Three…two…one…go!

FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, by Amazon bestseller Barbara Copperthwaite

My new baby, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, is now available to pre-order, and will be released on 21 September. It’s an exhilarating, whirlwind moment that is full of promise and fun. It’s also scary. What if no one buys the book? What if people do buy it, and then hate it?

I had thought that my second novel would be less terrifying, but it seems that the fear is greater somehow. Last time I had nothing to prove. This time I have an Amazon Top Ten bestseller to live up to.

I love FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD and feel fiercely protective of it, and I know all of its characters as if they are friends. Putting them out there, into the big, bad world where they may face criticism is a bit like watching your child go to school for the first time. They are all grown up, and you must face the fact that you cannot protect them from everything, no matter how much you want to. All you can do is equip your child the best you can in order to cope. In some ways, that is what an author does. I have done my level best to create rounded, complex characters, an interesting storyline, and pull the whole thing together to the best of my ability. I have given it, hopefully, what it needs to face down detractors and not only survive in the big, bad world, but also thrive.

My baby has developed and grown with me holding its hand at every stage. Now I have to let it go and hope for the best…

Read an extract of FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD.

Pre-order FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD.