New book imagines a world where you can have only one child

Natalie, aged 38, said: “The novel centres around a law which has been passed in a worldwide approach to tackle the overpopulation of the planet, limiting every family to one child. The one-child law. The story then jumps ahead ten years to a time when the limitations surrounding the law within England have tightened, only allowing those who are married and approved to become parents.

“After a one-night stand, the main character Elspeth finds herself illegally pregnant. The story follows Elspeth as she navigates an almost impossible situation in a world where, if found out, she would be branded as a criminal and forcefully separated from her child. From behind the scenes, Elspeth soon finds that help is being offered from the most unlikely of places; all she has to do is evade the determined sights of DI Sam Wakley, an officer with a reputation to save.

“When writing, I don’t tend to have a set plan for the story, although I always know how it starts and how it is going to end. Often I will write the ending before I am halfway through, which I find encourages me to focus on the story’s completion. I believe that this story will appeal to people as, although it is a dystopian, it is not so far removed as to be unbelievable, especially as there have been some key issues raised both here and in America recently relating to motherhood and women’s rights. Some of the reviews so far have likened the book to The Handmaid’s Tale and Vox.

“I hope that the plot will have readers thinking about what they would do and how far they would go to keep themselves and their unborn baby safe. It would definitely be a good choice for a book group as I am sure that a debate would ensue after reading The Consequence of Choice. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this novel which was an idea that I had been considering for a while. The characters and plot have allowed me to draw on my own nursing knowledge which is filtered into the story.”