Major events ...

I was listening to Radio 4 a few weeks ago and Tim Hayward for the Guardian was talking recipe books. I was shushing the children when what he was saying dawned on me. The top recipe books last year were the TV chefs. Jamie Oliver had sold over a million, Nigella Lawson, if memory serves me was about 400,000 and just under that were the revoltingly named motorcyclists. The thing that made me sit up and made me go cold was the next bit of information. The Drop off. By that I mean the other recipe books sliding down the scale were so significantly lower in numbers that the 100^th best selling recipe book in the UK sold just 9,000 copies.

Now if you had said that Prepped were to make it into the top 100 best selling recipe books of 2011 in May last year I’d have been ecstatic. I’d probably have kissed you there and then, but the truth is that is I were to be the 100^th best selling Author of 2011 I will have to go back to my day job. I simply can’t afford to work for the revenue that would bring in. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m being paid a fair % by my publishers. My point is that I am sitting here whittling. The if’s, the buts, the maybes and the what if’s again. It’s like a little circle of thoughts that go around in my head again and again. The loop goes like this.

It will be successful. You have an original idea. Your idea is great. Will other people think that? Yes lots of people have said so. That doesn’t mean they’ll buy the book. It’s very competitive out there. You’re a 1^st time author. You’re not on TV. You’re not skinny. Neither is Nigella. Don’t worry. It will be successful .. and so back to the beginning.

However, three things have happened in the past couple of days to allay some of my fears. Firstly a lady called Sue Baker in a Trade magazine called The Book Seller singled out Prepped and said that if there were one book in the reviews she could keep it would be Prepped. She also said lots of other great things including “it’s fresh, bursting with flavours and new idea’s . A book that should prove a long lasting favourite.” Now to be fair I wasn’t really aware of the importance of her words. But as Nicky my publisher read them she was just so overjoyed I thought there were tears a the other end of the phone. She explained that this is the magazine all the small to medium size independent book stores chose what to buy from, and this lady Sue Baker is someone who really really knows her stuff. High praise indeed for a first time author. I am delighted!

The second bit of news is that Waterstones have placed a really significant order. I can't tell how big .. but big enough to have me cheering in public again! (I was walking along the high street as I was told !)

Thirdly Kitchenaid have lent me a machine to do the last of the photo’s. This sounds a little bizarre to be happy about , but they are so careful where there product is seen.

So I shall go to bed now. .. and try to stop worrying.

Good Night.

BBC Radio show & Encouragement from Nigel Slater

It's official. I can share the news!

From Sunday 6th February ( Thanks for correction Lucy !) 10am I shall be heading up the 2nd half of the Kitchen Garden Show on BBC Radio Northampton!

I am so excited and I could waffle on for some time about all the plans, but I am not going to. I'm totally up to my eyeballs in the last 3 days of editing Prepped and to be honest I haven't got time to be bragging about how fabulous it is going to be! .. Well okay .. perhaps a little bit of bragging then .....

As a regular guest on the John Griff Show I was utterly delighted to be asked to join the team by Mark Whall, my Programme Editor. He's been fantastically supportive giving me the opportunity to make the program around my food life and writing commitments. There is so much to learn, and I know it's not strictly writing a recipe book, and I certainly didn't set out on this adventure to be on the radio - but the opportunity is here and oh boy it's such an opportunity!

I want so much to do a good job .. and I am thrilled to bits. I'd like to be interesting and professional and showcase the best food and people around. Food is such a wonderful subject, bringing the opportunity to discover so much about the people. I feel very privileged. .. and yet I feel nervous. I told Nigel Slater, who has been such an encouragement for Prepped, and these are the kind words he wrote.

“There is something gentle about radio, very different to television, and I think you will enjoy it. You might expect the first time to be a bit traumatic, but once your microphone is switched on you may suddenly find you become strangely calm and actually rather enjoy it. People are listening to you because they want to, and will be on your side. Just think of them as friends. I bet you come out of there having had a good time. Trust me.

Very much looking forward to your book. There are so many fresh voices around at the moment - Stevie Parle, James Ramsden, Alice Hart etc – and there is a wonderful energy right now. Your book couldn’t come at a better time."

Am I still nervous? Well yes. But I am I excited. Really excited!

I hope you will listen in!

How it feels to finish writing a recipe book!

This is a short post. I have the school run to do but I really had to share this ! It seems so long ago since I first decide to write a book !

Easy Tasty Italian by Laura Santtini

My husband picked this book up last night and joked he already had one of these. I moved give him a semi indignant protest slap .. but he moved out of the way quickly and I was half hearted in my attempt.

Laura Santtini’s book was shown to me as she won the guild of food writers award for best first book. This intrigued me. Here I am writing my first book. How cool would that be to win best first book prize? I’m fantasising now. The applause, the media attention .. the bright pink sticker on my book saying winner. So I thought I’d better check out what the standard is. Ladies and gentleman I can tell you, the standard is high.

Really high.

This book is a foodies bedtime erotic read. It’s all there, edible glitter, glamorous dishes, foreign ingredients (yes I know … Italian ingredients) It’s beautifully shot and reads with a super sense of humour. I can tell I would like Laura. She’s fun and passionate in her book, and I can see why she won the best first book. It’s brilliant at explaining how the flavours work together. The elixirs and potions and the claim to add magic into your everyday food makes me think of an food sorcerer at work. It is a magical book and I’ll certainly think about giving one to my mother in law for Christmas.. . I've been known to call her a witch !