Six years ago today!

Six years ago today, I sat at this writing desk reading a publishing contract offering me a three book deal with Aria Publishing, part of Head of Zeus. It felt like a dream come true, yet I hadn't a clue if I was about to sign it or not. The details, the percentages and the durations meant nothing to me - I was reading but I had no understanding if it was good, bad or ugly in its contents. I wanted too cry, I'd worked so hard, for what seems like a lifetime to be presented with such a document, only to be met with fear.

The contract had come about after I attended a writers' retreat in Bristol organised by Rowan Coleman and Julie Cohen. Rowan's agent, Lizzy Kremer dropped by for an overnight stay and after hearing a critique of my current project - presented me with an email of an editor who was seeking such work. On arriving home that night (5th March), I emailed the editor saying that Lizzy Kremer had passed on her details and that I had a finished book on the topic she was seeking. The next day, she requested the manuscript. Two days later, the editor contacted me to ask if I could and would move the time line from it being a New Year's eve story to a Christmas eve story. That would involve shifting the entire story line by a week. Could I do that? Did I want to do that? I agreed to the suggestion and was given a one week window to amend the new time line.

She also asked if I had any other ideas for books? I explained that I'd written, part-written, abandoned numerous books over the years and outlined several to her.

At the time I was working full-time as an English teacher in a secondary school, so it meant me having to juggle my time but I was used to doing that to fit my writing around the 'day job'. Anyway, to cut a long story short - I did it within the week and sent the amended manuscript back to the Aria editor.

​Two days later on the 14th March, she sent me an offer of a three book deal. She later told me it would have been just two books had I not outlined so many stories proving I had an imagination to produce multiple books, and not just the one idea!

I sought advice from my now agent, David Headley, who the wonderful Katie Fforde put me in touch with, regarding the contact details and signed on the 15th March. So today, I have 10 books published, two in the pipeline to be published later this year and in about ten minutes, after I've fetched a fresh cuppa, I'll start another chapter on what I hope will be book 13!

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