After the miracle…

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month - so I wanted to share the stories of six amazing survivors whose portraits I took, showcasing the items that reflect the amazing second chances they’ve had since beating the odds and surviving cardiac arrest. You can see their portraits below.

I took the photos as part of my research for How to Save a Life which was itself inspired by my experience of giving CPR to my partner. This is the perfect time to discover how quick and simple it is for you to learn CPR, with options for online or face-to-face.

Plus you can read the stories below and do visit the SCA UK Facebook page to discover even more inspiring examples of survival!

Charlie

‘Oscar’s drawing represents my family, including my granddaughter Tallulah. To be here watching one growing up and another born is literally the most miraculous thing about surviving.’

Helen

‘My necklace signifies that I will continue living and growing for years to come. It was bought by my husband after my cardiac arrest. The heart shape reminds me of what happened in a good way, how far I have come and how much I am loved.’

Ann

The bracelet she’s holding was a gift from her two grandsons. ‘Five years on I feel good in myself, mentally and emotionally. A day at a time, I don't look too far ahead, and that's quite sufficient for me.’

Charlotte

‘I have placed 13 defibrillators with my husband in our local area. We are now “heartsafe” meaning we have a defibrillator every 700 metres in my town. So the defibrillator signifies our achievement in saving other potential lives for many years to come.’

Chris

‘The mug was a present from my granddaughters just after my 50th, so it’s very special for that reason. I should not have been here for my 50th, but here I am. You hear about people not wanting to reach 50, but in my case, I was over the moon.’

Willem

‘The wooden cutting board was a gift from my son and it’s my reminder of what I could have missed had I not survived my arrest. Seeing my son grow up and having the time to spend with him is priceless.’

Beautiful Italian and Romanian editions of How to Save a Life

I love seeing new editions of my books in different languages - and especially seeing the differences in design. Look at these two beauties - the Italian and Romanian editions of How to Save a Life.

Il Bacio della Vita means ‘The Kiss of Life’ - and this cover, from Mondadori, is a fab minimalist take on the UK cover.

The Romanian edition is SO different - the heart motif rendered in blossom with such gorgeous colours. I think the novel is romantic as well as gritty in places so this is a great image.

Which do you like best?

Two Eva cover reveals - I love them both, how about you?

The moment when your book’s cover arrives is always a heart-stopper (and even more so when your book itself is about what happens when a heart stops and restarts). So I am very happy to reveal the cover for my Eva Carter book, How to Save a Life. Or in fact, two covers – one for the UK and one for the USA.

I love both – though they are quite different.

With the UK cover, the designer did a lot of tweaking of the three figures – they’re quite impressionistic, but we added a stethoscope to hint at the medical themes in the book, and a bag to show the rootlessness of one character. We agonised about socks and hair-styles. And tried lots of different colours. I love this final colour as it’s close to the Brighton blue that the beach huts and railings are painted down here.

The American cover was designed completely separately but also has a heart motif, sets against a dramatic landscape and sky full of fireworks.

As the book begins on Millennium Eve, with a disaster unfurling as the celebrations begin, that feels so right too.

I’ve also had a sneak preview of my German cover which is very different again and also has a different title – I will share that soon.

I couldn’t ever choose between them - but I’d love to know:

Which is your favourite?

You’ve seen the covers, now watch the trailer… :)

If you like One Day in December by Josie Silver, One Day by David Nicholls and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, you'll fall in love with How to Save a Life... Jo...

I've opened a bookshop - buy from your sofa & help local booksellers

I’ve opened a bookshop! Well, an online bookshop… and the good news is, if you shop from it, you will help local bookshops in these tough days.

Check out Kate’s Bookshop

I reckon most booklovers have a fantasy of creating their own book store - think of the gorgeous new book smells, the joy of recommending your special titles to others, the comfy chairs for browsers… OK, my version isn’t quite like that but it is a place where I can share what I’ve been reading and loving and I hope you’ll check it out.

I’ve created a few different lists - not only by books, but titles I’ve loved reading this year.

Bookshop.org is a really exciting alternative to the huge internationals, and I’d definitely urge you to check it out.

But if you prefer to shop on Amazon, I have my own page there too.