Toxic by Jacqui Rose: Guest Post

Toxic by Jacqui Rose

Release Date: 12th July 2018
Publisher: Avon

Genres: Crime / Thriller

Bree Dwyer is desperate to escape her husband, take the children and run. But he’s always watching. And she always gets caught. Until her first love, Alfie Jennings, returns to Essex…

Gangsters Alfie and Vaughn have been out of the game for a while, but a life of crime is one you never forget.

To get back on top they need serious money, because loyalty and power don’t come for free. One dangerous job and they’ll have the payoff they need. And Alfie isn’t going to let anyone get in the way, least of all a pretty face like Bree.

It’s time to show Essex what they’re made of. And this time, Alfie and Vaughn aren’t backing down.

 

GUEST POST 

     Coming back after a break

Yikes, by the time you read this, Toxic will be out into the big wide world. It’s all very exciting but I am really nervous about getting back out there. For the past couple of years, I've been trying new things; I wrote a couple of other books in a different genre and I also started a masters’ degree - though I stopped half way through as although I really enjoyed the subject - Counter Terrorism and political Islam, it took up so much of my time I wasn’t able to focus on my writing.

    Anyway, I felt the time was right to come back and I was lucky enough that my former (wonderful) publisher, Avon gave me a book deal. They were so enthusiastic to have me back and I felt humbled by their welcome, and therefore to do their faith justice for the past few months I’ve been a bit of a Miss Worry pants! I have to say I feel more nervous now about publication than ever before! I wasn't nervous at all with my other books, I just took it all in my stride, didn’t think much about it and just got on with the job.

    But now is a different matter! I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's because I had taken a step back that putting my work out into the public domain again to be judged seems very scary! Or maybe I just don't take any of it for granted anymore and writing a good book is really important to me and I want my readers to go away from my book having been taken on a journey, feeling like their investment of time and money was well worth it. It does feel like a huge responsibility because in this day and age, were everything’s so fast and time is so precious, the hours it takes for somone to read a book is not something I take lightly.  

     Although revisiting some of the characters from my old books was really like a school reunion and I loved it, wanting to do my characters justice was essential and therefore the pressure to not disappoint readers (or my publishers) was somehow greater, especially as I've always been so lucky that my readers are brilliant and supportive; they’ve been really excited to hear that I was back, bringing with me favourite characters like Alfie, Franny and Vaughn and that was lovely, though it just made me more anxious!

    Coming back from a break makes it even more vital that the books are better, more exciting, more emotional than ever! This thought never left me whilst I was writing Toxic and there were a few days of panic where I doubted myself – something which I haven’t really experienced before, but with the amazing team at Avon behind me, supporting and encouraging me, cheering me on from the side lines, I hope that in Toxic, we have come up with a book which keeps the reader turning the page.

    So, whilst I am still a little nervous, I am heart warmed by the lovely messages I’ve received from readers and it is really lovely to be back.