The fact that she has already sold the TV rights to Your Closest Friend is testament to that. I think my books are compelling, exciting and thrilling,” she says. I’ve learnt to have faith in my ability to write that genre of book. “I love nothing more than reading a book that makes me stay up well past midnight because I cannot put it down. “Paul and I always knew we would go back to writing solo,” says Gillece, who admits to being somewhat surprised by how far they took their collaboration since, initially, it was a one-book writing experiment. Why stop now, especially when both writers have previously endorsed the view that “two heads are often better than one” and that collaboration often makes for a “better book”?

Surprisingly, given their success, they have recently decided to go back to solo writing. Gillece admits to “subscribing” to the solitary-writer myth but also debunks the stereotype of the lone scribbler in the garret by being one of the few authors who has collaborated successfully with another writer.

Old friends Karen Gillece and Paul Perry, both established writers in their own regard, came together under the pen name Karen Perry - a joint writing venture that over eight years has resulted in four highly-acclaimed psychological thrillers. And sometimes there are those who fall into both categories. However for every novelist that needs to isolate themselves, there are those who work best in a creative, collaborative sphere. I’d be very interested to hear what you think are the complexities surrounding these issues and what your views are on why/whether you feel it is justifiable to eat meat and perform some experiments upon animals.Ernest Hemingway noted that “writing, at its best, is a lonely life”. If this step is taken then I find it difficult to justify most, if not all, animal experimentation and certainly the use of animals for food or fur where there are easily available alternatives. I think it is clear from your book that you consider both Rose and Fern to have intrinsic value and interests, and I’m not sure on what basis we should therefore not extend this to other sentient animals that likewise feel pain and experience emotions (cows, pigs, sheep, fish). Although I agree, to some extent, I would be interested if you could expand upon this a little. I recently read an interview with you regarding your thoughts on the animal rights movement where you said that you tried to avoid giving reductive answers to what are complex issues. Dear Karen, I very much enjoyed reading your book and I found it both moving and thought provoking.

A League of Her Own by Karen Rock