 The special moments keep on coming! I have just heard that I Am Watching You has been shortlisted for not one but TWO categories in the Dead Good Reader Awards - 'keeps you guessing' and 'most recommended'. To say I'm thrilled doesn't begin to touch it.... I literally cannot believe it. Last year I attended the Harrogate Crime Festival as a new girl on the thriller/crime scene. I was so nervous. My first thriller wasn't even out and I wrote a blog here about how I felt out of my comfort zone; as if I was wearing L plates. And now? Just 12 months on, I am returning to this year's Harrogate festival next month, hosting a table at the author dinner (can't wait!) and now also attending the Dead Good Reader Awards. It all feels surreal... So first and foremost I must thank all my wonderful readers for nominating I Am Watching You for the awards. And next - a big, big, favour. Would you take the time, please, to vote again in this final round? It's just one click in each category this time and it would mean the world. I have never won an award for anything so thank you from the bottom of this author's heart... VOTE HERE or click on the picture above.  I have a confession. My first book didn't sell quite as well as we all hoped. At least not at first. The reviews were stunning (thank you, readers) but the numbers were a tad 'quiet'. My second book did much better but still didn't quite get that 'bestseller' tag. It wasn't until my third book and a change of genre that I suddenly became an 'international bestseller'. Who knew, eh? I share this now because it is an incredibly special week for me. I have just passed more than half a million sales of my books overall. Which just goes to show that the advice to writers trying for a publishing deal - keep going - also applies once you have a deal! The greatest thing I have learned from this rollercoaster writer's life is that getting published is not an end in itself...but a beginning. It is not about one book. Or even one genre. Or one publisher. It is about the joy on the page and not being able to stop writing, whatever the sales. I have loved writing since I was in primary school and feel incredibly blessed that this is now my life. I honestly have no idea why my third book and first thriller I Am Watching You was 'the one' to really kick things off for me - hitting number #1 in three countries. I am just incredibly glad it happened - and that I didn't give up. The lovely irony for me is that the success of my thrillers has led to a huge boost for my early books which are now enjoying the sales I hoped for in the first place! So this writer's life is a marathon, not a sprint. A book's sales may be strong straight out of the gate...or they be slower to build. I say this to buoy the spirits of any other writer who may be worrying as they build their 'brand'. Sometimes you just have to keep the faith, keep doing the work...and wait. I celebrated my lovely milestone today with a visit to Agatha Christie's glorious Greenway on the River Dart. The sun shone and the water glistened. Magical - not least because they allowed me to play Agatha's Steinway grand! Wow....very special. So cheers to everyone who has helped me along the way, especially my lovely readers. And to all those still dreaming....you really must keep going.
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AuthorTeresa Driscoll - journalist, author, mother of two and lover of great coffee. 
CATEGORIEsArchives
March 2025
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