In January of this year, The Conrad Press published my first novel: Alice, Shaken and Definitely Stirred. It is an uplifting and heart-warming romantic comedy that takes you on Alice’s journey, interweaving her relationships with real-life characters and dreams involving her favourite romantic screen idols. I can truly say the experience of writing and being published has been an incredible experience and one that I would highly recommend if you feel you have that story to tell lurking within. The opportunity to start writing my novel came in March 2020 during the first lockdown. It was a strange time when the nation was suddenly thrust into the unknown. Life became confined to local walks and queuing at the supermarket. The fast pace of life stopped in an instant. It was a time of great uncertainty of how a world with COVID would unfold. After many years of what seemed like driving up a road with many different lanes at considerable speed, life suddenly came to a halt. For the first time, in many years, I found myself with time on my hands so I decided to write. Writing is all consuming; it was just the tonic I needed. As a woman of a certain age (yes, we all get there eventually) I have witnessed the trials and tribulations of friends and colleagues who have experienced the end of long-term relationships. My heroine, Alice, faces just this. However, it was essential for me that Alice had a happy ending to her story. This is not just because I am unashamedly, a hopeless romantic but Alice’s story came from all the true, real-life happy endings I have witnessed in my own life. Nearly all the friends and colleagues I know whose long-term relationships have come to an end (in some cases after many years) have all agreed that their life changed and they become stronger as a result of their experiences. The trauma of a relationship ending can never be minimised but the rainbow at the end can be very real indeed. Many friends discussed how the very changes they were forced to make in their lives ultimately made them more confident and independent people than they had previously been. It may have been a longer journey for some than others but it was a journey that had a positive outcome. My character, Alice, goes through such a journey. Ultimately it isn’t her makeover with the fashion guru Gok Wan, or her reading of Daphne D’Amour’s self-help book on how to be irresistible to everyone you meet but it is Alice’s journey to independence and self-discovery. T The next piece of inspiration I had to help me develop Alice’s story came through the strange dreams I experienced during lock down. Apparently this was a common phenomenon for many people. Now, I have to confess, I have never had such glamorous or interesting dreams as Alice experiences. Alas, Aidan Turner has never insisted on taking his shirt off whilst making me a cappuccino nor have I had Darcy inviting me into the lake to swim with him. However, as in anyone’s dreams they are often about the brain trying to make sense of our daily experiences. Alice is a great romantic so her dreams interweave the characters from her daily life with that of her favourite screen idols thus providing a great vehicle for much of the humour in the book. Ultimately, I hope my romantic comedy will provide great entertainment and make people laugh. Many thanks to The Conrad Press for giving me the opportunity to be able to tell this story which, I am sure, so many will be able to relate to.