Yesterday was publication day for my second Carina UK novel, The Pearl Locket. It’s been said before, that launch day for a book is a little like the day your son or daughter leaves home to fend for themselves. You’ve done your job as author, bringing your book-baby into the world, and you can do no more. Now it’s time for the book to be released into the big wide world, to sink or swim on its own merits. It’s a scary moment.

And I think it is worse this time round. With my self-published books, I thought that if I sold a couple of hundred copies that would be ok, I’d be happy. My first Carina book was exciting, but I still counted as a new author to most readers, and so there was nothing I had to live up to.

But (thankfully!) The Emerald Comb did well, and now I have readers who were eagerly awaiting my next book. I have been battling a confidence crisis for the last few weeks. What if they all hate the new book? What if I disappoint them? I know plenty of other writers – enough to understand that this is a perfectly normal reaction to publication of book 2. I have been trying to step outside of myself and say (as I have said to others in the past), “don’t be daft. It’s a good book – some people will love it, some might not, but you can never please everyone. Now off you go, promote it a little, and get on with writing the next one.”

So, that’s what I am doing. Getting on with the next one, that is. I am DELIGHTED to say that Carina have offered me a second two-book deal, which means I really DO need to get on with writing the next book!