Some answers to the questions you’ve been asking
Honestly, I’m not sure even as a published author (squeal!) I can find the right words to describe the last couple of weeks. They were made slightly surreal because after avoiding it for two-and-a-half years; I came down with Covid.
So that was fun. 🙃
But it might have been a blessing because apart from letting people know on my Facebook author page, that the book was out. I did nothing to celebrate the launch except sleep, drink fluids and take painkillers.
And that seems to have worked out wonderfully, as it’s been going really well. Now there’s a life lesson – stay out of it and leave it to the universe!
If you’d like to read what it’s all about – and that might be a good idea – before you read the rest of this post – you can see it on Amazon here.
OK. I did that – Tell me more?
The first book in the series is called Midlife in Gretna Green.
You can read it free if you have Kindle Unlimited or buy your own copy of the ebook and read it on any electronic device for a very reasonable £3.99.
The paperback, which is gorgeous and features a photo of my own Bichon Frise Lucy on every chapter, is £14.99 and I’m sorry about that. The world price of wood and wood pulp is horrific at the moment and so, therefore, is paper. And the price may have to go up shortly as raw material prices keep rising.
Get the paperback or ebook from any Amazon site in your country, whichever that may be.
From Memphis to Minnesota, Montreal to Mumbai and Manchester to Melbourne, you can have it on your phone or Kindle in seconds and in your hand in about 2 days.
How the actual …. (insert your choice of disbelieving rude word here)
… did you come to write a book?
So in case you’ve been living under rock while I’ve ranted at anyone who stood still or stayed on a phone long enough about how:
Infuriating/Stressful/Exciting/Amazing/Terrifying/Exhilarating/Annoying/Scary this whole becoming an author thing has been.
Here’s a quick overview of the brainwave I had during lockdown 2020.
Remember how at the beginning of the pandemic none of us knew if we would live to see 2021? Well, my biggest regret was that I’d never got around to publishing any of the books about a woman called Niki who’d lived in my head for about twenty-five years.
Do you also remember how in the UK we had ‘authorised daily exercise periods‘ during that first lockdown?
I spent mine walking my fluffy white Bichon around our small village. She was super stressed because she’s the most social dog in the world and knows everyone for about 3 miles around. Almost no-one knows me – I’m just Lucy’s mum. Which is actually a pretty great thing to be.
But during that first lockdown, people thought animals might spread the virus. So one day, as Forrest Gump might say … ‘For no particular reason’, everyone stopped giving Lucy her expected daily rations of love, fluff ruffles, admiration and affection.
That didn’t go down well and my little one was stressed and very confused about why no-one loved her anymore. So on our lonely walks I started telling her (in a low voice, c’mon, no-one wants to be the crazy lady, right?) about Niki. And her adventures. Her problems. How she was bullied. How her gran, who’d brought her up, died and left her a bunch of new problems.
Then it got a bit … mad?
I showed her the house where Niki now lived and the magical portal in Niki’s back garden that we called the Gateway. And all the Celtic worlds that it led to. Those might have been the ones that linked into the more interesting parts of local history – but they were heavily disguised and made far more interesting as every slightly crazy day passed.
Let’s fast forward a year
There was a vaccine so the world got a bit more rational, but then we had yet another lockdown. And I got cross. I dumped my laptop on the kitchen table and wrote it all down. But for adults this time. Not for stressed-out puppies.
And I plotted out ten books.
Seven major books that cover each of the realms or kingdoms that the Gateway leads to and three minor diversions just for fun—cos heaven knows we all need more fun.
The first three books are:
1: Midlife in Gretna Green (Out Now)
Niki’s introduction to the whole confusing world in the Gretna Green Gateway (Green on the Gateway star) including a sentient house and some other wonderful characters human and not-so-human.
2. Painting the Blues in Gretna Green will be out in November 2022. Pre-order up in September.
Dola, along with Niki and her best friend Aysha fix a 1000-year-old injustice for Queen Breanna in the Pict kingdom. (Blue)
Niki is re-introduced to the man she had a crush on when she was 11.
3. Ties that Bond in Gretna Green releases early February 2023. The pre-order should be available at the end of this year.
It’s Valentine’s week in the Gateway and Niki’s first bondings don’t go to plan. Cue hilarity, heartbreak and prophecies for some of our favourite characters.
Beta Readers Needed
I’ll be ready to send the second book out to beta readers in about three weeks.
If you’ve:
- Read book one and want to volunteer
- If you’re the type of person who’s picky and annoying (in a good way) about characters who do stupid things
- Can be honest and call out anything you don’t understand
- But you’re able to ignore grammar errors and typos because the copy edit which fixes all that stuff happens AFTER you read it
- And finally, but IMPORTANTLY you can read a book in less than a fortnight and report back promptly. Then you’re welcome to apply. Use the contact form to let me know.
- If you need more info about that’s involved – try this blog post here for all the details.
So what are you doing now?
I’m finalising the third book. Beta readers also needed for that in late Sept/October.
And I’m writing the fourth book, which is provisionally scheduled for an Autumn 2023 release.
And that all feels like enough 🤣
So go and buy or borrow my book. If you’re wondering, it makes absolutely no difference to me how you read it. I love KU myself as a lifelong reader. Get value from your KU subscription with my blessing and gratitude – as long as you actually read it, I don’t care.
Just enjoy it and review it … PLEASE.
Unusually, I’m closing comments on this post because I truly don’t have time to police the spam right now – but I am checking the Facebook page daily – so if you’ve got something to share please do it in there.