As I journey through this exciting phase of becoming a published author, there are certain landmarks worth celebrating - getting an agent, going out on submission, getting offers, getting a deal and signing your first contract. I did that yesterday. It arrived two months after my agent and I agreed a deal with one of the interested publishers. Two months! These things take time I know but I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas. "Is it here yet? Is it here yet?" Thank goodness my agent is a super nice man and puts up with my impatience.

But it's done now. It's official. I also supplied my bio and author pics yesterday for the press release in May.

I get edits next week on book 1. I'm 15,000 words into book 2. Stuff is happening. And it's so bloody exciting.

I'm nearly at 10,000 words for the second Lost War book. I have detailed notes and plans on what happens that my agent was very happy with. So progress is being made at long last. I want to get the first draft done by the summer so hopefully I can build some momentum again.

Hopefully soon, I'll get the initial edits for WATD and feedback on my new title ideas. My favourites were IF WE WERE HEROES, THE LOST WAR and HEED THE CALL but who knows? Maybe they'll come back with ideas of their own.

London Book Fair is also coming up and I think that's when they'll try and start selling foreign rights to the book... It's exciting to think my book will be read around the world!

Lots of stuff going on at the moment. I'm expecting first edit notes from my publisher in a week or so to get the book in a great shape before the press release announcing the purchase of the trilogy. In the mean time I'm planning out Book 2. My header for this simply says "Everything gets worse" - and, considering how bad things are for my characters in book 1, this is quite a tough job. The other thing they have asked for is a change of title. The feeling is that "WE ARE THE DEAD" sounds too much like a zombie book. I'd never thought of it like that but, once it was mentioned, I do have to agree - The Walking Dead, Night of the Living Dead etc etc. So I'm trying to come up with new titles.. I'm meeting the head of the publishers for lunch today and I'll run my thoughts past her...