I have been told that my new book, Mountain Tails, has arrived! It is probably at my post office right now, for me to collect next week when the road dries out and the creek level drops!
I can hardly wait, even though I have of course read it – the real book is quite a different matter from an on-screen or A4 manuscript.
What will it feel and smell like? Will I cry as I did when I first held ‘The Woman on the Mountain’? Will my drawings look OK in actual print? Will I find any missing commas?
It is also heading for bookshops all round the country, but Exisle, my publishers, have made a special arrangement for my web site visitors — you can buy Mountain Tails at a special 20 per cent discount by ordering from the Exisle website here and quoting the coupon number MT2009; you can use that coupon any number of times.
This collection of short pieces about my wild animal neighbours here in my wildlife refuge is accompanied by my black and white drawings, and hopefully it will amuse, intrigue and educate readers as much as the critters themselves do for me.
In raising awareness of their uniqueness, it also aims to raise awareness of the plight of our threatened and endangered species, and at the end I have included lists of ways to get involved for those who want to help, and contacts for doing so.
I will be giving talks at various places and as Exisle arranges them I’ll put up posts to let you know. Always good to meet my readers, such as Kez at East Maitland last year.
Many events wlll be before Mother’s Day, as Exisle think it will make a great Mother’s Day gift.
PS: I have it! A dear little book, but the only time I felt like crying was at the dedication to my Dad, whom I still miss terribly. Exisle have again done a beautiful job of production – designer Nanette is so attuned to the tone of a work that I can’t imagine a different cover now.
Yes, I’d like to redo one or two drawings that don’t look so good at the reduced size; but mostly I just wanted to add all the other animal events that have happened since, dozens of postscripts needed – or a second collection in a year or so? I had forgotten that, for example, the whole python saga was after the manuscript had been sent off!
Thanks Kez. I’m sure we’ll have talks somewhere else later; this is just the first lot.
I enjoyed meeting fellow nature blogger Gaye at the Wetlands today (see Gaye’s Snippets and Sentiments link).
Oooh that’s me 🙂 I won’t get to see you at any of your signings this time, but I’m saving up for the book as we speak! There was an article in the local paper about it.
Thanks Val. I’m all for supporting local bookshops. Heading off tomorrow for a full week away re the book; this is the work after the work of writing!
Hi Sharyn! I’m waiting on my copy of Mountain Tails
from local bookshop. Lots of luck with it!
Cheers Val S
Hi Joan,
Thanks for finding and visiting the site; I didn’t get a chance to give the web address with Don Burke this morning.
You must be in a very leafy suburb, although the deer and echidna do surprise me!
You sound like you are both observant and appreciative of your wild neighbours! I’m sure you will enjoy the book.
Hi Sharyn,
I just heard your interview on the radio, sounded interesting because I have possums, deers, Echnidas, snakes, blue tongue lizards, frogs, all sorts of birds (real ones)coming to my backyard and I don’t even have to be in the middle of the bush. We see possums piggy backing their young ones across our balcony, have found dead possums on our front door, probably hit by a car and with a baby in pouch, which we gave to the local Vet to take care of. I guess we do not get a lot of time to spend with the night life as we both work and my daughter goes to uni. and works part time as well, but I guess when we retire we will have more time to spend with all the critters in the backyard.
Wish you all the best with your new book. I am going to get it.
Joan
You’re brilliant Shayrn, thank you for the lovely plug! I can’t wait to get your book and tell the world about it!
Thanks Fleur. I know from your web site that you’ve seen and held your first book, Red Dust, now, so you know just what the anticipation is like.
Loved the story of how you had to get your book delivery!
Everyone, see Fleur McDonald web site on my links to find out what I mean!
Oh congratulations Sharyn, I bet you can’t wait to hold it – how annoying the creek has to up at this particular moment! (Patience isn’t one of my strong points, dont’ know about yours!!) I can’t wait to read it! Let me know if you’re lucky to ‘wing’ all the way to WA for a talk. Well done.