Big Girl, Small Town has gone into its THIRD reprint!
Times are challenging and it’s been a tough couple of weeks. It’s not been easy coming to terms with going into isolation to avoid catching covid-19 (underlying health conditions put me at high risk of being a severe case). Though my kids love being home schooled and it’s been a joy seeing more of them, it’s been a lot of extra work to have them home all day. I’m worried about vulnerable friends and relatives in the UK, Ireland and France. And I’ve been incredibly sad to hear that the lovely book events I’d been asked to attend have all been cancelled.
But earlier this week my editor told me that Big Girl, Small Town has gone into its third reprint! That means the first edition has sold out (though you can pick up the odd copy here and there) and the second edition has disappeared from the publisher’s warehouse and is out there in the wild. The third edition is now being printed to meet demand.
This is an incredible achievement for a debut novel in its first month – a month where the world has changed forever. So I want to thank absolutely everyone who has bought the book, or shared a review on Amazon, Goodreads or Waterstones, or contacted me to say Majella made you laugh out loud, shed a wee tear, or eat a big dirty sausage supper.
Reading is more important than ever right now. It reduces stress and is clinically proven to:
decrease blood pressure, lower heart rate, and reduce stress to significant degrees. According to a 2009 study at the University of Sussex, stress is reduced up to 68% just by reading! Only six minutes of reading can slow down the heart rate and improve overall health
Not all reading will reduce stress. Binge reading the news right now makes me more anxious and less able to cope. So I recommend books.
If you’d like to read Big Girl, Small Town, or gift a copy to a friend, you can get the book from one of these independent shops:
@gutterbookshop have signed 1st editions for sale
@KennysBookshop offer free shipping on Big Girl, Small Town
@DubrayBooks – have copies in stock
You can also order from Waterstones, Easons and WH Smith.
You can visit Amazon for the hardback, ebook and audible version (narrated by Nicola Coughlan – Clare from Derry Girls).
And don’t forget BBC Sounds are broadcasting the abridged version (also read by Nicola Coughlan).
I’m not the only debut author with a book coming out at a tough time. If you’d like to support new authors, check out this list (not exhaustive! – and ping me with your recommendations or if you’d like to be added):
@alicelyons22
@francesmacken
@HilaryFannin
@SusannahDickey
@mcmonaglewriter
@NaoiseDolan
@NaturalistDara
@shockproofbeats
@MollyAitken1
@elainefeeney16
@CampbellNiamh
@DoireannNiG
@Doug_D_Stuart