Number 8 on NZ bestseller

It has been a very busy since the book launch.. I expected this to happen and I am well prepared and in a joyous mood. It is interesting to look back at my first book launch three years ago and realise how little I knew and how I just went at things intuitively but rather blindly. I also could never had done the launch without the help of my closest trusty female friends who came and helped in various ways and gave me much needed moral support as did my fabulous bookseller at Page and Blackmore, Jo Dippie.  Their photos with masks on are in last week’s blog.

There was one exquisite personal moment at the launch that made me stop and for a few short seconds the whole world stopped revolving This was actually seeing two of my books sitting side by side on the table.  It felt almost hard to believe.

Right now there is only a very short marketing window where my new book is going to get visibility and I have to maximize this period of time. I had a radio NZ interview with Kathryn Ryan and although I went through a pre-interview with an assistant, the questions went rather off script, but it was fun and I enjoyed the banter between us. Feedback has been that the interview was sooo good, so authentic that I should get a lot of sales. I hope so.

A friend also sent me a link to the Neilson best sellers list and I am at number 8, which is amazing. this means that this list goes to all the booksellers in NZ, and my book title is now in front of them. Readers are loving The Glasgow Smile and this is music to my ears..that’s all i really want, for people to fall in love with my characters, take on the challenges they face and when they close the last page of the book, feel a sense of loss but satisfaction that all is as it should be.

I am also preparing for a book event in Christchurch this Friday and then it’s off to Wellington for an author conversation at GOODBOOKS and then onto Auckland where another NZ crime writer, Nikki Crutchley and myself are talking about crime as a reflection of society.

I am also working on a small question and answer article for next week’s The Sunday Times and am having an article written for me for the Nelson Paper.   I spent some time going through some very old photos…so in one week I have been looking back and looking forward and at times simply wondering how this all began. It reminds me of a quote of Lewis Carrol. Begin and the beginning and go on till you come to the end and then stop.!! 

I’m not at the end yet. far from it.