Penny Mirren Talks About Characters

An Extract From “Magpie” by Georgia Hill A Few Background Facts To The Secrets...

Penny Mirren Talks About Characters

Today I’m pleased to welcome someone new to my blog, as Penny Mirren joins me to talk about characters and her latest novel Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon which was released on 11 September 2025. Over to Penny …

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Morton. I thought I’d chat a little about why I love to create characters who are pushing the boundaries of what’s expected of them in later years.

In my latest book Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon (out with Avon on the 11th of September 2025), Gracie is a seventy-two-year-old retired teacher, living with her husband on the sunny Essex coast. Many will recognise Gracie’s situation: having lived a busy, purposeful and active life, suddenly she feels rather adrift. Her husband Andrew has mobility issues, putting a full stop to their love of hiking, and without the camaraderie of her work colleagues she can’t help feeling isolated and redundant. So, when her niece suggests she accompanies her to their local friendly running club one Saturday, Gracie, although skeptical about her ability to keep up, decides to give it a go. After all, she’s strolled the coastal paths of Frinton-on-Sea, daily, for most of her life, how hard can it be?

Iconic blue pavilion on Frinton-on-Sea’s seafront
Inspiration for the meeting place of the running club

This decision proves to be the catalyst for the gigantic adventure she will later embark upon, but also, crucially, for opening Gracie’s world to a new community of people; people she might never normally have encountered, people she will come to call friends. This is a theme I love to explore in my novels, and was the basis of The Unretirement too, another story about a determined woman achieving amazing things a little later in life.

No spoilers here, about the chain of events that compels Gracie to train for the London Marathon, or whether she achieves her goal, but I think many of us will empathise with some of the barriers she encounters, when making this momentous decision. For starters, she doubts herself. She questions whether she’s being realistic about what she is physically capable of at this age. Also, is it selfish to pursue this challenge which will devour so much of her time and take her away from her husband?

And unsurprisingly, there are mixed reactions from friends and family – expressions of surprise, disbelief, concern and awe. The thing is, as we get older, society expects us to conform to pre-conceived ideas of what life should look like at sixty, seventy, eighty and even ninety. But what if you’ve got other plans? What if retirement suddenly gives you the time and opportunity to throw yourself into something you’ve always dreamed of, or opens doors to new pursuits? What if, instead of being the end of something, it’s actually the beginning?

Gracie’s journey throughout the story is full of ups and downs. Alongside physical training for the hardest thing she’s ever done, she has to dig deep to find a mental strength she never knew she had, all whilst grappling with the new status quo of having her estranged sister Jill back on the scene. The story is told from the dual perspectives of the dynamically different sisters, revealing their motivations and providing much of the story’s humour, because there’s nothing quite like complicated family relationships to bring you back down to earth with a bump just when you think you’re winning. But what Gracie learns along the way is that when you set your mind to something – there really is no limit to what you can achieve. And even more rewarding than that, is the discovery that when a community comes together for a common cause, well, that’s when the magic really begins to happen.

Perhaps all of us need a gentle reminder sometimes that with age comes a lifetime of wisdom and experience, an ability to laugh in the face of adversity and to pick ourselves up and try again. I’d love readers to come away feeling warm, hopeful and inspired – believing in their own resilience and in the power of community, friendship and second chances, regardless of age.

Spectating at the London Marathon 2025 – an incredible, humbling experience.

More About Penny Mirren

Penny Mirren is the pen name of Samantha Pennington. Sam writes light-hearted, uplifting fiction and romantic comedy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys being first mate on her husband’s tiny fishing boat and reading books for her wine club. Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon is her second book with Avon Books, Harper Collins.

To connect with Penny/Sam, you can use the following links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sampenningtonwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61555485544604/

X: https://x.com/SJPenno

Website: http://www.pennymirren.com

More about Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon

Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon

The best adventures start with a single step…

Gracie Jenkins thought her days of adventure were behind her. Settled into the familiar rhythms of small-town life, aged 72, she never imagined she’d lace up her trainers for anything more than a stroll down memory lane.

But when a long-forgotten postcard sparks a fire within her, Gracie embarks on an extraordinary journey and sets out to conquer the ultimate challenge: training for a marathon.

As Gracie’s steps turn into miles, she discovers strength she never knew she had and a community she never expected to find. But it’s not just about crossing the finish line—it’s about rediscovering herself along the way.

Can Gracie prove to herself, and her loved ones, that age truly is just a number?

The feel-good novel that proves life can begin at any age…all you have to do is get up and go! Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle and Clare Pooley.

Buying Link : here

Also by Penny Mirren – The Unretirement

The Unretirement

The Unretirement is an uplifting story about the joy of pursuing dreams at any age, full of warmth, heart and community spirit.

Meet foodie Maggie Lawford.

After spending her retirement travelling the world, she’s home again – and ready for a new adventure.

When Maggie’s daughter, Hannah, takes her to their favourite restaurant, Maggie is heartbroken to find the place empty. But the last straw comes when Maggie hears the chef is at his wit’s end – she can’t resist charging into the kitchen and taking matters into her own hands.

Never one to give up without a fight, Maggie resolves to save their beloved restaurant from failure, and it’s not long before she has a military-grade plan to turn the place around again. Finding herself back at work, all she’ll need is support from Hannah and her cheeky granddaughter, Alice, as well as a little help from her neighbours.

After all, Maggie’s golden days aren’t behind her just yet…

Buying link: here

PRAISE FOR PENNY MIRREN

‘Funny, uplifting and warm’ Sunday Times bestselling author PHILLIPA ASHLEY

‘Beautifully written, the characters leap from the page’ Million-copy bestselling author SUE MOORCROFT

‘An uplifting gem of a novel! Funny, heartwarming and hopeful!’ KATE STOREY

‘An uplifting celebration…a great big hug of a book.’ JULIE MA

‘Funny, fresh and gloriously inspiring. I feel joyous after finishing this book.’ KATE GALLEY

‘A likeable cast of characters, an engaging story and delicious food…a fun, involving read.’ JANE LOVERING

Wow, well I am sold on these books and will be using the buying links right away … Mx

I promised readers some news of my own last week – drumroll – Choc Lit Publishing have put all of my seven novels into a Kindle boxset and for a short while it is available for just 99p!