Seeing as you worked within a Primary school are any of the details that you write about in your book either personal to you or ones that you have heard through the grapevine?
Margaret Henderson Smith: I would liken it to some of the ‘Carry On’ films set in the work place. Exaggeration being the key factor. The primary school provides the perfect formal setting, an ideal backcloth against which to set humour and romance. And no. It would be impossible for schools to function efficiently if they depended on the character types I’ve created. I’ve done other things in life and met plenty of people. I observe and like many, have a good sense of the ridiculous. And Joris Sanderson? Of course he doesn’t exist. He’s just an aggregate of the best and the worst in all of the men we are ever likely to meet. Like Harriet we may be drawn. As one reader says "(I think there’s a bit of Harriet in most of us)". But unlike Harriet I think probably most of us are more than happy to keep our feet on the ground. More than happy to just read about it.

Which author would you most like to be compared to?
Margaret Henderson Smith: As a new author I feel it would be presumptuous to wish to be compared to any established author. However if I am able to portray in my work just a fraction of the astute social observation of Lesley Black as illustrated in her ‘Must I go down to the sea again?’ then I would feel I was on the right track. Similarly the works of Jane Austen have tremendous appeal. A wonderful record of their time.

Do you have any plans to write another book?
Margaret Henderson Smith: The sequel to ‘A Question of Answers’ is due to be published by arima publishing later this year. More on this at www.margarethendersonsmith.co.uk. This book ‘Ne Obliviscaris: Do Not Forget’ answers all the questions. I enjoy writing and don’t feel I’ve quite finished with Harriet yet!

What inspired you to write this book?
Margaret Henderson Smith: Within this genre often the female central character is young, hence the "chic-lit" classification. Although I’ve enjoyed reading those kind of stories, I wanted to explore in some depth the same kind of situation/ emotions arising at what’s perceived to be a critical, later stage in life. The Big 40. It’s anecdotal, most of us say we get older but feel exactly the same inside. This was the inspiration. The challenge of writing about life with all its baggage whilst dealing with the heady emotions associated with youth.

What made you leave the ending slightly ambiguous?
Margaret Henderson Smith: From the outset I was writing one book essentially in two parts. At approximately 104,000 words per book, and for this kind of work I feel it would have been too long to make one book of it. The ending, though slightly ambiguous, draws a conclusion of sorts but for those who delight in intrigue. It’s there for the taking!

What is your favourite part in the book?
Margaret Henderson Smith: I enjoyed writing the whole of it so it’s difficult to say. As the story is largely dialogue driven, I particularly liked it when the opportunity arose for the narrative to become descriptive offering an intensification to those thoughts and feelings at the root of the story.