Gillian, I had a long discussion with another crime writer recently on the subject of violence. How do you approach getting into the head of a murderer?

Do you know, I'm not sure I can answer that. I don't really know and I dont have a conscious way of getting into their heads. It just happens when I lose myself in the writing and I often wonder where it came from! And yet, readers tell me my 'baddies' are among my strongest writing. I think I try to see things from a warped perspective, and I do think of other crime books I've read over the years. Obviously, I don't know what violence and murder feels like! But if it feels right when I read it back, it means I've nailed the character. I think having an unconvincing killer is such a fall down for quite a few crime novels and it's a constant worry to me that I get it right.

Can I throw the same question back to you in terms of your villains?

Gillian,
Your novel, The Charter, stemmed from the true story of a shipwreck, an aspect that really interested me. How do you encompass fact and fiction in your stories?