Fifteen years ago today, my first book was launched at Paperchain Bookstore, by author Tom Griffiths.
The reason I know the date is that my grandparents sent me a pen to commemorate the occasion. It still works! Thanks, Nan and Pa.
Back then, I looked like this:
Today, I look like this:
As you can see, I've changed quite a lot - I wear shirts with buttons now! I also have thirty-four Jack Heath books and various translated editions behind me instead of an empty wall. And I'm holding my thirty-fifth book, 200 Minutes of Mystery, which comes out tomorrow. (If you do the maths, I've written an average of one book per year since just before I was born.)
I know a lot about writing now that I didn't know when I started, so my new book is much better than my first one. I was going to write a great big email about 200 Minutes of Mystery and everything that's in it and all the reasons you should buy it. But I'm actually a bit short on time - the manuscript for my thirty-sixth book is due tomorrow - so instead, I just thought I'd take the opportunity to thank those of you who have been with me from day one (and those who jumped on board shortly thereafter). I won't list you all for fear of forgetting someone, but you know who you are, and I hope you know that I owe you a tremendous debt. It's almost impossible to make a living as a writer in Australia; over the course of my career I've met hundreds of debut novelists, all hardworking, all talented (some frighteningly so) who never get a second book. I've only been able to do it thanks to you.
|
|
|
More news soon, I promise. More books, more short stories, more funny gifs. But I really do have to go - my publisher (pictured below) is waiting for a manuscript.
|
|
|
|
