It’s just over two weeks since I launched my third book, and I couldn’t be happier with the response so far. People seem to be connecting with the book and the characters which is great – I was sad to say goodbye to them, but I’m happy that readers now get to say hello again! A lot of people have asked me if writing and launching books gets easier with every one you do, and to that I’d say a resounding no. Writing a book is hard, editing a book is hard, and launching a book takes courage – because every time you put a book out there, you offer up a little piece of yourself to the world and you’re never quite sure if the world’s going to like it…
This London Love was a pleasure to write – I really connected with the characters and the story. What’s more, through practice, my writing style’s got better too, so I think it’s my most rounded, most technically sound book yet. As I carry on down my writing journey, I’m hoping to get better with every book, which makes sense – as you do the job, you learn more, you create more, you understand more.
Setting the book back in my hometown of London was a terrific feeling – I love writing about where I’m from because after 16 years living here, I’m still in love with this city. I love every road, curve and brick that makes up its crunching mass, and I want to celebrate it with the world. I’m currently writing a novella and book four, both based in London but with completely new characters, but after that I might change up my location and branch out further afield – perhaps I might even go abroad. I better tell my wife to pack her suitcase ;p
A huge thank you if you’ve bought This London Love or any of my books – without your support, this journey would be a whole lot harder. If you’ve left a review too, double thank you – reviews are the lifeblood of any writer, especially someone like me who’s just starting out. Plus, thanks for all the messages on Facebook and Twitter – they really do put a smile on my face daily and I love chatting with readers!
Through doing my Lesbian Book Club podcast, I’m also picking up writing tips from successful authors which is fab – the biggest one being to turn off the internet and get writing. It’s a simple solution, but it works. Yesterday, it took me 8 hours to write 2,000 words – guess what, I had the internet on. Today, it took me just over 2 hours to write 2,231 words – I didn’t look at Twitter or Facebook. Well, hardly at all…
If you haven’t listened to my Lesbian Book Club podcast yet, it’s available on iTunes, Stitcher and Podbean, or just head over to the Lesbian Lounge podcast page who host it.
This London Love is out now. Buy it on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo or Barnes & Noble. My other books London Calling and The Long Weekend are also available on all those platforms.