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.) 

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.