Congratulations, Mrs Ward, It's Twins!

It’s always a magic moment when as an author you hold a new book in your hands for the first time. Last week, I held two! My book twins are non-identical are the result of fourteen months’ gestation and are very different in lots of ways, but both are so precious. Let me explain.

In July last year I hit what I hope will prove to be the lowest point of my writing career. The original publisher of my cozy mystery series went into liquidation, taking a hefty chunk of my royalty money with them. I then faced some very wearisome contractual wranglings to clarify the financial side of things. I’m not going to lie, it dragged me down mentally. During a very low period I managed to finish my fourth cozy, The Missing Red Carpet Mystery, which was published in November 2023.

Just before this, in September, Debbie Picken invited me to run a cozy crime writing workshop at her wonderful Devon retreat (RetreatsForYou). I did a lot of prep work for it, and then started wondering how I could use it further and came up with the idea of writing a non-fiction book. Joanna Penn, a one-woman self-publishing powerhouse, encouraged me to go for it, and a plan was hatched. I wrote the first draft in three months or so at the end of last year, then put it away while I wrote the fifth Supermarket Mystery, The Missing Heirloom Mystery.

Writing The Missing Heirloom Mystery was not straightforward. Despite it being my twelfth fiction book, I got stuck after about thirty thousand words. It’s perfectly normal to hit the ‘soggy middle’, lose momentum and doubt yourself. However, this time I knew in my bones that the book wasn’t working. I went back to the beginning, read it with a critical eye and identified its flaws. Essentially, I’d gone wrong at the beginning – too much was happening ‘off screen’ and I needed to involve Ant and Bea in the action right at the start. With a heavy heart, I started again. This time I was able to write a complete draft, which only needed very light editing. While that was in Joffe Books’ tender hands, I returned to my non-fiction book.

The first draft of Write Your Cozy Mystery: A Practical How-To Guide was well-structured but a little patchy. I carefully thought again about all the steps a new writer needs to take in order to write their first draft and then added the chapters and writing exercises which would provide a well-rounded guide. I also checked that my language was accessible and encouraging. Writing can be a lonely business, and I wanted my book to sound like a friend, encouraging the reader along the way.

With my draft shaping up, I had to tackle the many aspects of self-publishing which were new to me. I found Joanna Penn’s How To Write Non-Fiction invaluable, as well as her online resources. I have a regular online writing date with friends, especially Emma and Sheena, and I used them as a sounding board. I asked pals for help, interviewing some for extra quotes, recruiting others as early readers and, crucially, making my book look as professional as possible. My cover was designed by Steve Wells, who had designed my YA covers for Chicken House, and the book was formatted by Ed James who met my various panics with endless patience.

I’m proud of both books. They taught me things about my own writing, and my ability to take on a new project and tackle new things. They also made me realise that it’s okay to ask for, and receive, help! I’m lucky to have gathered many writing friends over the years and this year has made me appreciate them more than ever, so a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported and encouraged me.

The Missing Heirloom Mystery is the fifth in my Supermarket Mysteries series. It was published by Joffe Books on 22^nd October.

Write Your Cozy Mystery: A Practical How-To Guide will be published in ebook and paperback on 31st October. You can pre-order the ebook now, while the paperback will be available on publication day!