The title makes it sound like I'm on a mission to the outer reaches of the galaxy! Well I'm not - I'm stuck here in 2020 like everyone else! What I am doing is remembering the lovely time I had a year ago launching The Wonder Girls at October Books - thanks again so much to everyone who came or sent good wishes - you were all so lovely.
Although 2020 is pretty relentless, I am fully aware that I am very lucky. I've written a couple of drafts of book 2, written some stories, have seen all the children and had a lovely week on the Isle of Wight - so there! I am equally aware that so many people are far from lucky. If you can, please think about a regular donation to The Trussell Trust or NHS charities or Refugee Action or The Good Law Project who are working to hold this heinous UK government to account.
The cover for The Wonder Girls Book 2 is commissioned, another draft is out there for feedback – feeling a bit wobbly about that. If all is ok, I'll have turned this book around in less than eighteen months. Book 1 had lots of editorial input - this one much less so, which might account for its large cast list. But it is about the arrival of 4000 refugees so I think I'm justified! Anyway - I'm going with my instinct and keeping everyone! ( I have a cunning plan to support the large cast anyway, so fingers crossed!)
Last Wednesday I did a scary thing - which turned out to be lovely actually. I talked about my writing journey at Touch Network in Southampton. This is a brilliant thing which I hadn't fully taken on board before. It's people telling their own stories of overcoming. They might be big things or small things but a hurdle is a hurdle whatever it is. I made notes so I came home and recorded them if anyone would like a listen.
My other big achievement this week is that I revamped my website - it did take a LOT of swearing and a late night or two but I have done it. The big change is my mailing list - I think I've sorted it via the wonders of the Internet and I think the magic link works. The idea is if you add your email to my list I will send you a newsletter about how I'm getting on - and it's NaNoWriMo this month so there will be an update soon – I've just written 1667 words of TWG book3 today – woo. But usually the newsletter updates will be about once a month and probably in place of a post like this. They will also include pics of the publisher – that's fairly standard. The main thing is that signing up to my newsletter gets you an exclusive Wonder Girls prequel short story. Hopefully this will be interesting to anyone who's read the first book and maybe it will work as a quick intro to anyone who's new to the story. You'll also be the first to see Anne Glenn's cover for book 2 and I think I'll probably need your help in making some cover decisions too.
If you know any young readers who have read the Wonder Girls I 'd love them to sign up too BUT WITH THE RELEVANT ADULT"S PERMISSION. The newsletters will definitely be child friendly. I am still working out some of the nitty gritty - please forgive me for the inevitable hiccups!
Thanks everso much for reading!
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