The entanglements of family

Thwarted dreams and swirling memories

Hello friends,

I am delighted that for the first time in five years, I now have a new book out in the world!

Pressure Drop is a novella-in-flash and I wrote the first draft way back in 2018, thinking it would have been finished and ready long before now. But life got in the way. Many bereavements, lockdowns, and housing issues mean my time and headspace for working on fiction has been minimal since 2019. But I slowly edited and developed this story as I knew I didn't want to give up on it.

It’s the first one where I feel I really did the digging deep that I am developing through the Slow Writing movement here at The Mindful Writer. It’s interesting to see how my writing practice has changed with the writing of each of my three long-form projects so far. Now as I start work on my fourth, I am excited to apply my new approach and see how things unfold.

Pressure Drop is the story of Stephanie who returns to her remote hometown by the sea for the first time in sixteen years, after her estranged mother drowns, where she must face the sister she left behind, the memories that have haunted her, and the truth about herself and the ways she's let the past define who she is.

It explores the themes of fact and fiction, the role memory plays in the story of who we are and, how to find a way forward, we have to go back.

I am very grateful to my advance readers who provided endorsements for my book.

"In Pressure Drop, Amanda Saint's skills as a novelist and short-short story writer combine to deliver a compelling tale about the entanglements of family and the archetypal journey of the return. The setting is beautifully evoked, the characterisations are psychologically astute, and Saint brews up a storm of emotions with her genuine flair for evoking the unsaid." — Michael Loveday

"In this surefooted story of thwarted dreams and an unresolved past, Amanda Saint skilfully examines the blurred lines between fact and fiction, dissecting the half-lies we have all told ourselves in order to fashion our worlds into more palatable shapes. There is hope and forgiveness to be found here too, a letting go of blame, a fragile way forward. Pressure Drop is a universal story in which we can all find something of ourselves." — Amanda Huggins

"In Pressure Drop, Amanda Saint explores what it is to face up to the realities of the past and how sometimes we need to confront our traumas in order to keep moving forwards. As always with Amanda’s work, this is a story populated with complex characters and densely packed with thematic threads." — Matt Kendrick

"A superbly crafted, compelling novella-in-flash, rich with swirling memories and nostalgia. Saint masterfully weaves the strands of each story together to slowly reveal deeply disturbing familial relationships and generational patterns of self-destruction. Yet, in the end, we are left with a sliver of hope, as a new life begins and an old one is left behind. — Kathy Hoyle

If you could support my writing by buying a copy, it would really mean a lot. It’s hard being an independent author but over the years of my involvement with the publishing industry, I realised indie is the only way for me despite the challenges. I used to have all these big ambitions for my work but now I know that what really matters is developing my craft for its own sake, doing the best I can for the characters and story, and hoping that what I write resonates with the readers it reaches. I hope Stephanie’s story resonates with you.

With love,

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If you know of any other readers and writers who would be interested, please do let them know and help spread the word of my new book and The Mindful Writer. It makes a real difference.