Living the #amwriting Life - May

As always when I sit down to write my #amwriting during lockdown monthly round-up, I wonder if I'm going to have anything to talk about. Events, appearances and signings have all been cancelled well into the autumn now, so is anything of note actually happening?

Of course it is!

May has still been a surprisingly busy month. The Secret Seaside Escape is selling really well and has attracted over 160 fabulous reviews on Amazon. I'm delighted that the new setting of Wynmouth has been so well received and I'm planning to take us back to the sunny seaside again at some point in the future. There's an idea already brewing for a few books time...

I've been a pin-up in Heat magazine again - always a thrill!

And there was a full page ad in the in-store Waitrose magazine where it's being stocked

As well as being featured in glossy magazines, I have been putting myself out there online too! My Facebook Live event with wonderful Kim Nash proved extremely popular and was great fun and my Curl Up with Cathy Bramley (not as strenuous as it sounds), was wonderful!

I also recorded a series of short videos for my publisher, Simon and Schuster, for their online #authorsinlockdown series. I'm not going to lie, I didn't find it easy and I'm not going to add a link to them here but they're still out there if you really want to track them down. Eek!

Enough said about that... The Secret Seaside Escape was also listed very high up on the Woman and Home Romance Reads List and voted number 1 on the Norfolk Council Top #lockdown Book List, which was fantastic, because as you know, it is set on the Norfolk coast.

And of course, almost last but by no means last, there was The Winter Garden cover reveal! Yay! The response to this snowy beauty has been overwhelming and the pre-order numbers fantastic so thank you everyone. The books has already been awarded a couple of lovely orange Amazon Bestseller flags and I can't wait to take you back to Nightingale Square. The book is a slight departure from my usual Christmas read, but have no fear, there's still plenty of seasonal spirit packed into the pages.

So, what am I doing now? Well, my editor loved the second draft of The Winter Garden so it is heading to the copy editor which means that I can crack on with Book Number 12. This will be the summer 2021 release and I'm extremely excited about it. I can't tell you where it's going to be set or who it's about, but I think you're going to love it. All being well, I'm planning to dive into the first draft next week, so keep your eyes peeled for further news!

So, that was May. Not too shabby given the circumstances, was it? I very much hope this post finds you all safe and well. I know staying at home is getting harder now and the days are blurring into one, but the longer we stick to the rules (unlike some who should know better), the safer we'll all be and the sooner #lockdown will be over.

Stay at home with some fabulous fiction my loves and I'll see you all soon!

H x