It’s impossible to describe the feeling when you see for the first time your name on the cover of a published book. It’s a FANTASTIC moment! I wish such a moment on everyone who’s working on what they hope will be their first publication – it’s something well worth waiting for.

Here’s the first glimpse I had of my People’s Friend Pocket Novel, A Dangerous Heart, in a shop in Oxford last week.

My first glimpse of my book - a moment of (qualified) excitement

You’re spot on – there’s something missing. Two things to be precise – the title and my name.

It called for an instant tweak or three.

Aha! Unqualified excitement!

Can you spot the differences? You’re right, that’s much better.

Seeing the book on the shelf, with the title and my name visible, was amazing, but the very best moment of them all – well, that was seeing my book in a reader’s hand, which is where a book should be. It just so happened that when I joined my friend, Heather, for coffee, she was reading A Dangerous Heart. Would you believe it?? And it just so happened that I had a camera in my hand…

Heather, engrossed in my Pocket Novel, totally unaware of the camera

My first Publication Day was a wonderful experience, and it was made that way because I was able to share it with my friends – my friends in real time, on twitter and on Facebook. Thank you, all of you.

Bye for now!