An author who is 77 years old has finally fulfilled her goal of signing a book deal with a publisher.
On the day of her birthday, Christine McHaines from St Austell in Cornwall unexpectedly received a call offering a five-book deal.
According to independent publisher The Book Folks, editors were drawn to Quentin Cadbury's cosy crime series' adventures as an amateur detective.
It has been a decade-long dream come true, according to Ms. McHaines, to have a book published. ".
The author, who was born and raised in Portsmouth, had always enjoyed writing poetry and short stories, but she didn't start writing novels until just before she decided to leave her job as a civil servant.
"I write because I love to write, but I always hoped for a publisher so that others could enjoy my stories as well," she said.
"I'm sharing my publishing journey with you because I want to inspire others to never give up on their dreams, no matter how long it takes or how old they are.
The dream I had has come true. ".
The email from The Book Folks appeared on Ms. McHaines' mobile phone while she and her husband were driving, but she withheld the information until she was certain of its contents.
"I was so happy, I couldn't believe I'd read the email correctly," she gushed. I decided to go home and reread it on my big screen to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. ".
She has a contract with the publisher, which specializes in crime, thrillers, and mystery books, for five books in her Quentin Cadbury series.
Only about 5% of the books sent to The Book Folks are published, according to publisher Erik Empson.
We hardly ever take an author's age or upbringing into account, he said. It matters most if they have a good story to tell. ".
The first book in the Quentin Cadbury mystery series, The Mystery of the Hidden Fortune, was released on Kindle on Monday. Paperback and hardcover editions followed later that week.
