A Book Deal, J.K. Rowling and Me by Joanne Rendell

The daily naptime writing grind has paid off. All those afternoons bribing and cajoling Benny into bed and then quietly tapping away on my laptop, has come up trumps.

I have landed my first book deal! Yup, my novel The Professor’s Wives Club has sold to New American Library and I am still recovering from the post-celebration hangover. How exciting is that?

Anyway, I’m sure like most authors who’ve recently sold a book and are living somewhere high in the clouds, my thoughts keep turning to J.K. Rowling. I’m no big Harry P fan, you understand. In fact, I’m probably the only person left in the Northern Hemisphere who hasn’t read one of her books or watched a Potter film. However, I recently learnt that she’s the first person to ever become a billionaire through writing (pretty amazing for someone who got a meager 1500 pound advance for her first book).

I’m not expecting to be the second. Although, you know what? Perhaps I could be…

After all, J.K. and I have a lot in common. For one thing, Ms. Rowling wrote her first book while her small child took naps. J.K., in other words, is a kindred naptime writer mama (I don’t believe she had a laptop though…poor lady). But the similarities do not stop there. J.K. is actually called Joanne Rowling and I am called Joanne Rendell. She goes by Jo. I go by Jo. She lived in Wales when she was a kid. I was born in Wales. She's a blondie and so am I. She was rejected from Oxford University. Me too!I know, I know, it’s just too much of a coincidence. Billionaire-dom surely awaits me.

P.S. To celebrate the recent book deal, I’ve set up a new blog, “Naptime Writer” at http://joannerendell.blogspot.com. I’ll still be blogging my Mama/Benny adventures here, but please come see me over there for my Rowling and other writing ramblings!