Ah, the 1990s. The era of Britpop, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the slow, soul-destroying shriek of dial-up internet. A simpler time—unless you were trying to wear low-rise jeans, which somehow managed to be both deeply uncomfortable and universally unflattering.
Back then, landlines were everything, texting wasn’t a thing, and existential dread came via the sound of your answer phone beeping, not from doomscrolling social media. And yet… I’ve found myself mentally back in that era a lot lately.
Why? Because I’ve been revisiting it through my latest novel, Forever, Maybe—a Glasgow-set romantic fiction story that time-hops between the 1990s and 2016. (Which, frankly, now also feels like historical fiction. We were so innocent.)
This self-published novel features:
- youthful misjudgements in crop tops and glitter eyeliner
- late-night drama involving mixtapes and misunderstandings
- and more emotional confusion than a Dawson’s Creek box set.
If you’ve ever cried to The Verve while wondering why someone hasn’t phoned your landline, Forever, Maybe might just be your thing.
Originally, I planned to launch the book at the end of August. But—as with most of my book launches—I haven’t quite done what you’re “supposed” to do. The experts recommend a four-month lead-in. An ARC team. A newsletter sequence. Pinterest strategy. Amazon keywords. A pre-order campaign complete with fireworks and possibly interpretive dance.
Me? My “strategy” is mostly vibes and stubborn optimism. The triumph of hope over experience.
So, spurred on by a much more knowledgeable and experienced author friend who has also chosen to delay publication of her novel (thank you, Caron Allan!) I’ve pushed the launch back to mid-September. Hopefully this will give Forever, Maybe a better chance of reaching the readers who’ll love it. Readers who might be curious about romantic fiction that deals with long-term love, midlife reinvention, the decision not to have children and a subplot about dementia. (With jokes. I promise. It’s not all sobs and sadness.)
You can pre-order Forever, Maybe here if you’re so inclined. Or just nod in recognition at the memory of hair mascara. (Preferably the pink or green one.)
Either way, thanks for being here. And if you’re a fan of 90s nostalgia, emotionally intelligent love stories or supporting self-published books that aren’t written by AI pretending to be Colleen Hoover… I think we’ll get on just fine.
💖 Forever, Maybe — Out Mid-September
A warm, funny, emotionally intelligent novel about love, memory, and finding yourself (again) in your 40s.
Set in Glasgow, with flashbacks to the 1990s and a cast of messy, relatable characters.
👉 Click here to pre-order now if you fancy it.
Or just wave politely from a safe distance—I’ll still be grateful. 💕
Emma Baird is an award-winning writer, specialising in romcoms and fiction that focuses on relationships, and a type 1 diabetic. She is also the co-author of The Diabetes Diet, co-written with a doctor. Most importantly, she is the guardian of one very spoiled cat…
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Good luck with the book!