Crimson China live webchat Monday 5 December 1-2pm

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing a novel (and how do you deal with it)?

I was also intrigued by the gardening -redemption through gardening? or creating a garden as a gift?-haven't been to China for about 15 years and it struck me then that gardening was really market gardening there(grow food or starve if you had a plot) or highly formal places for the wealthy or the tourist. It may have changed a lot. Surprised me how he got stuck in so easily

Have you always wanted to write, and how did you get going?

I see there's already been a question about alcoholism - mine is similar. I found Angie's depression very persuasive and wondered if that was something you really wanted to focus on in the book, or whether you just needed her to be in the sea that night!

Was there something in particular that you wanted to say about China and its relationship to the West, or was the fact that several characters are Chinese almost incidental? - could they have been another nationality?

Sorry haven't managed to finish it yet

so how do you feel about children being adopted here when china has become a very wealthy nation? We know people who are struggling to adopt from China at the moment.

I found the book very moreish! Is that page-turning quality something that comes naturally to you? Or is it to do with plotting?

Welcome, Betsy. There is a theme of characters searching for themselves in another country in the book. I read somewhere that you are American, and I wondered if that came from personal experience?

Betsy - how do you plan a book? Do you write the ending first? Or do you start from the beginning and ad lib the storyline, adding in what takes your fancy?

Ooh I haven't quite finished this yet, so don't want to read the thread too closely, but wanted to ask what Betsy feels we could do to help people like Wen in real life - particularly in medical situations.

The scene in the pharmacy where Wen watches a man refuse medical advice (and the anecdote about the man hit by a bus) really brought it home to me how terrible it is to not be able to trust anyone, or accept any proper help.

Do you know of any charities doing anything to help people who are here illegally but in life-threatening situations?

I wanted to ask Betsy - who is your favourite writer, and how do you avoid just trying to copy them?

(I am trying to write myself, and I find my writing veers off in different directions, depending on what I've been reading. I think, "Oh, that's good, I'll try that." It ends up a bit of a mess!)

I really enjoyed 'Crimson China', but I wonder why Angie had to be an alcoholic? There are many other reasons why she felt driven to the point of suicide, which led to her saving one of the drowning men.

I would like to know - does Betsy know what happens to Lili after the book is finished?!

Hi Betsy, I realise I'm not going to make it tomorrow. I loved the book, though, and my question is about adoption, which is a theme that runs through the book: why did you focus on that?

I would like to know about betsy tobin's research-been to China? been to morecombe? I'm still reading the book so will try to finish tonight-fell for the little girl-loved her

I loved this book.

I live in Lancashire and visit Morecambe from time to time. My next visit is this week for a Christmas lunch at the Headway Hotel.

My son lives in Australia with his Australian wife. They have adopted two Chinese children. The first one a girl at nine months who is now 8 years old. Last year they went back with a group of parents and children to visit her orphanage. They were received by the head of the orphanage in the board room as 'successful graduates'. My grand child has had counselling offered by the adoption organisation in Australia to support her expression of identity and understand how to deal with questions both her own and other people's. Just as they got back from the orphanage last year they set out again to bring back an adopted son aged 22 months with a cleft palate. I spent 4 months in Australia with them shortly after they arrived back and then visited again this year. There has been a huge development of language, mutual play, brother sister interaction in the year. Before this in 2007 I did a Community Care visit to China with Master Travel. We were a group of social workers, psychologists teachers etc. and visited an orphanage, community centre, old people's home, Beijing Hospital, the Houtongs etc.

However, back to the book. Betsy Tobin is brilliant. Her understanding of May the adopted child in her family, and of the Chinese cockle picker, his relationship to his sister and to other people, I feel shows a very insightful and realistic understanding of relationships. I have attended some novel writing groups. It is difficult to write, and so I admire Betsy's skill. I found it hard to put the book down.

I ordered it on my Kindle the moment I read the review on Gransnet.

Do find us other books like this.

I am interested to know how one goes about researching a novel such as this? I would love to know where one starts after picking the basic story line