Get ready to learn more about the book A Game of Two Hearts in this discussion with sapphic author Iona Kane.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Iona Kane about A Game of Two Hearts, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Set in the UK / Ireland category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write A Game of Two Hearts?
I wanted to tell a story that depicted the relationships built when you play on a rugby team. But I also wanted to write a series set in the East Midlands of England where I’ve lived my whole life until recently. It’s a lovely but overlooked part of the country.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
That’s a difficult one. I don’t do favourites. Rowan is a sweetie, but I guess I’ve got more in common with Tess. I admire her pragmatism and her love for her kids.
What inspired the idea for A Game of Two Hearts?
Rugby, because I wanted to depict the wonderful relationships that team sports build. But also the location. I can’t think of many other sapphic books based in the East Midlands, except maybe be Robin Hood inspired ones. Although Haresby is a fictional town it’s based on the market towns of Leicestershire.
It’s an interesting place, where the uplands of the north turn to softer southern hills and fields. It’s also (fun fact time!) the birthplace of modern English as it’s where the Vikings from the north and the Anglo Saxons from the south gave up the fighting and started trading and sharing words.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I was playing around with a few titles and my wife came up with it. I knew it was right immediately. “A game of two halves” is a term used by soccer pundits, to describe how things can change for a team between the two parts of the game. As well as the sporting connotation I felt it reflected the point in Tess’s life where things are suddenly going in a different direction. I now expect my wife to come up with all my future book titles!
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
I have half written Becca’s story. She deserves an HEA of her own. I’ve put it aside temporarily while I’ve been working on my new series, but she will have her day.
What is your writing process like?
I’m a pantser by nature and I love that the characters sometimes develop in a way I wouldn’t have known at the start. But I do tend to take out a lot of detail that becomes irrelevant when the story or the MC changes, and nobody enjoys killing their darlings. So I’m trying hard to be more of a plantser and have an outline developed before I start the process. (It doesn’t always happen!)
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
When we moved to Ireland I was thrilled to have my own writing office. I filled it with my favourite posters and books and trinkets. It turns out I can’t focus there at all and I’d much rather be outside in all weathers. But the places I’m most productive tend to be busy cafes or meeting places. I think it’s the many years of working in loud, open plan office spaces.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
It started as a reading snack but is now a staple when I’m writing. I was reading a book that mentioned quesadillas and was immediately so filled with the need for them I couldn’t focus. I didn’t have any tortillas but I did have boxty, which is an Irish pancake made with not one but two types of potato. And so, boxty quesadillas were born. They’re delicious, but probably not a practical snack if you have to make the boxty from scratch.
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
Podrick is a skinny black and white rescue cat who never comes anywhere near me unless I have a laptop with me. He may one day publish his own essay, “mnngst£4443hhhdq#” but until then he’ll make do with regular contributions to my work. When he stares out the window—his favourite pastime after bird terrorising—he looks remarkably like the actor Timothy Dalton.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
Without a doubt, these lines toward the end of Save the Cat Writes a Novel: “Write something bad so Future You has something to fix! Otherwise Future You will be very bored and disappointed that Past You didn’t live up to your end of the bargain and put something down on that page.”
Reading these words empowered me to move beyond being the person doing writing courses and reading all the books on writing to actually writing a book. And Future (now Past) Me had a lot of fixing to do, but I wasn’t bored or disappointed. I still reread it when I need to.
When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?
I don’t think I do. The scene just plays out in my head and I write it down. The characters’ body language and behaviour set the mood I guess. And I don’t need to be anywhere special to write it, I get so completely engrossed in the writing, the more inappropriate the setting the better. I wrote a sex scene on a Ryanair flight recently. The woman next to me was pretending to look at her own screen but we both knew the truth.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
When I was young I read science fiction and fantasy almost exclusively. I still love these genres but as I got older I began to understand the joy of a good romance, and the need for stories about women who love women getting a happy ever after
Describe your favorite reading spot.
In my hammock in the garden, facing the mountains. (Usually with a blanket or dry robe due to the climate). I upgraded to a hanging chair last summer but it doesn’t have the same vibe.
