Jo took a deep breath. This was the first time she was going to say all this out loud, although she was sure if Noah really was a red-hot agent and she really did have five minutes to sell herself, she would throw up with nerves and disgust the agent from the very beginning. ‘Right, okay. Don’t laugh. Or, actually, can I do this with my eyes closed, or can you face the other way?’

‘Jo, would an agent look in the other direction or allow you to do this with your eyes closed?’ Noah asked, his eyebrow raised.

‘Well, probably not. But I’m nervous and kind of afraid you will laugh at me and, c’mon, give me a break!’

‘Yes, Noah. Give the woman a break.’ Libby nudged her fiancé and he responded by raising his two hands in surrender.

‘Okay. I cave. Although I want to make it known that I’m much, much more scared of you than you could ever be of any agent,’ Noah said.

‘Very funny,’ Jo said. ‘But here goes. It’s called The Lies We Tell, and it sort of, well…’ Her face reddened. She willed herself to calm down and own the moment. Own her dream. ‘Well, it’s a crime novel. But over two generations. So, I suppose it’s a bit of a family saga. It’s about a family who live a really basic, uncomplicated life in a cottage on the Irish coast. They’re removed from everyday life and shun modern advances. It all feels very idyllic, but the younger sister in the family isn’t even aware that a different life exists outside of their home. And she definitely isn’t aware that they are actually in hiding – and the very worst thing that could happen would be for people to find out where they are.’

Jo allowed herself to look at both Noah and Libby, at the expressions on their faces, and, to her surprise, they weren’t cringing, or laughing or looking as if they would rather be anywhere else but exactly where they were.

‘Oh, Jo, that sounds brilliant,’ Libby said, sounding genuinely excited.

‘I’d read it,’ Noah chimed in. ‘And you know me, I don’t read. Not much anyway.’

‘And I’m just thinking,’ Libby continued, ‘you know how Ewan McLachlan is coming into the shop this week for a reading and signing? I’ve heard he’s really personable. I bet I could ask him to give you some advice? He might even read some of it?’

Jo’s eyes widened. She didn’t think she’d have the nerve to let the great Ewan McLachlan even read the title of her book, never mind all the words that followed.

‘Ewan McLachlan?’ Noah said, before he took another swig from his beer bottle. ‘Who’s he?’