Around 11, maybe twelve, years ago I made a fortuitous decision - I went on a writing course. Now, I didn’t necessarily learn anything from this course, or at least nothing I can remember, but I did meet the wonderful Beattie Alvarez through it. It’s rare that you meet someone whose on the same creative level as you, but we got along like a house on fire while workshopping writing and critiquing each others’ ideas, and if nothing else came from that course having the chance to work alongside her would have made it worthwhile on its own.
But that wasn’t the only thing to come from that course, because afterwards Beattie began working with Christmas Press Picture Books, and they were going to put together an anthology of Christmas stories for children, and oh wouldn’t you know it she knew someone who just might want to contribute a story to it.
Me. She meant me.
And I am so glad she did. What came from that first email was a story called ‘The Boar’s Head’ ( still one of my favourite stories) to be published in Once Upon a Christmas. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to other Christmas anthologies, and giving readings at the books’ launches (let me say, giving a reading to a roomful of children using different character voices is some of the best fun anyone can have). And on top of that I’ve been fortunate enough that Christmas Press’s YA imprint Eagle Books also published my first novel, Children of the Wild, in 2022.
It’s been one hell of a ride with Christmas Press and all the wonderful people who work there. I know they’ll continue to publish great books for people of all ages, and we’re all much better off for that. Here’s to another 10 years.