Although I signed with Sapere Books last summer it’s taken the relationship a little time to get going. That was perfectly understandable – my first book with them, Another You, wasn’t due out until this June so it was quite a way through their work schedule – but it was still a little frustrating for me.

The frustration was completely unwarranted, but every time I saw a gorgeous new cover appear on the private Facebook group for their authors, I wished it was mine. And waiting for the edit notes was absolute purgatory. Would the book pass muster? How much would they want me to change?

Then, about ten days ago, the first batch of edits arrived from editorial director Amy. And there were no dramas. Absolutely no dramas. Most of what she said made perfect sense and her intentions were clear. I knew exactly what I needed to do and it was a joy to roll my sleeves up and get to work, knowing that the book would be better for it.

The timetable was clear too. The first half of the book would arrive before Easter, the second after. Writer friends were concerned it was tight with the proposed publication date but I’d more or less cleared my diary so I’d have ample time for rewriting. I say more or less, because there was one very important event coming up I wasn’t going to miss. And that was Sapere’s first birthday party.

London is a relatively long trek from Cornwall and I decided to let the train take the strain, arriving in time for lunch with a former colleague. After that I tramped the streets of Kensington and the south west corner of Hyde Park in the name of research for my current wip. As it happened it was a beautiful spring day and although I was a little footsore by the time I stopped for a cuppa it didn’t feel like a chore at all.

The party was in the West End, in a light and airy room above a characterful pub. Almost at once I met Caoimhe (pictured left), Sapere’s marketing director. Just days after the edit notes arrived we had started emailing about promoting the book but as a former indie author, having a professional on board was new territory for me. There’d been some shuffling around, trying not to tread on toes, but problems have a way of melting away once you’ve met someone face to face. Hopefully I convinced her I’m not a control freak and just want to support everything she’s planning to do for Another You.

I also met Amy (pictured right) for the first time, and Richard, the other third of the Sapere powerhouse. I have to say all three are incredible people, full of energy and good humour, and you can see how well they gel as a team. But a really big pleasure was meeting other Sapere authors – and the shame of it that it was impossible to talk to everyone. Hopefully next time…

I could go on about the party, but I’d like to add a word about the new cover for Another You, which was revealed on Friday. I’d seen it just five days before, when it popped up on my phone on Sunday evening. I clicked it open. There were tears in my eyes. That soldier, walking away head bent, was just so perfect. As was the landscape around him which beautifully reflects part of Studland Bay where the book is set. So many covers disappoint authors but I love this one whole-heartedly, because whoever briefed the designer (that’s you, Amy) clearly knew the book.

Thank you, Sapere. You’re awesome.