Woke up this morning to find that the Short list for the British Fantasy Society Awards had been posted.
Futile Flame - Book 2 of The Vampire Gene trilogy is a finalist!
A lot has happened in my life over the last few years; at times it has been such an uphill struggle. Many of you already know the story and I won’t bore you with the details today. I have a lot of regrets though, one of which is that my mother never saw my first book in print. She’d have loved that because she saw the many times that 11 year old Samantha sat quietly in a corner scribbling stories and poems on a tatty notepad. She bought me my first typewriter, where I bashed out an attempt to write a 'Tales of the Unexpected' story for a competition (aged 13) and wrote a rather dreadful (8 chapter) 'novel' which was an appalling knock-off Hammer story. Later I wrote my first proper attempt on it, in the space of a month, after many false starts, marriage and motherhood.
With the marvellous invention of the word processor, my terrible typos became much easier to correct. Thank God, Apple or Microsoft for that!
I have much to be grateful for now, especially for my partner David: my best friend and biggest supporter. Every time I get knocked down he picks me up and dusts me off, handing me my laptop as he says, ‘don’t give up. You can do it, Sam’. Futile Flame would never have been written but for his encouragement. I feel so privileged.
And I say today, even though it's like walking through mud in high heels at times, I’m not going to give up, no matter what. Writing is something that I just can’t stop doing.
I'm completely bowled over with the success of Futile Flame as I appreciate it is a very unusual novel with its quirky mix of Vampire horror and fantasy, merged with the time travel element. But then maybe that is why it is appealing so much to you, my readers. :)
I’m feeling very emotional and extremely humble today, so excuse this rather strange blog.
I want to say a huge thank you to BFS members for supporting the novel. I really, never thought I'd make the short list.
If you voted this time, don't forget to vote again on the final round, whoever you voted for, because the BFS needs your support.
Love
Sam x
6 comments:
Totally awesome! Congrats Sam!!!
Thanks J.R. We've come a long way this last few years haven't we?
Holy crap another author from the good olde' Bolton University / Bolt Inst.
Except I didn't study creative writing I fell into it after people said hey Leon you're not bad at writing a couple of magazine articles and redundancy I'm filling up my spare time by writing articles (ghost writing) and a few of my own novels etc.
Small world...
Maybe I should add my name to the UoB alumini lists.
@ Chinese guy. Yes - I did my BA and MA at Bolton - spent many great years there. Who were your tutors then? I must send Les Smith an email actually and let him know how things are.
I studied economics and accountancy therefore I was at the Bolton business school at the Eagle Campus rather than the Chadwick campus one that recently got knocked down, didn't stop me going there to read / borrow their books though
What? Chadwick campus had been knocked down? That's a shame! I have such great memories of there.
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