Hi everyone and welcome to the latest edition of my newsletter.
I know, I know! It's been 12 months since I last blogged. I've been busy travelling up and down the east coast of Australia promoting my 2019 titles, Up To Something and No Baths Week.
I planned to blog once a month a while ago - I forget when I said that (actually I remember now - it was very early in 2018). And I was doing OK until the really busy patch appeared early 2019. I was ready for this patch though - two books releasing a month apart, two book launches, loads of school visits, and many fun and exciting public appearances. And that was just March, April and May. By the end of about September, I was exhausted. So I decided to do a full kitchen renovation.
Yes, I was mad! But now I'm at the other end of it, I feel OK. 2019 was one of the biggest years of my life!
2020 is going to be busy too. I have some extremely exciting things coming - some I can't even tell you about yet. Big secrets I tell you. Keep an eye on my social media as that's where all my secrets come out first. If you wait for them here, you could be waiting a while :)
A secret I've been holding onto since just before Christmas is this one. The Newcastle Writers Festival is on 3-5 April and I'm now allowed to say I'll be interviewing Graeme Base on the Sunday at 10am. You heard that right. What a legend! We'll be talking about feeding your imagination. I cannot wait! The full program can be found here.
In the middle of all this, my very first copy of Isla's Family Tree illustrated by Prue Pittock (EK Books), my fourth published picture book, appeared in my mailbox. It was even more beautiful than I imagined.
We'll be celebrating Isla's release in two ways. The first event will involve wine and cheese at Maclean's Booksellers, Hamilton on Saturday 9th May at 4pm.
The second will be a storytime session on Saturday, 16th May at 10am at Wallsend Library. This will include a dress-up competition (come dressed in orange and pink) and maybe some cupcakes. Prue Pittock, the illustrator is flying up from Victoria to help celebrate. I feel very lucky to have Prue join us.
RSVP to the launch here: sales@macleansbooks.com.au
RSVP to the storytime event here.
If you cannot wait until these events, you can pre-order a copy here.
To add to this, Prue has made a beautiful doll of Isla. This made me cry!
And while Prue was sewing, I was making our book trailer. Go and have a look, and while you are there, please subscribe to my channel. I'm trying to get 100 subscribers so I can customise my URL. It's a bit ugly at the moment.
In the middle of all of this, I made my first pavlova, my daughter was made school captain, my son competed in two triathlons in five days (he'd never done one before) and became the 14 yr old boys swimming champion at his school, my puppy turned 2, and my husband broke his arm. It never ends!
But we're happy and healthy and we're looking forward to wonderful things ahead.
Don't forget to celebrate International Read to Me! Day on March 19th. Look at this poster designed by my friend Aura Parker!
That's it for now. I'm off to complete an interview for Buzz Words.
Feel free to email me (author@katrinamckelvey.com) or grab me and say 'hello' when we cross over next.
