If you’re a friend of mine on Facebook or Twitter you may have noticed the buzz surrounding the announcement that my YA novel, More of Me, is to be published by Usborne in 2016. I’m pretty sure the outpouring of congratulations is because I’ve been on the shelf longer than most. If it can happen to me, the girl who’s been at it for YEARS, it can happen to anyone.
Anyone who has something to say.
Anyone who gets on and writes the book.
Anyone who takes every knock back on the chin and tries to be better.
Anyone who works and works at learning this wonderful craft of writing.
For my writer friends, still on the shelf, that’s you.
And one day, this will be you too. Delighted, barely able to believe it, excited, terrified.
When the email arrived from my wonderful agent, Sophie Hicks, I screamed. Then I cried. Then I rang my husband and breathlessly told him the news.
I kept it quiet for a long time because contracts take a while and I couldn’t really believe it was happening – I didn’t want to jinx it. Then, one day, a twitter notification popped up, followed by several more – Usborne had sent out the press release , we really were engaged!
For years I’ve wanted an editor in my Christmas stocking, and now I’ve got one, Sarah Stewart, Senior Fiction Editor at Usborne and I’m meeting her for real on Tuesday. She says lovely things like this:
“More of Me quite simply has the most original, compelling and incredible concept I’ve ever come
across
I am all of a flutter.
Hold tight my friends, keep writing, keep learning, your time will come x
PS Shoudl somebody warn the copy editor? There may be overtiem…( I left those in on purpose, honest…)
Kathryn Evans 
What a fabulous, encouraging post. Thank you and congratulations!
Hee hee.
The best things in life come to those who wait.
Congratulations 🎊 I look forward to seeing your books on my shelf xx
Thank you lovely xx
Wonderful news! Huge congratulations 😀
We are ALL aflutter! This news made me so happy!
Don’t be too modest, lady. We’re not all over the moon because you’ve been on the shelf so long! We’re over the moon because it’s thoroughly deserved, couldn’t happen to a nicer soul AND we can’t wait to get our grubby paws on it! But you have been an inspiration, with your incredible determination, too.
Yippeee!
HOW BLOOMIN’ BRILLIANT!!!! Well done! Well done for getting the deal and keeping the faith and just making your writing better and better! xx
You are all LOVELY, thank you so much x
Such fantastic news — huge, huge, HUGE congratulations! I really cannot wait to read it. And it’s clearly MORE than well deserved! So delighted for you. Kate
Wonderful news. I look forward to reading it xx
A stonkingly well-deserved success – and in my opinion it was because you wrote the book that only you could write. The more your work reflects your delicious bonkersness, the better!
Ha! You know me so well x
Kath you so deserve this worth the wait can’t wait to read this
Brilliant news. Can’t wait to read the whole thing 🙂
Thank you x