Five Books That Took Me By Surprise (in a great way)

A few of my favourite mind-and-heart openers...

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Hello, my beloved Confident Creatives! Happy Friday! How have you found the first week of the year? I’m writing this from a very cold, damp, grey Margate - and in the spirit of full, frank honesty, I am still in my pyjamas. I’m starting the year very gently. This week, I shall be firing up the hot chocolate maker I bought for my husband (a generous, thoughtful selfless gift that was not bought with any greedy intentions on my part, no siree!) I’m hoping to start developing a very new book idea - and I’ll also be proof reading the novel I’ve just finished. (It’s coming in July - all TBA, but you lot will be the very first to see the cover, and hear all about it. Meanwhile, my fabulous friend

Louise O’Neill

has had an early read, and she’s written about it here…)

My most recent novel, Limelight, launches in paperback on 8 February, and I’d love to invite you all to my launch party! I’ll be in conversation with the excellent Rebecca Fletcher at The Yard in Hampshire, on 7 February - so you can get the book a day early! Find out more here…

I’m also really looking forward to working with a former course student on some manuscript feedback (hello Laura!) and meeting a brand new group of students on Sunday!

If you’d like to join us, there’s still plenty of time. The course, Write Like A Reader, is designed to make you feel confident and excited about writing fiction - whether you’re in the middle of a manuscript, or you’re an absolute beginner. Click here for more information, or email creativeconfidenceclinic@gmail.com for the syllabus. The pricing is £350 inclusive, or £295 for paying subscribers.

If you’d like to become a full member of the CCC, the annual subscription is on offer at the moment. Hit the button below for a bargain! This gets you the extra newsletter, full access to the archives and the Sunday Session monthly masterclasses (you can watch them all on demand!) This January,

Lucy Werner

will be sharing her wisdom and expertise, and explaining how we can promote our work in a way that feels magical, organic, effective and fun! I can’t wait.

Now, for some surprisingly great books…and if you love book chat, I’ve got hours of great conversations with brilliant authors for you, in the You’re Booked archives. You can find us on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are heard. If you check out the archives, you’ll probably find your favourite author - from Dolly Alderton to Nick Hornby, Marian Keyes to Ben Okri, we’ve got you covered.