Blog Posts and a 5 * Review

Today I am featured on Patsy Collin's Words about writing and writing about words blog, providing an insiders guide to a book launch night. Thanks for having me on your blog, Patsy! You can read the post here

My friend Rebecca also did a lovely post about my book Follow Me on her creative blog The Magpie Diaries, with reference in particular to Ode on a Grecian Urn, a John Keats poem which is quoted in my novel. You can read her post here

And I was also delighted to see a lovely 5 star review popping up on Amazon yesterday for Follow Me. I really appreciate readers who take the time to leave thoughtful reviews as they can help sales on sites such as Amazon so much.

Launch Night

Hi all,

I'm conscious I haven't posted on here for a while. I had a brilliant time at the launch night for my YA debut Follow Me the other week at Waterstones in Argyle Street in Glasgow. I did a short post about this on my author website which you can see here. One of my work colleagues (and a few friends) took some great photos from the night so I managed to set up a slideshow of these on the homepage of my website. The photo at the top of my blog post was taken by my colleague, Derek Mooney. He put a great 'Pop Art' effect on some of the photos, to link in with the Pop Art/Andy Warhol theme in my book.

I was overwhelmed by all of the encouragement and support I received both on the night, and on the run-up. And some lovely emails and texts are now arriving from readers who have enjoyed the book (which is always a relief!). It's quite a strange feeling knowing Follow Me is now 'out there' in the world being read.

I was also asked to write a guest post on another writer's blog about my experience of having a book launch, with any tips, so I will be linking to that post when it goes live in a few days.

A new print-run was put in for Follow Me after the sell-out success on the launch night, A couple are still in stock on Amazon, so you buy a copy here

Ready for Take Off

Tomorrow is the big launch for Follow Me and I am putting the final preparations together today for little things I want to take along. I've put together a montage photo (at the top) with some moments from my day yesterday. One big moment was getting to hold my book Follow Me for the first time in my hands - such a great feeling! And I also received a pop art card from one of my work colleagues - that's me, Andy Warhol style, which is just brilliant. All of my work colleagues have been so supportive and excited for me and it makes the whole run up to launch day even more exciting for me!
The coke bottles are a little extra thing I am taking along to my launch, keeping in with the Andy Warhol, pop art theme.


One of my biggest champions since I could read and write was my Mum, the writer Rosemary Gemmell, and I was delighted to be interviewed on her blog yesterday. You can read that here  I couldn't ask for a more inspiring and supportive Mum and it's brilliant being able to share a love of words and writing with her. I was so happy when she got her brilliant book, The Highland Lass published earlier this year (one of many), as I know this was a story close to her heart, and I think this is probably my favourite book of hers.

 I'm really lucky to have been brought up in a creative and supportive family (my Dad and brother were always very encouraging also, and I am lucky to now have an extended family in the form of a literature loving sister-in-law and an already creative little niece).  

And thanks to everyone who reads this who has offered me encouragement along the way!

Author Interview

It is now only two days until the release of my book and I am sitting wondering where the time has gone. Since the meeting where I heard my book was to be published, life has been a bit of a whirlwind. In the run up to my launch night I have been busy preparing essential things, such as buying my dress, ordering cake toppers of my book cover to put on, well, cakes! I have also found the time to answer some interview questions from Fiona, on the Authors Interviews site. You can read my interview here

My author profile is also now live on Amazon here, with my updated cover image on the pre-order link page.

Thanks to everyone for all of the support and encouragement on the lead up to launch day. It means a lot!

Launch Night

So excited to reveal that my book launch event for my YA debut Follow Me, will take place at the Argyle Street branch of Waterstones in Glasgow on Friday 9th October. I love nothing more than browsing the shelves of Waterstones, (and buying books to add to my already over flowing bookshelves), so it feels amazing to know that I will get to launch my own book in one of their stores!

There will be drinks, nibbles and of course book signings on the night so I hope you can join me in celebrating!

For those of you further afield my book will be available to buy from other branches of Waterstones, independent book shops and Amazon from 30th September.

You can read a coming soon blurb on the website of my publisher, Strident, here 

Book Cover Reveal

The cover design for Follow Me went through some last minute, quite dramatic, changes the other week and I am delighted to be able to reveal the final finished version above. The artwork/photography is by artist Ida Henrich, and I am really happy with how it turned out. It makes everything feel very real seeing my name on a book cover!

I was lucky to be consulted about my cover (I wonder how many authors are?). My publisher, Strident, even asked me to write a short brief of any ideas I had before work began. I had always visualised woodland being central to the image as Eddison Woods is a central feature in my story (and leads to the Barn). I love the green light in this too.

The release date is 30 September, so not long to go now. And as any writer knows, this is when the true work just begins :)

First Blog Feature

Hi all,

Just a short post to alert you to the fact that I am featured on Margaret Montgomery's fantastic blog, Notes from the Blunder Ground, today. You can read the post here 

Margaret's debut novel, Beauty Tips for Girls, was released in March, published by Cargo, and is a brilliant book. (you can read my review of that here).

You'll maybe notice from the image on Margaret's feature that the cover for Follow Me has gone through some last minute changes... I'm still waiting on the absolute final version, but it will look pretty close to that one and I love it!

The release date is creeping ever closer...