I’ve been keeping this quiet because I didn’t really believe it would happen, but now it looks like it is and it seems daft not to share it with you lovely people.
So, here goes: I’m getting a novel published and just received the proof copy. I mean, Fucking heck!

It’s being published by Dr Cicero Books, a publisher in New York. You see I wrote it many years ago, put it online, and lovely chap and successful writer Carey Harrison found it.
He was teaching writing at New York University and was with a student and talking about the word ‘discandy’. He Googled the word, which appears in my book, but not in many other places online. So he found the book, read it and loved it; then contacted me through the website.
We exchanged emails for a while. He’s lived an incredible life and is still having adventures across the world. At the time I was seriously ill and could barely leave my bed, so communicating with him brought some excitement into my life. Then we lost contact.
Seven years later, my life was fairly sorted. I was more or less healthy and working, but all my energy was going into the job, and IÂ had that pointlessness malaise that I tend to get when not writing. Then an email from him pinged up, saying that he’d set up a publishing company and could he publish my book?
Since then I’ve thrown myself back into writing, and it has felt like a flood of joy like it always does. I’ve written another novel. I’ve started this blog (been going for a year now). And now my first book is going to be published.
I’m a bit staggered about it all.
The book, Riddled with Senses, is about a seventeen year old who’s an angry, drug-taking cynic, hellbent on self destruction. She meets and falls in love with a girl who’s an outcast, living by her wits and creating imaginary worlds for herself. It’s about what happens when two very different worlds collide.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I’ll keep you posted on what happens as it happens.
Congratulations 🙂
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Thank you!
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That’s amazing! Congrats! 😊
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Thank you very much! 🙂
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What wonderful news, Petra! A soon-to-bw-published author of an actual not virtual book, and not self-published either! Llongyfarchiadau 🙂
I’m sure you’ll keep us posted — your synopsis sounds enthralling — and when you have the finished copy in your hands it’ll no doubt be worth the years of waiting and misfortune.
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I had to google Llongyfarchiadau, and now I’m congratulated in two languages! Thank you very much 😀 Have a lovely Sunday 🙂
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Congrats
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Thank you!
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Most welcome.
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What an amazing story. Congratulations!
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Thank you!
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All the very best and congratulations!!!
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thank you!
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What fabulous news! Very, very well done and big congratultions! Your journey to publication is a true fairytale and very inspiring. Where did you publish your book online? Do share a link or a taster if you’d be happy too. Would love to get a sense of the book. And when publication date is fixed, do let us know – I’d love to reblog and share your news
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Aw thanks Lynn, I really appreciate that. Unfortunately the website my book was on is long gone, shame ‘cos it was a useful resource for new writers. I’ll definitely be putting up some excerpts when i get closer to the date, so keep an eye out if you’d like to read. Thank again for your support 🙂
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I’ll look forward to reading those excerpts. Congrats again 🙂
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CONGRATULATIONS!! Good job, you! I’m def gonna read it 🙂
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Ooh thank you! That would be great! 🙂
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Congratulation on a happy ending!
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Yay! Thank you very much!
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Congrats! And well, what better news than this story – incredible journey and one can say, cosmic timing isn’t always about slipping on a banana? So well done and enjoy – after all, surprises can be so enjoyable and you’ve worked at it well and hard enough. And may your future endeavours be equally successful 🙂
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Aw you’re so kind, thanks. And I wish you many successes this year also 🙂
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Wow, cool! I’ll have to pick up a copy someday.
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Thank you!
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Fantastic news!!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Holy cow! This is fantastic; congratulations!!! I’m so happy for you! I’m not that surprised though, tbh, as you do have a distinct “voice”, as well as obvious creativity and….the secret ingredient: dedication!
Sorry i haven’t checked out your previous 2 posts yet ( one has a picture of a cockroach on it, and i will have to close my eyes and scroll past it to the writing to avoid shaking with horror, as i have a huge phobia of those things!). I’ve been very lazy regarding the blogosphere….but only because i too have been concentrating on secret writey biz rather than my crappy blawg. But there was no way i was gonna scroll past this without IMMEDIATELY saying something.
Anyhoo. Yay for nice things happening to nice people. 🙂 I get what you mean when you say you didn’t believe it would happen. At the moment, the idea of just FINISHING my little booksie seems almost surreal…Let alone getting it published someday (though i’ve had a little spike in motivation and drive lately, and this lovely news of yours gives me extra motivation!) . It must be a great feeling! I’ll definitely buy a copy when they come out!
Well, cheers to you! *raises glass*
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Aw thanks Siddie, I really appreciate the support. (it might be an idea to skip the story with the roach if you don’t like them. I’d not really thought about it, but I guess that’s a bit of a trigger warning!)
I am mighty excited to hear you’re writing a book! No pressure, of course, but I hope you keep your followers posted on that. Sometimes it’s important to take a step back from blogging to get on with writing something a bit longer, good luck with it! 😀
Thank you again, have a lovely day 🙂
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No worries; I wish you the best of luck with it all 🙂
Yeah, I might have to skip the creepy crawly if I don’t want to have nightmares! There was a small one in the house a few weeks ago, and i was horrified to see it. One of the major factors in me living in the part of the country that i do is that there are hardly any cockroaches here! That’s how bad it us! Pretty pathetic…and illogical too, since they can’t bite you or anything, like spiders can. ( and stupidly, spiders don’t bother me too much! Nothingm about me makes sense!)
Well, as for my own booksie project, it’s still very much in its infancy. I’ve had ideas for it for a few years, but only started drafting up an outline for it early last year 😉 so…..lots to be done. The more excited I get about doing that though, the less motivated i am for blogging. It’s too demanding! I kinda sorta hate my crappy blog, anyway. Thanks muchly for the well wishes on the writery stuff 🙂
Anyhoo, I’m looking forward to your book coming out, and… i hope we get a little sneak peek into it at some stage, too 😉
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I can understand your frustrations with the blog, i get sick of mine sometimes. I still hope you keep it going though, or at least keep us posted on the book. 😊
Good luck with avoiding roaches!
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hehe, thank you. I do a pretty good job of it!
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Fabulous news! Apologies for delay I leaving a comment. Looking forward to reading it. What an inspiration! Samantha 🙂
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Thank you very much!
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Sounds like a great story, you are a good writer after all… Congratulations Petra
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Thank you! 🙂
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crazy incredible.
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It is a bit 🙂
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Woow congratulations! That’s the most unique publishing story I’ve ever heard
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Thank you, it’s weird how it’s worked out, I could never have planned for it.
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Congratulations! Is it available to purchase through the usual outlets (Amazon/Kindle?) I definitely want to read and support 🙂
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Thank you! I think it will be, I’ll keep you all posted as it gets published. I’ll be putting up sections from it soon, so you can make sure you will actually like it before you get it.
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Well even if it isn’t my type of book/genre, I still want to support a fellow writer/blogger ♥
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Thank you, I really appreciate that 🙂
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What a lovely story, delighted for you your health issues are sorted, without your health you have nothing. Well done on getting the book pullished
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Thank you, I really appreciate that 🙂
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Nicely done! (thanks for visiting my blog btw!)
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Thank you and my pleasure!
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How wonderful! I am so excited for you. And thank you for liking my most recent family history short story. It’s a uni assignment as part of a family history diploma, but having read your fabulous news, I am inspired to write that novel. Congratulations!
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Thank you! I enjoyed the story, good luck with novel aspirations! 🙂
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