It’s a pleasure to be part of the cover reveal for Aria’s Travelling Book Shop By Rebecca Raisin, which is releasing on April 8th 2020 with HQ Digital
Blurb:
With her merry band of Van Lifers, Aria heads to France in her travelling bookshop, best friend Rosie by her side for a summer they’ll never forget!
Hopeless romantic Aria vowed never to love again after losing her husband, TJ, but fate has other ideas and keeps throwing the bespectacled, booklover Jonathan in her path. When a memento from TJ turns up it brings Aria’s past back to the fore.
Nomadic by nature, Aria can’t see how love could work anyway when home is always at the end of a new patch of road…
A long, hot summer travelling off the beaten track, surrounded by newly loved up couples reminds Aria of what she’s missing.
Will she bookmark her love life at the point her husband left, or she will begin a new chapter under the sizzling sun of the Cote d’Azur…?
Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.
I have the great pleasure of being a (small) part of the launch of my friend Lucy’s debut novel, Make It Up to You, an entertaining and sexy read which romcom and chicklit lovers will adore! I am sharing a scene from Chapter 4 (scroll down), but first …
About Lucy
Lucy Keeling is an author writing fun, sexy, stories with all of the happily ever afters. When she’s not typing at the kitchen table, she’s arranging and then re-arranging to see her friends for the occasional spot of day drinking. Lucy is currently writing the third book in a contemporary romance series, the first of which was runner-up in Choc Lit’s ‘Search for a Star’ competition which was sponsored by Your Cat magazine.
Lucy lives in Greater Manchester with her family.
About Make It Up to You
What do mascara wands and gardening shears have in common? Absolutely nothing! At least that’s what wannabe beauty influencer Sophie Timney thinks when her friend Polly suggests involving her brother Marcus in Sophie’s make-up tutorials. She needs more views, Marcus needs promotion for his gardening business – in Polly’s mind joining forces will help them both. Sophie isn’t so sure.
Because Marcus Bowman has a habit of getting under her skin in a way that no exfoliating face scrub ever could. But, as the views and comments on her videos begin creeping up, it becomes increasingly obvious that Sophie’s subscribers like Marcus, and what’s even worse is that Sophie might be starting to feel the same way …
A scene from Chapter Four to whet your appetite
Sophie took a deep breath and— KNOCK KNOCK. She rolled her eyes and hit pause. As she stepped away from the table she assumed it would probably be another delivery for Mya. Or maybe it would be a parcel for herself, maybe some fabulous new make-up brand wanted to send her loads of free stuff so that she could review it for them. The idea made her smile wide as she pulled the door open. Her smile ran down off her face faster than cheap mascara and wine crying as she saw Marcus standing there. He was looking over his shoulder at his van, so she took the opportunity to quickly give him the once-over. He had a cap covering his hair, a plain grey T-shirt that clung unnecessarily tightly showing his muscular arms, and was that a six-pack? He had on cargo shorts, the ones with the obscene amount of pockets – like really, if you need to carry that many things get a bag – finished off with thick socks and work boots. He was quite tanned and for a minute Sophie wondered what fake tan he was using.
‘Hi, I thought I would come and take some… erm, measurements.’
Marcus was looking at Sophie with a strange look on his face. Sophie felt herself redden. Had he realised she was checking him out? Well, not checking him out, she reasoned with herself, more giving him a professional once over as was a requirement of her job. She realised she was looking at his T-shirt again, trying to see if she could make out any more muscle definition. With a cough she looked back up, telling herself to get her act together.
‘I didn’t know you were coming today. I’m actually working.’
‘That’s OK.’ Marcus stepped over the threshold and around Sophie. ‘I just need to take some measurements, just go ahead and carry on doing your work.’
The way he said ‘work’ made Sophie’s lip curl. She took a breath as she remembered she had promised herself to stop letting Marcus antagonise her. Cheeky git had stopped to put the kettle on, on his way to the garden. There was a back door through the kitchen itself to a side entrance, as well as the French doors behind the table she was currently working at. Fuming, but trying to remain calm and mature, Sophie went back to the table to go over her notes regarding what she had been recording, and what products she was reviewing. Next she would need to look at how best to title and tag the videos for her social media. Well, she was trying to, but it wasn’t working.
With her back to the French doors, it was very unsettling knowing that Marcus was behind her. She couldn’t read the notes that she had written, and she was fidgeting in her seat. Was he looking at her? Could she turn around and look at him? She should’ve kept the curtains closed after all. Deciding that it was her garden – well Mya’s – she could look at whatever she wanted to look at, whenever she wanted to look at it. She turned around. He was at the bottom of the garden with his phone, clipboard, pencil and tape measure. He was clearly just getting on with his work, which just made Sophie mad. Why was she so affected by his presence, and on what planet did he go around being the professional one?
Now that my debut novel is out in the world, I am fielding lots of questions about what’s next, so I thought I’d blog about it and let you know!
Aside: I have been overwhelmed by the support from the writing community since my debut was published, especially romancelandia, and by the responses to One Summer in Santorini from readers. I’ve had messages, Tweets, Facebook comments and so many wonderful reviews and ratings. Around 95% of readers love my book and it is still sitting well in the charts. I am humbled, grateful and excited by this. Thank you!
But what now?
As you may know, I work fulltime for an educational company as a professional development specialist. My work is 90% reading, writing, and editing educational materials, so sometimes finding the impetus to write and edit fiction is tricky.
But, I have found a solution!
On weekdays, I get up 2-3 hours before I go to work, and I do author biz (respond to emails and messages, post to social media, and so forth), then I write or edit. The early starts have worked well for me.
In July, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo and wrote 35000 words of a Christmas novela – all in the wee hours. I’ve set that story aside for now, as I am currently (re)editing book #2.
Book #2 is actually the third book I wrote – after the sequel to One Summer in Santorini – and because it is in the same world (it’s about Sarah’s sister, Cat), I am editing to ‘fix’ the chronology. It now takes place right after One Summer in Santorini, and I’ve edited out all the spoilers for the sequel to Sarah’s story.
I had edited this book – I call it Cat’s book at the moment – last year, after I finished writing it, but I am a better writer now, so I have also tightened it up in this editorial pass. I will soon hand this over to my editor for their edit. When it comes back to me in a month or so, I will incorporate their edits and it goes back across to them. In the interim, it will get a name and a cover(!)
When I hand over Book #2 (sometime in the next 2 weeks), I have a few options. I can work on the Christmas story, which will now be a full-length novel, go back to Book #4, which is based on a character Cat meets in Book #2 (I’m about 50000 words in), or begin a structural edit of the sequel to Sarah’s book.
So many choices!!! However, the two unfinished stories do call me.
Essentially, what I have learned about being an author, is that there is always something to do. I move between writing and editing, and while I work on these 4 books – each in its own stage of development – there are other book ideas busting to get out. I temper those ideas by making notes, but not letting them take up any real estate in my mind – it’s already crowded in there.
One of the questions I see most often in the writing community is ‘How do I get back into writing?’ This question might be posed because the writer has suffered a bought of what they call ‘writer’s block’, or because they’ve had a break from writing.
No matter the reason, I always respond with the same advice: read.
Reading is a writer’s best friend. It exercises the brain, it gives you room to play, or escape, or explore. It allows you to immerse yourself in a world of someone else’s creation. It lets you live vicariously through characters that other writers have painstakingly crafted. It will lead by example, showing you how to write and ,sometimes, how not to write.
Reading is a writer’s fuel.
Since January, I have written 100K words across two books and multiple blog posts. I have edited my first (published) book and I am about to start editing my second book, which will be published next March/April. Throughout the first half of the year, I have also read voraciously.
So, what does a writer of RomComs read? Here’s my reading list since January (in no particular order):
The Lost Man (Jane Harper)
The Little Theatre on the Seafront (Katie Ginger)
Wildflower Park (Bella Osborn)
The Day We Met (Roxie Cooper)
The Woman I Was Before (Kerry Fisher)
The French Photographer (Natasha Lester)
Summer at the Cornish Cafe (Phillipa Ashley)
One Summer in Italy (Sue Moorcroft)
One Summer’s Night (Kiley Dunbar)
The Secret Cove in Croatia (Julie Caplin)
The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows (Jenni Keer)
The Rose Result (Graeme Simsion)
Coming Home to Holly Close Farm (Julie Houston)
Instructions for Falling in Love Again (Lucy Mitchell)
There She Goes (Lynne Shelby)
Lessons in Love (Belinda Missen)
An Impossible Thing Called Love (Belinda Missen)
Esteban and Marialena (Eve Corso)
The Sins of the Sire (Emily Royal)
The Man I Fell in Love With (Kate Field)
Summer on the Italian Lakes (Lucy Coleman)
The Year of Starting Over (Karen King)
Louis and Louise (Julie Cohen)
Her Brooding Scottish Heir (Ella Hayes)
The Last Dance (Aimee Brown)
I am currently reading The Strawberry Thief (Joanne Harris) and next up is the thriller Never Have I Ever (Joshilyn Jackson).
On Goodreads, all reviews 3 stars and over are considered positive. Goodreads will even tell you what percentage of readers liked your book. At the moment, 93% of people ‘like’ One Summer in Santorini.
Or, to look at it another way, 7% of people disliked or even hated my book.
One review was so scathing, I followed the breadcrumbs to the reader’s blog and she’d posted ‘Ten Reasons I Hated This Book’. Of course, I read them – all of them. Some reasons had me wondering why she’d picked up the book in the first place – she hates love triangles, for instance and the blurb mentions the love triangle. Other reasons indicated that she hadn’t actually read the book – which was confirmed at the end when she wrote ‘I skim read most of it.’
The thing was, the book didn’t engage her enough for her to actually read it – and that’s okay. Sarah, a protagonist who is very like I was at her age, is not for everyone – just like I wasn’t, just like I am not everyone’s cup of tea now. And that’s okay.
Some 3-star reviews rave about the book, which indicates that for those readers, 3 stars is high praise. Thank you, readers.
I’ve read reviews where the reader is cross about the ending (no spoilers). I’d love to reply that it is slice of life – just that moment in time – and that I’ve written two follow-ups (one a direct sequel), which will be published in 2020.
Replying to reviews is, however, a no-no.
So, why do I read reviews at all?
Simply, because the good ones feel amazing – validation that the hundreds, if not thousands, of hours I spent in isolation getting the story down and honing it, were worth it.
I’ve read reviews where the reader says how much the theme of the book – falling back in love with life – resonated with them, and that they want a bigger life, just like Sarah. That means so much to me. I also love hearing that the book is a ‘fun beach read’, because that’s one of the genres I love reading, too.
So, no, authors probably shouldn’t read reviews – or at least, we shouldn’t obsess over the ‘bad reviews’. But as long as we go into it knowing that our book will not be for everyone – that some people will find it boring, or the protagonist annoying, or the ending frustrating – then we can take the bad ones with a grain of salt. Because for some readers, our book will brighten their day.
Many authors identify as either plotter, someone who plans the whole plot and all the details before they start writing, or a pantser, someone who flies by the seat of their pants.
I am a proud plantser, so somewhere in between. This means I have a general idea of where the story goes, writing out general plot ideas before I start, but I’m often surprised by my characters.
I tend to scribble notes as I write, reminding myself that the love interest has green eyes and what his middle name is. The scribbles become my ‘bible’ so that I can edit for continuity. K.M. Allan blogged about creating a series bible, but I recommend creating one even for stand-alones, especially if you’re a plantser like me.
Another thing I’ll do before I start is to choose the setting. Setting is extremely important to my writing, almost becoming a supporting character, and I only write about places I’ve been to and know. Yes, I still have to research. I’ll look back over my photos and read my travel diaries and blog posts, and I become a Google savant. For the book I’m currently writing, I’ve been on Google street view, travelling down the roads in the tiny Oxfordshire village my aunt lives in – just to get the details right.
The last thing I always do before I start writing is ‘cast’ my book – always the main character and the love interest, and sometimes supporting characters. This makes it so much easier to write, because I just imagine them in those places and sometimes whole scenes will play out in my head before I write them down. Actions become easier to write when I have the setting and the characters visually locked down.
So, I thought I would share some of my casts – just for fun.
One Summer in Santorini(and the sequel, One Summer in Love): Sarah, James and Josh
My next book, That Night in Paris: Cat (Sarah’s sister) and Jean-Luc
My work-in-progress is a Christmas book about three childhood friends from Australia, Colorado and the UK: Lucy and Will; Lauren and Matt; and Lisa and Archer
And the next next book is set in Bali and Scotland
Jaelee and Alistair
So, there’s a little of my plantser inspiration for you…
This weekend I am honoured to be able to share a beautifully-written short story by a fellow romance author, Laura McKendrick, who also writes under the name of Eilidh Lawrence.
Author bio
I am an aspiring romance author, songwriter and contributor to the Pink Heart Society (PHS) e-zine. I was a co-founder of #UKRomChat, a weekly live Twitter chat for romance writers, and co-hosted the chat for its first year. In 2018 I finalled in the TARA and WisRWA Fab Five romance writing contests. I’m a former prosecutor and hold a Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences, but, no, I would not rather be writing crime! I’m all about happy-ever-afters.
She recently entered the (UK) Woman’s Weekly Fiction Short Story Competition, which was co-sponsored by Mills and Boon and she was one of the runners up with her story, Hunger. I loved it and wanted to share it with you.
Hunger by Laura McKendrick
Image by Alan Poulson Photography
The Oregon Trail, near Fort Hall, Idaho, 1849
“Your cooking smells of home.”
The unfamiliar voice drew Órlaith’s attention from the pot where she stewed elk over an open fire. It took a moment for her to realise the man had spoken in Gaedhilge. Shadows danced across his gaunt face. A face she didn’t know.
“I’m Liam.” He bent closer, offering his hand. “From Donegal.” His fingers were long, his grip firm. His dark hair contrasted with his pale skin.
“You’ve the charm of an Irishman, to be sure,” she replied in English. They were in America now. “But we both know half the women in this camp are stewing game tonight. It was a good day for the hunting.”
He laughed, a sound she didn’t hear so much these days.
“Well, there’s none cooking it as well as you.”
A charmer indeed.
She returned her focus to the stew. The scent of wild garlic mingled with the ever-present woody, smoky smell that had clung to her hair and dust-coated clothes for months now.
“It really does smell good.” He hesitated. “Can I buy some?”
She studied him. “I’ve not seen you before.”
“No. We joined you today. My boy was exhausted. We rested, the two of us. Our party went on.” He shrugged. “That’s how it goes.”
“Your boy?” There were so many children on this wretched journey. “How old is he?”
“Danny’s but four years.”
“You both must eat with us. As our guests. No charge.”
“Us?”
“My brother Ruaidhrí and I.” She paused. “We’re all that’s left that were still in Ireland. And there’s my babby, Hope. She’s asleep.” Órlaith nodded towards their canvas-covered prairie schooner. The wagon was the closest thing to home little Hope had experienced so far in her hard, infant life.
“I’m sorry.” A respectful silence hung in the air. The clicking of the cicadas seemed clearer. Then he smiled. “Hope’s a pretty name.”
“Will you sit?” she invited, and he did. “I always wanted a baby girl called Caoimhe. But then I had Hope on the crossing. A babby born on the Western Ocean. Who would’ve thought? We were bound for America. Caoimhe seemed too…”
“Irish.”
A moment of understanding passed between them.
“Yes.”
“And what do they call you?”
“Órlaith.”
“Was it The Hunger took your people, Órlaith?”
“Disease.”
The fire crackled.
“I see.” A horse whinnied, and he turned towards the sound. When his face returned to Órlaith, she saw sincerity etched across his strong features. “My Nancy, she made it through the workhouse. Made it through near-starvation. Made it through the crossing. But she didn’t make it beyond Boston.” A single shake of his head conveyed loss and disbelief. “Cholera. Little Molly too. Buried three thousand miles from home.”
He did see.
“We none of us would’ve expected this, when we were young. This loss.” She picked up a stick and poked the fire. It sparked. “My sister and her husband left in ’44. Went to Oregon to farm. I could never leave, that’s what I thought then. But when my husband Ciarán and my parents died everything became so bleak. It didn’t seem like life would ever get better.”
A dark time. It wasn’t the smoke that caused tears to well in the corners of her eyes.
“There’s such misery in our country,” she continued, a catch in her throat. Their eyes met. Her pain was reflected in his. “That’s when Mary finally convinced us to come join them. My brother-in-law arranged it all. It was a good boat, at least. We were lucky.”
He looked away from her and tugged at the left cuff of his worn shirt. Had he not been on a good boat? She knew of the coffin ships and thanked God she hadn’t given birth in those squalid conditions.
From behind them, Ruaidhrí coughed. “I see you’ve met our new friend.”
She hadn’t noticed her brother’s return.
Ruaidhrí stepped from the edge of the fire’s light and slapped Liam on the back. He made friends easily, always had done.
“Well, I’ll get back to my boy.” Liam stood. “We’ll take you up on your dinner offer.” He glanced at Ruaidhrí. “If your brother doesn’t mind.”
Ruaidhri grinned. “The more the merrier.”
She was in dire need of merriment.
“You’re both very kind.” Liam lingered. “And Órlaith, perhaps later, I might have a dance?”
She looked at the Irishman, tall, not yet old, a survivor. But gentle too, and familiar. Like home. She smiled. “That’d be grand.”
Today is the last day of the book blog tour for One Summer in Santorini, and it has been a blast. I first learned about BBTs last year when I was an indie author and I knew I wanted one for my first novel with HarperCollins.
My agent, Lina Langlee, was across BBTs from her experience in the world of publishing-marketing, and she helped by walking me through critical steps. Once I told my publisher I was working on a BBT, they reached out to bloggers they work with regularly – and they created the banner above.
I had support and I learned a lot, so I wanted to share what I learned. Whether you are an indie author or are being published by a publishing house, a BBT will require a lot of hard work and dedication from you. But I think this it is worth it. I think it helped me reach a larger readership.
WARNING: This is a really long post – but it includes everything I learned. Here’s what to do, including step-by-step instructions.
Plan ahead. A book blog tour takes time to set up. Give yourself a minimum of three months, two if you are extremely efficient and you already have a strong network of bloggers and fellow authors.
Read (blogs) widely. If you want to create a fabulous book blog tour, start by reading book blogs. Ask readers and authors in your genre who their favourite book bloggers are. When you find one whose style you like the look of, follow them on social media and see which book blogs they read. You are building a wishlist.
Be an active online community member. Subscribe to your wishlist book bloggers’ sites. Follow them on social media, respond to their content, and share it. There are many terrific book bloggers – people who genuinely love books and who are creative in how they support the author community. Support their work.
Be a supportive member of the writing community. This has to come from a genuine place. Seek out other authors in your genre, or who share a common connection. While I am connected with many romance authors through our writing community, I am also connected with authors in other genres through the Australian writers’ community, through my agency, and through my publisher.
Many authors (like me) blog. If you like an author’s books, subscribe to their blog. There are hundreds of Facebook groups and Twitter communities for authors. Find your tribe and participate. Offer support, even if it’s just a well-time tweet. If you have a special skill related to the profession, offer to help. Be a beta reader, edit a blurb, connect an author friend with a graphic artist friend.
You will grow a professional network and it’s very likely you will make friends. I have dear friends whom I’ve only engaged with online.
And when it comes time to create a blog tour, you can ask authors who blog to join in.
Think outside the box. Not every post on a book blog tour must be a review. Once you’ve created your wishlist of bloggers and authors, make note of those who also post interviews, ‘share a scene’ posts, essays on writing, or other innovative ways to engage your readers.
On my recent blog tour for One Summer In Santorini, fellow author Belinda Missen challenged me to describe the perfect Greek dinner party. That post was a blast to write.
It may be easier to get people commit to the tour, if you are doing the heavy lifting with regards to content. For my recent blog tour, I wrote nine different pieces.
The practical stuff for a DIY blog tour
Create a spreadsheet for your wishlist (Excel or Google Sheets will work) and include:
The name of the blog
The URL (web address) – make it a link
The name of the blogger/author
Their email address or a link to the contact page of the blog
Any other information that may be useful when you contact them
Columns for tracking data: date email sent; date of reply; format of blog post, etc.
Write your reach out emails (the templates). You will want slightly different versions for bloggers and authors. The emails should be friendly, clear, and succinct:
If you are not yet connected with the person, introduce yourself and explain why you’d be thrilled/honoured to have them be part of the tour
Give a brief synopsis of your book
Give the proposed date range for the tour
Be explicit about the type of post you’d like and if you’re offering to create the content for non-reviews
Ask them to RSVP before a particular date, so you can start assembling the tour
Link to your website or most public social media profile(s) – they may want to see how much reach you have
Edit your reach out emails and get feedback if you need to
Carefully send the reach out emails:
Ensure that each one is addressed to – and is specific to – the person you are emailing
Wait:
As you receive responses:
Reply with a thank you (for every response – even ‘no’)
Update your spreadsheet
If it is a yes, mention you will be in touch soon with more information
When you’re close to the deadline, send a quick follow-up to any non-responders
Schedule the blog tour:
Use a tool such as Doodle (free to use)
Set the date range
In the settings, limit to one or two blog posts per day
Send a notification email (through the tool) to all bloggers/authors who said ‘yes’ – include a ‘due date’ and follow up as you get closer to it
As people respond, update the spreadsheet with the dates for each blog post
Note if you need to create content and set up calendar reminders
Most bloggers and authors will tell you in their email what they require from you – if not, ask
Email each blogger/author to confirm their date for the tour
Prepare assets and content:
Book Blog Tour Banner
If you have a publisher, send them a succinct spreadsheet with the book bloggers/authors (often their Twitter handle or website address) and dates
Ask them to create a blog tour banner
If you don’t have a publisher, you will want to create a banner with the book cover, blogs and dates. Search online for what these look like.
Triple check the names, dates and other information on the banner
Author photo (high resolution), book cover (high resolution), book blurb, buy links, your social media links, and any other ‘assets’ you have been asked for
Write content you have promised or answer interview questions
Email the blog tour participants individually and send assets (and content)
Give them as much notice as possible
Refer to the spreadsheet and previous email exchanges to ensure you are sending each person exactly what they need/have asked for
Count down to the blog tour on social media to generate hype – tag the participants
Once it starts:
Post your blog tour banner each day of the tour, tagging that days’ blogger(s) and thanking them for participating
Like and share their social media posts
Save the links to their blog posts about your book
Grab quotes from their posts and use these to reshare their posts on social media
Comment on their blog post with a thank you
Loop back to previous posts and share these, tagging the blogger
2016. Ben and I had just returned from another sailing trip in Greece.
My manuscript called to me from the desk drawer. ‘Hey, remember me? I’m about falling in love on a sailing trip in Greece. You could, um, you know, give me a new lick of paint or something?’
I ignored it.
I’d had an agent the year before. He’d loved the book, but he couldn’t get any takers. I was done with it. I was done with the whole ‘being an author’ lark. I was giving up on my dream.
Then we saw La La Land.
La La Land, which will forever be known as ‘the film that changed my life’.
Yes, really.
You see, towards the end of the film [spoiler alert, but really, you should have seen it by now—it’s incredible], Emma Stone’s character, Mia, is at the point where she wants to give up on acting. And Ryan Gosling’s character, Sebastian, convinces her to go to this one particular audition.
She does, and it is a beautiful audition. La La Land is a musical, so she sings it—a song called ‘The Fools Who Dream’. In a perfect Oscar-winning moment, she lays it all out there, her heart bare and raw.
[MAJOR SPOILER] She gets the part and she becomes a huge star.
The rest of the film devolves into a flash forward and then completely the wrong ending, but that scene!!!!
After the film, we caught the tram home and I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face. When we got home, I told Ben I wanted to be alone, and sitting at my desk, I had a serious talk with myself.
No one was going to knock on my door and ask if I had a completed manuscript lying about. No one was going to ever read it if I didn’t do something—if I didn’t at least try.
This was my dream. I was a fool who dreamed, and if I didn’t give this everything I had, it would never happen and I would always be heartbroken that my dream hadn’t come true.
So, I had to try—again.
And I did. I re-wrote the book and self-published and queried it and wrote more books and queried those. I kept going. I gave it everything I had—all because of that one scene in that one film. Yes, eventually I may have had a nudge from somewhere else, but I will always remember La La Land as the film that changed my life.
It’s been four months since Ben and I moved back to Melbourne post-sabbatical, and it has been anything but dull.
Since arriving in late January:
We apartment hunted for the perfect rental and were elated to get a place in the heart of the city with an incredible view. It has an office for me, enough space for Ben’s VR set-up, a guest room, a winter garden and a wrap around balcony. I love it.
our view
I job-hunted and landed a plum role in professional development (a field I love) at my pre-sabbatical employer, which just happens to be across the street. As in, my commute is about one minute (please don’t hate me). So far, I haven’t bothered to wear a coat or take an umbrella, because, well, one minute – plus most of the walk is under cover. My work has already taken me to Adelaide (twice) and I work with incredibly smart people, who maintain an impressive chocolate stash in the office (this may be why I choose to work from home a couple of days per week – too much temptation).
This was my desk when I arrived at work on my birthday.
Ben has become an Australian! I wept like a weeping willow throughout the ceremony, but at least had the presence of mind to take photos. When the Lord Mayor of Melbourne had the Aussies in the gallery stand up and make the oath to Australia, just like the newly-minted Australians, I could barely get the words out. #ProudAussie #SoProudofBen
We’ve caught up with friends. Our friends in Melbourne are our family-away-from-family and we adore them. Especially fab are the ones who popped around to put together flat-pack furniture, although they all assured me that they love doing it (weird). My bestie personally made our couch from scratch – impressive stuff. I promise I plied them all with good food and booze for their efforts.
We’ve had visitors! We love having people come and stay with us. The most recent guests spent the week of my birthday with us, my dad and step-mum. They helped me celebrate a milestone birthday with style. Here’s my pre-party dad rocking a fab new outfit at the age of 71.
We’ve planned a trip across the country. This week we head of to my home state of WA to celebrate some more milestone birthdays in the family, and my belated birthday trip. (I have pretty much perfected the concept of the birthday festival, which can extended several weeks in either direction from my actual birthday.) We’ll be catching up with family and friends and then heading south to the stunning wine region of Margaret River. I’ve checked the forecast and can’t believe that the first week of June (winter down here in Oz) will be sunny and 25C (high 70s).
From our last time in WA
Maybe not so surprisingly, we haven’t been in a hurry to travel. Home is so precious to us post-sabbatical. This is our first trip together since we landed back in the country in January.
And there’s the author stuff. I’ve secured an agent; I’ve written more than half of my fourth book; I’ve edited my first book for my publisher, Avon Books; I’ve been marketing my little bum off: organising a book blog tour with my agent, doing interviews, securing quotes from other (amazingly supportive) authors, planning a book signing, and engaging with readers daily on social media; and I have celebrated all the little milestones on the journey to publication – T-minus 3 weeks and 6 days for the ebook and just under two months from the print version being in my eager little hands. Squee!
So, yes, 2019 has been an incredible ride so far. We’re looking forward to the rest of it.
Sandy Barker | Author 
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