Friday 18 March 2016

Guest Post - Catherine Miller's Waiting For You Book Launch

When I ended up with 15 bottles of wine, I knew it was a sign that I should launch my debut novel to the world in style. The only question was where? I could have held it at Southampton Central Library where I was author-in-residence last year, but the room they had available only held thirty and I wasn’t sure if that would allow enough space for what I had planned. So I contacted the fantastic Oasis Down to Earth Farm to see if it was possible to hold it there and IT WAS! 

The only problem was it wouldn’t be possible to serve the wine! That was fine by me as the idea of tea and cake at the farm seemed like a very memorable way to launch a book, but what to do with all the wine? (I know the obvious answer is drink it, but with twin toddlers I need my wits intact pretty much all the time.) Instead, the wine ended up as part of a raffle with all the proceeds from the event going to the farm.

I spent a nervous run up to the
event wondering if anyone was going to come and if they did, would there be enough cake? On the day it all went to plan and all the cake disappeared. There were crafts for the adults and children. The chance to explore the farm and the refreshments were enjoyed by everyone.


In Waiting for You, Fliss is an interior designer and she likes to turn her hand to different types of craft. In her garden there is a peacock mosaic table that she upcycled herself, so the adult craft was making a peacock mosaic with foam squares for the chance to win a bottle of prosecco. There was some very intense competition for that prize.

It was a little bit like having all my acknowledgements in one room: family and friends from all the different parts of my life along with new readers ready to discover Fliss’s story. Overall there were 66 ticket sales and the event raised over £300 for Oasis Down to Earth farm.


Would I do it again? Without a doubt. Everyone said they had a great time and enjoyed the launch. I just need a couple of months to lie down and recover from this one.

I've always enjoyed going to book launches, and I'm a bit envious that I didn't get to go to this one, as it looks like it was loads of fun. The photo of the cakes is makes my tongue tingle with anticipation. I'm glad that you had such a great party and that it looks as though everyone enjoyed themselves. 



Waiting For You


You’d never guess that Fliss Chapron doesn’t have it all

All Fliss wants is to see two blue lines telling her she is pregnant with her much longed for second baby. But as the negative tests stack up, dreams of completing her perfect family feel more hopeless every day.

After years of disappointment, Fliss’s husband Ben is spending more time at the office than in their marital bed, and Fliss finds herself wondering who could be responsible for their inability to conceive another child. Yet, where do you lay the blame when it comes to having a child – and can anyone really be at fault…

As Ben becomes increasingly distant, Fliss begins to question whether her desire for a baby is just a sticking plaster to save her marriage. Because in the end, how well can you ever know another person…even the man you’re married to?

About Catherine Miller

When I became a Mum to twins, I decided my hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment I managed to find. By the time the twins were two, I had a two-book deal with Carina UK. There is a possibility I have aged remarkably in that time. My debut novel, Waiting For You, is out now.

I was a NHS physiotherapist, but for health reasons (Uveitis and Sarcoidosis) I retired early from this career. As I loved my physiotherapy job, I decided if I couldn't do that I would pursue my writing dream. It took a few years and a couple of babies, but in 2015 I won the Katie Fforde bursary, was a finalist in the London Book Fair Write Stuff Competition and highly commended in Woman magazine's writing competition. Soon afterwards I signed with Carina. Soon after that, I collapsed in a heap and was eventually revived by chocolate.


2 comments:

  1. I loved reading this post. It's great that you raised so much money.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful post, Catherine and Rachel. You deserve every success, Catherine -enjoy!

    ReplyDelete

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