People often ask me what the final stages of writing a book look like.

Honestly?

A lot of staring at the same page wondering whether a sentence is brilliant or if I've actually lost the ability to understand simple English..

As I'm writing this, Fit for a King is almost there. The story is finished, but now comes the part where I read it again... and again... and then one more time just to make sure I haven't accidentally made someone's eyes change colour halfway through the book.

Editing is probably one of my favourite parts of the process. It's where the story really comes to life. Scenes get tightened, dialogue gets sharper, and all those little details that readers might never notice somehow become incredibly important.

This month hasn't been all writing, though. I managed to escape to 2000 Trees Festival, and although I told myself I'd take a break from books, my brain clearly had other ideas. I came home with pages of notes and ideas for the series that will follow What You Wish For.  I won't say too much yet because they're still developing, but it's safe to say my notebook is filling up much faster than I expected. As well as devouring two books while I was there. Ooops. 

I've also been chatting with the lovely team at Anthology Bookshop in Bourne about the possibility of holding an author signing. Nothing is confirmed just yet, but it's something I'm really excited about. Hopefully I'll have more news to share soon.

One thing I've learnt over the past year is that being an indie author is never just about writing the book. One minute I'm editing a chapter, the next I'm replying to emails, packing signed orders, speaking to bookshops, designing marketing graphics, planning content, or trying to persuade social media that my books deserve to be seen and fighting against the algorithms.

Thank you to everyone who's been following my journey, whether you've read one book, all three, left a review, recommended the series to a friend, or simply cheered me on from the sidelines. Every bit of support helps more than you'll ever know.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Ash and Hayley are waiting for me to stop procrastinating and finish these edits.