What a year!

Yesterday somebody from my local newspaper phoned me up to ask about my latest book. It was a bit out of the blue as they’d expressed an interest in late October when ‘Fracture’ was released but I hadn’t heard anything since. I’d just got back from a very wet dog walk and wasn’t really prepared to talk at length about my writing but the person on the other end of the phone put me at ease and we chatted for a while. He was keen to know where I get my ideas from and was especially interested in where I write. He knows that my partner is also a writer and had imagined a cosy darkened study with room for both of us. He found the reality quite entertaining – that I write in the spare room with the washing, the walking gear and usually the dog.

The article should be in next Friday’s paper complete with pictures of me, my desk and my dog and will mark the end of a year in which my writing life has changed quite a lot.

In January 2016 I submitted a manuscript to Bloodhound Books and was stunned when I got an email back saying that they liked it and wanted to offer me a contract. After a couple of months of editing and other preparation I was given a publication date of May 1st for ‘Forgotten’. I had no idea what to expect and was extremely excited to see my book on Amazon, and for friends and family to be reading and enjoying it. Then there were the reviews – most from complete strangers and most complimentary. I joined online communities that I never knew existed and this led to the discovery of some fantastic new authors – my Kindle ‘To Be Read’ list is now bursting at the seams.

My second book ‘Fracture’ was released at the end of October and this also did quite well in the Amazon charts and has received some very positive reviews. It also led to me being interviewed on local radio and by the local newspaper thanks to the efforts of Bloodhound’s publicist, Helen. The team at Bloodhound have been very supportive and encouraging and they continue to go from strength to strength.

Back in January I couldn’t have imagined any of this happening. I was writing as a hobby while doing some supply teaching and looking for other jobs. In some ways that hasn’t changed. I’m still doing supply, I still check the jobs section of a number of websites and I’m still writing. The big change is that I now know that people other than my partner and close friends might read and enjoy what I’ve written.