Suzanne asked S.J. Watson:

Hi! I'm almost embarrassed to ask this question but there is actually a compliment within it. Somehow I picked up your book without my normal excessive review-reading, so I missed learning about you, the author. I was convinced you were female. So now, my question, how did you do such a great job writing such a full-bodied character, in addition to a wonderful thriller? I loved your book!

S.J. Watson Thank you Suzanne - I'm actually delighted that you thought the author of the book was a woman! It's a huge compliment...

I think all novels and stories have to start with character, so I spent a lot of time thinking about Christine and who she was, and how she'd respond in the situations she finds herself. I tried very hard to imagine her perspective, and was also lucky enough to have a number of female friends who I could talk to. But ultimately I think the job of a writer is to think themselves into the head of someone who isn't them, and this can and should include people whose experience isn't directly comparable to theirs. So while the fact I was writing from a woman's perspective was a leap, it was jump I wanted to make...

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