#AuthorInTheSpotlight – Matilda Swinney | The Texts Before We Met and The Girl Who Jumped

Probably a children’s book like The Girl and The Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes because I read it so many times a day to my girls and never get tired of it!
In a nutshell, what is your book about?
I’ve already began the next book. Because The Girl Who Jumped is a true story it’s easy to keep writing. I’m flying through it because I’ve loved the process of creating a book. At first, writing was slow for me because I didn’t believe I’d ever finish anything. Now that I have, I know it’s possible!
Reading books like Love in The Time of Cholera or Wind Up Bird Chronicle inspired me to start writing because they changed my life. Books are so powerful. They can lift you up when you’re feeling down, they can change your whole perspective on something and they can transport you instantly to another world. I’d love to be able to do that with my books.
It’s been an interesting one! I always thought the best way to publish would be classically with an agent but I started reading about self-publishing and loved it. It’s totally for me. I don’t want to do anything else. I’ve started marketing my debut novel now with a free prequel so readers get a taste of my work. I’ve even jumped in to TikTok which is terrifying and fun all at the same time!
I published my prequel, The Texts Before We Met, on 4^th January 2022. I celebrated by contacting 100 book bloggers! Seriously. My plan is to launch immediately into marketing rather than having too much of a celebration. I know too many amazing authors whose work has gone unnoticed because they were too scared to tell as many people as possible. I’m gonna face my fears and focus on getting as much exposure as possible.
Tell me about your journey to publication

Becky Bloomwood because she’s got amazing friends, she always sees the positive in everything and I love how much fun she has. Plus, she always seems to land herself in amazing opportunities.

My debut novel, The Girl Who Jumped (9^th May) is about a girl who is sick of heartbreak. On a mission to move on from bad relationships she decides to put herself first and chase the one thing she’s always wanted – domination. It’s based on a my own true story. The prequel, The Texts Before We Met (out now, free on Amazon) is about the seven days before The Girl Who Jumped. There are some steamy scenes but it’s not about sex or even BDSM. It’s about love, the risks you take when you find someone who makes you feel alive and learning to embrace your desires and feel empowered. It’s a light, feel-good, funny romance with a little bit of steam for good measure!
Find out more about Matilda Swinney’s books on her website: Matilda Swinney
Website for The Girl Who Jumped: The Girl Who Jumped 
Get your free copy of The Texts Before We Met here: The Texts Before We Met
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. I love her writing. I’ve laughed and cried already. I always say, that’s a sign of an excellent book!
If you were on Desert Island Discs, what one book would you take with you?
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Today’s Author In the Spotlight is Matilda Swinney. Matilda’s book, The Girl Who Jumped, is due out on 9th May and there is also a free short prequel called The Texts Before We Met which is available now. Thanks for joining me today Matilda. First of all, would you tell my blog readers a little about yourself?
What one book would you recommend to a friend and why?

I’m a mother of two girls and currently live with my partner in the UK and Spain. I spend all day looking after my babies and writing whenever I can. I’m an author of romance books, both adult and young adult. I’ve been writing all my life. My mum said even when I was three I used to draw letters in a notebook as if I was writing!
Is there a book you’d love to see made into a film?

I write on Medium three to four times a week about love, relationships and sometimes writing. I love to connect on there. And also TikTok. Booktok is such a lovely community of readers and writers.
When we were first falling in love, my partner would say, “Jump, Tilly. Jump.” He meant jump into opportunities professionally, but also jump into love with him. Take the risk and see what happens. And what happened? Well, jumping proved to be the best decision of my life.

If I’m honest, not really. I never have a desire for a book to be made into a film. I always prefer the books. There’s magic in a book that can never be re-created on the screen.
Do you have a work in progress just now?
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami because you’ll never feel alone again.
How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?
How did you celebrate publication day?
What inspired you to start writing?

What are you reading just now?
And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?