Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone, and let's hope that 2010 is a great year for MNW. Good luck to everyone who is having a novel published. Good luck to everyone who has been nominated for an award. Good luck to everyone with their Work in Progress. May the coming year bring you everything you wish for.

Calling all debut MNW authors...

Especially Terence Morgan and Ciara Hegarty, since we know you exist.

We'd like to interview you and do a little publicity thing on all new Macmillan New Writing books when they come out. If you'd like to join in, please get in touch with Tim Stretton or David Isaak (both easiest to do by clicking on the preceding links. For Tim, use the Contact the Author link on his web page. For David, use the "Email" link below his profile.)

That goes for any of you we haven't heard about yet, too. I mean, I know writers are introverted, but c'mon, speak up and let us know where you are...

Farewell to Borders

Apparently all Borders stores will close on 22 December, with the staff being made redundant from Christmas Eve.

They've been (in the main) good to me: friendly when I went in, happy to chat, happy to find books for me to sign.

Good luck to their employees in the future. Thanks for your support. I hope you all quickly find good jobs elsewhere. I will miss your friendly staff in the Oxford branch in particular.

Maggie Dana longlisted

I'm delighted to announce yet another MNW longlisting. Maggie Dana's Beachcombing is on the long list for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award. If you scroll down, you'll see her title on the list, which also includes Nicholas Sparks, Santa Montefiore and Louise Bagshawe.

Congratulations, Maggie! Fingers crossed for the next stage: the shortlisting of six titles in February next year.

Writewords Interview

Hello everyone, there is an interview with me on the WriteWords website, which tells about how I ended up in the Macmillan New Writers fold http://www.writewords.org.uk/.

Just finished the copy edits, (yes I've had to cut out embarrassing numbers of the word "unaccountably" and if I had a pound for every unnecessary comma I'd be rich) but it still seems ages before I'll actually hold my book in my hand. However, I know that there are at least two Macmillan New Writers whose books will be on the shelves before mine. They are Terence Morgan with "The Master of Bruges" and Ciara Hegarty with "The Road to the Sea" and the reason I know is because when I was down in London I picked up one of the Pan Macmillan 2010 New Titles booklets, and their books are listed in it under the MNW imprint. So congratulations to you both if either of you are reading this, and I hope you don't mind me blowing your cover.