Win a copy of A Winter's Day in 1939...

Well, people have been saying some rather nice things about my book. The Wellington Children's Book Association have invited me down to Wellington to launch A Winter's Day in 1939 down there. This has never happened to me before and I'm thrilled. They are flying me down. I'll be launching it there on Saturday April 13th, at 3pm at The Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie. I'll post a proper invite on the blog soon.

Then writery friend Maria Gill showed me a review of the book by Bill Nagelkerke in the latest Magpies Magazine. It was a very nice highly recommendery review. I will post a pic of this when I get my hands on a copy. And Barbara Murison, writer, mentor, reviewer and manuscript assessor has also reviewed the book here (warning: this one includes some spoilers).

And a couple of weeks back, when the Publishing Assistant at Scholastic advised me that Kate De Goldi, to whom she had sent a review copy of my book, had been in touch to request another review copy for Kim Hill, I felt pretty excited. Kim Hill is an award-winning and hugely respected current affairs interviewer on National Radio. Kate De Goldi is an award-winning writer, book reviewer and speaker, and also hugely respected. I probably don't need to mention how well read they are or how hard it is to get a book into their hands for review. On Saturday morning I thought I may have a stroke, I was so nervous. They are not afraid to call a spade a spade or a book a very bad book. But it seems, after all, that they liked it. You can hear what they said here. I was a little stunned. And I am one very happy writer.

Nice things said about my book have put me in the mood for a give-away. I have one copy, for New Zealand readers only this time (I may do an international one also in future), if you can tell me what year the School Journal was first published in the comments. Everyone who gets the right answer will go in the draw to win the book. Draw is on Friday 22nd March.

New Zealand Book Month - are you ready?...

So apparently the year started without me and raced off to February before I could even blink. Jeepers. Before you know it, it'll be March and New Zealand Book Month will be upon us. I will be launching my historical novel A Winter's Day in 1939 (released March 1st -  launch March 24th - details to come) published by Scholastic. I have been thinking a lot about this book and how I approached the writing of it. When March rolls around I will be ready to tell you all about it. I think I'm doing something with an Auckland based library for Book Month as well, although arrangements haven't been pinned down yet. And last but by no means least I am part of a fabulous event thought up by the amazing Maria Gill, an exhibition to be hosted by the National Library and Takapuna Library, kicking off with a gala opening on the 4th, followed by a speed date of some of the participating authors and illustrators with school students on the 5th, and then maybe some school visits as well. The exhibition 'What Lies Beneath' will run all month long, shared across the two venues. I will be exhibiting the materials  that inspired and informed my new novel. There are lots of starry, fabulous people involved.

New Zealand Book month is a wonderful opportunity to trumpet the virtues of books in general and of New Zealand books in particular. If you have not read any local product recently, make March the month you do! And if you read one you REALLY enjoyed, March is the month to tell all your friends about it.