Sinn Féin adviser's book deal after impressing Richard & Judy

A senior Sinn Féin economic adviser has secured a two-book crime fiction publishing deal after impressing influential book club hosts Richard and Judy.

Joanne Spain, a mother of four who wrote her first novel last year, said her advance was "reflective of our modest times" and "not anything six-figure-like".

Revealing her good news in a tweet, Ms Spain said: “Oh my . . . just got offered 2 bk deal from the publishers. Celebrating while breastfeeding . . . this will be a bit of craic!”

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan started their successful book club when they presented a daytime television programme. Its influence has endured since their screen partnership ended.

Prize

Ms Spain’s book, With Our Blessing, made the seven-author shortlist in the pair’s annual Search for a Bestseller competition in March. She missed out on the top prize of a deal worth £50,000 with publisher Quercus, but received encouraging news from them.

“I got an email saying I hadn’t won, but it was a close call and they wanted to talk to me about publishing this book and the next in the series. The baby was 13 days old when I got the news!” she said.

“The book itself is crime fiction and focuses on a team of detectives – hence the series . . . I think I can tell you the murder is committed in the present day but is linked to a time in Irish history which the country is only latterly starting to deal with,” she said.

The former parliamentary assistant to Sinn Féin's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty is also vice-chairwoman of IntertradeIreland, which promotes cross-Border trade. She wrote late at night when her children, aged nine, five, three and 10 weeks, were in bed.