Many people helped bring this book together and I’m eternally grateful to them. Paul Feldstein, of The Feldstein Agency in Belfast, was the first literary agent to show any real interest in the project, after he read the synopsis. He loved the idea straight from the off and always believed in the story.
As a first-time writer, who naturally expected rejection, the two-line email I received from Verena Rose, the Acquisitions Editor at Level Best Books was truly awesome.
“I have read THE COUNTERFEIT CANDIDATE and loved it. If you are still interested in publishing with Level Best Books, I would like to discuss a contract with you.”
Verena and Shawn Simmons at Level Best have been incredibly supportive and wonderful to work with as a Publisher and as individual Editors and I couldn’t have wished to work with two nicer or more experienced people. We may have been based three and a half thousand miles away from each other but the world of lockdown and zoom combined to allow the creative process to work incredibly smoothly. I’d also like to thank Victoria Woodside for her fantastic proofreading and fact-checking.
My wife Charmaine has been unbelievable from day one. Firstly, she put up with me basically not doing a thing in the home but write, twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for three months during the lock-down and then she was the first person to read the manuscript. After that, she became the best Editor I could ever have wished for, working with me every day, improving and honing the book with her inspiring, creative ideas and incredible eye for detail, all of which helped take the book to another level.
My daughter Jessica was also an inspiration as her love of historical thrillers meant she also had plenty of exciting ideas to throw into the melting pot. Finally, I want to thank the gorgeous Georgie, Jessica’s Frenchador, who moved in with us at the beginning of lockdown and whose daily walks on Hampstead Heath proved to be a welcome respite from relentless periods of writing.