Happy 5th Birthday to the amazing Boldwood Books
Today – 1st August 2024 - is a very special day as my amazing publisher celebrates its five-year birthday. Like the monarch, Boldwood actually have two birthdays as they opened for submissions on 1st February 2019 so that was the official start, but 1st August 2019 was the day their first book was released – Nina Manning's psychological thriller, The Daughter-in-Law. That was followed in the same month by releases from Portia Macintosh (romcom Honeymoon for One) and Jennifer Bohnet (women's fiction The Villa of Sun and Secrets) and then it was my turn. The Secret to Happiness was Boldwood's fourth release, out on 3rd September 2019. I'll be celebrating that in future posts.
To celebrate five years, Boldwood asked if we'd capture our best five Boldwood moments on a template. Oh my goodness, how difficult was it to capture just five images representing five incredible years with my wonderful publisher? I managed to pull one together but there was so much I'd missed so I decided to take it a step further and also create one for each year with Boldwood. So here's my celebration of the past five years before I share my overall one...
Year 1 - August 2019 to July 2020
Top left: Celebrating the launch of Boldwood Books and the official announcement that I was one of the first twenty authors to sign with them. What an amazing day!
Top right: A surprise cake from the amazing hubby celebrating the release of the first book in the Hedgehog Hollow series and me taking the plunge, leaving the day job to become a full time author. Eek!
Middle left:The Secret to Happiness was my first title to go into The Works and such a special moment
Middle right: A photo shoot with The Secret to Happiness next to the beach huts which inspired the original cover (the book has since had a cover change to better fit with the style of my other releases)
Bottom left: All my Boldwood releases in year 1, including The Works version of The Secret to Happiness. Four of these (the Welcome to Whitsborough Bay series) were backlist which is why we were able to release so many in the space of a year!
Year 2 - August 2020 to July 2021
A difficult year for capturing photos due to lockdown and social distancing so there were very few 'out and about' opportunities.
Top left: Celebrating the launch of the second book in the Hedgehog Hollow series – New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow - and the steady building of my hedgehog merch. My collection is pretty sizeable now!
Top right: Another backlist book, All You Need is Love was released (formerly Bear With Me). It was the first time I'd written a dual point of view (POV) story and I loved doing it so much that I've written another ten books with dual POV and one with a triple POV. All You Need is Love remains one of my personal favourite stories and triggered a thing for orange VW Campervans. I had a beautiful drawing off Etsy tweaked to include a quote from the book – When things seem bleak, all you need is love … someone to shine some light through the darkness – and sent a copy to my editor and proofreader to thank them for their brilliant work on my books so far
Middle left: Boldwood send us these amazing publication day biscuits. These were mine celebrating book 3 in the Hedgehog Hollow series – Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow – which is perhaps my favourite in the HH series but which opened my eyes to how angry some readers get about cliffhangers! Ouch!
Middle right:Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow and Making Wishes at Bay View went into The Works at around the same time after shops open up post-lockdown. Me wearing my mask and pointing to the shelf represents the strangeness of this time
Bottom left: Boldwood added large print and hardback versions of our books to the offering and this is my large print collection of the titles released to that point. I had to stop collecting these after I broke my bookshelf with them being so heavy! Oops!
Year 3 - August 2021 to July 2022
The world had opened up again, so there's more 'out and about' represented in this year.
Top left: Celebrating the start of The Starfish Café series with one of several visits to Scarborough Lifeboat Station. A huge thank you to the lifeboat crew and support team for their input and support
Top right: The first book in The Starfish Café series – Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café – was a finalist for the Christmas/Festive Romantic Novel of the Year. I didn't win but it was such a privilege to be a finalist
Middle left: Visiting the 'real' Hedgehog Hollow – the wonderful Wolds Hedgehog Rescue and helping with their hedgehogs as part of several research trips. Thank you so much to Ann and Angela for their advice and friendship
Middle right: Another trip to Wolds Hedgehog Rescue and an opportunity to hand feed a hoglet. What a special moment!
Bottom left: A trip to London to celebrate my Boldwood titles hitting a milestone of half a million sales. I had a lovely meal with my editor Nia and Boldwood's Founder/CEO Amanda (pictured). I was the first Boldwood author to hit this milestone so had no idea I'd be getting a wonderful picture to commemorate the moment. It's proudly displayed on my office wall
Year 4 - August 2022 to July 2023
Top left: My books aren't typically stocked in high street bookshops but I always check the shelves of branches of Waterstones just in case. This is me spotting Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow in York Waterstones. It wasn't my first time unexpectedly finding my book in a Waterstones but I'm usually on my own when I see one and can just take a shelfie rather than capture me with the book
Top right: I hit a really special milestone in spring 2023 when my books hit a million sales. What an honour to do that – and to be the first Boldwood author to hit that figure. I was treated to afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason in London (yummy!) and presented with a glass plaque. This is me with three very special people without whom I wouldn't be where I am today – my editor Nia Beynon, our Founder/CEO Amanda Ridout and our Head of Marketing Claire Fenby. So grateful to these three incredible women for everything they have done and continue to do to support me and champion my books
Middle left: All my Boldwood releases to this point with my milestone plaque and a biscuit which was made and distributed to readers who joined us on a special Million Moment celebration Zoom. What a fun evening that was :-)
Middle right: The final book in the Hedgehog Hollow series was released, completing this bestselling six-book series. I'm still bowled over with the overwhelming love I've had for this series
Bottom left: I spoke at a few festivals during this year and particularly loved being on a panel with fellow Boldwood authors Lisa Hobman and Jane Lovering as part of the Crossing the Tees Festival. A huge thank you to all the library staff and festival organisers who have welcomed me onto their programmes, celebrating romantic fiction
Year 5 - August 2023 to July 2024
Top left: At Boldwood's third summer party held at Fulham Palace in London. All three parties have been such amazing events, meeting up with friends from pre-Boldwood who've joined the team, making new friends and meeting the team behind the scenes including investors and suppliers
Top right: The first book in my Escape to the Lakes series was a finalist in the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year Awards. I didn't bring the win home (perhaps third time lucky next year???!) but it was still a wonderful event and such an honour to be shortlisted
Middle left: During a research trip to the Lake District, I recreated the cover of The Start of Something Wonderful and this has become a bit of a thing now. I'm looking forward to recreating the cover for book 3 – The Best is Yet to Come – later this month
Middle right: Just before Christmas last year, I received the amazing news that Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow had joined Boldwood's 100,000 Club. At the time of writing this, Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café isn't far behind (less than 3,000 sales to go) but sales levels really dip this far after publication so it'll hopefully be year 6 when it joins the club but it could well be year 7. The Start of Something Wonderful might even get there first as it has sold fewer but is selling much faster. Fingers crossed for both of them!
Bottom left: I met up with my editor Nia before the RNA Awards ceremony and it was wonderful to celebrate completing my first two contracts with Boldwood and twenty-four books together. I'm now writing the first book in a sixteen-book contract which I signed in spring 2023 around the time I hit the million milestone as I couldn't imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else. Boldwood have changed my life and really are the best
Which brings is onto the overall celebration image...
As I said earlier, it was hard to pick just five images but I think these capture my Boldwood journey the best.
Top left: This is Boldwood's second summer party last year. I've chosen this particular fountain picture as it has the most authors in it and represents the amazingly talented collection of authors who are part of Team Boldwood. It's such a joy to be part of the team
Top right: I spent the first five years of my published life being invisible, barely selling any copies of my books so I couldn't not include this as one of my top moments. Hitting a million sales is something that I never in a million years would have imagined would happen to my books
Middle left: This photo with Strictly's Anton Du Beke was taken at this year's Romantic Novel of the Year Awards and represents two amazing ceremonies and two special honours
Middle right: With my editor at the first Boldwood summer party. My books wouldn't be what they are without Nia's incredible insights, suggestions, kindness and patience. It has been such a joy to work with her and, indeed, the whole team at Boldwood
Bottom left: All my Boldwood releases so far. The photo has culled one at each end to fit it in but there are 23 books in there (book 24 is written but won't be out until year 6). I have a wooden sign on top of the books which states Today is a perfect day to start living your dreams. I look at that every day and it makes me smile. The day I submitted to Boldwood – their first day of business – was the perfect day to start living (and exceeding) my dreams
I hope you've enjoyed my pictorial walk through the past five years with Boldwood Books. I wouldn't be where I am today without them or without you, my amazing readers. I cannot thank you enough for buying/borrowing my books, for spreading the word to your friends/family/colleagues and for sharing the love in reviews and messages. You are the best of the best and I'm forever grateful that you chose to read my stories.
Looking forward to seeing what year 6 with the amazing Boldwood Books brings.
Big celebratory hugs
Jessica xx