Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing Magazine and would like to feature here, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

A thrilling debut

‘I’m thrilled to announce the publication of my debut novel, The Dark Place, and it’s the best feeling in the world’, writes subscriber Stephanie Rogers.

‘It’s a thriller about a couple whose daughter commits suicide, leaving behind a toddler son.

It’s the story of them trying to find out why, with no clues she was unhappy. The more they discover, the less they feel they knew her. It asks the question: how well do we really know those we love?

The book is described as “deliciously dark and twisty” by Manatee Books, my publisher.

‘I started writing about eight years ago when I did a Writers’ Bureau creative writing course, which I loved.

After that, I was bitten by the writing bug. I wrote a novel, mainly for the practise, which will forever stay at the back of the drawer where it rightly belongs. I’ve written a lot of short stories and had two of them published in Take A Break’s Fiction Feast. And, of course, I’ve had the many rejections we all face, along the way.

‘Novels are where my heart lies and I’ve now written five in total. The Dark Place is the first one to be published. It’s available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback, and holding the paperback in my hands for the first time was beyond words. I heard about Manatee Books in Writers’ News and decided to submit to them. Fortunately, they loved the story as much as I did. The whole editing process was brilliant and I’ve enjoyed working with them immensely.

‘I have finished another two thrillers and am hoping to have a second book out in the not-too-distant future. I’m hard at work now on book number six while watering the seed for book seven at the same time. All my books so far are standalones but I would love to write a series one day if I can find the right character and story. I’ve written a YA fantasy and would love to branch out into children’s one day.

‘My mantra is never give up and never stop learning. And I won’t.’

Website: http://steph2rogers.wixsite.com/stephanie-rogers

Platform for odd voices

‘My first year as a subscriber to Writing Magazine has been one of immense growth’, writes subscriber KC Finn.

‘I’ve been a published writer for the last six years, working with indie presses, small publishers and in self-publishing, and have won several awards for my books over that time. Just when I thought I had writing down, Writing Magazine opened me up to even more fantastic competition opportunities. I travelled to Canterbury to take third place in an international writing contest thanks to seeing the ad in WM, I won WM‘s mid-story sentence contest for 2018 and have been delighted to receive five other shortlisted stories and poems in the last twelve months.