2010 was the year everything started – at least kind of. Including my first ever published novel, Oracle (Which now has a new cover – more on that in a later post!) and the bestselling The Christmas Throwaway
Oracle, Moments, Kian's Hunter, The Christmas Throwaway
I'd been writing fanfiction for two or three years before this, and my first ever story was taken by a publisher in the dying days of 2009. This short story was called Ascension and appeared in the Brush of Wings anthology, and became the basis for Angel in a Bookshop which I re-released a few years later.
My first published novel was a book that had been percolating in my head for a very long time – Oracle. Based on an old fanfiction I reworked, added, edited, and the book was taken by a publisher to be released in Summer 2010. Kian's Hunter was my first foray into paranormal and didn't fly off the shelves LOL. Still, I loved writing it!
Then The Christmas Throwaway happened. This book began as a short story for a fanfiction friend who was ill, just a couple thousand words. I added more words, scenes, an entire back story, and this book for some reason sold super well Christmas 2010 and into 2011.
Throwaway is the book that I most often get asked for a sequel – but I personally think it would ruin the story if I went back after all this time.
All in all 2010 was a fab start to my career, and even though Silver and DSP have both imploded in different ways, I did get my name out there and it made the next few years possible.
Competition
Writing is my dream career – and I am the luckiest person to be able to do what I love? If you could have any career what would it be? Comment below for a chance to win.
Prize: An e-book from this featured year, or your choice from my backlist
Moments
Actor Jacob Riley is a typical former Hollywood child star with serious issues. He has already done prison time, and at the age of twenty-six has been arrested for possession yet again.
Quietly working to make the world a better place, Ethan Myers is the owner and manager of Macs, an education center for local, low-income families. Losing his partner to cancer has left him lost and alone, and he buries himself in his work in the hope it will mend his broken heart.
Sparks fly when Jacob is forced to complete his community service at Macs. Despite their best efforts to resist, the two men find themselves growing closer as a spoiled Jacob gains his first glimpse at the real world.
More info →
Angel in a Book Shop
Can a broken man trust in the impossible?
'Chapter One' is an antique book shop and is the last tangible thing Josh and his mom have left of his dad. Nestled in a quiet square a few steps from London’s St Pauls Cathedral, it is boarded up with whitewashed windows and no new stock. The place is a sad reminder of loss and it has to go, but destroying a business that has been in his family for generations is not a role Josh is looking forward to.
Michael is the owner of Arts Desire, the shop next door. With his rainbow pride mugs and his sunny positive outlook, he is the complete opposite to what Joshua thinks he needs in his life.
But, when Josh and Michael become friends, Josh learns that finding true love starts with making big decisions; and that everyone deserves their own Christmas miracle sometimes.
The Christmas Throwaway
For Zachary Weston Christmas means sleeping on a churchyard bench in the freezing snow with nothing better in his future. Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go. Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.
Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?
More info →
I wanted to be a librarian. I love to be around books. I don’t think I’d be a happy librarian though because it makes me made that people trash books.
I’ve never been able to settle on a dream career because all I’ve ever wanted to do is read, write and travel. I guess if I could turn traveling around the world and writing fiction into a career, that would make me pretty happy!
I wanted to work in a museum. Immersed in history!
At 18 I wanted to be an astronomer, but flunked the physics. At 38 I wanted to write programming so I could be famous, but ended up being an investigative end-user. At 64 I retired – only to create my dream of owning and running a secondhand book shop. The last 10 years have been marvellously happy 🙂
I’ve always wanted to be so many things I could never really settle on one but beta tester for playstation station games seems cool
I too was thinking Librarian, but would also be grumpy at people damaging or not appreciating the books
I’d love to be a travel photographer <3
I wanted to be a marine biologist as a teenager, that changed to history after taking a Russian history class in college. I ended with an IT degree I never used. LOL history still intrigues me
Belinda – you’re a winner, email Rjscott.team@gmail.com
Left winger, NHL. LOL
I love the career that I am currently in- teacher.
Evelise
I’d be an artist if I had the ability.
Write childrens books
I would be a marine biologist
I never really had a dream job but I loved doing desktop computer support, the job I had when I retired 8 years ago.
Writing is a dream that I am working on.
Outside of that, my dream job may sound really boring, but it would be data entry/archiving. Not necessarily for one company (depending on size or even individuals) – but I would be happier than a bee going flower to flower being stuck in a back office/basement getting a stack of paper and/or reports or whatever in a company and get stuff scanned and/or entered. And, as I’m doing that save each ‘thing’ (report, related notes, whatever tests, etc.) into either a system I would set up, go with whatever system they have, re-arrange the system if that is what is needed to streamline stuff. Also, depending on needs, maybe set up Word/Excel/Corel Suite templates for whatever common forms/reports they may have.
I’m in a job I love and wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m a carer in a local care home.
I wanted to be a veterinarian.
i would love to be a jewerly maker/designer
Not sure if I ever really had a dream job, though I think I would love and excel at something like data entry or archiving. Anything that left me alone from people to just do the work and not need to be creative. It sounds like a boring job put that way, but I love when things are put away correctly and easily accessible. It’s that part of a company that no one thinks about but uses sometimes daily and things get ridiculously difficult if it’s not done properly.
I’ve done a few of my dream jobs before having to stop working. I was a teacher. I worked every job there was in theatre. I now run a ferret rescue. Guess my current dream is to not need to run a ferret rescue.
I always wanted to do special effects, not this CGI stuff they do now but the proper model maker
Food critic… I think I would love to have to taste all kinds of dishes in all kinds of places and give my opinion… 😉
The Christmas Throwaway is one of my favourite books. I would love to be able to finish writing a book, I started but got stuck. Other than that I like being able to work in a field where you’re helping others in your community
Either a Disney singer or ASL interpreter
I would love to be an underwater photographer.
I actually dreamed of being a writer when I was younger. Turns out I rock memos and the like, but no so much fiction!
I’d be a veterinarian or a geneticist
Scientist, astronomer, firefighter, teacher, writer, crochet artist, steampunk crafter, veterinarian, zoologist, entomologist, I’ve hockey player, mountain forest ranger, climatologist, environmentalist, professor. Just to name a few. I’ve achieved several and some are hobbies. And some I’ve at least tried.
I wish I could be a full time writer.
I would keep the one I have I work with large budget and lots of number analysis and I love it
Writer/editor, particularly in the genealogy or history fields
I wanted to be a veterinarian helping pets and small farm animals. Until recently, I always had a furry companion.
I really wanted to be a nurse
I’d like to be a musician / singer
Making manga or anime. I can’t draw well enough to do that but it would be awesome to be able to.
I wanted to be a nurse.
A travel blogger. I would love to be able to travel the world and get paid for it while describing it for others.
I’d be a proofreader again.
I would love to be an Oncologist.
I’d always wanted to be a vet as dealing with people is always so much easier.
I’d love to be a Hallmark Christmas movie actress, MC! 🎄❄️. But I’ll refuse to work with digital snow!
I am also very lucky, I am doing something I love, I don’t know that I would have thought this as a child. I am an engineer and do so love the work.
I would be a ‘paid’ book reviewer. Currently I’m a reviewer for over 30 authors and I love it…but a few coins would be an added bonus!