MARCH 2020 25HOW I GOT PUBLISHED
http://www.writers-online.co.uk‘The first thing I fell in love with in The Poppy
Denby Investigates series was the historical
setting. The books are rich with descriptions
of the 1920s – right down to wonderful
details about the fabulous clothes of the time.
These descriptions aren’t laboured, but show
Fiona’s real love of history and her care towards
authentically capturing the period.
‘The second was the fact that Poppy’s
fabulous Aunt Dot is a Suffragette, and
indeed that the whole series explores Poppy’s
discovery that if she fights for it, she can
achieve so much more than she had ever
been led to believe was possible as woman.
Fiona’s celebration of the huge sacrifices
and achievements of the Suffragettes is both
important and timely.
‘Thirdly, the characters – from Poppy,
as she takes her hesitant first steps towards
her dream of being a journalist to her best
friend Delilah, who is an actress and full
of joie de vivre; from Rollo, Poppy’s red-
haired, four-and-a-half foot tall rambunctiousboss to Daniel, the
paper’s handsome young
photographer – this is
a cast that entertains,
delights, and pulls on your
heart strings.
‘And finally, it would
be wrong not to mention the plotting: these
books are fast-paced and each is a tightly-
woven maze of red herrings and false leads,
all of which keep you guessing whodunit as
Poppy solves crime after crime.
‘Needless to say, we were thoroughly
delighted when The Jazz Files, the first book in
the series, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers
Association’s Endeavour Historical Dagger
Award – despite not winning, it was a huge
testimony to the quality of Fiona’s work and to
all I have outlined above. Plus, Fiona and I had
a fabulous evening in our 1920s regalia – and
before you ask, no, the awards were not a fancy
dress event and, yes, we did turn a few heads in
Poppy’s honour.’Jessica Gladwell
wanted to write were historical fiction commissioning editor, Lion Hudson
mysteries, and that, eventually, was
what I submitted to them, and what
finally got the nod in 2015.
‘The first book, The Jazz Files, was
shortlisted for the CWA Historical
Dagger 2016. We have just released
the fourth book in the series,
The Cairo Brief, and it has been
shortlisted for the People’s Book
Award, Winter 2018 collection.
‘In 2017 I finally entered into
a relationship with an agent, Sara
Keane, of Keane Kataria Literary
Agency. Although I got my initial
contract without an agent – and it
is possible to do so – Sara is now
helping me and my books to reach
a wider audience through selling the
rights for large print and exploring
other options too. She will also
negotiate all future contracts on my
behalf. Phew.
Website: http://fiona.veitchsmith.com
How can e hlp yu ...?
- Editing and proofreading
- Self-publishing services
- Typesetting and cover design
- POD, bulk printing and ebooks
- Marketing tools and support
“If you haven’t self-published before and
you’d like an experienced guiding hand
through the process, then SilverWood Books
is for you.”
Sandy Osborne
Author – The Girl Cop seriesProfessional Self-Publishing
http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk
Discuss your book with Publishing Director Helen Hart
E: [email protected] T: 0117 910 5829