World Book Day
and My First Book Turns 20!
This World Book Day feels extra special. It’s 20 years since Imperfectly Natural Woman was published, the book that accidentally launched a whole new chapter of my life. To celebrate, I’ve opened my Platinum Awards earlier than ever this year, with a dedicated category for wellbeing authors, because books genuinely change lives. More on that below!
But let’s talk about books.
I wasn’t always someone who thought she’d write one. As a child, I was a ferocious reader. Books were my escape, my adventure, my solace. My sister worked in a local library, so I had access to even more than the usual allocation - I was not exactly Matilda, but not far off! Whenever life felt overwhelming, I could lose myself in a novel and be transported somewhere entirely different. Reading gave me a sense of possibility, that anything was achievable if I could dream it.
So it was a genuine surprise when a publisher approached me after hearing me on Steve Wright in the Afternoon and asked if I’d consider writing a book. Me, an author? I hesitated. Then I took the leap.
Imperfectly Natural Woman hit Number One on Amazon, knocking The Da Vinci Code off the top spot, something I still can’t quite believe when I say it out loud. As I always say: “There’s a book in all of us, but sometimes we just need that guidance, those tips and secrets, and that honing of all the knowledge inside us to create our calling cards to big new opportunities.”
From there came Imperfectly Natural Home and Imperfectly Natural Baby & Toddler with Orion, helping readers embrace a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Then in 2013 I signed with Hay House, as a huge fan of Louise Hay, that felt like a dream. I spoke at events alongside Julia Cameron, Kyle Gray, Dr David Hamilton and many others, and presented on Hay House Radio for a couple of years too.
I got so excited about inspiring others to write their book that I wrote You Are the Brand - Step Into Your Purpose, Shine and Make a Difference. Because if you have a message to share, a book is one of the most powerful ways to do it.
Happy Healthy Sober became a passion project, guiding people toward the life-changing benefits of an alcohol-free life followed by the Happy Healthy Sobe new edition, as a companion for the sobriety journey. The Stress to Calm series, co-written with Beverly Densham, offered practical tools for life’s pressures. And most recently, I poured my heart into my memoir From Wham to Woo - A Life on the Mic: a blast through my backing singer days, the Top Ten hit, (Cola Boy) TV, radio, all those years with Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 — the highs, lows, and lessons.
One of the greatest joys of this whole journey has been inspiring others to tell their stories. I now work with aspiring authors helping them find their voice, and I always encourage the Sober Coaches I train to write a book too, it doesn’t have to be War and Peace!
Everyone has a book inside them. A story that needs to be told. Wisdom that needs to be shared.
So on this World Book Day, and in honour of 20 years since the book that changed my life , I’d love to encourage you to embrace the power of books. Read them. Write them. Let them change you.
And if you’re a wellbeing author, or you’re working on becoming one — my Platinum Awards have a category forauthors and entries are open.
If you want help bitthing your book, message me! Check out my books
www.janeyleegrace.com
Janey Lee Grace is a presenter, TEDx Speaker, author, coach and trains people to be Sober Coaches www.thesoberclub.com
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