A lovely thing happened this morning. Yes, it’s freezing cold, yes, I’m juggling jobs and tasks and pre-Christmas busy season. But this just stopped me in my tracks and brought a tear to my eye. My publisher shared this new Netgalley review and it means everything to me:

My eight-year-old daughter devoured this one and then went back and read it a second time. She loved the characters, the dragons and the care of them, the friendships. It made "her heart feel happy.” She adored the world Liz Flanagan has created and is eagerly looking forward to book two. She would also really like a dragon to take care of so I have been placating her with the fact there will be more books for her to read in the future if no actual dragons in her own future. Great to see her imagination at work after reading this and it also prompted some conversations about the war in Ukraine and all the children who have had to leave their homes and some things we can do to help. The power of books!

I’ve a lot to say about each part of this wonderful review - more on that soon. And I know that Joe Todd-Stanton’s illustrations are a big part of this reaction - they make me feel a lot too!

But for now, to know I made an eight-year-old’s heart feel happy is just the best news. That’s all I ever wanted to do with this job. This is why I write! To create stories that children could escape into, that would provide adventure and enjoyment, yep, that’s my purpose.

When I was eight, I became a serious reader during a serious illness, and books were my escape. My heart felt happy when I dwelled in the worlds those authors had created. So to be able to create story worlds that do this for a new generation of readers is such a privilege, a joy, and an honour.

OK, I’ll stop there. More about Wildsmith soon. Keep warm and stay safe. I’ll be the one over here with a cold fingers and a happy heart!