I’m finally an author.

After a wait that literally went on for years, I finally released the book on October 14^th, 2025 – a date that will no doubt be etched in my mind forever.

I was lucky enough to release the book with an exclusive, invite-only event held at The NatWest Accelerator Hub in Milton Keynes, and be joined by some amazing family and friends.

However, it very nearly didn’t happen at all.

If we rewind about six months from the actual release date, not many people will know that I earmarked a date in April/May for the launch. For whatever reason, I had to adjust my plans.

Then, just before Father’s Day in June, I wanted the launch to take place, but sadly, I just wasn’t in a position to get the book or the event to the standard I wanted.

But what I had done was make a mental note of everything I would need to make the launch a success. I was slowly building a guest list, adding in caterers, thinking of banners for a branded backdrop, and so much more.

So I delayed the launch until after the school holidays – the second and third week of September came and went, and still I wasn’t quite ready. This time around hurt, because I was so sure that I could get the book out that I’d got VIPs/guest speakers agreeing to the date.

When I had to cancel the booking for the event space this time, I had serious self-doubt that the book would indeed be launched at all.

But I’d progressed a little further with plans, and even more was in place/sorted for an eventual launch.

So, I agreed internally that I’d have one final crack at arranging a physical event. October 14^th would either happen, or I’d just release the book without holding the event. But the event was important to me. It was a way of giving the book the best chance of selling well and getting as many eyes on it as possible.

I’d given myself enough time to get everything done. The banner was ordered, so was the food, and I’d sourced some champagne flutes from a friend of mine. So imagine my panic when I found that to order ‘author copies’ from Amazon, you needed to make the book live. No problem, I thought, I’ll make it live, that will happen at the click of a button, and then I’ll order my copies, ready for the launch (which at that point was 10 days away.)

Except that what actually happens is when you click ‘Publish’ on Amazon, your book needs to be reviewed for a period of what is quoted as 72 hours. Bugger. That would have taken me to Tuesday, giving me less than a week to order and receive the copies I needed for the launch.

I was frantic and a little heartbroken, thinking that I was so close but yet so far. On Monday – eight days before the launch – I woke up with no update. I was sure that by the end of the day, I would be cancelling the launch event.

Then. A breakthrough. A spark of hope. I got an email telling me that my book had been published, and the link popped up for me to buy my author copies. I looked through my fingers at what the date of delivery would be. Anything after the 13^th of October, and I was in trouble.

‘Delivery by no later than Monday, October 13^th.’ We were back on!

So I hurriedly ordered enough copies for my guests, breathed an enormous sigh of relief and got back on with my last-minute preparations for the event – including getting more people to show up.

I had asked Susie Lodge, the successful founder of WikiPlaces for Kids, to interview me for the Fireside Chat, and I had a great speaker lined up to give a presentation. I was so grateful that Susie said yes, but my other guest fell through, so I reached out to friend, parent, and all-around boss, Gemma Spinks, to talk about her incredible Mindful Mama Club.

Crisis averted.

When the day arrived, I was nervous. A couple of people confirmed they couldn’t make it/pulled out, and I had a last, final wobble where I wondered who would actually be there.

I needn’t have worried. I was joined by the most fantastic friends and family, and the most incredible guest speakers, and by the time I stood up to welcome everyone to the event, I had a feeling of overwhelming gratitude.

Speaking to a crowd isn’t my forte, and the fireside chat (where I was sat down) was much more enjoyable.

The day itself seemed to come and go in a blur, and in just a few hours, I went from just talking about the book to becoming a published author and actually signing copies. I was so happy to have completed what was a two-year journey, but I knew that it wasn’t over just yet.

I mean, for starters, forget about the marketing. I had to go and pick the kids up from school and take them to swimming. The life of a parent never stops, even if you write a book…

author, book, Cloud Nine Writing, copywriter, copywriting, Milton Keynes, writer, writing