Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...

1980

Once upon a time there was a young girl called Diane, who was in second year at High School when a teacher approached her during Registration class and introduced her to a new girl called Sharon.  

Sharon and her family had just moved to the area and today was her first day at her new School.  The teacher asked Diane to take Sharon under her wing and show her ropes.  Diane didn't mind being asked as the thought of moving to a new school where everyone in the year already knew each other well, terrified Diane.  The teacher left Diane and a nervous-but-putting-on-a-brave-face Sharon together...and so a friendship began.

1983 / 84

Sharon and Diane are the most obsessive biggest Duran Duran fans this side of Birmingham.  Diane has the compilation VHS tape of all their videos but no video player.  Sharon has a video player but no tape.  Perfect friendship!  :-))  Many nights  spent watching pause play pause-play-pause play and many hours spent discussing the pros and cons of each band member.  Actually just the pros...there were no cons.  

One night they spent hours creating a banner that stated Duran Duran we love you from an old bed sheet and marker pens, to take to the Radio 1 Road Show in Glasgow.  On the day of the Roadshow it absolutely poured with rain, they got soaked, the banner got soaked and the ink ran till their carefully crafted message to their idols was completely illegible.  But it didn't dampen their spirits (as photo in extras testifies :-)

As well as sharing a favourite pop group, Sharon and Diane also shared a favourite subject at school - English.  Both avid readers and talkers they did well in their subject at O grade and Higher and wanted to continue to study English in sixth year, and complete the Certificate of Six Year Studies (CSYS) qualification. 

Unfortunately the school felt the resources required - three teachers, each covering  a novelist, a poet and playwright - were not justifiable when only delivering the course to two pupils.  Sharon and Diane argued, pleaded, and begged the Rector (with the support of the Head of English) to allow the course to go ahead.  He finally relented when they promised - crossed their hearts and hope to die promises - that they would work SO hard, complete the course and PASS!

And so they had Mrs Holmes (nice lady, young but old before her time) covering the novels of Thomas Hardy, Mr Galbraith (young, newly qualified and utterly gorgeous in a Don't Stand so Close to Me kind of way) covering playwright Bertolt Brecht, and Head of English (the amazing Bill Keys, author of my all time favourite Scots poem A Dug, A Dug) covering the poet Robert Frost (it was supposed to be John Donne but the Rector deemed him too raunchy inappropriate for a male teacher and two female pupils)

They both enjoyed the course, savouring the chance to study their favourite subject at a deeper level, and all the while they talked about their dreams of writing a book and becoming a published author of a best seller.  

All was well till half way through that final school year Sharon announced she'd got herself a job and was leaving school!  Diane was devastated but excited (and a teeny bit envious) that Sharon was heading off to start living her life in the real world.  A proper grown up with a job!  No mean feat for a school leaver in 1984.

1984 - 2008 - 2010

As ever in these situations, life took Sharon and Diane in different directions and they bumped into each other only occasionally, until the arrival of Facebook allowed more regular and intimate contact.  There was a lot to catch up on.  

Sharon and Diane finally met up for lunch in 2010 and the years melted away as, is always the case with good friends,  their conversation started from where it left off.  Spookily they discovered a thread that tied them together...Sharon's boss was married to Diane's son's Speech Therapist!   And both still had the desire to write a best selling novel!

2020

Well I am delighted to report that one of them has realised her life-long dream (spoiler  - it isn't me!  lol)  

This afternoon a package arrived from Red Dog Press and I was actually shaking as I opened it, tore open the lovely red tissue paper and finally held Sharon's debut novel in my hands!  

A very emotional moment as all the memories of us sitting in an English hut in High School age 17, dreaming about what it would be like to hold ones very own published book, came flooding back.  

I am SO proud of her, and even prouder of the amazing reviews her book is receiving.  

I can't wait to read it (she has warned me it's very dark) and she told me today she's almost finished book 3!  Looks like she didn't need that CSYS English after all :-))))

Sharon, I am over the moon for you!  I know how hard you have worked and you deserve every one of those outstanding reviews.  Wishing you every success with this and every subsequent book.  I am just so sorry that this bloody virus prevents you from getting out and about to book signings and reading and enjoying the whole experience to the full.  But what does that matter really....you're a published author!!!!!  :-))))) xx

I am about to delve in and suspect I may be pulling an all nighter!   





P.S.  I passed the exam ;-)))