Some elements are rooted in truth, while others have been fabricated and, of course, elaborated to make for a better read.

Anyway, most of the stories about heartbreaks and failed relationships come from my own tragically entertaining experiences. It’s actually been a way for me to process my behaviour and learn from my many mistakes. Writing about how pathetic I was when I was younger really helped me grow up emotionally.  Don’t worry, I’ve never done what Petra did in Ireland, or, well, what she is going to do in Zanzibar!

Despite the ups and downs that inspired these stories, it’s been fun to share them on paper. Who knows, maybe someone will recognise their own behaviour in me and learn from it. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be lucky in love, too, although that would mean no more bad dating stories to write about. In the meantime, I’ll keep on writing to distract myself, which is much more fun.

There was a real-life Nik, although he definitely wasn’t the dashing man I made him out to be  in the book. He was a bit of a scruffy fella; he loved his flowery shirts and lived in flip-flops, but he did buy me shoes for that never-ending Samarian Gorge walk that I described in the book.

When Nina ended up in the hospital, that happened to me in the exact same way. And my husband did run off to Mexico while I was sick, and, well, I don’t want to give too much away, but his return did happen the same way I described it.