My novel had the working title of How To Make a Town Gossip. Because that was who Carol was, the town gossip of Marietta, Montana. I submitted a finished manuscript of 78000 words to Tule on the 27th of October 2022.

On the 7th of January 2023, I received an email telling me that although they liked my book Carol’s story had been rejected by Tule for breach of copyright. I knew nothing about copywriting except that you cannot reproduce anything out of a book. I didn’t realise that characters in books belong to their authors. So that was that. I set about rewriting my manuscript without Marietta, Montana, or Carol Bingley.

On the 19th of January 2023, my husband and I were in Tamworth NSW for Australia’s largest country music festival when I received an email from Tule Publishing to see if my manuscript for How to Make a Town Gossip was still available. We were 1119 kilometers from home. As you can imagine I read and reread the email and then started a happy dance up the street. There was plenty of music to dance to with all the buskers on Peel Street in Tamworth.

The Golden Guitar at Tamworth.

By the 8th of February, I had signed a contract with Tule for Carol. I was officially a Tule author.

On the 18th of February 2023, I received my welcome pack from Tule. Time was ticking by on the 1st of March and I got my first round of edits from Jane Porter Tule’s founder.

On the 7th of March, I received my cover artwork and totally loved it. During March there was a book bio to write, and publicity shoots taken. For someone who is excellent at staying in the background, this was an awful lot of change for me to be front and center.

The next lot of edits came through as we reached Broken Hill, 1149 Kilometres from home. Instead of a couple of days in Broken Hill, we stayed for four nights as we knew I wouldn’t have reliable internet where we were headed.

Silverton is about 11 kilometers from Broken Hill, and if you are a Mad Max film fan, this is where Mad Max 2 was made.

On the 1st of June, it was time for a blurb to be written up.

Then I got this amazing email on the 8th of August while in Sydney, 722 kilometers from home.

So as you can see, The Untold Story of Carol Bingley has traveled around a lot. Carol has been a constant in my life for eighteen months or more. I don’t remember the date I started to write about Carol, but it has opened a space in me I didn’t know existed. I’m typing furiously to get more books out, so you can read them as well.

Thank you and PLEASE let me know what you think of The Untold Stroy of Carol Bingley.

For an author to grow reviews are very important. So please please please take the time to review The Untold Story of Carol Bingley on Goodreads and all ebook providers.

Take care, Jane Hartley

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