It
is with great pleasure that we welcome Jean Fullerton to the Romantic Novelists’
Association blog today. Jean is a friend to many members of the RNA and her
journey to publication is one that has thrilled many NWS members who still
dreamt of their first publishing deal. Here, in the week that Jean’s latest
book is published, she tells of the latest turn in her extraordinary life as an
award-winning author.
Now let me tell you being a
writer is just the greatest job in the world and there’s nothing better than
when you’ve sweated blood to bring a story together someone emails you to say
how much they love your book. However, before you can receive such an email your
book needs to get into the hands of the reader.
Now I know today you can be
independently published and many good friends have decided to follow that
pathway. I applaud them for their bold decision for me however, I decided to
take the traditional route to publication and I have been fortunate that for
the past ten years Orion have been my publisher.
The publishing industry are
always working a year in advance so this time last year when Wedding Bells for
Nurse Connie was released my agent and I were deep in negotiation for the next
contract. Over the summer as the discussion went back and forth it became increasingly
clear I was not working out so after a couple of lengthy discussions with my
lovely agent Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents I told her to say thanks but
no thanks on my behalf. Now, I won’t pretend that being without a publisher for
the first time in eleven years I didn’t wake up in the wee small hours in a
cold sweat on a few occasions but in the cold light of day I knew I’d made the
right decision.
Over the past few years other
publishers had approached my agent but as I was already under contract at the
time we couldn’t pursue their offers. However, within a week or two of Laura putting
out feelers she had a phone call from my original editor at Orion, Sara
O’Keefe, who is now Editorial Director at Atlantic. The rest, as they say, is
history. I am now under contract with
them and just finishing my second East London WW2 book for them and am hopeful
of many more to come.
Turning down a publishing
contract is a leap into an uncertain future but sometimes you just have to hold
on tight to your self-belief and say no.
About
Jean:
A Londoner who worked as a
district nurse in East London for over twenty-five years and is now a full-time
author. She has won multiple awards and
all her books are set in her native East London. Her first series was set in the early 1800s
but her most recently four books about nurses Millie and Connie have jumped
forward a century and are set at the end of WW2. Her latest book, POCKETFUL OF DREAMS, is the first of her
East London WW2 series featuring sisters Mattie, Jo and Cathy Brogan and their
extended family.
Links:
Twitter: @JeanFullerton_
Pocketful
of Dreams
When a
mysterious young man arrives at the Brogans' local parish church, he provides
just the dazzling distraction they need - and for eldest daughter Mattie, the
promise of more than she'd ever wished for. But as the pair fall deeper in
love, they are drawn into secret dangers, rife on the very London streets they
call home.
As the young couple race to protect the East End, as they
know it, can their dreams survive the darkening backdrop of wartime...?
Thank you, Jean, and good luck with Pocketful of Dreams.
If you would like your book to be featured on the RNA blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
If you would like your book to be featured on the RNA blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
