A new book on the way...

​It's felt like a long time coming, but I can finally announce that I have signed a contract with Hachette Australia for a picture book to come out (hopefully) second half of next year.

The story so far:

The heroes:

My writer's group buddy who told me about an event she was going to run by the Emerging Writers Festival called  'Inside the Publishing House' held at Hachette in Sydney in October last year .

The stranger I met at the event (whose name I forget) who trail-blazed the way, pitching to the scary publisher so I could see that she came back alive and in one piece.

The staff at Hachette who supplied the bubbly needed to approach said publisher.

Said publisher, Suzanne O'Sullivan, who graciously listened to my pitch, offered encouraging words and gave me her business card.

ME! Who sent marvelous manuscript which said publisher liked. A lot. (Quote: 'Such a terrific concept')!!

The plot:

Writer approaches a publisher at an event. She pitches a book concept. The publisher likes the idea. Emails are exchanged. Time rolls on. Slowly. A.lot.of.time. And voila! An offer is made. A contract is signed. Everyone is happy. Very happy. Very,very happy. Very, very, very happy. Very...(you get the idea!)

And now I just need to sit tight, like a hen on an egg, waiting patiently as the illustrator weaves his/her magic around my words before the book hatches into the world.

So - I'm off to look for some bubbly. Who'll join me?

​(Here's my crowing rooster GIF again!)