Having had the hardback published in lockdown and the disappointment of not being able to see it in a book shop, it was marvellous today to see my paperback in the window and on the table in Waterstones in Canterbury when I went in to sign some copies.
Very much enjoyed spending 20 minutes talking to Steve Ladner at BBC Radio Kent this morning about writing The Prisoner’s Wfie. Had to dig the phone out of a cupboard!
Celebrated the launch of my paperback in style with a delicious lunch and marvellous conversation with my editor Selina Walker and agent Millie Hoskins.
My first time in central London since Covid19 lockdown. Travelled in by train from Whitstable, carefully masked! Worth every minute.
I’m very much enjoying news of sitings of my novel in supermarkets and bookshops across the country, and now across the world. It seems amazing to me that the words I sat and wrote in my spare bedroom are now prominently displayed and on sale in a bookshop in Toronto.
I was so delighted with the Dutch cover that I had it made into a poster and it perfectly complements the Emily Dickinson poster in my study. Women gazing out though windows seems like an image which resonates in this strangest of years.
So delighted with the cover for the Dutch edition of ‘The Prisoner’s Wife’. The title means something like ‘The Changeling’ referring to the fact that Izzy has to disguise herself as a British PoW for six months to escape detection. A really powerful take on this extraordinary true story. It will be published in the Netherlands on September 8th.
There are lots of blush-making reviews on GoodReads, but this one from Toronto novelist Rachel McMillan is extraordinary.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3120567137?book_show_action=true
‘This book is RIVETING... so spell binding. We all know there are eight billion WWII era books out there and this once excels not only at shining a spotlight on a staggeringly unique (and true story), but being wielded by an author-poet who doesn't just type sentences but casts them out so they spiral and deftly fall.’
’The wonder of a powerful voice’
‘An absolutely astounding piece of fiction’
Serendipity and the writer’s life. The story of the two lucky breaks which led to my novel, here on the Fangirlish site: https://fangirlish.com/2020/05/28/guest-post-writers-luck-by-maggie-brookes/
Publication day in the USA and Canada!
Did I ever, in my wildest dreams, imagine that I would be published in the USA and Canada? I don't think so. But today is that day, and I’m so grateful to my lovely agent and publishers in the London and New York for making this life-long dream a reality.
On Goodreads I have 209 ratings and 130 reviews. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48890235-the-prisoner-s-wife. Or did I dream that too?
Of course book stores in the US and Canada are still closed in most states, but I gather the book will be in Target supermarkets in the USA and Costco in Canada, or the usual online bookstores.
Who knows - maybe one day I’ll even see it in a US bookstore, or an airport shop. Maybe then seeing will be believing.
Only four days till my novel launches in the USA and Canada. Amazing!
Lockdown reading. Four fabulous historical novels have taken me far away from Covid-world to the rolling decks of the Golden Hind, to two very different angles on the second world war, and a back-woods swamp. Hooray for reading!
So little is as we imagined it would be in these strange times. I had pictured my books in a shop window, or face-up on a bookshop table or on the shelf.
I hadn’t imagined that my first sight of my book for sale would involve me queueing for half an hour to get into Tesco, disinfecting my hands and wearing a face mask. But there it was last night, in the ‘bestselling hardback books’ section.
How strange that something written about one time and place can feel so relevant to another. Keep safe friends.
Tickled fuschia-pink to have been interviewed for Long Island Weekly. How fancy is that?
https://longislandweekly.com/a-different-look-at-world-war-ii-the-prisoners-wife-by-maggie-brookes/
Lovely article about the writing of The Prisoner’s Wife in the June edition of Who Do You Think You Are magazine. Especially about the way I used the secret war diaries of my dad’s best friend Harold.
Two unwarranted ‘media appearances’ from my own home.
The first came about when the author Katie Fforde asked my editor if there was anything she could do to support authors publishing under lockdown. She then kindly interviewed me for her Facebook page, and is has had 22k views! I loved talking to her - could have gone on all afternoon.
And the second was a 15 min live interveiw for Badass Woman’s Hour on Talk Radio. It was unexpectely stressful because they wanted to interview me on Skype and I only discovered just before that Microsoft had locked me out of Skype. Aargh. In the end we plugged in the land-line and did it on that.
Link to the Katie Fforde interview:
https://www.facebook.com/KatieFforde/posts/4276739382351524
I hadn’t imagined doing my first book signing at my own kitchen table, but the marvellous Goldsboro Books have made this possible, so signed first editions will be available to buy from them.
Lovely review in Woman’s Weekly this week. And, despite some distribution problems the book is now in stock at Waterstones. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-prisoners-wife/maggie-brookes/9781529124286. Or on Kindle / audible.
Still reeling from the joy of my virtual launch, attended by friends, family, fellow authors and publishers from across the world. I’ve just added an interview by bestselling author Katie Fforde to my Watch and Listen website page. And we’ve had these amazing quotes from a book blog tour.
There seems to be a temporary (Covid-19) related problem with supplies of the books to bookstores, which will soon be rectified, but of-course it’s available right now on Kindle and audio. https://amzn.to/34FBbjT
Yay! It’s publication day in the UK!
The sun is shining, and despite being three weeks into lock-down, I’m very excited. It’s a pity not to be able to have the launch readings we’d planned in Harbour Books, Whitstable and Daunt Books in London, but I feel very lucky that we will have a virtual launch tonight with family and friends.
It’s been a busy week with pre-publicity, including a ‘blog tour’ and recording an interview with Katie Fforde, which will be posted later today.
A huge, huge thank you to my agent Millie Hoskins and my editor Selina Walker, and all the others who have made this dream a reality.
