The run up to The Choice publication

I'm not sure what I expected when I discovered The Choice would be published on Boxing Day. I worked through last Christmas on a major structural edit with a deadline at the beginning of January, so those festivities passed me by. I guess I should have expected the same for Christmas 2019.

I knew Christmas was going on around me, who could miss the adverts, the bright shop displays, the general sense of panic as our normally long To Do Lists doubled in length and immediacy. In some ways I envied those people because they had a focused goal with a relatively predictable outcome.

I felt like I was wading into the unknown full of hopes and dreams and not a small pinch of anxiety. This was my dream, it was what I'd been waiting for, working towards, for years. That's a lot of pressure for one event.

Everybody else was really excited about my book launch and that really helped, because it reminded me what a huge achievement this was. I had taken an idea about a world where sugar was illegal and baking was a crime, and I had turned it into an actual book.

When the first copy arrived I was over the moon. You can read about that here... Holding My Book for the First Time

The book arrived in time for my very first photo shoot. It was for WI Life magazine which comes out later this year. A week later I had another shoot to get some pictures I can use. The fabulous Kerry Curl took the photos for me and she did a fantastic job capturing who I am, not just the way I look. You can see some of the photos  here... This is me

Keeping up with Christmas

Somehow I managed to get all my presents bought and wrapped, and  my cards sent off. It seemed like a minor miracle. After that it was a countdown to the big day.

I was surprised and delighted to receive a gorgeous bouquet of  red roses from my editor and the team at Orion. They coordinated perfectly with The Choice cover.

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Once everything closed down for Christmas, there wasn't much more I could do other than wait and enjoy the anticipation of publication day. It was more exciting than waiting for Father Christmas.

You don't have to wait for The Choice - it's out now!

The Choice is the winner of the Good Housekeeping First Novel Competition, it's also Good Housekeeping's Book of the Month and The Times Audiobook of the Week.

The Choice is available from all good book sellers including...
Amazon UK,  Audible,  Waterstones, Hive  &  the Book Depository (free shipping for international orders).