What eight things are you grateful for this March?

I'll tell you mine. Will you tell me yours?

“I love lists…I keep them in colourful notebooks by the side of my bed.”

I’ve kept a ‘Blessings Book’ since 13 November 2009. I started it when I came out of hospital after my ectopic pregnancy. I list the little (sometimes big) things that make life worth living. I know that gratitude is a muscle and I try to exercise it daily.

I’ve been grateful for my Blessings Book this month because I’ve been riding a rollercoaster (not entirely dissimilar from the one I rode during my pursuit of motherhood). There have been highs and lows, and everything in between. But that’s what happens when you’ve gestated your third book-baby for seven years and finally give birth.

Yes, she’s finally here and her name is: Save Me from the Waves. She’s really rather beautiful - the bright colours of the Tibetan prayer flag. But then all mothers think their babies are the best. She’s arrived to take you on an adventure – but before you open her pages please note - it’s an adventure with a difference. A journey from sea to summit – fully soundtracked. Maybe you’ll come for the mountains but I hope you’ll stay for the music. That was what brought me joy when I went from rock bottom to the top of the world (literally).

So here’s a little list of eight things that I’m grateful for this month (eight being an important number in the book, and the longest list I’ll ever write on Substack). I’ve promised to keep my posts petite (I personally hate long form content in my inbox).

1.     I am grateful for my publishers Aurum Press of Quarto Books. I have adored working with them. They even bought me the ingredients for a negroni as a publication present. If you know me at all you’ll know I love a negroni (the cocktail features in my books including my new one). It’s always been my dream to have a publisher who knows and loves me like that.

2.     I am grateful to the BBC – for giving me permission to write about the jewel in their radio crown – Desert Island Discs. And especially for giving me the rights to use nearly 100 castaway voices in the audio book. And in a stroke of complete serendipity this month marks the first ever live shows of DID at the London Palladium starting tonight. Join me! (I’ll be at all three of them) and I have a special discount link to 20% off all tickets.

3.     I am grateful to the Lyric Hammersmith – my theatre home – for giving me the opportunity to have the best book launch ever. Part wedding, part rock concert it was chaired by the broadcaster Janet Ellis and featured a host of special guests. If you couldn’t make it – never fear – it was filmed and here’s an exclusive link to watch it on vimeo

4.     I am grateful to Stanfords – one of my favourite bookshops and the oldest and best travel writing bookshop in the world for making Save Me from the Waves ‘Book of the Month’ in March.

5.     I am grateful for all the amazing press and media coverage – the Observer/ Guardian; Daily Telegraph; Daily Mail as well as local press in my hood: the Camden New Journal and Ham and High. Plus all the podcasts: Worst Girl Gang / Full Stop / Tough Girl / Fertility Life Raft / Everyday Adventure / Fertility Podcast - more to come! To read all about it (and listen) see my Linktree

6.     I am grateful to everyone who has written to me privately about the book, and a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has posted public reviews – especially on Amazon which is such an important market place for book buyers (and if you do read it, please could you). Some of the reviews have literally taken my breath away and all of them have helped me work out what my book-baby is (and isn’t) which is very important to know as I bring her up in the world. And by the way she may be a Sea, Street, Summit record-breaker but she’s arty not sporty - like me!

7.     I am grateful for all the other amazing launch events I’ve done in March – from the Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town to Midhurst Library in Sussex, from a Mother’s Day Chanting Circle on Zoom to a Literary Soiree in Chiswick. And I absolutely adored being part of the Mass Swim on International Women’s Day in the Channel organised by Pink Nicky and giving a talk before it at Brighton Sea Lanes supported by Kemptown Bookshop.

8.     And finally I’m grateful to YOU for being interested enough to read this far. I never got to create the family I wanted – and that is shit and sad – but actually this month I’ve felt so much love from the other families I’ve made in the world – my fertility family; my Channel family; my Chomolungma family. And maybe this email will be the start of a new one – my ‘Lists of Love’ family.

So what eight things are you grateful for in March. Mail me or leave me a comment.

PS. This is my sixteenth post on Substack – but the first I’ve written to my full and newly imported mailing list. I’ll be writing monthly to all my FREE subscribers from here on in. I promise not to stress out your inbox with multiple missives and you can unsubscribe at anytime (button at the bottom). But if you stay, see you in April!

PPS. If you fancy becoming a card-carrying member of the ‘Lists of Love Family’ – you can also upgrade and become a paid subscriber and get weekly emails. What could be better than an armchair adventure with me? And until the end of March there’s 50% off subscription (ie. It’s £2.50 a month or £25 a year - bargain!)