Dear ,

Remember me? I know it's been a while, but I'm still here and sending you this email to let you know what I have coming up this season (term, semester etc).

I suck at marketing... suck at knowing when to email, what to write––I mean, who has time to read emails anymore, anyway? I would hate to think that I'm adding to that growing list of emails you just call junk (and probably never open). That isn't me. I won't go there.

I suck at selling books... I'm trying hard this year, and it has already been my best year yet (actually, it's probably better than all my previous years, combined). But at a cost. Facebook takes as much in ad spend as Amazon (eventually) gives back... swings and roundabouts, right?

(Sometimes) I suck at self confidence... I feel invisible, like nobody cares whatever I might produce. That I've not seen breakthrough because its me, no other reason needed.

But, one thing I know, I CAN write. This is the message I've heard repeated thousands of times by readers all around the world who I've never met, who owe me nothing, and yet so enjoy my books. So this I DO know. The products are good. The stories are memorable. The characters endearing. This is the best thing to get right from all the above––because if the writing sucks, good marketing will never be able to cure that.

So I have hope... not a lot (as I know it's a jungle out there and noisy and scary too) but there is hope. Perhaps, one day, some how, someone will see my books and that person will be the tipping point. How and what (or when!) that looks like I have no idea... it's outside of my control. That's kind of the deal with hope, with faith. So I wait.

This leaves me with this new season. Here in Estonia, at our school anyway (for Estonian schools, the official first day back is always 1st September, as it was in Russia for us too) my daughters have gone back today, the oldest starting S5 (3 years left therefore) and the youngest starting S1 (first year in secondary school). Thankfully, it's the same building, same school. My amazing wife is starting today with her new P2 class (Primary 2, so second year of primary level... probably 7/8 year olds, but I'm not 100% sure on that).

So it very much feels like the first day back for us all––certainly I'm here at the computer (standing, as I have for nearly five years now––more on that in a moment) ready for this new term. I try to spend the summer with the family so we can be off together––the long gap certainly makes me ready to come back, full of ideas, itching to write again.

The first week of September always comes at a rush... our anniversary is on the 1st (20 years of marriage celebrated this year!) and our oldest daughters' birthday is on the 2nd––Mia turns 16 this week! With the start of school, it's always a lot of things at the same time.

No more so than 5 years ago today. I remember it clearly. In 2016, today was also the first day of school. After the orientation day (the kids were in for just the morning), I drove with my wife to the hospital where she was having one final consultation after a summer of tests... we were finally about to get the all clear, nothing to worry about.

Until we didn't.

Cancer is such an ugly word, such an ugly thing to have to face. She started chemo within a week, and I adapted my desk to a standing desk during that first session (I think I needed a distraction). Those Thursdays as I left her each time in the chemo ward were hard days.

Tomorrow is the 31st. Three years ago on that very day (therefore 2 years and a day since the first diagnosis) we were told it had spread, going to stage 4 (the most serious stage there is for this disease). It felt like déjà vu. Here we go again.

That's why today is a great day... two years on my wife is still the fighter she was from day one. Healthy, strong, cancer free (we pray).

Looking back 5 years, it feels an age. I can't remember how life was before this shadow appeared, one that lingers, hides, lurks. We trust it is now gone for good, banished, with only the scars of surgery and the scars of soul (which probably will never heal) left behind.

That said, with this as the backdrop, it's still amazing to me that I was able to write anything in this time! Yet I think I've written all nine books in The Hunt series, the four books in the Penny Black/Jack Ferguson series (perhaps bringing out some of my inner rage?) as well as The Song Birds, The 26th Protocol and the first Twiggy Rattlesnake book.

It just goes to show––even at the hardest of times (maybe because of them?) we can reach beyond ourselves and produce whatever we want to achieve.

Still with me? That was a lot to open with, and while I will read it back before I send this, I think it's more helping me to share like this than done for entertainment, so I'll leave it as it came out of me just now. Perhaps it will give some of you fresh hope for your own struggles?

This Season:

So while I'm not going to be writing emails every week (or month), but probably only when I've got the next book coming out, I do plan on getting back to writing, something I've neglected this year as I've tried to focus on selling. In no particular order, I plan to:

• Release my next standalone thriller (which I will begin editing today)
• Release the second Twiggy Rattlesnake book (eta December 2021)
• Write the third Twiggy book
• Write my first original screenplay (super excited about this!)
• Rewrite, rebrand and relaunch the 4 Penny/Jack books with a new voice/character in them, and perhaps a whole new dystopian twist

That's my aim from now until Christmas.

Reader Map

Don't forget, with travel happening again for some of us, do let me know wherever you read my books this autumn (or where you have been reading them this summer). Tag a photo with #TimsReaderMap or just email to let me know and I'll be sure to add the location to the growing map.

This Summer's Biggest Arrivals

You might have seen them already on social media (if you follow me, I'm certain you would have seen them already!) but I'm thrilled to share with you here that four weeks ago we welcomed into our home two adorable kittens!

Meet Oreo and Izzi (I'm holding Izzi in the photo below).

These kittens (sisters, just like our daughters who are their new mummies) turned 10 weeks old yesterday. They've adapted so brilliantly. They are such a joy to have around the home. There is healing in every stroke, every purr.

And so far they've left me alone this morning to work in the study (we've kept this door closed this last month so that it is a workplace for me). No doubt they'll be waiting for me when I emerge at lunchtime.

We rescued these two cats. They might well have been drowned had a home not been found for them. We are delighted that they found it to our home.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for being here. Until next time (whenever that is), and I promise to try to make that one shorter.

Happy (soon-to-be) September!

Tim

Author of 21 (unputdownable) novels

Husband of 1 (incredible) wife

Dad to 2 (amazing) daughters

Dad to 2 (adorable) kittens