Taylah Eastwell
Monbulk resident Liz Markham put her lengthy time in lockdown to good use, occupying herself by revisiting her novel Surprise Packet.
Drafted over a three year period from 2015 to 2017, Mrs Markham always knew she would get back into writing one day.
Fast forward to 2020 – Covid-19, a cancelled overseas trip and stay at home orders gave Mrs Markham the perfect opportunity to finish and self-publish her novel.
Mrs Markham said that prior to Covid, she “sat on it for a while” to consider her options after being advised by a literary agent to cull 30,000 words. She was told a publisher was unlikely to accept a manuscript from an unknown author in excess of 90,000 words.
“It didn’t seem reasonable to be asked to cut what amounted to seven or eight chapters or a quarter of the novel, just to reach a particular, arbitrary word limit,” she said.
“I would have lost too much of the story, and I really believed in it. I was disappointed not to move forward at the time, but I’d had such a good response from the ten or so people who had read it, that I always knew I’d go back to it one day.
Mrs Markham made the decision to self-publish her book.
Covid lockdowns presented the perfect opportunity for Mrs Markham to look over her novel with fresh eyes, re-write some sections and cull 6000 words to “tighten it up a little”.
She sourced the photos for the cover and worked with the design team at Green Hill Publishing on both the cover and interior concepts.
“I researched self-publishing companies because I preferred the idea of having it produced in Australia, that’s how I found Green Hill. I sourced the photos as it was important to me that the photos matched the story,” she said.
When asked what sparked her interest in writing a novel, Mrs Markham said it is something she has had in mind since she was a teenager.
“I do remember telling my Form Two English Teacher that one day I’d like to write a book. She sent me a message the other day and said she has ordered a book. I posted it to her and said I hope you enjoy it, but no red pen corrections please,” she laughed.
“I worked in age care for four years and used to look around the elderly people in the residential aged care facility and think, everyone has a story.
Mrs Markham said her book is essentially about one woman’s journey from age twenty to forty three. She said it is entirely fictional, with some hints to memories of her own that only those close to her would pick up on.
“It’s about courage, resilience, love and loss, the importance of family (including fur family members) and finding gifts when and where you least expect to find them. It’s a character driven book. You’ll become invested in the characters and moved by their circumstances, and find yourself cheering them on from the sidelines,” she said.
Mrs Markham has been overwhelmed by the response she has received since her book began selling, having to order more copies already.
She has even had a purchaser from Scotland buy her novel.
“She sent me a photo of my book on her kitchen table in Scotland and I just cried. It just meant so much to me that someone in Scotland was reading my book.
Surprise Packet is available on Amazon and other online platforms for $36-$38. It can be purchased from Woof N Wonderful Dog Grooming in Monbulk or from Belgrave Book Barn.
Orders can also be made directly through Liz for $25 via her public Facebook page, Elizabeth Markham – Author.
She will also have a stall at the Monbulk Twilight Christmas Market this Friday 11 December commencing at 5.30 pm at the St Georges Church Paddock in Monbulk.
