I have been lucky enough to work with many wonderful, talented and skilful people during my self-publishing days, and now as a published author with Pan Macmillan.
In the course of the epic work of the Breckton series I have been advised and assisted by freelance editors Rebecca Keys, Julie Hitchin and Stanley Livingston, all of whom brought their own magic and expertise to my early editions; along with the talented cover artist Patrick Fox, who produced ebook covers for me back then. Thank you. My work brought you to me, but you have enriched my life with your friendship and encouragement. You truly helped me to climb the steps to my dream.
From those self-published beginnings, I have now seen all these works achieve traditional publication status, and for that I thank all at Pan Macmillan: the directors, editors, publicists, salespeople and cover artists, and all the teams that work with you. You are all amazing, but a special mention goes to my previous editor, Louise Buckley, for the help and support you gave me to make the transition to the traditional publishing world, and for what you brought to my books. I miss you and wish you happiness and success in your new career.
Special thanks to my new and present editor, Victoria Hughes-Williams, and your team. You have embraced me and taken me smoothly through the change of editorial team, and I love working with you. You have given me the support to help me settle and, most of all, the benefit of your exceptional qualities and expertise; to utter a modern phrase, you ‘get me’ and my books and what I am all about – a wonderful feeling, and I know we will continue to work well together. An author is made whole by her editor.
To Laura Carr and her team, thanks for sweeping my manuscripts clean and seeking out any detail that isn’t correct. Without you, my books would be peppered with commas, and my poor characters would endure five-year pregnancies. Your eye for detail is amazing.
Thanks also to Kate Green, my publicist, who works tirelessly to promote me and my books and makes my book-tours go so smoothly that they are a joy.
I owe so much to you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been an amazing journey, made all the more so by having you by my side.
And thank you too to a very special person, who listens to me when I’m down and then lifts me up to tackle another day; who fights my corner and encourages me. My agent, Judith Murdoch. Onwards and upwards, Judith!
No acknowledgements would be complete without mentioning my family. Here, I need to thank each one of you for the help and input you have given to the Breckton series.
My daughter, Christine Martin, researched timeline events, giving me the ability to keep the happenings of the world correctly placed. These facts are rarely centre-stage in a novel, but the mentioning of a well-known event or person can ground the period and is therefore essential, and needs to be accurate.
My daughters, Julie Bowling and Rachel Gradwell, along with Christine and my son, James Wood, read so many versions and advised me from a reader’s point of view, without ever complaining that rereads were getting tiresome, while bringing me fresh ideas and giving me praise and encouragement.
My sons-in-law, Nick Martin and Rick Gradwell, were a source of knowledge on the Second World War for Tomorrow Brings Sorrow and Time Passes Time, providing little-known and hard-to-find facts that really helped me.
My daughter Julie’s partner, Eddie Yates, provided me with valuable information about farming, which gave depth to the roles that the Land Girls would take.
My son’s partner, the talented Scott Knowles, gave me the background of his beautiful voice, as I worked away in one bedroom and he practised in another.
And last but not least, thanks to my darling husband, Roy, who has taken over looking after me and our house to free up my time for writing. Without him, I couldn’t achieve what I do – he is my rock.
I say the words ‘Thank you’ to you all, but they seem inadequate and cannot cover all that you give me. Your help – along with your love and support, and your belief in me – helps me to climb my mountain.