Nobody said it was easy!

After the disappointments of the last year I feel things are really taking off again. I may not ever make a fortune from writing by self publishing but to be perfectly honest, that isnt really why I write. Of course, I'd not turn down fame and fortune if it tapped on my door but I don't see the point of knocking myself out to be noticed if the journey doesn't make me happy.

It's the little things that mean the most not massive royalty cheques. I had an email from a lady in Canada this morning saying how much she had enjoyed Peaceweaver and was unable to put it down. She also wanted to know when my next novel would be out. That is what makes it worthwhile for me, the shiver of satisfied pleasure that positive comments like that provide. If a week spent reading my book made her happy then it was worth every second of the anxiety I suffered in writing and producing it. So, Thank you, dear lady from Canada, feedback from readers is invaluable.

In the last few weeks I have managed to conquer the mysteries of Kindle and am at last able to offer Peaceweaver for download as an e-book. I have a kindle app on my pc now and must say the luxury of accessing a book in 60 seconds is both marvelous and dangerous. I could spend a fortune in a very short time! One little click and there it is in front of me, taking up no shelf space at all! I have already bought and reviewed many of my fellow writer friends books and will continue to do so now that it has become so easy.

Like many other people, I was not in support of e-books but I have definitely been converted. I don't think there is much danger of them making hard copies obselete. There is alot more to a book than the story, after all. I love the smell and the feel and the sensuous pleasure of a new experience at the turn of each page. And, just think of all the unsold books that are pulped every year, that is an extraordinary waste of the Earth's resources. E-books will help with that problem, I'm sure. I will be asking Father Christmas for a Kindle this year and, if I like an e-book enough to want the hard copy, I will buy that as well. An excellent plan.

So, I hope you manage to download Peaceweaver with less problems than I encountered uploading it! A new hard copy edition is due for publication very soon with a nice glossy cover and a reformatted interior. And, to my great delight, The Forest Dweller's will also be available in hard copy - an event that has taken much longer to come about than it should have. The e-book will follow, all being well.

Have a wonderful day.

A Step Forward, or Back?

I have recently been lucky enough to secure myself an agent. Susan Yearwood from the SYLA is a warm hearted and enthusiastic lady and is very excited about my work.
The Representation Agreement has been exchanged and I have placed the final draft of Peaceweaver in her hands. It is now with multiple publishers and we are eagerly waiting for a reply. A long and agnonising six weeks or more of nail biting.

I am not blessed with great self confidence and have never considered myself to be particularly lucky. Life has been a struggle for me so far and I don't really expect any different. Maybe I should have but I have never been one to pray but, boy, am I praying now!
As a result of Peaceweaver being offered elsewhere for publication I have removed the POD version from circulation and so it will no longer be available for order, except for the few copies still available through me. This new step is a large leap forward but right now it feels a bit like a backward one.

Since completing my first novel I tried very hard to secure an agent. I submitted different manuscripts to countless publishers only to receive a, 'Sorry no, its great but not for us' or, 'Sorry, not suitable.' And, what made it harder is that I am sure that, in many cases, it had never even been read. In the end, totally demoralised and spurred on by friends, I decided to self publish.
As it turned out, it was great move and I strongly advise anyone considering it that it helps an author to be noticed and is a great confidence booster. Funded by the Arts Council, I published via You Write On, a literary website that offers critiques and support from other writers. The community is a lively one and I made many friends, one, Helen Spring, author of Memories of the Curlew and Chains of Gold, is especially precious. The publishing process was rapid and the support from Ted and the team invaluable. The day that the author copies of Peaceweaver arrived was one I will never forget, even though, quite typically, I was home alone and had no one to share the initial excitement with.
I really enjoyed having a proper published book available, seeing my author page on Amazon and attending book launches and signings. It somehow made all those lonely hours at the computer worth while, I hadn't been wasting my time.
I now have many friends (I could call them fans but that sounds conceited) that enjoy my writing and constantly ask when The Forest Dwellers will be available. The members at my writing group, The Cwrtnewydd Scribblers, are immensly supportive and spread the word among their own contacts. We attend book fairs and readings and generally have a great time.
I've made a few sales too to offset the costs of publishing and promotion although, sadly, my fortune is still not quite made.
While all the promotion of Peaceweaver was taking place I continuted work on The Forest Dwellers which is now written, edited and the final proofs made. I was all set to go ahead and publish in time for Christmas but, out of the blue, along came Susan, ready and willing to represent me. For a moment I was overwhelmed and scared to let go of the reins and let her take over.
OK, I did send out to many agents from the Writers and Artists Yearbook as advised by countless other writers but I hadn't really held any hope of a positive response!
Am I happy to have a professional person believe in my work enough to sign me up? Of course I am.
Am I sorry that Peaceweaver and The Forest Dwellers will not be filling Christmas stockings this year? Of course I am.
But I have to believe that, with Susan's help, my work will be recognised, Peaceweaver will have a lovely professional cover with my name emblazoned across it in gold embossed letters and that The Forest Dwellers and The Song of Heledd will follow shortly after.
The photograph on the left is Boreas (North Wind) by John Waterhouse. I love this picture and while I was writing Peaceweaver I kept it on the wall beside me. It is how I imagined Eadgyth to look, when I was stuck she helped me out. There are many similar works of art that remind me of the women I write about. So many paintings and so many stories yet to write.
I like to think, it is too early to call it hope, that in years to come the people who like my work will anticipate my next release as much as I look forward to Bernard Cornwells.