What I knew and understood about the publishing world you could write on the back of a postage stamp. The following is a not very subtle breakdown of my very frustrating situation four years ago: (1) print and collate three chapters of manuscript, with covering letter; (2) send out manuscript to agent; (3) wait with baited breath; (4) manuscript returned; (5) exhale at length and bang fists on table.

I have a wonderful collection of rejections which I keep to remind myself of the bad times, a personal diary of my roller-coaster journey, of soul-destroying rejection and disappointment. I consoled myself knowing that there were thousands of authors out there, just like me, waiting nervously for the golden seal of approval. But that was the past.

My position to date, five years down that long and winding road, is one of great success, success that comes from hard work, sheer determination and self-belief.

My children’s books, ‘The White Witch of Spiton and the Serpent of Anata,’ and ‘The White Witch of Spiton and the Book of Dreams,’ for age group 9 to12 years, is now available to buy at worldwide websites, at local bookshops, and off-the-shelf at over ONE HUNDRED WATERSTONE’S book shops, here in the UK and Ireland.

I am currently touring the country book-signing at Waterstone’s stores and loving every minute of it. The series of books is selling extremely well and, to my surprise, I have a new audience—the adults. Yes, adults are buying my books as well.