It's here. Every Thing We Keep - a story about 13 year old Agatha, is now in book stores - it's on the shelf - often right next to Harper.
It's been a long wait - firstly in finding her a home, then with
Covid, and the length of time a book usually takes to get to its final version.
Tomorrow I will be launching Everything We Keep at Collins Bookstore in Shepparton, Victoria. Helen and Joe have been a fabulous support, right from the start. They didn't hesitate to launch Unpacking Harper Holt, back in 2018, and immediately agreed to launch Agatha.
It's been a busy last couple of weeks.
Book bloggers have posted reviews, Every Thing We Keep has started popping up is stores and online, friends have been finding it in bookstores and sending me photos, and people I don't know have been messaging me on social media with their reactions.
I did a radio interview (you can find it on my website) and a couple of online interviews. It's been a thrill.
So how does it feel - having Agatha finally out there?
It's exciting. Also nerve wrecking. But to be honest, the part I like most is talking to readers about it. Hearing reactions, the layers readers have found -it's a joy.
One of the positives of social media is having readers send me messages and photos. Photos of both books on shelves in bookstores, photos of their children reading it. I have also received some messages - questions from readers. It has been a busy few weeks.
After the launch tomorrow then what happens next? Well... hopefully Agatha will continue to find readers, I will visit some bookstores to sign some copies, and there's the next book to polish.
If you have read Every Thing We Keep, and have a spare minute or two, please get in touch and let me know what you think. Really - I can't wait to hear from you.
Here are some book bloggers you might want to check out: