Lesley Pearse has always been a storyteller. From a young age she often found herself in trouble for embellishing the truth. But she came to writing quite accidentally, when she wrote a letter to a women’s magazine in the UK about the contents of her fridge. It was picked as the letter of the week, she was sent twenty five pounds, and Lesley then realised that she could earn money writing. However, her rise to fame was not an overnight success; in fact it took seven years for Lesley’s first novel, Georgia, to be published.
But Lesley is not your typical author. Her novels don’t fit comfortably into any particular genre. She has written thrillers, family sagas and historical novels, and it is the latter that she is most passionate about. Her love for history, the research process, and her fascination with war resulted in her latest offerings, Belle and The Promise.
The story of Belle was born during a personal trip to New Orleans. Lesley always wanted to write about a prostitute. She had intended for the heroin in Never Look Back to become a prostitute, but Matilda fought against this fate. In New Orleans the sexy, warm, sultry heat of the French Quarter provided the perfect setting for Belle, and to ensure that she became a prostitute, Lesley set Belle’s birth in a whore house in England. After witnessing a murder, Belle is snatched off the streets and sold into prostitution. She is sent to America and resigns herself to the fact that she cannot change her situation, and so endeavours to become the best at her trade. Eventually she escapes to France where she battles other horrors before she is rescued by the enigmatic Etienne. But Belle bares scars, and the timing is wrong for a relationship between her and Etienne. So she returns home to England and her family, to heal.
Lesley so loved her flawed heroin that after completing Belle she decided to write the sequel, The Promise. It is the beginning of World War One and Belle is happily married to Jimmy, her childhood sweetheart. But her life is soon shattered when Jimmy enlists. Unable to stand by and watch Belle volunteers as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France. And it is here that she meets up with Etienne. Torn between loyalty to a good man and passion for another, Belle must decide which path to follow. This is an incredible story of courage, resilience and love. And best of all, Lesley plans to write a third novel, so much to look forward to.
When asked what advice she would give to any would be authors Lesley responded, “Be entirely persistent. Believe in yourself and if you want it enough you will get there”. But she also mentions that, “Everyone is caught up with wanting to be famous. It isn’t important about getting published. Write for yourself, your children and your family. You might leave behind something of immense value for your children.”