Writing about interiors for the last 18 years, it had always been Georgia Madden’s dream to try her hand at fiction. So, a couple of years ago with her 40th birthday approaching, it felt like a now or never moment, and with a wine glass in hand(!) she started writing.

“I write decorating features everyday so I thought writing fiction would be a doddle,” explains Georgia. “It wasn’t! But it was certainly a lot of fun. I was shocked and delighted when Nero picked the book up.”

Seeing it as a chance to make peace with some of the more difficult times she went through as a new mother, Georgia’s debut novel, Confessions of A Once Fashionable Mum, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the joys and horrors of the first year of motherhood. With so many books out there about how wonderful and fulfilling motherhood can be – instant bonding, overwhelming love and the perfect family — Georgia wanted to write about the flip side — the mess, the exhaustion and the whole not remembering your own name thing! “While motherhood is certainly an amazing time I’ve never been great with change and adapting to life at home with a baby took me a while,” says Georgia. “It’s a crazy, heartbreaking, heartwarming time, but a lot of it is also pretty funny. That’s really what I was hoping to capture in Confessions.”

Still reporting on interiors by day — Georgia writes for the likes of House & Garden, Inside Out and Home Beautiful — she found her knowledge of interiors to be imperative when writing her novel. “One of the best parts of my job is writing about people’s homes and I’ve been lucky enough to meet some fascinating people and seen some gorgeous homes along the way. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that at least a couple of the scenarios I encountered have found their way into Confessions.”

Now working on her next novel, which is again focused on women, friendship and family, Georgia is currently trying to find that sweet spot between balancing feature writing and fiction… oh, and looking after the kids, of course!

Confessions of a Once Fashionable Mum (Nero Books) is out now. Buy it online.