Longlist long-shot

Some time ago I told you the exciting news that “The Man in the Canary Waistcoat” had (a) been reviewed (favourably) by the Historical Novel Society, (b) picked as one of their Editor’s Choice titles for that quarter, and therefore (c) entered into the running for the 2016 HNS Indie Award [as it’s independently published].  That longlist of thirty-eight contenders has just been whittled down to a shortlist of nine, with the overall winner to be announced in September 2016, and sadly “Canary” has not made it.

I was initially – momentarily – cast down by this, but then I reminded myself: the HNS is international and highly regarded, it’s dealing with exactly “my people” (historical fiction), and they considered “Canary” one of the thirty-eight novels of 2015 that best exemplified (to quote their website) “excellence in indie-published historical novels”.  Excellence!  And as my cheerleading husband said, if I can make the longlist with my second novel, who knows where I’ll be with my seventh!  Onwards and upwards and, as Sam would doubtless point out, the job itself is reward enough.  How many people get to spend hours immersed in the company of such fascinating characters living in such interesting times?