Just over a year ago I received two special gifts – both given by lovely friends to celebrate the launch of my book ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder.’

Some of the book is set in Nepal which borders Tibet and one friend kindly gave me a lovely Buddha charm for my bracelet while three others presented me with a beautiful pot Buddha.

I was really, really touched by these gifts, particularly as I was feeling low and had begun to doubt my future as a writer. I’d toiled over ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ for two years and despite my working really hard to publicize it, the book just wasn’t taking off. My publishers were part-time, and concentrating on their other, non-publishing businesses and I was frustrated and very much alone.

To cheer me up, my friends said I should ‘rub the Buddha’s belly’ and my luck would change but as I’m not superstitious (or Buddhist) I laughed at their suggestion. But later, when no-one was around, I rubbed the belly of the Buddha now sitting in his new home in the fireplace, just in case. Unfortunately, my husband walked in on this scenario, and alarmed to find me prostrate in the hearth clutching at the Buddha - asked if I was ok.

‘You’re not rubbing it’s belly are you?’ he laughed.

‘Don’t be daft. You know I’m not superstitious – I’m dusting,’ I snapped.  It was midnight.

That was the middle of November and within days my old publishers agreed to release me and I discovered a brilliant new publisher – Bookouture. They read my first book ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,’ and immediately offered me a 3 book deal. This year I wrote two books for them – ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cake’ and ‘Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake’ – both reached the top 100 on Amazon, something a year ago I could only dream of.

My husband says my little taste of writing success is down to a great publisher, hard work and my refusal to never give up – and not the result of rubbing a pot in the fireplace. This is kind of him to say – and as you will have realised by now I’m so not superstitious – but I couldn’t help but think ‘Buddha’s belly’ recently when another dream came true. Last week I signed with wonderful literary agent Hannah Ferguson at Hardman & Swainson. Hannah is my dream literary agent, and represents some of the most talented and successful womens’ fiction writers around today. I am so excited and delighted to be working with her and have to keep pinching myself that Hannah is my agent – it really is the icing on my Christmas Cake and the perfect end to an amazing year.

So who knows how long my run of luck will last and whether 2015 will be even half as good as this year? And  it’s probably nothing to do with my lovely Buddhas – and I’m really, really not superstitious, but I can’t help but wonder why and how my luck changed so dramatically when they were given to me. And as 2014 sinks into the past and we welcome a new year and all the wonderful possibilities it may bring, I will lie down in the hearth to rub the Buddha’s belly, just in case.  And if my husband asks why I’m lying in the hearth – I’m dusting, because it’s not like I’m superstitious or anything.

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