So, as you can guess from the post below, I got the first copy of my first book in the post the other day.
It’s a strange feeling, finally holding it. It’s real. I can flick through the pages, I can smell the ink, I can even crack the spine if I was so inclined. The words aren’t on a screen anymore; the characters aren’t running around my head. They’re there – on the pages of a real life book for all to read.
I keep looking at the book, turning the pages and just enjoying the feel of it. It’s not just my work that has gone into it. Everyone at Mercier Press have had their had in it; especially Wendy who was invaluable in helping me tweak and refine the plot and characters, and Catherine who came up with a fantastic, eye-catching design. (I’ve seen sneak previews of the next two jackets in the series and they’re just as good!) A special mention should also go out to my friend – (and, as she likes to say herself, personal photographer) – Deirdre O’Toole who came out with me on a chilly Spring night to take the shot of Dublin that’s featured on the cover.
As I said to a friend yesterday, I’m interested to see how people will react to it. Obviously, I hope they like it. But the cat’s out of the bag shortly. All the plot points, secrets and twists people asked me about that I – (somehow) – managed to keep secret won’t be my secret anymore. Soon the book will be on the shelves of shops all across the country, soon people will read my story. And I hope they enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.