January
Spot a tweet from a publisher, Bloodhound Books, who are looking for submissions. Have seen a fair few of their tweets in the past couple of months, so I send them Degrees of Darkness. Degrees is rejected due to some graphical content/language, but they want to try my other completed novel, Bad to the Bone. I send it out more in hope than anticipation.
February
I can’t believe it. Not only do Bloodhound want Bad to the Bone, but they also see it as a series and have contracted me to write the second book as well. I am overwhelmed.
March
Start really pulling my social media and website together in preparation for my first published release. Also, having made changes to Degrees, I now have a new contract for that one book as well. What an incredible start to the year.
April
So nervous, but Bad to the Bone is finally published on Saturday 29 April, and as part of the opening blog tour I am bowled over to read some amazing reviews for it. I’ve finally done it. I’ve published a book and people are actually liking it.
May
Had not realised how busy I would be in and around launch time. So many thanks yous to send people on social media and by mail. Thrilled and astonished by the response to Bad to the Bone – it has really gone down well with readers and selling far better than I could ever have imagined.
June
The book I was working on when I signed my first contract back in February, Scream Blue Murder, is done. Now all I have to try and do is sell it!!
July
Sold!! Another contract signed with Bloodhound – this year just keeps on getting better and better.
I do my first ever reading at a Bloodhound event held in London. Terrified at having to go on last, but people seem to enjoy the passages I read from Bad to the Bone.
August
The most amazing thing – walked into our local Waterstones and there is Bad to the Bone, sitting there with all those other famous authors in the crime section. The most amazing feeling – This was what I envisaged when I first thought about being published all those years ago.
September
Degrees of Darkness is released, and to astonishing reviews. Some wonderful things said by some wonderful people. It goes really well, and once again I am flabbergasted by its success.
October
Completed by follow-up to Bad to the Bone. This one is called The Scent of Guilt. A bit of a double-edged sword this one, because it represents the final book of my current run of contracts with Bloodhound. Feels a bit strange handing this one over. And in another first, I do a book signing and launch at Waterstones. How incredible is that?!?!
November
Scream Blue Murder is released, and once again the blogger reviews could not have been better. I took a real chance with this book, strayed way out of my comfort zone in so many ways, and I am thrilled beyond my wildest expectations by the response to it.
December
Absolutely thrilled to end the year by featuring in several ‘book of the year’ posts, for both Degrees of Darkness and Scream Blue Murder. What a year 2017 has been. With only one release due next year I guess it can only pale by comparison, but it’s another year to look forward to as I have so much writing still to be done.