Confessions of an Author

A second edition of JOANNA has now been released. Exciting news! It's available as a paperback from the Amazon store - so check at an Amazon near you. US link is below: https://www.amazon.com/JOANNA-Story-Psychopath-Anne-Thompson/dp/1976923662/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516382998&sr=1-1&keywords=joanna+by+anne+e+thompson So, what is the book about? The starting point was mothers. All mothers, everywhere. My belief is that mothers have a tendency to blame themselves - so if their son fails a music exam, they think, "I should've made him practice more often." If their daughter has a cold, they think, "I should've given her vitamin pills." If this is true, how would it feel if your child did something really bad? What if your child was a psychopath? The book shows the reader exactly what it means to be a psychopath. Written partly in the first person, we see the world through the eyes of Joanna. We see how she thinks, we unders...

Speaking on the Radio (very exciting and slightly terrifying…) 1 I was invited to speak on Meridian FM, which was very exciting (and rather terrifying!) I’ve never been on the radio before, so had no idea what to expect. I arrived about half an hour too early, because I was stressing about being late or not being able to park anywhere. I ended up going for a walk, so it was lucky the weather was warm. Then I went inside. Meridian FM is based at the Jubilee Centre in East Grinstead, which is a large building (with a big carpark) in an industrial estate. The downstairs rooms are used for a playgroup and community events. I was told to go up to the first floor. At the top of the stairs was a door, with signs warning me to be quiet if the red light was lit as they would be on air. How exciting is that! I then went in to an extremely hot room (they seriously need some air conditioning) and I waited until Samantha Day, whose show I was speaking on, was ready. One of the loc...

When did you last read a book by a new author? JOANNA - The Story of a Psychopath is an exciting book with complex characters and a gripping plot. A 5* book, that is selling fast. Why not buy a copy today and read something different? JOANNA by Anne E. Thompson, published by The Cobweb Press, available from good bookshops, or an Amazon near you. UK link below. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joanna-Anne-Thompson/dp/0995463220/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506177657&sr=1-1&keywords=Joanna+by+anne+e+thompson Let me know what you think. Anne x

Joanna  by Anne E Thompson    I first saw them on the bus. They got on after me, the mother helping the toddler up the big step, holding the baby on her hip while she juggled change, paid the driver. I wondered why she hadn’t bought a card or paid by phone, something quick so we didn’t all have to wait.        I watched as she swung her way to a seat, leaning against the post for support, heaving the toddler onto the chair by his shoulder. Then they sat, a happy family unit, the boy chattering in his high pitched voice, the mother barely listening, watching the town speed past the window, smiling every so often so he knew he had her attention. Knew he was loved. Cared for. They had everything I didn’t have but I didn’t hate them. That would have involved feelings and I tended to not be bothered by those.       No, I just watched, knew that those children had all the things, all the mothering, that had passed me by. Knew that t...

Joanna Your family helps to shape who you are, whatever that family might look like.  JOANNA  is the story of a family struggling to cope with what it means to have a psychopath amongst them. Written after several months researching the disorder,  JOANNA  is an exciting novel, written partly in the first person. The reader sees the world through Joanna’s eyes, they see what motivates her, how she thinks, what she feels. (Be careful though, she might lie to you). The rest of the book shows the impact of Joanna on those who love her, live with her, are affected by her. JOANNA  is a story about choices, and love, and forgiveness. It is a novel will that entertain you, and leave you thinking long after you have read the last page….. JOANNA by Anne E Thompson Published by The Cobweb Press ISBN : 978-0-9954632-2-6 Available from bookshops (if it’s not in stock, they can order it). Also from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joanna-Anne-E-Thompson/...

Letters to an Agent…. 3 I was pleased with  Hidden Faces  as a book. It is a ‘gentle’ story, one to make the reader smile, with characters they would recognise. A book you could give to your aunty.  JOANNA  however is different. It is grittier, faster paced, and delves into how people react in very extreme situations. It will, I hope, have much wider appeal.  So I would like a publisher to take it on. Which means I need an agent to approach one for me (because in the UK, mere writers are unable to speak to publishers, they will only work through an agent). So, I sent my manuscript to a few agents. Not many, because I am fairly fussy still, and  if  I only ever sell the books I have published myself, it doesn’t really matter. In October 2016, I posted (yes, posted – they don’t take emailed submissions) my manuscript to David Higham Associates. They are the agents for  The Girl on the Train , which is a book very similar in style to...

1 We all have family don’t we? It doesn’t matter if you live in an adopted family, or with a single parent, or with both parents and a whole host of siblings. We have family. And we are affected by them, we can’t help it. I have a big sister who I’ve always wanted to be like, and a little brother who always won all the medals for football and continually bounced balls off the back of my head when we walked anywhere. They helped to make me who I am today. As did my parents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Family is what shapes us. Sometimes, family is embarrassing. When someone begins a sentence, “Did you know your mother…..” I’m never sure what might be coming next. (Usually it’s something good, of course). And in turn, I as a mother feel deeply about everything my children do. Doesn’t every mother feel guilty when things aren’t perfect? When your child has a cold, don’t you wonder if you’re giving them enough vitamins? When your child fails a music exam, don’t you w...