The spotlight is on Stephanie Bretherton, whom I got to know 6 years ago through a mutual publisher. Stephanie wears both an author’s and a publisher’s hat. She is passionate about writing and publishing. She tirelessly gives her imprint, Breakthrough Books, her 120%. I have collaborated with Stephanie on Breakthrough’s publication, as a contributor, a designer and a book formatter. Before that, I worked on her firm’s PR reports. Let’s hear from Stephanie about her new book, The Fire in Their Eyes.
IN: The Children of Sarah series moves between two timelines—prehistoric and present-day. How do you balance multiple narrative strands, and what threads unify them across time?
SB: It’s a juggling act during the writing and then a weaving process during the editing. I know what I want the books to say – or rather, to explore and ask. I know my characters and have an idea of what will happen, where they are going, what is at stake etc., but much of the narrative evolves organically, influenced either by a flash of inspiration, a new piece of research, or setting up situations and problems and then letting the characters tell me what their next steps or responses will be.
This is why my books take a while to write, not only because of my own work and life pressures, but also because I often have to pause until a solution arrives, or while I reverse engineer between the timelines and the narratives. I made it even harder for myself in book 2, The Fire In Their Eyes, because I added a third narrative and further points of view! But for the middle book in a series, I needed something that also looked to the future.
There are indeed unifying threads, and even characters – not least ‘Sarah’ herself, a kind of ancestor figure and genetic source who connects both timelines and each narrative. Plus there are key themes and concerns, from science to spirituality, evolution to climate change, love to sacrifice, and the big questions: what makes us human, how did we get here, and where are we headed?
IN: Your novel tackles themes of humanity’s past and our present biological threats. What sparked your interest in connecting prehistoric spirituality and contemporary science as seen in The Fire in Their Eyes?
SB: Both science and spirituality have been lifelong – if often conflicting – fascinations for me. But I don’t see them as always incompatible; indeed my shaman characters are, in a way, proto-scientists. They ask questions, they explore, they try things out, they fail or succeed, try again and constantly hone their knowledge and skills. I think curiosity and imagination are twin drives that, for better or worse, define us as a species and can be found in both these quests for meaning and understanding.
IN: Dr Eloise Kluft’s journey—from the search for personal happiness to battling a biological threat—mirrors global concerns. How did real-world events during writing shape this modern storyline?
SB: Well, there was always going to be a pandemic in book 2, it’s subtly set up in Bone Lines, but about a year into writing the sequel, a real pandemic hit, and I thought “Oh, no!” – in every way! I was already researching virology, so I paid very close attention to everything that was happening, read every bit of international peer-reviewed science, but also decided that, as we were living through one, I would rethink the modern narrative and make it more about the battle to prevent the next pandemic. And there will very likely be one because environmental, economic and social pressures will expose us to new – or old – viral reservoirs, while rising anti-science sentiments and eugenic tendencies, and misunderstandings about immunity, won’t help. What’s more, there’s an intersection between the climate emergency/climate denial and our vulnerability to certain viruses that we are still learning about, including Covid.
In terms of Eloise’s journey, she has often put work, which for her is a vocation, before personal happiness, and while she may have tentatively begun to find that, it comes under threat again in book 2… in more ways than one. But the only constant in life is change, right? And every love story needs a few obstacles! Humans, especially in Western societies, can have a rather romanticised view of “happiness” and their entitlement to it, which is constantly being sold to us in one way to another. While there are threads of the esoteric in my books, I also can’t help but write “reality” as I see it.
IN: Living on a windswept cliff in Cornwall with a background in stage, screen, and marketing must give you a unique voice. How have your diverse creative experiences influenced your approach to both setting and tone?
SB: Everyone’s voice is unique, but yes, I think a peripatetic early life, a mosaic career that has involved “storytelling” of one form another, and my choice now to seek the wildness and closeness of nature rather than the crowded busyness of urban life has certainly influenced my writing, in theme, setting and style.
Commercial writing teaches you precision and economy, facing an audience teaches you expression and engagement, theatrical work and study teach you the essence of drama, pacing and the power of the pause, light and shade, nuance of character.
Commercial writing teaches you precision and economy…
Meanwhile, living on a windswept cliff with an energetic spaniel teaches you that there is beauty and fascination in every season, every kind of weather, every change of the light, every detail. And, that apart from always having a hair tie and a poo bag in your pocket, you should always be prepared for anything – especially to adapt! But then, adaptability and endurance are key human qualities, the reasons we are still standing (just about) and key themes in my books!
IN: The Fire in Their Eyes sits at the intersection of science fiction, eco‑thriller, and mythic storytelling. How do you see its genre identity evolving, and what drew you to explore across these boundaries?
SB: I never wanted to be constrained by commercial pressures, but it has been difficult sometimes to pitch my books as they have been described as genre-defiant, genre-crossover, or my new favorite, genre-fusion! The sci-fi aspect is really just a celebration of science; there are no spaceships or actual time-travel (yet?) in my books but there are contemporary scientific settings and challenges.
Perhaps The Fire In Their Eyes is more of a medical thriller – but yes, it has also been described as an eco-thriller. When I started the series I didn’t think of myself as a thriller writer, but I think I may be evolving into one? That’s probably the background in drama (or maybe just being a drama queen!), but I think I have always been drawn to the notion of the hero’s (heroine’s!) quest and how jeopardy and threat can affect us in the way of response, and ultimately growth or realisation.
I have always been drawn to the notion of the hero’s (heroine’s!) quest…
Invite us into a glimpse of your life, Stephanie! Here is a bonus question:
IN: You live on a windswept cliff in Cornwall — it sounds idyllic and dramatic! What’s your favourite writing ritual or guilty pleasure when the storm rolls in and you’re tucked away with your manuscript?
SB: I don’t really have rituals (other than procrastination!) and I’m not sure I write much during storms, too busy battening down the hatches, listening to the creaking of the beams and the wind drumming on the fascia boards and wondering if or when the power will go out! It can be both idyllic and dramatic here, but it can also be challenging.
I have to plan life quite carefully as it is not so easy to get a takeaway or pop out to the corner shop, but I also have to be prepared to change plans depending on the weather, either to make the most of the good, or avoid the bad! In terms of pleasures – not sure how ‘guilty’ they are – it’s the occasional beer on the deck to watch the sunset over the sea, or snuggling up with the spaniel and some chocolate to watch an interesting documentary, a good movie or to binge a great series. I do like anything historical, mythological, sci-fi or quirky/indie… funnily enough.
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About Stephanie: Born in Hong Kong to a pair of Liverpudlians (and something of a nomad ever since), Stephanie now lives on a cliff in Cornwall. Before returning to her first love of writing fiction, Stephanie spent many years pursuing alternative forms of storytelling, from stage to screen and media to marketing. Inspired by a lifelong fascination for science, spirituality and what makes us human, her debut novel, Bone Lines, published in 2018, became a Kindle bestseller. Stephanie also writes short stories, which have been published in various anthologies. The Fire In Their Eyes is her second novel.