In other news, the QWC/ Hachette Programme is once again open for submissions. I won a spot in their 2008 Bribie Island manuscript development retreat and had a wonderful time, and learnt a lot. It’s really worth a go. Favel Parrett, Past the Shallows, Phillipa Fioretti Book of Love and Fragments of Dreams, and Chris Currie, The Ottoman Motel, were all in my group and have gone on to publishing successes. Who knows? The next one could be you! The rest of us are still out there trying, and we’re getting closer all the time.

Edwina and Thrill Seekers

I’m getting very excited about my upcoming author event at the wonderful Rendezvous Readers Teahouse in Dayboro north of Brisbane on Friday 25th May at 10 am. Not least for the delicious Devonshire morning tea they’re putting on. I’ll be talking about the process of writing Thrill Seekers and the rocky road to publication and will probably touch on the writing of my Cambodian novel ms, When it Rains, as well. My Australian Society of Authors mentor, esteemed editor Judith Lukin-Amundsen is hoping to be there too with extra advice on the editing process. I’m looking forward to meeting local writers and sharing the highs and lows of finally becoming a published author. I’d love to have a good crowd so please come along, and spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested. It will be lots of fun and hopefully inspire some new writing too.

A man picking lotus near Angkor Wat

The world seems to be turning suddenly very fast for me at the moment. First the launch of Thrill Seekers after waiting so long and now this! My Cambodian novel under the title “When it Rains”has made the quarter finals of the Amazon/Penguin USA breakthrough novel awards. It feels like a miracle. 

Here’s what the Amazon reviewer had to say about the excerpt,

“My overall opinion of this excerpt is that I can’t wait to read the rest. It is sad and revealing yet true and important. Apparently from reading the pitch, the author experienced this trip to Cambodia and has put together this fine piece of fiction so that through this story others may read and get an understanding of life in this country. It is very, very good writing. “

That makes my day!

Thrill Seekers on new release table

 My friend just found Thrill Seekers on  the new release table at Love That Book in Helensvale.  Thank you to the lovely Benette.How exciting to see it there among the big names. It seems to be getting a life of its own. One of my favourite quotes at the moment is from author and blogger on writing, CJ Lyons who says, “ Once you get your books out there, they’re going to keep going and going and going as more readers find them.” Keep going Thrill Seekers!

Female wire dancer

How do you find a balance and maintain sanity with all the demands placed on modern writers? How do you find time for your creative work when there are so many demands on your time?

In an attempt to regain my own equilibrium recently, after all the excitement of the launch and the months of work leading up to it, I headed for the hills. Literally. I booked a retreat cabin at Chenrezig BuddhistEducation Centre in Eudlo. The sparkly souls living there brought  meals to my cabin and left me in peace and solitude, balm for my writer’s spirit.

Just before I left I picked up a book I’d found at the library and rejected earlier as looking too much like the work I was trying to escape from: Jeff VanderMeer’s, Booklife. I flicked it open at random and found this “Always opt out in favour of your private Booklife. Nothing else is as important.”

I took it with me.

And, as much as the book details the proper use and management of the technology writers have to embrace in the 21^st century, Jeff’s emphasis is always on preserving your creative life, because, as he explains, without the creative work there’s nothing to promote or talk about. He admits that finding a balance is difficult and that he too loses the plot occasionally, it’s easy to be swallowed by the internet beast, but his everyday routine puts creative work as the first priority.

I came home fully intending to do the same.

The first day I looked at my “to do” list of many pages, just for promoting, marketing and distributing Thrill Seekers alone, and wept. Then I went to the movies.

The next day I taught three tutorials at university and marked the work of sixty students.  Still no writing done.

I should probably mention here that I’m also a mother. Hours each day have been spent in the kitchen. After my return I was particularly enthusiastic about providing healthy meals because for the four nights I was away my children ate only pizza. Then I had to factor in dentist appointments, soccer practice, cross country training at 7 in the morning, piano lessons, bills to pay, and a house to keep in reasonable order, or at least hygienic.

Feel like screaming yet?

I did.

And I haven’t been back a week.

How do writers do it?

How do you find a balance? How does your creative work find its place in your busy day? How do you protect that time and feed your artist self that just wants to stare out the window?  Please let me know. I need all the help I can get.

Daredevil Mich Kemeter performs a delicate balancing act at a dizzying altitude of more than 3,000ft over Yosemite National Park in California. The 23-year-old inched across the 25metre-long wire, which was just one-inch wide, three times.

Part of the Thrill Seekers launch crowd

Now I know what it feels like to have your dreams come true. On Friday 9th March the night I’ve been dreaming of for ten years became reality as Thrill Seekers was launched at Avid Reader Bookstore in West End with a wonderful crowd of friends, family and well-wishers cheering it on.  It felt surreal but fantastic. A huge high. My most cherished  memories include Veny Armanno’s speech mentioning the Song of Bernadette, an all-time favourite movie, and of getting the crowd to bust out a few of my brother’s dance moves to his signature song  - Greased Lightning! I felt like a queen, or at the very least a head of state, as I greeted people and signed book after book.

Edwina signing copies of Thrill Seekers at the launch

What a wonderful night. Here’s a  montage of photos by my friend, the fabulous writer, Isabel D’Avila Winter.  My lovely uncle Jonathan, was there and wrote a review of the night on his blog.

I’ve also been interviewed by the local paper South City News by Charley Rico and had a great time doing a radio interview (part two here) on Queer Radio on 4zzzfm102.1 with the charming Blair Martin who has the most delicious baritone voice.

And just when you think it can’t get any better Thrill Seekers made number one on the independent best seller list in The Courier Mail this weekend!  That’s another dream achieved. WOW!

I am so very grateful to the many people who have supported, advised and helped me all these long years working towards this goal. I share this joy with all of you .

Edwina and Krissy Kneen at the launch

THRILL SEEKERS

The promo is done! THRILL SEEKERS PROMO The best book promo I’ve ever seen – well I am a little biased.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRESQzX3Vgc

Luke Denham has done an amazing job. Love the soundtrack – The Saints Know Your Product. What a song! I used up half our downloads last week watching this over and over. Let me know what you think. And please share it far and wide.

 Tomorrow I’m doing a couple of interviews with 4ZZZ, Brisbane’s local alternative radio station. I’ll be on live tomorrow at 12 or so on the Artefacts show then on Wednesday night on Queer Radio.Bit nervous but excited too. Wish me luck!Lots of love,Edwina

Media Tart

I’ve learnt this week that to get anywhere with press releases you really need to ring. I’ve just had my first ever media photos taken by Brad from City South News who has promised to airbrush wrinkles and rub out double chins. OR ELSE! Charley Rico is writing the story.

WOW! I’ve just discovered that at bookdepository you can buy Thrill Seekers for only $8.43 with no shipping costs! Oh my God! Don’t know how they can do it as it costs me almost $12 to get them here from the UK with a distrbutor’s discount. But, hey, if you want to buy up a whole lot cheaply, go for it!