What a summer it is. Amidst the chaos of an unravelling lockdown, the persistence of Covid 19 case numbers, and the ever more worrying economic fallout, people are trying to enjoy their summer break. If they have one, that is.

I am fortunate enough to be able to take a few days at the Dorset coast, in a town I first visited on holiday as a baby, and to which I have taken my own children since they were small. And yet, as we stroll onto the sand in glorious sunshine, with stripy windbreaks and fluorescent pink spades, while much appears reassuringly familiar, there is much that is strange.

Masks and hand sanitiser. Distanced queues. Beloved restaurants and shops closed during their busiest season. Permanently. A nervous, almost guilty excitement in those of us at leisure, as we make hay while the sun shines before the next economic plunge and pandemic spike.

Added to all this, I am experiencing something else that is strange: my debut thriller is now in the hands of readers. A book about an antibiotic-resistant pandemic, being read and reviewed during a pandemic.

For some prospective readers, the subject has been too close to contemplate: something I totally understand. Others have dived in regardless, and found solace in witnessing another family’s struggle through a different global health emergency, albeit one with many parallels.

The launch process has also been bizarre. No book festivals to go to, no bookshop signings, no bookshops even open for the first few weeks. Nonetheless, I have benefited from some incredible support.
Bloggers and readers have written very kind words about my book. I have been lucky enough to get featured in some media, including The Guardian, with a wonderful review for The Waiting Rooms by Eric Brown. Waterstones picked The Waiting Rooms as one of their exciting new summer thrillers and gave it a great review. And, to cap it all, this week, The Waiting Rooms was longlisted for The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize.

This is a big deal for me. I mean, really. That longlist includes some of my heroes. As the underdog, I am relishing this unexpected chance to wriggle into their shadows, even for a two-week interlude, before the shortlist is decided.
There are over 200 authors on this list. So now, you probably know what’s coming.

If you have read my book, if you enjoyed it and you feel inclined, I would love you to cast a vote for The Waiting Rooms. I’ve included the details below.

Let’s be honest: it’s a long, long shot. But even making it this far has been more than I dreamed of. And, after all, it is the summer of the strange.

If you think The Waiting Rooms  deserves to be on the shortlist, vote before the 16th August using this link. Here’s how:

1) If you are not already a Guardian user, register to create an account (this is free, or you can choose to subscribe if you want to), go to settings and create a User Name. Then you can vote in the comments section in the link above.
2) Choose The Waiting Rooms and one other book from the longlist: they need to be from different publishers. My publisher is Orenda Books.
3) Write a mini-review (100 words or over) of  The Waiting Rooms saying why you think it should be on the shortlist, including the word ‘vote.’

Thank you!