I’ve got loads of great news. First, I’m delighted to announce that Lotte Latham’s debut memoir Dear Mr Andrews is now in the world!

It’s the true story of millennial’s journey through the precarious landscape of sugar dating in the 21st century. Latham embodies the modern-day hedonist, a frank and daring narrator guiding us through sugar dates, from kinky dinners to hotel rooms, while embarking on her personal journey of self-discovery and the unwavering realisation of "how much loneliness is in the world".

We’ve had some rapturous reviews:

"A remarkable debut." — Michael Turner, author of The Pornographer's Poem

"Sweet and bitter and perfectly baked, cutting the lines between sugar babying, escorting and civilian work in a turbulent loop of righteousness." — Tamara Faith Berger, author of Maidenhead

"This playful, hilarious, candid book dares to lay things bare for our entertainment. Highly recommended." — Susanna Kleeman, author of Twice

"Honest, insightful, vital, dirty and sublime." — Kristan X, author of Lascivity

You can read more reviews and also Chapter 1 here: gutspublishing.com/dear-mr-andrews

It’s been a wild ride to see (and hear) what an impact this book is having. After we finished editing, I knew it was powerful although you never really know how it’s going to be received. With it being rather risqué, I was somewhat on the edge of my seat. But I think what this book does is confirm what I’ve always known: people do want to read stories that are raw and gritty and real and push boundaries in terms of what is deemed ‘acceptable’ in literature.

If you haven’t yet read it, please do consider buying a copy today. Or perhaps for that someone special on Valentine’s Day. You can get a copy from Guts Publishing here: gutspublishing.com/product-page/dear-mr-andrews

The ebook is also available from Guts, the Kindle version or ePub version.

If you live outside of the UK, I have two things to announce. First, I sincerely apologize if you haven’t yet received your book. Our shipper, Royal Mail, recently had a cyber incident and they are temporarily unable to dispatch items to international destinations. I’ve been getting regular updates from Royal Mail and it’s sounding optimistic. I will keep you updated and again I’m really sorry about this.

Second, if you live outside of the UK you can also buy Dear Mr Andrews from Amazon, The Book Depository, most major online retailers, and from your local bookshop who can order a copy (the ISBN is 978-1-8384719-6-5). Amazon worldwide is currently delivering within 2-3 working days. As much as I try not to promote the big A, in this situation it would be the best solution (I know some of you may have an aversion to Amazon so please don’t hold it against me!).

Some wonderful news – we’re having an online launch for Dear Mr Andrews on 2 February at 6:30pm GMT which you’re welcome to attend. It’s being hosted by Goldsmiths College with readings and discussion led by Pina Russo, GLITS coordinator. Those who attend will receive a coupon code for £2 off the paperback. To register on Eventbrite please click here.

If you live in London, you can also attend (live and in-person) a book launch / DJ night / art exhibition with Lotte’s original drawings from the book. It’s on Thursday 16 February at 8pm at Avalon Café in South London. Here’s a link with details: artrabbit.com/events/dear-mr-andrews-launch-party

Other wonderful news – Richard Wills, my publishing coach client, published his debut memoir Bloody Social Worker (Thinkwell Books) in December! I was thrilled to see a copy in my letterbox earlier this month. After all the work that Richard and I did together, it was truly magical to see his book published and being well received. Well done, Richard.

If you've been thinking about the Publishing Coach option, check out our website with details about how it works. It's something I truly enjoy and seems to be getting more popular with writers who are just getting started with pitching. My last client, Erin Hosfield, had this to say:

"Once I completed my first novel I was overwhelmed when it came to what I’d need to do to publish. After a few attempts at submitting I realized I was way in over my head, and in need of guidance. I decided to embark on the Pitch Your Book coaching option with Julianne, and feel so lucky to have found her."

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to our contributor, Julian Bishop (Cyber Smut), who had a book launch event in London last week to celebrate the publication his first book of eco poetry called We Saw It All Happen (Fly on the Wall Press). It was such a special night, with readings by Julian and fellow poet Jeri Onitskansky, that I wish someone had recorded it! He’s a gifted reader and is doing some powerful work in terms of raising awareness about climate change. Congrats Julian.