Publisher's speech at the launch of Mesmerised

Hello to Michelle, to West End Lane Books for spotting a bestseller and to everyone assembled for proving them right by buying every copy they have tonight!

Support the real-life bookshops where you can, we say – rather than the digital bookstore. You can’t do a book talk and signing in cyberspace.

And special thanks to whoever is reading this out to you, without whom we would just be yet another ignored email!

We are really sorry we can’t be with you for what will be a tremendous evening, but with various events of the year, including recent relocation of both home and business, the trip from Devon to London just wasn’t possible.

With our great copy-editing team and others, we haven’t missed a single publication deadline this year despite events, but we’re having to sacrifice the nice bits (like tonight) for the essential bits.

We receive an incredible amount of publishing proposals each month and accept just a tiny percentage of those. Michelle’s ‘Mesmerised’ shone like a beacon and we knew we just had to publish it.

It had reasonably controversial subject matter, the romantic bohemianism of the Impressionist period, and was very well-constructed.

It was a novel that appeared in its Sunday Best clothes, not one with a button missing.

We had the opportunity to meet lovely Michelle at a Book Awards event in London. The publishing deal had already been signed by then, so the flowing red wine we shared was purely social!

We’re certain that as the evening moves on, you too will become entranced by this sweeping novel, its intricacies and its characters.

We are privileged also to have viewed an early version of the book trailer. It is excellent, and if anyone involved in its production is here tonight, then we applaud you on a fabulous job.

Finally, congratulations again to Michelle Shine, an extremely talented writer and a pleasure to work with.

We are proud to be associated with ‘Mesmerised’.

Dawn and Ronnie, Indigo Dreams Publishing