Ooh I feel like a proper writer now!

With Alfie Crow, Kate Fox and Helen Cadbury at the Bloomin’ Words Crime Cabaret (photo: Stephen Morris)

Been a bit lazy with the blogging recently but I was doing other work. Honest! Like taking part in the Bloomin’ Words Crime Cabaret at the White Rose Bookshop in Thirsk last week. It was a fantastic evening with readings and murder ballads and competitions and everything – a brilliant night organised by the brilliant Kate Fox. There’ll be more Bloomin’ Words events soon so I’d recommend going if you’re anywhere near Thirsk.

I also had the pleasure of going to London and meeting lots of lovely agents and editors in the hope of getting them interested in me and my work. The event was organised by New Writing North and it went really well. And while I’m not saying that seeing your book for the first time in an actual bookshop or being asked to sign said book doesn’t make you feel like a real writer, there’s something about getting an agent that’s like the holy grail. You spend years trying to get one of these strange (but lovely) creatures to read your work and then all of a sudden several come along at once. A bit like buses.

So I’ve spent the week in the very unusual position (for me) of having a choice of agents and it was a very hard choice to make. But I’ve finally made it and I’m very happy to say that I’ve just signed up with Stan at Jenny Brown Associates.

People wiser than me say that choosing an agent is a very important decision and it’s a bit like a marriage so you really need to get along well. And after six hours in a pub being plied with cider I can say that we definitely did get along.  And I will also add that the meeting was not at all creepy like I’ve just made it sound!