My new novel for adults, The Memory Box has just been published in Ireland. It will be available in the UK (and as an e-book) in September.

It’s about Pandora, who is about to turn thirty and who has just been tested for a hereditary cancer gene, BRCA1. I have written some articles about the research and the gene, and as soon as they are published I’ll post them here.

I’ve been the usual bundle of nerves waiting for publication date – I think it gets worse every year in fact. Here’s part of  a blog I wrote in 2011.

Lots more writing and getting published blogs to come in 2013, plus lots new author interviews.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Pre-publication Nerves (2011)

Writers at every stage of their careers are riddled with doubts and insecurities, especially around publication time. I’ve written eleven adult novels now (nine published, two out in the next two years), I’ve written four Amy Green novels, and lots of other children’s books, but I’m still horribly nervous about the reaction to each and every new book.

 Seeing your new book on the shelf for the first time is terrifying, yet exhilarating. Not seeing it on the shelves when it’s supposed to be there is, of course, far worse! I’m in the very lucky position of having publishers behind me who believe in my work and do all they can to edit, market and promote my books to the very best of their ability. And in turn I try to do my part, writing articles, being interviewed by journalists on all kinds of things, visiting the bookshops to say hi to the booksellers and to sign stock, doing school events, library events, festivals.

Around publication time I generally set aside a full month to work on the publicity side of things. There is no point spending a year or longer writing and rewriting a book and then just sitting back and letting it find its own way in the market - I like to get out there and do as much as I can to help it on its way.

I know some unpublished writers look forward to the bookshop visits, the interviews, talking to school children or reading their work to adults, but many don’t. After over fifteen years writing and publishing books, I guess I’m just used to it; but publication month never gets any easier – it’s exciting, joyful, stressful and exhausting. But you have to embrace all the publicity and the marketing for what it is – part of every writer’s job. And I’m very, very grateful that people actually want to read my articles, want to interview me, want me to visit their students.

Here’s to many more publication days for us all!