Getting Published | and then there were four

These words are for the back cover of my book – but would they entice you to read it?

“Now married, we threw caution and condoms to the wind – not literally, that’d be littering – expecting the magic baby to appear. You know, the one that rocks up the first time you have unprotected sex, carried by the optimism stork. We were excited and waited, patiently…

Then impatiently…

Later somewhat forlornly…

We tried pillows and pee sticks, fertility experts and dousing (we didn’t), then arrived in the Land of Adoption. After years of going nowhere, two toddlers made us four practically overnight and we had to pedal faster than Bradley Wiggins to catch up.

And Then There Were Four is an unforgettable, unputdownable rollercoaster through the hilarious highs and pass-the-gin-now-the-tissues lows of infertility, adoption and parenting.

“One of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. Emma dumps you right into her emotional experience, yet writes with such lightness as to keep your spirits up. This book is like your favourite pastime; time flies by unnoticed because you are so engrossed by the story. Delightful. Heart-filled.” Pam Burrows

“The bittersweet ambiance of this book grabs you very, very quickly: it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment, in the flow, in the too-painful-to-bear beauty of it. It’s written from the heart, raw and chatty . . . and what a heart!” Simon Raybould

“This book will strike a chord with any parent. It’s utterly compelling, witty and beautiful, achingly sad, and packed full of love.” Sarah Fox

“That’s not how I remember it.” Andy Sutton (husband)”

If you read these words on the back of a book, as you rifled through the bestsellers in a bookshop or on Amazon, would you want to read more?

These are the umpty-eighth draft of the back cover of my book “and then there were four” and I would love to know what you think of them…

Did it grab you? Make you laugh? Give you a hint of the stories within?

Let me know in the comments section below…

Her email came through on Saturday evening and as I went to bed, I noticed it in my inbox on my phone. I saw the title and glanced away, scared.

What If I Hated It?

As much as I knew these were just the first versions and that everything could be changed, I wanted to love them so much it hurt. I dare not open the email because one glance could shock me, creasing my forehead into deep canyons no botox could smooth out, leaving me muttering furiously under my breath, lying awake windmilling, wondering how things could have gone so wrong. I wasn’t prepared to be hashtag gutted at this time of night.

What If I Loved It?

Yet what if the opposite was true? I was optimistic – I knew she did great work, the reviews on her website were fabulous and I’d been pretty clear (I thought) about what I liked or did not like for my book cover. Yet even tending on hopeful, I could not open the email. For if I fell in love, then the rush of feelgood hormones would keep me awake all night, sharing it madly on every social media outlet known to woman, whilst silently wanting to poke the world awake so they could congratulate me at 1am on Sunday morning.

I Slept On It

And in the morning, once my brain was awake (about an hour after the kids had poked me awake, too early again), I opened the email and stole a glance at the three versions Tanja had created.

Oh.

There it was. My book. With my name on it. I could almost reach out and pick it up (how I wanted to pick it up, to feel its weight, to fondle the cover, to stroke the words, to flick through the creamy yellow pages, to see my words in all their 3D brilliance).

And I knew then that everything was going to be okay. Not just okay, but brilliant.

Even these first versions had my heart pounding and spread a grin over my face that took hours to wear off (well, until the kids started squealing and fighting). One step closer to my book.

and then there were four

tales from the land of adoption

Category Archives: Getting Published

Would You Read It?

‘And Then There Were Four’ Comes To Life