She was born with a pen in her hand but it took Woking author, Marion Field, many years to have her first book published. Her first ‘big break’ she says, was all down to Writers’ News.

‘I have been writing all my life and had had a number of articles published but my books had all returned from the publishers like homing pigeons,’ she explains.

Then at the beginning of the 1990s, self-publishing started to become ‘respectable’ and having just completed her autobiography, Don’t Call Me Sister, about her upbringing in a very strict Christian sect, she decided to be brave and sent it to about twenty publishers. There was no joy but one was kind enough to say that it was a good story and should be published, just not by him.
So Marion decided to publish it herself.

‘I submitted it to Writers’ News and was absolutely thrilled when in 1994 it won the award for the best non-fiction book self-published that year. ‘

With that under her belt she approached the publisher who had been encouraging, Highland Books, and asked if he would be interested in a sequel Shut up Sarah, also based on life in the religious sect.

He was and later reprinted her original self-published book too.

This year Marion’s fourteenth book is due to be published and she says: ‘I can’t thank Writers’ News and David St John Thomas enough. you gave me the encouragement and self-confidence to continue.’

'I have heard many tales throughout my life about “goings on” there and thought it would make a good background for a novel.