My 2019 Top Ten
I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to work out where 2019 went. I can’t quite believe the year is nearly over…
For me, as an author, it’s been an amazing 12 months – certainly the best yet since I walked away from the nine-to-five and turned to writing full-time. I feel very lucky to do this for a living, and I’m also a big believer in taking a step back every now and again to reflect on some of the high points of the journey so far. (Just like Ferris Bueller said: ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.’)
In that spirit, here are my bookish highlights of the year, in chronological order:
1. The Nielsen Bestseller Awards – The year started with a bang thanks to Nielsen, who presented me with a Silver Bestseller Award for 250,000 sales of my first thriller, Lies. My first ever award, it now hangs in pride of place in my writing cabin.
2. Italy – I spent a wonderful weekend at the International Book Fair in Turin, meeting readers and signing books, at the invitation of my Italian publisher. Lovely people, lovely event!
3. Sweden – I was invited by my UK publisher, Bonnier, to visit Stockholm where the company has its headquarters. My first visit to the Swedish capital – I will definitely be returning.
4. Richard & Judy – I was absolutely bowled over when The Holiday was selected as an R&J Book Club pick for the summer. Such an honour to be part of their book club, and lovely to meet Richard and Judy in person, too.
5. Theakston Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate – I’ve been a massive fan of Harlan Coben for years, so it was amazing to hear him talk and have my own fanboy/selfie moment with him.
6. Publication day – Appropriately for a book set under the blazing French sun, launch day for The Holiday fell on the hottest day of the year! But publication day is always a highlight, and the staff at Waterstones Nottingham were stars as usual (also, they had aircon).
7. Paperback bestseller – Reaching the #4 position in the Sunday Times paperback bestsellers list (alongside the likes of James Patterson and Frederick Forsyth) was literally a dream come true. And it stayed in the top ten for ten whole weeks!
8. USA – The summer saw my second book (29 Seconds) have its hardback launch and Lies have its paperback launch in America. It’s been brilliant to see how US readers have really engaged with both books in a big way.
9. A milestone for The Holiday – Seeing my latest thriller hit 100,000 sales in the UK was a very special day. To date, it has sold more than 240,000 copies across all formats, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has read it, written a review or recommended it to a friend. Thank you!
10. The Catch – Finishing the next book is always a huge relief, and I’m so excited for my new thriller, The Catch, which is due to come out on June 11th 2020. Save the date . . .
So that’s my top ten for 2019! I’m hoping that 2020 will bring lots more new experiences, and I’ll be back in touch soon with more news about The Catch. In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year!
Tim
