleen Whyman is an author, freelance journalist and copywriter.
Kathleen’s debut novel, Wife Support System, is available as an ebook from Amazon, Kobo and Apple and has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Joan Hessayon award. Kathleen’s novel Second Wife Syndrome has been shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize.
Kathleen writes a column for Writers’ Forum and contributes to the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s magazine Romance Matters. She also wrote short stories for Jackie magazine in her teens. They were, thankfully, never printed.
Kathleen lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two daughters.
Social media handles
Twitter – @kathleenwhyman1
Instagram – @kathleenwhyman1
Facebook – @kathleenfwhyman
About Wife Support System
Frustrated by the lack of support they get in their family homes, three friends decide they’ve got the balance wrong. Instead of living with their husbands and struggling with careers, childcare and housework by themselves, they should live together, and help each other out, and date their husbands.
At first, communal living seems like the answer to their prayers – childcare on tap, rotas for cleaning and someone always available to cook dinner (no more last-minute pizza delivery!). But over time, resentment starts to grow as they judge each other’s parenting styles and bicker over cleaning, cooking and whose turn it is to buy toilet rolls.
But as one woman has her head turned by a handsome colleague, one resorts to spying on her husband and another fights to keep a dark secret, they need each other more than ever. But can the women keep their friendships and relationships strong? Or will their perfect mumtopia fall apart?
‘A laugh-out-loud emotional rollercoaster with friendship at its wonderful core.’ – Zoë Folbigg, bestselling author of The Note
‘I raced through Wife Support System. It’s pacey, well-written, funny, heartwarming and lovely. I really enjoyed it.’ – Lucy Vine, author of Hot Mess
‘Wife Support System is hilarious and fun, tense and poignant. All of the emotions! I loved it from start to finish. A seamless debut from a writer I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more of.’ – Catherine Bennetto, author of How Not to Fall in Love, Actually
‘A witty and engaging look at the trials of being a working mother. A novel that will resonate with any woman who has ever had to juggle work and childcare. Funny and enjoyable. We could all do with some Wife Support!’ – Jane Wenham-Jones, author of Wanna be a Writer? and The Big Five-O
How to buy…
Wife Support System is available as an ebook on Amazon, Kobo and Apple for a special introductory price of just 99p.
PB : HERE
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ATmbEq
Apple: https://apple.co/2zJTskY
Category: Interviews, On Writing
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