RACHEL HAMILTON: COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH – 1 WEEK TO GO

In exactly one week my book will be an official, published, on the shelf thing. I can’t believe the date has come round so quickly. It still feels as exciting as it did this time last year, when I got my two-book contract and danced, non-stop, around the kitchen.

 

This week. I was invited to co-host a radio show about The Lost Art of Letter Writing with the lovely Suzanne Radford over at 103.8. I had a wonderful morning, although I fear that listening to me for TWO HOURS may have killed off some of the show’s frailer listeners. It was an emotional session (yes, I know I don’t show them all that often, but I do have a few deeper feelings hidden away in there somewhere). I talked about the letters I received from friends when my dad died and how much they meant to me. For anyone who ever wonders whether to drop someone a note in that situation, the answer is YES. Absolutely 100% YES. Much better to offer your sympathies and memories in a letter that can be read at private moments. I’m not speaking for everyone, but personally I hated people being all nice and mushy in public – it created too much sadness and sogginess at a time when I was fighting the urge to collapse in a big heap of  emotional wreck-ness.

 

So, write letters, people.

 

Also who knows how much your letters could be worth someday? Francis Crick’s letter to his 12-year-old son Michael explaining, with illustrations, his joint discovery of the “very beautiful” structure of DNA sold at auction recently for $5.3m, making it the most expensive letter in history.

 

Anyway, enough about  letters. More about ME. I had a few more people reading advance copies of my books this week. And I valued their opinions at least as much as I valued those of the authors I quoted in HUGE FONT last week,  because these were people in – or not far from – the age group I’m writing for. Two of my favourite young bloggers, Charli (check out her site HERE) and Jessica (Nayuleska) (HERE) were sent review copies and I loved being kept updated on their progress. I am particularly loving the sound of Charli’s brother, Tyler . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, my official ‘first reader’ for both books, Amber, was casting her professional eye over Book Two this week to check it was okay to send to my ace editor, Rachel (who was always going to be ace with a name like that). I think this line from Amber’s comments is the most perfect response ever:

“I LOVE IT! . . . I simply could not stop reading and laughed out loud so much my sister got really annoyed.”

 

 

 

 

 

There was much silliness to be had this week, which always makes me happy. My friend Jack Cheshire and I  created a Sort-of-Trailer for ‘The Case of the Exploding Loo’, featuring an exploding portaloo, a mutant freak and a turquoise hippo. I am thinking of starting up Ham & Cheese Productions (Hamilton, Cheshire, geddit?). I may have to ask Max Dowler to rename himself Max Egg, so we can become Ham, Cheese and Egg productions as Max is now the official voice of Exploding Toilets everywhere.

I loved my Sort-of-Trailer even more when my friend Sally pointed out that the youtube subtitles function had mistranslated the line about my main character being a ‘born Sherlock’ and turned her into a ‘porn Sherlock’. Guaranteed bestseller.

 

I’m still trying to firm up dates for my UK visits (it’s tough when I’m not in the country) but it looks increasingly likely something might be happening in Bristol around the 24th/25th July – I’m aiming for a book signing on the 24th and drinks that evening and then on the 25th I may be sharing a kids’ party for kids with a very cool 4 year old. I’m talking to Jody, one of my oldest friends (I’m referring to length of time we’ve know each other here, not number of wrinkles), about combining her daughter Aina’s birthday with my book launch celebrations (Aina obviously gets centre stage and all the presents). You will also be pleased to hear that the doughballs are confirmed for the Grantham launch near my mum’s house.

 

Mum is doing sterling work, press-ganging all her friends into buying books for their grandchildren. Go, my mum! And speaking of mothers, I have learnt that Max Dowler’s mum read last week’s blog, so in the hope she’ll pop back again this week, I’d like to say, ‘Hello, Mrs Dowler!’ Because mums rule.

 

A quick update on the virtual launch party. I have changed the start time to 2pm UK time and 5pm UAE time (American friends, time zones confuse me, but I think that might be 9am in NYC?) This is to give our celebrity guests time to make it, and nothing to do with me setting the original start time right in the middle of the school run.

 

 

 

 

It’s been a busy week and it’s time for the weekly thank yous. I’d like to begin by thanking my son, Dylan, who has tried to be helpful while I’ve been busy this week. His efforts are much appreciated and their value is best demonstrated by this picture of the laundry he hung up for me. Thanks, love.

 

 

 

Huge thank yous to Charli, Tyler, Jessica, Amber and any one else who has looked at my book this week and liked it. Great big thanks to Jack Cheesey Cheshire and Max (Egg) Dowler for helping me put silly things on youtube. Equally big thanks to Alice Potter and Ranga, who are in the process of helping me create slightly less silly things on film. To Tracy Donnelly for bullying people into pre-ordering my book and for offering to make lots of lovely cake for my launch party. Nom nom nom. To Annabel Kantaria for being very gracious about me accidentally pretending to have won her prize.  And to Svenja for helping me stick up posters around the school and for advising on the best placing of the selotape. Advance thanks to Dominic Vipond, Harry Kittermaster, Hugo Donnelly, Ava Stoddart, Freya Moody, Aafaryensh Pourghanad and Jodie Hamilton for agreeing to be the entertainment at my school launch party, and to Ali Kittermaster, Sally Dawson, SUE HARRISON (in capitals because I know she likes to check she got a mention), Emma Wright, Tracy Donnelly (again – two mentions! Sue is going to get cross), Amber, Daisy and Ruby for agreeing to be my glamorous assistants.

 

And I want to say a big thank you to any of you who have bought my book or are planning to. I know there are hundreds of millions of books you could have bought instead so I am hugely grateful! Superisized thanks to those of you like Maria, Madiha, Sue, Jessy, Perviz, Amanda, Anne-Marie, Heba and Milliewho have bought more than one copy – that’s above and beyond the call of duty and I am extremely chuffed.

 

This time next week it will be my LAUNCH! Make sure you join me (and the A-list celebs) at my Facebook Launch party and look out for me popping up somewhere near you (with or without doughballs).

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