Meet the Author - Lin Treadgold, Goodbye Henrietta Street

Goodbye Henrietta Street is a romance novel with interesting issues. It is set in the 1970s when there were no mobile phones or internet. This island story represents all the peace and quiet of a desert island—a great read during the lockdown. The islands are among the best in the world. Scilly has to be seen to be believed that you are still in the UK. There are palm trees and white beaches and excellent seafood. Each day is a new experience, There’s one drawback, you must book well in advance. The population is over two thousand people, and the number of houses for visitors are limited. The new helicopter is now running, and it is hoped you can fly by plane from Newquay, once the crisis is over. The ferry sails in the Spring and Summer.

My review:

Pippa, having lost a son, takes 3 weeks out of an awkward marriage to visit the Isle of Scilly from her home in Whitby. She meets Sven, a handsome Norwegian birdwatcher tour guide who shows her around Hugh Town and further afield.  Her best friends back home have their own marital problems as a secret affair comes to light.  Phone calls to her own husband brings little comfort although he receives news of a windfall and meets his biological family, but by this time Pippa is well smitten with the life-style and Sven, and is dreading going home.

 The ending is full of tension – will Pippa leave Henrietta Street or not?  Sven takes a trip to the mainland after complications with his ex-girlfriend.  Will she leave behind the gravestone of her son to pursue a new job prospect in Scilly?

 I loved this story, a five-star recommended read ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Interview with Lin:

Do you live in Whitby? If so, for how long?

I was born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, 20 miles from Whitby. Whitby is a historical town and popular holiday destination; Henrietta Street does exist. I walked down the famous 199 steps from the Abbey, and when I reached the bottom, I saw the street’s name. It seemed right to use that name for the book, even my character’s house exists along that street, but the reader has to go there and guess which one could be hers.

How many times have you been to the Scilly Isles?

I first discovered Scilly in 1969 on a day trip from Penzance. I was so taken with the place, I returned for two weeks’ holiday the following year. Scilly is lovely, and at my latest count, I have visited fifteen times. I have booked for September 2021 hoping that the Covid situation on the mainland will change. Many people have told me they remember the book’s landmarks or wish to go there on holiday. Scilly is somewhat dependent on tourism, and so my book has often influenced tourists to visit.

There are some serious life issues in your book – death, 3 lots of relationships gone wrong etc.  How did it make you feel writing these scenes?

As this was my first novel, I became emotional when writing it, but now I see things differently. I was keen to get the story written and through the editing process. However, I think a novelist has to have deep feelings for the reader to feel the same way.

Are you a birdwatcher/Twitcher?

Oh yes, most certainly. Nature has always been a part of me, and now that I live in Devon on the banks on the River Taw I need that peace and quiet to help me write. I watch dippers and kingfishers. I recently saw a goosander on the river.  I volunteered on a nature reserve when I lived in Holland and with the RSPB in the UK.

How long did it take you to write/get published?

From the beginning, I think it was about ten years. Like most new writers, I dipped in and out of ideas for a novel, wrote them down and never really thought about being a ‘famous writer’. I think if it wasn’t for joining the Romantic Novelists’ Association, I probably wouldn’t have got this far. They are a great bunch of like-minded people with lots of interesting ideas. I think if I’d done this earlier, I would have been published a lot sooner.

What previous experience in writing do you have, i.e. courses, career etc.?

I’ve always enjoyed writing since school. However, I studied a creative writing course whilst I was a driving instructor. I then became an instructor trainer and wrote my own training courses. I retired in 2001, after 25 years of teaching when I followed my husband and his job to The Netherlands.  After realising my skills as a teacher were transferable, I am now assisting new writers in moving ideas for a novel into something real and achievable. I can provide positive encouragement for them to become successful novelists. My time is on Zoom or email with the student, helping them understand the skills needed to make it all work.

The Viking was a stunning character – is he based on a real person/s?

Sven, (The Viking) is purely fictional. However, I’m aware that everyone loves Sven. Many of my readers have complimented me on this character. He’s caring, he loves nature, and he’s adorable. I suppose the idea of every woman’s dream man. Where I found him, I have no idea. He came to me one day in a flash of inspiration. I love him too.

What are you working on next?

I am now on my fourth book, The Trail to Freedom with my third one in the submission stage. It’s a WWII story based on letters my father wrote from a prison camp in Italy. Book No. 4 is a modern sequel with a working title of Sulmona, The Forgotten Years. My second book, The Tanglewood Affair, is set in the 1980s, a family romance saga, based on witchcraft and deceit.

Do you have any advice for would-be authors?

Get help as much as you can if you want to write a book. Ideas can always be turned into something exciting, and if you run it by someone who knows how to write and is published, it can save you a lot of heartbreak. I like to give confidence to the new writer. My role is not to tell someone their writing isn’t good enough or to judge how they write. It’s all about goal setting and learning techniques to make ideas work. I allow the writer to think for themselves and help them improve what they already have. My advice is not to struggle alone, get help, and your confidence will shine through.

Links for further information: https://itslinhere.wordpress.com

Twitter: @itslinhere

Publisher: www.silverwood_books.co.uk