Bridges, dreams and metaphors…

Now that the festivities are over for another year (a very BIG year for me personally) And I have been living in Scotland for eight months!  I can share some information with you all!  This information has been kept fairly quiet up to now.  The timing had to be right.

I am now very thrilled to be able to share with you all the name of my debut novel.  The novel, to be released in April of this New Year is a contemporary romance set in the places dearest to my heart.  The title of this novel which is being published by the wonderful 5 Prince Publishing is…

BRIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC

I simply am unable to express the excitement I am feeling over this.  Just to be able to share the title with you all is HUGE for me!  2012 was a year of firsts.  And getting a publishing contract was a first I had dreamed of but not exactly expected.  But it happened.

The book will be released in eBook form for those with e-Readers and then later on in the month of April in paperback for those who just love the feel of a paperback in their hands.  Having loved both eBook and paperbacks I am overjoyed that I will soon see my name on both!

I had to complete a form detailing the story and what happens in order that this information could be passed onto a talented cover artist.  I am so excited to discover how she interprets what I have sent that I can hardly contain myself!  I have seen her other work and have been more than impressed which is making the waiting even harder (and from my other blogs, if you have read them, you will know that waiting and I have a tumultuous relationship!)

The bridge in the title of the story is a real place.  I have been there many times, taking in the staggering beauty.  I went there again for research processes whilst I was writing and I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion.  In the book the bridge represents both the physical and the metaphorical and hopefully when readers delve into the book they will understand the title much more.

I will say no more about the book at this time other than I poured my heart and soul into it and that there are little pieces of myself evident in there, so I have been told by my beta readers (although the story is not about me – it’s purely fictional) and so I really hope that it is well received.  I am sure that there will be tiny snippets made available in the lead up to April so watch this space 😉 (You can also pop over to Facebook to like my page Lisa J Hobman – Author if you so wish.  I would be delighted.)

Publicity is something I am dealing with at the moment.  It needs to be timed just right.  I’m working with a small team on publicity ideas  and  I will be heavily involved in publicising the book (maybe that’s the control freak in me?).  I think it is a vital part of publishing and I have every intention of being at the heart of it all.  I am unsure as to the form the publicity will take at the moment as there are a fair few ideas floating around but I’m excited about it nonetheless.

Work is still on-going to prepare the book and to ensure it will be the best it can be and I’m pretty sure it will consume every spare bit of time I have outside of my family in the lead up to April.  But I’m prepared to work hard to make sure it’s right and I have an excellent editor to work with.

So, 2013 will be quite an important year for me as a new author.  Once book one is out there I have books two and three to complete.  They are all stand-alone novels with quite different stories but have been put on the back burner a little until my debut is ready.  That said I had a HUGE flash of inspiration at around 2am today so maybe they are vying for my attention now too!

I was reticent about the editing process, if I am totally honest, but now that I have made the initial steps I have to admit that it is, in fact, quite an exciting experience and nowhere near as scary as I had anticipated.  I am learning such a lot and it’s wonderful to have an experienced editor, who is also a successful author in her own right, helping me to make the best of my own book.  I have such confidence in her and although we haven’t known each other very long, the fledgling relationship is a very positive one.

Do watch this space for more updates and thank you once again for joining me and reading my blog.  It means a lot to get receive such positive messages from writers and friends. (Todays photos are from my research trip).