A Book Launch With a Difference!
On 25 August 2024 I finally launched The Cocktail Connoisseur’s Message Cards and The Cocktail Connoisseur’s Recipe Book in the Peninsula Room at the Chelsea Heights Hotel. It was fantastic! A big thank you to everyone who attended and I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
The launch commenced with the multi-talented award-winning author, editor and interviewer extraordinaire Rebecca Fraser interviewing me about my cocktail cards and book and then interviewing another special guest, psychic medium Rhonda Kelly.
Rebecca’s questions were insightful and explorative and had me talking about my op-shopping for glasses and the photo-taking process. We even delved a little into how I managed to construct the card messages from the cocktail histories. Rebecca also told the audience about my other developing projects – my bookmarks and my jewellery making – taking the opportunity to show the cocktail earrings I had made for her several months ago. I’d forgotten I’d done that! How lovely of her to wear them to the launch.
The second interviewee was Rhonda, who talked about her journey to becoming a psychic medium. It was an unusual path as Rhonda left careers in the sciences and law to follow this vocation. Rhonda explained how she worked as an animal communicator as well as a medium and psychic.
The bar staff were fantastic and had three featured cocktails available for purchase: an Aperol Spritz, Margarita and a Mojito. It was lovely to see the audience enjoying some of these as I looked around the room during the break. Austin, our lead bartender, also commented that he had never seen the room decorated so beautifully, which was such a lovely compliment. I put a lot of thought into the finishing touches so I was thrilled to hear him say this.
After a short break for book signing and conversations, Rhonda took to the stage to perform audience readings. There were some incredible insights that came through. One lady in the audience was asked if she was making something from some of her mother’s clothing as a keepsake of her mum, and if she was having trouble deciding what to make. It was such a specific and detailed question and it was spot on. The message then followed that whatever this woman made would be the right thing to make so to just decide and make it. There were many other instances like this, and the hour and a bit Rhonda did audience readings was over in a flash.
I didn’t put my hand up for a reading, but I’ve booked for one later today.
Sue Morrison won the free reading with Rhonda and Catherine Jordan won the door prize – a bottle of Brown Brothers Prosecco, a set of The Cocktail Connoisseur’s Message Cards and The Cocktail Connoisseur’s Recipe Book and a few other small treats.
Many many thanks to my husband Paul who has had to live the book launch at home for three weeks, and to Paula Boer who is an amazing author, citizen scientist, friend to wildlife and collector of dragons and unicorns, and who also managed the payments on the day and was a huge support. Paula came down from near Canberra for the event and it was lovely to spend some time with her as well.
Another big thanks to Rebecca Fraser for being such an awesome MC, interviewer and mate. Rebecca has also shared some of the production journey being a companion on many of the op-shopping trips for the glasses and the props.
A big thank you to Rhonda Kelly for her amazing contributions to the event – it was such a pleasure to have you be part of the celebrations.
Last thanks go to Yanni Dellaportas, who was like a ninja (I think Rebecca used this term!) moving almost unseen through the crowd taking all these wonderful shots.
I’ve included a few of Yanni’s pictures of the afternoon for you to enjoy.
