The spotlight is on Catherine Balavage Yardley, a prolific author and freelance journalist in SW London. I first met Catherine when I attended her book talk at the local library in 2023. I read Ember (2022) a thoughtful, character-driven family novel about a philandering father who breaks up his family. It is a taut and emotional drama which gripped me. At Catherine’s talk, I was impressed with how she managed to write while having 3 children under the age of 6 (at the time). She obviously could operate on very little sleep. I understand now where she got this energy from. Catherine was an actor before, which shows her tenacity, resilience, and diligence. From then on, we have kept in touch. We have enjoyed dinner and cocktails together as Catherine shares my interest in motherhood, food and wine. Her latest book, Where the Light is Hottest, is a novel about the conflicts and dilemmas that a poor but talented actress faces, and the cost of ambition and success. Without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Catherine.
I: Catherine, Where the Light is Hottest goes into the experiences of an actress navigating the film industry. How would you categorise this book in terms of genre, and what themes do you hope resonate most with readers?
C: This can be a hard question for writers. I tend to write my books around a theme. I would categorise it as book club fiction. I think that can sound like a cop out, but I have done book clubs. People have a lot of opinions and have strong feelings about the characters.
It’s a unique book because of the personal experience that has gone into it.
I: Having had a career in acting, do you foresee a return to the profession in the future, or are you focusing solely on your writing endeavours now?
C: That’s a good question. I left the profession after being seriously injured. It took years to recover from the injury. I have always been a writer, and I did both things alongside each other. I am open to acting in the future. The film industry isn’t built for parents. You usually have to get up at four am and then work fourteen-hour days.
I: Your protagonist, Natasha Jones, achieves significant success in her acting career. How much of her journey reflects your own experiences in the industry?
C: I put a lot of my experience into Natasha’s journey. That doesn’t mean it was the same. It is knowing what it feels like and putting reality into fiction. Natasha has some horrible experiences that, thankfully, I did not go through, but they were important for her story. They reflected the reality of ‘making it’ as an actor. I’m proud of my acting career, but I think Natasha’s career is probably less fun than it looks.
I: Transitioning from acting to writing, what challenges did you encounter, and how did your background in performance influence your storytelling approach?
C: I was a writer first. Even when I was in single figures, I wrote songs and poems. I had some poetry published when I was about eleven. I am also a theatre, television and restaurant reviewer. I have written for many publications as a freelancer. Writing a novel seemed like an impossible task. I wasn’t sure I could do it.
Being an actor makes you a better writer. You understand people and character. You learn how to break people down.
I: Where the Light is Hottest addresses the complexities women face in the film industry. What inspired you to tackle this subject, and what message do you hope to convey through Natasha’s story?
C: My inspiration is the work so many women have done before me. I started writing the book before the MeToo movement, but it meant a lot to see a social movement asking for better. The film industry can be a wonderful place, and plenty of amazing people work in it, but it is also tough, cut-throat and hierarchical. I hope Natasha’s story conveys strength and courage. You can’t let people drag you down. Change can happen.
About Catherine: Catherine Balavage Yardley an author, freelance journalist and editor-in-chief of Frost Magazine.http://frostmagazine.
Catherine is very supportive and active in the writing and publishing community. If you haven’t yet, please follow her. Find Catherine here>>
Buy Where the Light is Hottest here>> (FREE on Kindle Unlimited)
