Hi everyone!

I just thought I’d come and let you know what’s going on, and why today is such a special day for me personally.

Two years ago today I was brave enough to hit the ‘Publish’ button and launch my first five books into the Amazon atmosphere.

At the time I had no clue what would happen to them, and if I’m honest, I was absolutely scared to death.

But having built up to it for more than six months, I finally pulled on my big girl panties, and at around one in the morning, hit that magic button. Five times!

I honestly had no idea what was going to happen or whether anyone was going to read them, and if they did, would anyone like them?

As it turned out, the way you’ve embraced them has been amazing!

My first review came as a huge shock. It had five stars attached to it! I was staggered! Gobsmacked! Were they even serious? (Apparently they were!)

Obviously they haven’t all been five stars, but even so, for every one I’ve received, it’s been a fabulous surprise.

Of course, if my four and five star reviews left me jumping for joy, the first one star review had me crawling under the duvet vowing never to write another word. It shocked me that people could be so vicious.

Still, in order to get over the shock, I really had to come to terms with the fact that everyone has an opinion, and they’re all entitled to it. And that’s actually a lesson that has served me well over the last few years. I still cringe at bad reviews, but I read every single review, good and bad, so that I can get better as a writer. Every time someone tells me about something they love or hate, I take it in and make a mental note for next time.

Of course, when people tell you they love and hate the same thing, it’s a bit difficult to know whether you’re doing it right or not, so all you can rely on it the sheer volume of numbers. Thankfully, the good reviews outnumber the bad ones by a long way, so I’m very thankful for every person who’s taken the trouble to give me feedback.

The other thing that has shocked me is how many of you are willing to take the time to contact me directly.  I absolutely love hearing from you! Whether it’s an e-mail or a message on FB, or you use the contact page on my website, it’s always great to get some feedback from you, and I’m always happy to have a chat.

As a result of launching the books, I’ve made some wonderful new friends, and the volunteer proof-readers who have helped me out have been amazing! That’s been the absolute highlight for me, and when I think that I now have fantastic friends across the world, some in America and Australia, some truly wonderful ladies in the UK, and one very special lady in South Africa (yes, you know who you are!), I feel absolutely blessed.

Did I mention I’m also sleep deprived? LOL

Ok, the reality is that I still have a full time job, because as wonderful as it is to have people buying my books, I can’t guarantee how many I’ll sell, or how long they’ll continue to sell for, and like all of you, I still have to pay the bills.

So, that means I work all day at my regular job and then come home, have something to eat, and then get stuck into writing, or replying to e-mails or messages, or editing… it’s a long list of add-ons, believe me.

There really aren’t enough hours in the day for everything I need to do, so if anything has to make way to get everything done, it’s usually the number of hours I sleep.

But then, I guess there are a lot of people out there who are in the same boat for a variety of reasons.

So, where am I now? Well, I’m currently writing the latest book, which also happens to be the first book in the new series, the Guardians.

Can you believe it? My thirteenth book! Wow! I even shock myself!

I’ll be back with an update in the next few weeks, but what I can tell you is that I’m about three quarters of the way through, so my ambition of a summer release is still on track. It may be July if I can stay focussed, but that’s a tough ask. I’ll do my best.

Anyway, in honour of this auspicious occasion, I’m going to treat myself to an early night. (No, really! For me that’s a treat!)

But before I go, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you. Without your support and encouragement, I would gave quit 23 months ago.

Have a great night, and I’ll catch up with you all soon.

Take care,

Beth

xx