East Sussex author lifts lid on the Struggles of a Celebrity PA

It has been published by Deesa House in paperback at £9.99 and ebook at £1.99, available from Amazon or through bookshops.

Merryl explains: “I have worked as a celebrity PA for almost 25 years and often been in situations where I thought ‘You couldn’t make this up’. I started my career in book publishing, then moved into the film industry before settling on working as a private PA to creative types, but I had always dreamt of writing a novel.

“My first client was Julian Clary and I was with him for over 20 years. Other clients included Jonathan Ross, Anne Robinson and Denise van Outen. All very different characters and as a result my role for each was very different, but always challenging and interesting. Much of my time was spent backstage, in studios and dressing rooms as well as at clients’ homes or accompanying them when travelling to events. I got to see how people reacted to them on the street or at stage doors. I found myself having dinner at the Ivy with Paul O’Grady and tea at the Wolseley with Joan Collins. My book is 100 percent fiction but of course I have drawn on these experiences as all writers do.

“Being in the entertainment industry, when lockdown happened all my work dried up overnight. I had been writing a little, more as a hobby, but decided to really focus on writing a book. It was the perfect project for me. I could lose myself in my imagination as well as my youth. The hard work came later, the editing process, which I had professional help with.

"I am delighted with the finished project and book two is under way, staying with some of the same characters. Lots of readers have asked me what happens next for Maddy and her friends, and I am happy to show them. I came to know the characters so well. It’s easy to slip back in and carry on. I think this book will appeal on lots of levels. Of course there is the fascination with the lives of the rich and famous, but I also wanted to focus on a young woman’s struggle to find her own identity, how important the support of a like-minded network is and, of course, there is a sprinkle of romance. This is my debut! I have always written but not in long form.”