Life update: Book 11 has left the building!

Hello!

I know I've been popping into your inbox recently with news of the release of The Girl in the Window, but I thought I'd let you know what I've been up to these last couple of months when I've managed to escape the writing cave.

At the end of September Adrian and I caught the train up to South Wales to visit our friends Penny and Steve.

I've known Penny since secondary school, so over forty years. You might remember us walking the Midhurst Way from Haslemere to Arundel together last year. It was so nice to see them and we managed to fit in two longish walks while we were there.

These photos were taken at the top of a rainy and misty Pen y Fan on the Saturday, and a beautifully sunny and warm Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsular on the Sunday.

What a difference a day makes!

The following weekend Adrian and I gave a talk on writing and self-publishing at the Maidstone LitFest. It was a sell-out event with a waiting list, and was a real pinch-me moment. One of the highlights of my author career.

Yup. People actually bought tickets to hear what we had to say. I know, right?!!!

It was such a thrill to share our journeys as indie authors with such an interested, enthusiastic bunch of people.

We were back in Maidstone the following weekend to see a gig by the comedian Jake Lambert.

We first discovered Jake on Instagram and loved his sense of humour.

When I saw he was touring I just had to get tickets. The guy just has funny bones!

If you want to check him out, he's @jakelambertcomedy on Instagram.

Since then I've had my head down, finishing the first draft of my 11th psych thriller, which I handed in to my editor today, two weeks early.

Waiting for her verdict is always a nerve-wracking time. It was a tricky book to write, even though I had a pretty detailed outline planned out before I began. I'm due to get the structural edit back three days before Christmas. A light edit would be the best Christmas present ever, so please keep your fingers crossed for me!

I can't share too much about this book yet, just that it's a summer thriller set in Greece and if I were to give it an elevator pitch, it would be The White Lotus meets Saltburn.

It's due out in May, so not too long to wait!

In the meantime, if you're partial to a cosy mystery, can I recommend Little Bookshop of Murders, the new release of an author friend of mine, Nicki Thornton?

One burnt-out lawyer. One shiny new bookshop. One dead customer.

Former lawyer Keera Munroe wants to put her past behind her with nothing more challenging than selling enough books to pay the bills.

But when Keera opens a bookshop in idyllic Crossways, there’s a lot she cannot leave behind, like the fact she’s hard-wired to seek out truth and justice.

Or her nose for trouble — which is telling her that village life is not quite as lovely as it appears.

Right about the time the first body turns up...

You can check out Little Bookshop of Murders here.

And, finally, The Girl in the Window is still 99p/99c to buy for a few more hours. You can download it here.

Before I sign off, can I just make a plea: if you've read and enjoyed the book — in fact any of my books — is there any chance you could post a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads? They are so helpful in letting new readers find my books. And they don't have to be essay-length. Just a couple of lines are perfect. But, please, no spoilers.

A HUGE thank you to all you lovelies who've already left a review. I really appreciate it! Santa says you get an extra mince pie this year!

That's all from me for now.

Take care and speak soon.

Amanda