Trying to find an agent or publisher is tough. So I found this helpful … every time I got a rejection I threaded a bead onto a string, and told myself one day I’d wear those beads to my book launch. And on Saturday I did. 🥂🙏🥲🙌
#ThePerfectGuest
#amquerying
#writingcommunity
So excited to finally have an actual writing room! This is my new sanctuary … away from the washing up and the tumble drier and the endless chores that need doing. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s worth the wait.🧘♀️ 🕯️ ☕️ 🖊️ 📚
#amwriting
#writingcommunity
I’ve spent years daydreaming ‘maybe one day I’ll be sitting on this train heading for something exciting … something to do with my writing …’
And today I’m heading for a celebratory publication week lunch with my agent,
@jslwilliamson
and my editor,
@sjheditor
🥂🎉🥳❤️
Before I had a publishing deal, I used to watch unboxing videos and try to imagine the euphoria of being one of those authors. I can’t believe that today I became one of them! 🥂🥳 📚
#ThePerfectGuest
#dreamscometrue
#happy
@holliepoetry
Same for 3 year olds. Just like she doesn’t get warm trousers in the winter or pockets! I mean, she does … they just have tractors and dinosaurs all over them.
@notlaurenscott
I would say you don’t have to do anything. I got a similar rejection on a full half an hour before an agent asked to meet me and offered rep - you’re so close, hang in there!
My manuscript target bar has officially gone GREEN! I do, however, have at least one more chapter to write … and then some serious editing to do. But still, word count ✅ 🥂🎉
#writingcommunity
#amwriting
#booktwitter
@LauraSummersNow
Oh god I’d never considered this - we’re having a party for my 4yo at a soft play in a couple of weeks and have only invited 10 kids (3 are relatives). Now I’m worried I’m going to upset someone 🫣😱
Struggling to get my head around packing for a trip that doesn’t involve my children … plus the fact it’s my first time at
@HarrogateFest
, an event I’ve admired from afar since I started writing! What should I pack? What are your tips? I’m SO EXCITED!
#booktwitter
🚂📚🖊️🥂
Today my debut comes out on Kindle! 🥂
Truly special moment when I looked at my library ...
'chapter 11' is from when I sent it to myself back when I was editing, before I had a publisher. Here it sits next to the finished product. Dreams do come true!
#ThePerfectGuest
I finally got round to updating my blog! This is about being on submission and finding a publisher. 🌟
I set up my website before I had an agent, so you can read the whole journey here!
#amquerying
#writingcommunity
@jmdargz
It always surprises me when I see writers getting upset about this. I’m not an agent but I’ve started reading loads of books that I ‘should’ like because they sound right up my street … and then haven’t finished cos something’s not quite right for me. Surely everyone has?!
I’m on cloud nine to be going into paperback publication day (tomorrow!) with over 100 five-star reviews on Amazon! My publisher just pointed this out and 🤯🥂🥳
#ThePerfectGuest
#booktwitter
#thrillerbooks
IT’S PUBLICATION DAY! 🎉 Which means I’ve been singing this song from Frozen since I woke up!
It also means
#ThePerfectGuest
is winging its way to readers, and being placed on bookshop shelves … and I’m SO excited and happy I could burst! 🥂🥳⭐️🤩🎉
#booktwitter
#thrillerbooks
What a perfect sunny holiday read! ☀️ If there’s one thing I love in a thriller, it’s rich people behaving badly (as anyone who’s read mine knows!) and
@louise_candlish
does this with such witty and devastating observations. LOVED it!
#amreading
#thrillerbooks
#OurHoliday
Ever found it hard to say goodbye to a beautiful holiday home? For Dinah, it was impossible...
@ruthirons
' addictive thriller
#ThePerfectGuest
comes on 20th June - and here's its perfect cover.
I was reluctant to read this. I loved ‘The Family Upstairs’ but read it years ago & feared I wouldn’t remember enough detail. Well I needn’t have worried!
@lisajewelluk
has perfectly woven the 2 books together in this gripping sequel. And I adored being reunited with Henry!
Very excited to be able to send a copy of my debut novel to
@cbcreative
. I completed their ‘Writing a Psychological Thriller’ and ‘Edit and Pitch your Novel’ courses in 2021, just before securing my agent! ✨
Exciting bookmail alert! Thank you so much to former student
@RuthIrons
for our copy of
#ThePerfectGuest
out now with
@bonnierbooks_uk
! 🥳
The perfect thriller for your summer holidays! Order your copy:
Just finished this on holiday, and it was SUCH a gorgeous read! A poignant, tragic story but told with humour and all underpinned by beautifully written romance. Definitely for fans of One Day. Congratulations
@charduck
✨
#amreading
#AfterTheFire
#booklover
Very happy with a 3k word count before school pick up today! Fuelled by lots of tea and coffee. Book 2 is kicking OFF!
💉🎭 🩸
#writingcommunity
#amwriting
I’m blown away that it’s less than a month since publication day, and I have over 300 ratings on Amazon, and such wonderful reviews 🥹
If you’ve read
#ThePerfectGuest
and taken the time to rate/review, I am honestly so, so grateful 🙏 ❤️ 🎉 ⭐️
Here’s a blog post for any
#amquerying
writers who like to read ‘How I Got My Agent’ articles! I loved these when I was querying so wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!
#WritingCommunity
Victory Dance
Absolutely stunned this morning to see
#ThePerfectGuest
at
#34
in the
#Kindle
Crime Thriller category 🤯
Took this screenshot immediately so I can gaze at it nestled among these giants of the genre! I’m so grateful to everyone who’s bought it ❤️🙏🎉
Almost fell off my chair when
@jslwilliamson
sent me a photo of this yesterday! 😭 Can’t believe this is my book cover
@LondonBookFair
! And the cover … ❤️🔥🌟
I know you’ve seen this,
@RuthIrons
, but I couldn’t resist sharing. Doesn’t that cover look great?
@jslwilliamson
@JenniflurJenny
(The book is equally brilliant — and out in June…)
'I read it pretty much in two sittings' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
'I went through all the emotions reading this!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
'WOW! It was twisted, it was gripping' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#ThePerfectGuest
is a Kindle Monthly Deal - get your copy for a bargain today!
Absolutely over the moon to win first prize in the I AM in Print short story competition! Can’t wait to see it in print in Writing Magazine! 🎉🥂 Thank you so much
@IAmInPrint
and
@WritingMagazine
#ThePerfectGuest
is out today on ebook!
Get your copy for a steal and join the early readers who are *obsessed* with this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ addictive thriller...
Download now:
This song has always pulled at my heart strings. Maybe that's why I used it in
#ThePerfectGuest
to heighten tension (and awkwardness!) It's made me realise how often I use music as a device in my writing. This one’s for Dinah 😉🎵🎹
#amwriting
#writingcommunity
After The Last Thing to Burn I had to delve into some Tuva Moodyson. Absolutely loved it. The vibe of the book doesn’t quite match my surroundings but I was still totally immersed!
@willrdean
#amreading
#booklover
Thank you
@Aoife_Dooley
for writing the first book my dyslexic 9yo has ever willingly sat down to read, enjoyed, and finished! Will definitely be buying the next one 🎉☺️
#amreading
A blue sky, a chilled glass of rosé, the shrieks of the children throwing chicken nuggets at each other in the kitchen … happy Friday everyone. ☀️
#parenting
#FridayFeeling
I relate to SO many of these points - I was in the query trenches 2 years ago, disheartened but soldiering on, unaware I was about to sign with an agent,
@jslwilliamson
, who would change my life. Whatever stage you’re at, you NEED this advice …
10 years ago I was still stuck in the query trenches (lost & confused). Here’s a few things I’ve learned about writing/publishing in the past decade 🧵
1. Resilience. Rejection is part of the job. It gets easier. It’s not that your work isn’t good it’s that it isn’t a good fit.
Finished this cracker of a summer read by
@Mrssmithmunday
yesterday! Absolutely gripping - luxury resort, dead body, badly behaved guests with terrible secrets. What more do you need from a thriller?!
#amreading
#thrillerbooks
This is so interesting - not just from a writing perspective but in terms of psychology. Unfortunately all the fascinating example extracts have increased my TBR pile by about 20 🫣 📚
#amreading
#amwriting
#WritingCommunity
Sorry for the non-election-related post, but having looked out of the window this morning, are we all agreed we’re just giving up and dressing as if it’s the middle of winter?
#britishsummer
#washout
I’m so ridiculously excited about this! An actually physical copy of my debut novel ❤️ Can’t WAIT to get my hands on it! Thank you
@sjheditor
for the sneak peak! 👀 🌟
Despite coming down with the inevitable LBF ‘special’ (which also got several of my colleagues), news that proofs for
#ThePerfectGuest
— by the brilliant
@RuthIrons
— are in has brightened my day NO END. Doesn’t it look FABULOUS? Agented by
@jslwilliamson
Cover by
@JenniflurJenny
Happy publication day to this AWESOME author! 🎉🥳🌟 Please buy Gary’s incredible, heart-wrenching, beautifully written DEBUT novel. You won’t regret it.
#amreading
#booktwitter
#AfterTheStorm
It’s publication day!! After about four hours of broken sleep, I’m going out in a bit to find AFTER THE STORM in the big, wide world! Available now at Sainsbury’s and all good bookshops 🙂🙂
After yesterday’s excitement (and stopping every 5 mins to look at photos of my giant book cover at LBF!) I am cracking on with the next WIP today! 8 chapters in, and things are ramping up 👀 🔑 🧶 💉
#amwriting
#writingcommunity
Received this fab proof of
@RuthIrons
' debut and took it on holiday with me last week where I started the day reading it on the decking by the lake, and finished my day that way too. A brilliant new thriller full of twists and turns - do pre-order!
#ThePerfectGuest
As the weather’s so bad, I’d like to offer you a sun-drenched luxury home, a sparkling topaz pool, and plenty of ice cold cocktails … and all for 99p
P.s. don’t mind the guests - some of them are terribly behaved.
#thrillerbooks
#ThePerfectGuest
I’ve been so caught up in my book launch/publication that I’ve not mentioned a couple of books I’ve loved recently!
#StrangeSallyDiamond
by
@lizzienugent
is so original … comical in places, but *so* dark in others. It kept me gripped the whole way though!
#amreading
@hgeiser_author
When I was querying, the huge success stories of multiple full requests used to really sap my positivity. In the end, the full requests and offer I received all happened within days of each other. You might think you suck at this, but you might be closer than you think.
I’m thrilled at how conflicted readers are about my protagonist! I tried so hard to create an intriguing character … not just a ‘goodie’ for everyone to root for, but someone a bit more troublesome, perhaps. So hearing people say things like this makes my day!
#ThePerfectGuest
@OneLiteraryFox
This is so true. I’d never really believed it before I got a rejection from an agent saying they didn’t feel passionately enough, followed (literally half an hour later) by another agent saying she couldn’t put it down and wanted to meet me. Emotional roller-coaster day!
I would love to know if any woman had ever left this lying ‘handily about’, and been subsequently delighted by ‘a collection of tights in pastel colours.’
This was such a fab sunny weekend read! It gripped me from the get go - I loved the ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters and the way the secrets were sprinkled like breadcrumbs! Bravo
@sophielflynn
and I can’t wait for
#WhatStaysUnsaid
Check out this gorgeous gift from my wonderful friend
@motherofbearz
❤️Decided to put my ‘rejection beads’ in the flower holder! There’s also a hidden message on the book-facing side. And it’s perfect in my new writing room where I can see it every day!
#writingcommunity
Couldn’t resist buying this today, as I LOVED
#MagpieMurders
. Just need to finish the 2 books I’m currently reading … and maybe see what else is on my TBR shelf. So many books! 📚
#amreading
#BookTwitter
The Clique is now out in the world! Thank you to every early reader, reviewer and author who read The Clique and spoke about it! Thank you to everyone who preordered and everyone yet to read. And of course biggest thanks to
@Rachel_Neely_
and
@0neMoreChapter_
@JennieRothwell1
Oh wow, I just made the yummiest cup of tea. You know when that randomly happens? Most cups are like yeah, fine … and then a special one comes along ❤️ ☕️
#amwriting
#amdrinkingtea
#writingcommunity
There have been lots of times when I’ve hated Mondays. Now I love them because they mean peace, and writing, and tea.
🙏 🧘♀️ ☕️ 📚
#amwriting
#writingcommunity
@LisaSellAuthor
So funny, I feel exactly the opposite. I loved milk time and would happily drink anyone else’s if they left it 😂 Happy memories of those little glass bottles!