Promote & Publish – Page 18 – Jenn J McLeod

Posted on 13/05/201331/10/2013 by Jenn J McLeod — 7 Comments

It all started with a box…

I’ve made it to just over ten weeks as a published author without waking up! Hmm, it must be that I am already awake and it is NOT a dream after all!

What an amazing experience it’s been since that box of books arrived ten weeks ago. Thank you to all who have embraced House for all Seasons. And to those who have reviewed, shared, recommended… Super-huge hugs to you all.

Generous, goosebump-generating reviews continue to appear online. Then, just yesterday when I thought House was done and dusted in reviewland, and as I tried to find some joy on the first Mothers’ Day without Mum, I had a pinch-me moment.

My Dad rang to say “that book of yours is in the Sunday paper”. Here I was thinking poor Dad had knocked down one too many beers to get through the day. But there it was – House for all Seasons.

The Sunday Herald book section was always the place of dreams where I’d scan the titles and author names in awe wondering what it might feel like to see your novel alongside other great storytellers.

Well, folks, here it is – and on Mothers Day. (Not sure how you managed it, Mum, but thanks for working your magic. You knew how much I wanted to be in that section of the paper. Of all the days too; now I know you’re looking out for me.) SMH-Sunday,12May2013-Page95

Another feeling I find hard to put into words is receiving emails from strangers to tell me the story has touched them in some way and brought them joy.

Suddenly they don’t feel like strangers anymore.

I’ve made some great new friends (both writers and readers) and I look forward to meeting new people at the Sydney Writers Festival at the end of this month where I will be attending the ABIA Awards (Aust Book Industry Awards – another place of dreams) knowing that anything is possible in this business if you are prepared to do hang onto the dream, do the hard yards and stick it out.

Decades of learning, years of writing, months of promotion planning and strategising has finally come together. (My best tip for any writer starting down the same publishing path as me… Start thinking like a published author and you’ll start planning like a published author. You cannot be too prepared. More how-to information for writers is available in my monthly blog post with Writing Novels in Australia. )

Some highlights (apart from the launch, of course) include booksignings, festival appearances, author chats and my Blog Crawl (just look at the fabulous authors who have hosted me).

Perhaps the most significant is this… Because people have been so good to me along the way, I’ve always said I wanted to give back. But first I needed a few runs on the board. With House for all Seasons doing so well, I feel I have some cred. So a couple of weeks ago I offered to mentor a young local writer in the hope of getting her on the path with less detours than I experienced as I stumbled blindly for years. Who knows, I may just be blogging about her good news one day.

Highlights from the last ten weeks. And to think it all started with a box…

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I look forward to taking readers back to Calingarry Crossing next March when we release Simmering Season.

Posted on 17/04/201311/03/2016 by Jenn J McLeod — 49 Comments

Mum’s Day, Memories & Monica McInerney’s Book Giveaway

Mums day giveaway WIN Mum a book!

With Mother’s Day approaching there’s two things I will be doing.

One is remembering my mum. (If you read the earlier post titled: Me, Maeve Binchy, Monica McInerney and my mum, you’ll know I lost her two weeks before the launch of House for all Seasons.)

That brings me to the second ‘to do’.

Because it’s our mums (or substitute mums, such as dads, aunts, older sisters, etc) who provide us with wonderful memories and who make a house a home, I reckon I have the perfect Mother’s Day giveaway…

Monica McInerney’s ~ The House of Memories

Yep! The lovely Monica McInerney has offered a copy — signed, sealed and sent directly to one lucky person, or to your mum for Mother’s Day. Imagine that! (See below for details.)

And while we’re talking about houses and memories, I thought I’d share something about the Dandelion House — the century-old property that features in my novel …

House for all Seasons

The idea of having an interesting old house in my story came from a childhood memory. Down the road from where we lived when I was about six or seven was a ramshackle old place the local kids referred to as The Haunted House (or spooky house). Although very different in appearance to the Dandelion house in my story, it was the kind of place kids would throw stones at, then later tell scary slumber party stories about the weird, old recluse who had chased them away with a broom. the spooky house

I’ve tried and tried to get a photo of the old place as I remember it — a ramshackle two-story concrete structure, overgrown with vines and shrubs and built into the side of giant rock with a cave. After a call out on Facebook I managed to get this picture of the place mid-demolition. (Thx Liz and Gemma Madden.)

Still on the subject of houses and memories…

Another treat, if you haven’t seen it already, is Monica’s real-life House of Memories which featured in her launch last year. Go to Monica’s website to view the amazing time lapse version. It’s great.

But before you go, ENTER THE DRAW by leaving a comment to go into the draw to win the book and if you’d like to, you can follow my news on Facebook or subscribe using the button on the right.

This Mothers Day is going to be tough, so if you can, leave a comment telling us what it is you used to do as a child that would drive your mother crazy, or leave her laughing and shaking her head.

Good luck. Entries close on 30 April 2013 with the winner announced here and contacted via email. And thank you to the very generous Monica Mc.

I’m late with this announcement as I could not decided. So I had my Dad and my sister help me put the comments through the laugh-o-metre.

AND THE ENTRY THAT PUT THE BIGGEST SMILE ON MY DAD’S DIAL WAS….. Gloria Bale’s alien Man from Volton! Congrats Gloria.

Posted on 10/04/201316/12/2014 by Jenn J McLeod — 1 Comment

Time to moooooove on! (Yep, all good things must come to an end.)

So on April 15, 2013, we say farewell to the Facebook promotion (www.houseforallseasons.com.au CLOSED) – and the goodies on offer there. In particular the chance to WIN $1,000 Stayz Accommodation voucher.

That means, House for all Seasons readers, that before the sun sets on the 15th, make sure you’ve put your entry in.

It’s too easy.

And if after reading House for all Seasons you feel inclined to share your thoughts with other readers, I would love, love, love a review or a rating. Direct link to: Amazon. (or Goodreads, The Reading Room.) They all help.

Country cuddles from the Bonville gang (and little Bonville magic just for you.)