The Winds of Change

I am caught in the winds of change at the moment. The American partner of Metropolis Ink has decided to seize his well earned retirement. Metropolis Ink, the company which published Dear Heart, How Like You This? in 2002 and The Light in the Labyrinth in 2014, is no more. But David Major, the Australian partner of Metropolis Ink has formed A Distant Mirror and asked me to stay with him. As I have always wanted to be published by a publisher in my own country and I have had a long and happy association with David, I didn’t have to think long before arriving at my decision.

 

So, both Dear Heart, How Like You This? and The Light in the Labyrinth are going to both released as new editions. What does that mean? I am in the midst of a strange and rather surreal time of reading through both works and approving new book covers.

I’ve just ticked off the interior of Dear Heart. This novel was first published in 2002. When David offered me the chance to revisit Dear Heart, How Like You This?, I wondered whether I should acknowledge fifteen more years of research about the Tudors by taking the opportunity to change a few things. I thought hard about it, really, really hard, but, excepting for a few tweaks here and there, decided to leave the work as I wrote it many years ago.

Despite owing a great debt to history, historical fiction is indeed fiction – and this work birthed from my long ago research, research that ignited my imagination. Tom Wyatt became very real to me while I was writing this work, and telling his imagined story was a very special time for me. Dear Heart, How Like You This? is special to my heart for another reason. It is my first novel child. The novel that proved I could indeed write a novel. Thanks to Dear Heart, How Like You This? starting me on my way, I am still writing today.

Since it also marks my journey as an author, it only right to leave my first novel child as I first envisioned it so many years ago.

I am feeling once more blessed by life. I don’t think many authors get to welcome new editions of their work. I am left with one more question…do I celebrate these two new editions with another book launch?

What do you think – yes or no?

 

 

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