I’m afraid to suit the story I have to confess there are some areas where I have taken poetic licence with regard to the setting up of a Parkrun and I hope readers will forgive me. In fact it takes considerably longer than my characters did to set up a brand new event.
Sadly as I write this the Parkrun in the UK has been shut down by the pandemic but I sincerely hope it will be back up and running in the very near future to welcome yet more runners. Why not give it a go, either as a runner or volunteer? It might just change your life, it’s certainly changed mine!
I wrote this book not long after I gave up my day job, and as a tribute to some of my former colleagues, I have shamelessly plundered their names and surnames for this books. Biggest thanks go to the real Claire Harrison, who has been a staunch fan since I was first published; and also to my lovely senior management team colleagues Louise, Claire and Gilly, whose surnames were stolen for my heroine’s work place, Wilding, Taylor and Cunningham. Love to all at the Grove Junior School where I spent eight very happy years with the best team you could possibly wish for.
As always writing any book is a collaborative effort and the birth of each one differs; this one was definitely a breech! But after a long labour, thanks to the persistence and dedication of my brilliant editor, Charlotte Ledger, we finally got there. And huge thanks to my superagent, Broo Doherty, who keeps me smiling and positive, even when that little voice inside is whinging ‘this is too hard’. I’d also like to thank some of the unsung heroes who work away in the background at One More Chapter to make everything happen, including Bethan Morgan, Mel Price and Claire Fenby, as well as the awesome HarperCollins Rights Team, Aisling, Emily, Iona and Zoe.
And behind the scenes, as always, urging me on, are my faithful friends: Donna Ashcroft, the absolute queen of pep talks and prosecco brainstorms; and my Messenger crew, Sarah, Bella, Philippa and Darcy, who all have the capacity to cheer me up with a single gif.
Special thanks go to my friend, Paulene, for her uncanny ability to spot those pesky missing words which I could have sworn I’d typed!
I’d also like to say a ‘wow’ and ‘aren’t you fabulous’ to the book blogging community who are so generous with their time, providing book reviews and sharing the love on social media. I value you all but a special shout out to Jenn Webley, Rachel Gilbey, Julie Morris, Kaisha Holloway and Kate Mclaughlin, who have been especially supportive. Many thanks ladies, reviews count and I appreciate every last one.
Last and most importantly, thank you for choosing to read this book. I’ve had some wonderful comments over the years from readers and I treasure them all. If I can take people on a life-affirming, uplifting journey for a few hours, then it makes every hour spent writing more than worthwhile. I hope that you enjoy reading The Saturday Morning Park Run as much as I loved writing it.
Thank you for reading…
We hope you enjoyed The Saturday Morning Park Run! Do leave a review if so on all your preferred platforms to help spread the word!
Don’t miss Jules Wake’s next heartwarming novel, The Spark, which follows the tempestuous will they-won’t they rivalry between Sam and Jess as life and a disgruntled ex try to keep them apart.
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Get your copy right here!
You can also delve into all her previous books by just clicking on the covers below!
Be sure to follow Jules on Twitter @juleswake and check out her website at juleswake.co.uk for all the updates on her latest work.
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And don’t miss the historical romance of 2020, Before the Crown by Flora Harding, which immortalises the story of the secret engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the tempestuous wake of the Second World War.
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Happy reading!
Jules Wake’s earliest known declaration that she planned to be a writer came at the age of ten. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR, but eventually the voices in her head persuaded her it was time to sit down and write the novel she’d always talked about.
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Her debut, Talk to Me, came out in 2014. Since then she has published a dozen bestselling cosy and contemporary romance novels as both Jules Wake and Julie Caplin.
juleswake.co.uk
Also by Jules Wake
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