Brought to you by Penguin.

Hello and welcome to the Penguin podcast where we talk to writers about writing.

I'm Nihal Arthur Nica and today I'm speaking to a

multi-award-winning television producer turned top 10 bestselling author who was behind shows such as

this life, teachers and 20 things to do before you're 30. Her first book, getting rid of Matthew,

was published in 2007 and was a Sunday Times bestseller,

something it has in common with every book she's published since,

including Got You Back, Foresome, The Ugly Sister, Queen Bee, and Worst Idea Ever.

Her latest novel, Just Got Real, is set in the murky world of online dating

and tells the story of Joni,

whose nervous first-time online search for love turns into a tale of revenge after discovering

duplicity.

The book has been variously described as unput-downable, always a good compliment, and a roller coaster of revenge,

as well as laugh-out-loud funny.

And I'm so delighted to be talking to Jane Fallon today.

Hello, Jane. Hello. Welcome to the Penguin podcast. Thank you very much.

How much do you think about the Sunday Times bestseller? Considering every single one has gone

into that top 10, does it become a kind of burden? That's the problem

you think about it more and more. At the beginning, it never even occurred to me that it might

happen. And I can still remember actually where I was when I got the phone call from my publishers

to say that getting rid of Matthew had gone into the top 10 on its first week. And I was in a car with someone I didn't really know.

She was someone that was doing some work on our house for us and she was giving me a lift somewhere. So I couldn't go, oh, go. I just had to kind of go, oh, okay, okay. And it was apt, because I hadn't considered it for a second. So it was surreal. But then obviously every time after that, you start thinking, is this going to be the one that's not going to do it?

...