A little bit about me

When I was seven, I wrote in my journal that I wanted to be an author. The dream hasn’t changed, but boy did I have little idea about what I was actually signing up for!

When I was twenty-three I got a job in London working as the assistant to the publishing director in HarperCollins. It was my dream role, watching famous authors coming in to see their editors, and witnessing debut authors receiving the life-changing news that their books were about to be published. It taught me two things: 1. that the realities of the publishing industry were complex and ever changing. And 2. That I was on the wrong side of the desk - I didn’t want a publishing career. I still dreamed of writing for a living.

I wasn’t ready to share my work then - I hadn’t yet learned how to finish a novel - so I wrote in the background while I built up a freelance book editing career working for many of the major publishing houses. In the early 2000s I moved from the UK to Australia with my husband: still writing, still dreaming. But still not quite confident enough. Until I realised that I needed to back myself and start sending my work out, or my dreams would never materialise.

I got rejections to start with, but in 2008 I finally got my first book deal, and in 2009 I had my first daughter. Writing and mothering - and writing fiction about mothers and daughters - has been a huge part of my world ever since. Being a mum has impacted my career on so many levels - inspiring me in ways I could never imagine and making me more determined than ever to thrive and to teach my daughters the value of creativity. I even ended up writing my PhD on the representations of mothers and daughters in fiction.

Of course, mum life - and the unexpected journey of homeschooling two children and building their education around dyslexia - has had a substantial impact on my time and emotional resources, adding more layers of complexity to the challenges of writing and promoting. I know what it’s like to battle for time and work through the juggle of different, competing priorities. But I’ve loved bringing my girls along with me in this creative journey and watching them grow up alongside my book babies!

Now I’m the author of eight published novels and one novella. I’ve hit bestseller lists, signed international deals, had two books optioned for TV, and my novel You Don’t Know Me was adapted into a chart-topping drama podcast. I’ve also been rejected many times, switched publishers, self-published, and had to rehome my novels on numerous occasions. In other words, I know all about the highs and lows of a writing career.

Why I started writing Resilient Author:

All my posts have the same essential purpose: encouragement and support. I love this industry, despite all its challenges and frustrations, and I’m delighted to give back to it by supporting my fellow authors. I want help you keep writing, to love and celebrate your work, and to fulfil your potential. Each of our creative voices is unique, but when it comes to living and working as a writer, we’re all in this together.

What you’ll get when you subscribe to my newsletter:

I write regularly for all my subscribers, focusing on a mix of mindset and craft, and analysing the publishing business from an author’s perspective. I don’t shy away from the hard stuff, but I also celebrate all the good things our writing and industry offers the world.

Paid subscribers make it possible for me to continue writing here, by supporting my work, and I’m very grateful! My paid crew get a dedicated monthly post for paid subscribers, with extras such as downloadable PDFs on craft or industry insights. Three times a year I host live calls for both emerging and established writers, and there’s also ask me anything opportunities throughout the year. And paid subscribers have access to all my archived posts (170 and counting).

Annual and long-term monthly subscribers also receive an ebook containing 31 of my essays on creativity (sent as soon as you sign up). And founding subscribers get a signed copy of one of my novels.

If you’d like to join me and subscribe, I hope find all kinds of value from becoming part of The Resilient Author community. And I love getting to know the people I’m writing to, so please drop me a line and say hi.

Head to the pinned post on the homepage to get started.

PS If you want to check out my fiction, each of my novels also has its own post in the My Books section, so you can browse through my fiction too, and get some insider info about how they originated and the publishing story behind each of them. Or you can visit my website to find out more.