BUSY AS A BEE!

Hi everyone!

Just to let you know that I've been working behind the scenes and beavering away with my own novel, in addition to lining up some great guest authors to feature on here too.

With my own book, it's all about the cover just now. I've got a fabulous British artist who is based in New York and does the most amazing sketches. We're currently going through the process, which I'll detail more when I do my 'Covers' post, but from the initial sketches, colours are now being picked and it's an amazing process which I'm thoroughly enjoying. 

My editor is also going over my work for the second time, this time checking my revisions from her suggestions, and I should get that back early next month. From there it's formatting and proof reading and then it'll be ready - exciting!

Because this writing journey is new to me (not the writing part, that's been a passion for decades, but publishing is a whole different matter!), I'm inviting some amazing authors to chat to me about their writing journeys. They range from relative newbies like me, to more experienced authors with a pile of published works to their name. I'm looking forward to learning from them, as every day's a school day (oohh, my first cliché on this blog - naughty Jaye!).

So that's all for now, but you can subscribe to my blog by using the 'Follow it' box (to the right of this post) to enter your email. Or if you follow me on social media, I'll publicise when a new post is live. I look forward to having you with me on my journey.

TTFN (ta-ta for now!)

Image by katemangostar at Freepik

THE WONDERFUL GLEN COE

 

Such magnificent scenery - you can't help but go wow, can you? 

This is just to give you a little taster of my novel, which is set in the Scottish Highlands. It's a stunning part of the world with jaw-dropping scenery around every corner. Mainly my book is set around Inverness, but this is the majestic Glen Coe, which was formed by an ice-age glacier.

It's located within the Lochaber Geopark and if it looks familiar, you might have seen it in films such as Skyfall (James Bond) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Braveheart and many more.

WELCOME!

Thank you so much for visiting 😁 

Hello! My name’s Jaye and I’m about to publish my debut novel, which is a funny, contemporary look at middle-age and how its challenges can be both uplifting and life-changing. I’ll be chatting about that here, but I’ll also be interviewing people about their writing journeys, as well as chatting to publishing professionals.

I'm excited to share the start of my publishing journey with you. Of course I'll be telling you all about my books, starting with the first in a series of three which is due for release in 2026 - exciting! But my writing journey hasn't been a quick one.

It took me several years to write my first novel - a snatched hour here and there eventually becoming a 90k word novel. That’s when I employed a development editor, because I wanted my book to be the best it could. That led to six more months of rewriting and self-editing, a process I really enjoyed. Once that was done, I was ready to move onto stage two.

After a lot of research, I found my perfect copy editor. Her feedback was exceptional, insightful and just what I needed, but you can guess what happened next - more editing!

At this point I learnt I could edit forever, so after nine months I forced myself to stop. It went back to the copy editor, there were a few more tweaks. Then she moved onto the proofread, the final stage before the book formatting, and now suddenly things are moving very quickly.

During this time I also found an amazing artist who sketched, coloured and has now produced a brilliant cover. It’s also being finalised, so it’s all go and it feels like publication is almost around the corner now!

But I'm interested in building a community, because I love chatting to writers  (they’re fascinating people!). On top of that, there are so many great books out there but they’re difficult to find because there are thousands of new releases every day. So I’m championing writers of all genres, whether indie or traditionally published. I’m interviewing a range of authors because they have stories to tell - both in real life and in their fictional works! - and those I’ve already talked to have been so generous with their answers. They’re a brilliant read.

But I’m also interested in connecting with readers because, like me, they love books. Whether physical copies or eBook readers, high brow or pulp fiction, we all come together in our love of the magic being weaved by good writers, as they transport us into new worlds and situations. 

Then there are the industry professionals, who know all about the world of books, from cover artists to editors to PR consultants. I’m interested in finding out how publishing works, and any tips they have for us as readers or writers. I’ve already lined up some interviews, I can’t wait! 

Writing and publishing my novel has been a steep learning curve for me, so if you're about to embark on this journey yourself, or would like to know more, and meet some amazing writers and professionals, then please feel free to tag along!

In the meantime, the best place to find me is on social media and my links are:

Press here for X 

Press here for Instagram

Press here for Bluesky