December 2024 update

I’m working hard to get the series ready for publishing in 2025.

Back in December 2023 the opening of book 1 won second place in the Flash 500 Novel opening competition.

The judges were Headline Publishing and they said…

There is much to admire in this submission and it is a thoroughly deserving runner-up. We found it hugely readable and, in the end, there wasn’t much between this and the winner. We found ourselves immediately drawn in by the author’s characterisations, which seemed considered, believable and satisfyingly complex. It’s clear how much thought and care has gone into the development of the characters’ backstories to ensure there is enough conflict – we were very much invested in Evie’s journey and willing her to succeed and prove her father wrong! We were a little wary to learn of William’s illness in the synopsis and would encourage the author to approach this with sensitivity and nuance to ensure it lands as well as it can on the page. Overall, a very enjoyable read though! Well done.

Exciting times!

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You can read about the hotel owner and her granddaughter now in this prequel story ‘A Mermaid’s Tail’ from my short story collection Love, Loss and Life In Between.

There is also a sneak peek at Mrs Shallon’s past and the beginnings of the Mermaid Hotel in my Christmas story collection A Little Christmas Magic. The story is called ‘The Honeymoon period’.