Hey ya!
In 2 months time, The Other Christy will be out on bookshelves. I’m thrilled to be back on the shelves, after a little cool diversion in bringing out a book in the Stuff Happens series. I mean, Ethan is still a beloved book for me, but The Other Christy is really the next cHEwY creation after Thai-no-mite in 2012. Yes, it’s been that long.
So I’ve boarded the promotion train, kicking off with attending the booksellers showcase at Penguin Random House HQ in North Sydney. It was a great chance to meet booksellers from stores big and small, who hand-sell people books. So I’m here to hand-sell The Other Christy. Just speaking to a few got me excited to read upcoming books from authors like Jesse Andrews’ The Haters. Another person asked me if I ever get sick of signing books. No way! I’ve always been hesitant about going into bookstores and asking to sign my own books, because I’m scared they won’t have any of my books or know who I am, thinking I’m some random guy haha. But I’ve been told to be bold and sign away (because once you do, they can’t return it haha).
Penguin Random House have got a lot coming for the rest of the year, highlights being Gus Gordon’s new picture book, Somewhere Else and Emily Gale’s The Other Side of Summer (or as I call it, the other, other book hehe) who also got a chance to talk about their latest books. They also have books ranging from Doctor Who Dot to Dot books to some really cool sports books. It’s an exciting time to be a kid because whatever they’re into, they are books out there for them!
The Other Christy is not my first story with a female lead character, but it marks the start of a new phase for me and my cHEwY creations. So it was a nice touch to really reintroduce myself to the booksellers with a fresh book and direction (but still got that classic comedy vibe of course hehe). If anybody says that I’ve gone down the Morris Gleitzman route then they’re half right. I’ve never been so pumped to really get out there and plug plug plug. I’m ready for any interviews and doing the bookstore signings. It’s something I can never take for granted, and it’s one of the perks of being with a big publisher, especially one who’s got your back. I can’t think of anyone who would think that it’s a chore or pain. It can be tiring, but in a good way (and I’ll be telling you all about it here).
O.W
