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I’m always excited to see more North and South stories published. So I’m happy to interview author Claudia Lomond, whose Christmas story was just released for sale this week!
When and how did you fall in love with North and South?
I first watched the mini series when I was about 15 and developed a bit of a crush on Richard Armitage (along with millions of others!). I’d watch it whenever I saw it repeated on TV, but one day in early 2019 I got a huge urge to watch it and then…here we are! I immediately started to write my first North and South fanfiction “A Life Together” and set to work reading all the brilliant stories by other authors.
Were you a writer before this? How long have you been writing fan fiction? And where can we find your other North and South stories?
I have been writing fanfiction since I was 14. As a child I was diagnosed with severe ME/chronic fatigue syndrome and as a result was off school and pretty much bed bound for three years and with lasting disabilities for the rest of my life. During my time in bed I would use my limited energy to write stories about the things I watched and read. I have consistently been publishing fanfiction since then (way back in 2005) in a variety of different fandoms (and thankfully under several usernames because I never want to look at my old stories again). Some of my main fandoms have been Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Who, Labyrinth and (of course) North and South.
You can find my completed and in progress work on fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own and Wattpad under the username darkpartofmydestiny. I write a variety of genres but I think I am known within the N&S fanfiction community for my slightly saucier stories, so do check the rating before you read!
I have also written several articles that have been published in online magazines. I love writing and am passionate about helping others find their voice.
Is this your first time publishing your writing?
Claudia Lomond
It is my first time publishing fiction. I am very excited!
What made you decide to publish?
I’ve been a keen reader of variations and continuations for various fandoms online, as well as romance novels published via Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and have really wanted to branch out into commercial publication for a while.
One of my closest friends, Lizzie, also known as Elizabeth Hades on fanfiction sites, has been encouraging me to commercially publish for several years and her belief in me has really made me able to take this step. The Christmas Foundling was previously available on fanfiction websites, and I decided that this short and sweet Christmas story was the perfect place to start my self-publishing journey.
I am also moving to another country early next year and I really want to build a career that I can take from place to place with me!
Can you tell us a little about your story? What do you hope readers will get from reading it?
The Christmas Foundling is set on Margaret and John’s first Christmas as a married couple. On their way back from a midnight church service, they discover a baby abandoned by the mill gates with only a note addressed to “Miss Margaret” to tell them anything about the mother’s identity. Margaret deals with her conflicted emotions of wanting to care for the baby and a desperate search for the child’s mother.
I hope that readers will come away with a feeling of warmth and the spirit of the season. The story for me is a tale of charity but also of Margaret’s own journey - she sees the child without judgement or pity, and encourages others to do the same. She acts with love, even if others around her do not understand.
Have you found your John Thornton?
I have! I got married on 4th November this year so I am very newlywed! He is incredibly supportive of my writing and supports all of my slightly chaotic schemes. I do sometimes feel like the Margaret to his John - he works very hard and I have to prise him away from his desk late at night!
What an exciting time for Claudia! She’s barely home from her honeymoon and now she’s publishing her first fiction novel! I hope you’ll join me in wishing her well on her new adventures in marriage and in publishing.
If you want to collect a few more Yuletide stories, check out More Than Thornton’s Christmas page with book selections here.