It’s been a hectic month, since Alfie Slider vs the Shape Shifter was published, in a good way of course but it has left me wondering sometimes what day of the week it is.

Part of my regular routine is to check work that I’ve submitted for publishing or contests and see how I got on; I remember doing this about the 10th of February, but there was no news. Then I got busy with school visits and marketing, and I hadn’t checked again.

Today I got a phone call; it was Simon from Magic Oxygen Publishing and he was ringing to let me know that my story, Tylluan Valley, had been shortlisted for their 2017 Literatary Prize! All the shortlisted entries will be included in the Prize Anthology, which is available to pre-order.

The good news had originally come via email, but in the bustle of the past couple of weeks I’d missed it, which is a shame as there were a few points over those weeks when I could have done with a boost.

The winner will be announced on Saturday, 11th March at a special event in Lyme Regis. That’s my daughter’s sixth birthday so I can’t attend but I will be watching via webcast – will you be joining Magic Oxygen, or me?

The moral of the story, though, is check your email.

Who knows what good news might be waiting there?