Bookshop joy!

My smile in this photograph says it all.
For this, dear reader, is the beam of genuine relief and thanks....and pure author joy.
Because this, believe it or not, was the first time I have held a solo bookshop event to celebrate a new thriller and I was genuinely petrified no one would turn up!
Don't misunderstand. I absolutely LOVE giving talks. I've done a lot of author panels, literary festivals, writer workshops and library events over the years and I've always been well supported. But because my novels sell particularly well on kindle, I tend to do more online and social media promotion these days.  So when my lovely local bookshop - THE IVYBRIDGE BOOKSHOP - agreed an event to celebrate the paperback launch of Close Your Eyes, I was both delighted. And secretly petrified. This event would be just me. And my new book.
'What if no one comes,' I said to my husband.
So imagine how thrilled I was to find a packed bookshop for the event. A truly delightful crowd who laughed in all the right places (thank you), who asked fabulous questions and queued up patiently for signed books (thank you again).
A special shout out to the lovely manager Matt who organised the recent event. He's so brilliant at supporting local writers and I'm so relieved I said yes. And to anyone who came along - THANK YOU. You made this author's day.
Meantime, I've just finished the structural edit of my eighth thriller. So the rolling road continues. And I know exactly where I'll be launching this next one...

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