So Clara is out in the world at last, and I’m waiting anxiously to hear what people think of her. I hope they love this scruffy little chook as much as I do, and enjoy her adventures.

Like pretty much every other author in Australia and overseas, my plans for promoting my new book have been turned upside down. I was supposed to be going to Sydney in August for Book Week, visiting schools and bookshops to talk about chooks and detective stories, and introducing Clara to hundreds of kids.

Now Book Week has been moved to mid-October, and I don’t think anyone knows if the schools in Sydney are going to be open or not. Turns out it’s almost impossible to make plans in the middle of a pandemic.

But in Tasmania we’re doing okay, with our border still closed and no community transmission. So I’ve got bookings for a couple of schools in September, as well as an in-person launch at the Hobart Bookshop on Sunday, September 20. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll keep doing okay and that those events will happen.

I hope you’re doing well, wherever you are. I know that some places are really struggling, so when I had a couple of spare copies of Clara, I asked on Twitter for the names of kids in stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne who might like them.

I sent the books the week before last, and last week I got this photo in return. Her mum said she is really into detective stories at the moment, so she was thrilled.

Unexpected books in the post are the best thing!

Meanwhile, if you’d like to read a bit about how I came to write A Clue for Clara (which is so different from my previous books), check out my article for the CBCA’s blog. https://cbcatas.blogspot.com/2020/08/from-brizzlehounds-to-chooks.html

Stay well, my dears.