Diary
Well, it’s been a great – if hectic- few months. The good news is that 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love reached number 16 in the official paperback chart, number 4 in Tesco and was a number one bestseller – at the BookCase, my local independent bookshop in Hebden Bridge where I did a book signing session!
Enjoyed a great book launch in Todmorden and managed to raise £50 for the White Ribbon Campaign UK, a national charity based locally in Hebden Bridge which does great work trying to change male attitudes to violence against women (see the link to their website on my links page).
The book has had some great reviews and press coverage and I’ve been interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds (it’s up on the 10 Reasons page if you’d like to listen) and BBC Radio Manchester about it. I also did some readings at Eureka! the National Children’s Museum in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where I got the inspiration for the story. They tracked down the original balloon man I saw perform there who gave me the idea for a balloon modeller character. His name is Jon Lockwood, he’s a lovely and very talented guy who had both children and adults enthralled and rather weirdly lives on a canal boat like my character Dan!
But most importantly I’ve had some great feedback through this website from readers who have been moved to laugh and cry while reading the book. I’ve heard from single-mums who can really relate to the issues Jo faced and from lots of women who are in love with my balloon man Dan Brady! (Unfortunately he is fictional, otherwise I’d happily hire him out to readers). So a huge thank you to all those who have taken the trouble to write to me, I really do appreciate the feedback and it’s great to know so many people have enjoyed reading the book. I’ve included some of the comments on the 10 Reasons page.
I’ve got some more readings/events coming up in the north of England: On Friday 8 May from 7pm I’ll be speaking at a How to Get Published event at Hebden Bridge Library, West Yorkshire; on Tue 19 May I’ll be reading/speaking at Newcastle Central Library from 2pm-3.30pm and from 7pm on the same day I’ll be a panellist at a Girls Night In event at Fenwicks department store in Newcastle with fellow Headline Review authors Sheila O’Flanagan and Penny Vincenzi; on Friday June 19 from 6.30pm-8pm I’ll be reading and speaking at Stalybridge Library in Tameside, Greater Manchester. Would be lovely to see you at any of the events.
Meanwhile, having got our house move out of the way (never, ever, ever again!) and unpacked most of the boxes in our lovely new home I’m now cracking on with the next novel. Should have a new title for it very soon, just waiting for it to be approved but will let you know more next time.
Linda
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