There is a beautiful line in my brand-new novel, After Light, about how we spend so much time looking through a camera lens trying to capture a moment, that we sometimes forget to actually live inside it.
This week, I am forcing myself to put down the camera, step back from the laptop, and completely live inside a moment I once only dreamed about.
I have officially launched my tenth contemporary novel. Ten full-length books written, polished, and published over the last decade. If you had told the 13-year-old version of me, the girl who vividly remembers penning her very first stories in an old, battered school textbook, that she would one day have a shelf of ten published novels, I don't think she would have believed you.
But what makes this milestone feel truly supernatural is the incredible, full-circle moment that brought it all together.
Where the Journey Began: 2016 to Now
Many of you know my author journey, but it bears repeating this week. Back in 2016, I was an aspiring writer sitting in the crowd at the grand opening of our local independent bookshop, Harts Books in Saffron Walden. The guest of honour that evening was global bestselling author Jojo Moyes.
Listening to her speak about the emotional depth of Me Before You sparked a fire in my soul. Her encouragement gave me the courage to take my lifelong passion seriously. I went home, treated my writing not just as a hobby but as a dedicated profession, and wrote my debut novel, Reasonable Lies; which went on to become an international #1 Bestseller and #1 Most Gifted Book on Amazon.
Just recently, I reconnected with Jojo to celebrate a massive milestone: the launch of After Light. Sharing that moment, ten books later, with the woman who unknowingly started it all, is a memory I will carry with me forever.
To My "Rosettes": You Are My Heartbeat
To my incredible global community of readers; my beloved Rosettes... thank you. Over the last few days, the reviews and messages for After Light have been pouring in. Seeing you tag your copies on Instagram, sharing your tear-stained reviews, and jokingly warning others "not to read this on the train home!" brings me immense joy.
You affectionately gave me the title "Queen of Tears" because I choose to write straight from a place of lived experience, raw grief, and deep personal heartbreak. Thank you for trusting me with your hearts, from the UK all the way to my passionate readers in India and Australia! With over 3,500 of my books sold independently just on Amazon, please know that every single download and page turn means the world to me. You lot keep me writing.
Looking Forward: The Next Chapter
While I am incredibly proud of the foundation I have independently built as a self published author and business manager over the last ten years, After Light represents a bridge to the future.
Managing ten books has taught me absolute professional discipline. I turn up to my desk like clockwork. I honour deadlines. I know how to refine a raw draft into a commercially tight asset. And now, I am officially ready to take this established track record, this fierce reader loyalty, and these high-emotion stories to the next level.
The manuscript for After Light is officially reaching out to the publishing world as I seek the right traditional corporate partnership to scale up my journey (and yes, Iām still dreaming big enough for that film adaptation!).
Thank you for being on this decade-long ride with me. Grab your tissues, dive into Maya and Max's story in After Light, and let's see what the next ten years bring.
With love and gratitude,
Traci (T.A. Rosewood) š©µš¹