It’s Finished!

Well, it’s taken some time, but I’m finally here. Over a 100,000 words later and my latest book, Best Served Cold, is out with the beta-readers.

I confess to being a dithering wreck, at this point. I’ve been transported back to the time I was awaiting the verdict on my first book, Run. The pressure eased with the others, as each one became a best-seller in its category, so that in turn bolstered my confidence a little, but there is always some degree of anxiety. Until you’ve been judged by a larger portion of the world than you’re used to, it’s hard to explain. Plus this one is a mainstream book, rather than an LGBTQ, so the portion will be considerably larger.

Out there is a part of you. Your brain conceived an idea which you’ve turned into words. You hope people are going to enjoy it; you hope it makes sense to someone who doesn’t know you personally; you hope you’ve succeeded in telling a tale worth reading. Most of all, you hope you’ve become someone’s favourite author. Once that happens, you’ve left something behind. You’ve made the grade. You have a legacy.

The legacy might not be a million pounds, or even a million books, but out there people are carrying around your time and the ideas you’ve shared. It’s a weird feeling, knowing that someone on the other side of the world is sharing your fantasy world, that they are taking time out of their day to give you the opportunity to entertain them. It’s a privilege and a pleasure, each and every time I put a book out there. I hope beyond hope, that people derive enjoyment from reading them. The thought makes me happy…extremely happy.

I don’t know when the book will be available. At the moment I am short-listing the publishers and their criteria. I’m staying away from digital only format, because I, for one, enjoy the feel of a book in my hand, and do buy paper versions if I think it’s a book is worth it. (I also like to obtain signed copies where and when possible). I have a list of four publishers at the moment, so I’ll send out what they want and hope I get an offer from somewhere. At the end of the day…I can only try.

I’ll let everyone know the outcome, succeed or fail. If it is a failure, then it will be a case of must try harder next time…and I will.

Thanks for taking the time to read my musings.