My inspiration for this modern love story came from two people who I had the pleasure of crossing paths with in two separate serendipitous moments.

The man and woman, now friends, have cerebral palsy which is most evident from the waist down. Both walk with the aid of a walking stick.

The man I met through Twitter, just like Alexander in the book. I had many face-to-face meetings with him and he shared some of his most intimate feelings and experiences with me which helped in building a credible character in Alexander. He also read the parts in the book, prior to its release, to ensure nothing I had written would be construed as offensive to anyone with CP.

The woman I met at a presentation at The London Book Fair in 2018 when we sat next to each other and got chatting. She was fascinated with my story idea and we talked about emotions and the physical impact of CP on her marriage and her relationship. She had written a memoir, based on her own experiences and I have a signed copy of her book. I will always be grateful to her for sharing her story with me.

I also wanted to show how social media can bring people together in a positive way, bringing new opportunities and how connections made online can be as real as any, especially in light of some of the most recent negative stories we read about in the news.