Peter James Uses Real-Life Stalker As Inspiration
Peter James’ upcoming novel involves an obsessed fan who goes crazy for a rockstar, but the truth is that he himself has been stalked for the past ten years.
“She has been following me for years,” James says. “She is everywhere I turn. If I am in Norwich she is there. If I am in Cardiff then she is there too. She is unhinged. She genuinely believes she has ownership of me.”
Two years ago he had thought she had moved on, but she ended up making an appearance at a book signing.
“I asked her name and how to spell it and she took offense because she assumed I should know who she was.”
Then, six months ago, she appeared at another signing. Since then she’s been sending him upwards of ten e-mails per day, and not short ones either. Some of the e-mails are as long as 10,000 words and can be threatening.
The Roy Grace author says that the police can’t do anything, and he has spent tens of thousands on a security system.
Not Dead Yet by Peter James is set to be released in June. “In my book the fan gets to meet her idol, a woman, expecting to be greeted with open arms but the star cuts her dead and it flips her out. Soon afterwards, she starts planning to murder her.”