What The Woods Keep - Melbourne launch highlights!

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My launch day impressions, in no particular order:)

I'm so grateful to everyone who braved the first day of hayfever-inducing Melbournian Spring to come to the Readings Kids shop in Carlton to celebrate the Australian release of my genre-bending YA debut, What The Woods Keep! 

 I was absolutely blown away by how many people attended, and it was a total thrill to see my dear friends, fellow authors, co-workers, friends from Twitter/IG and just a bunch of loveliest people ever who decided to come and support a debut author!

I'm so happy that Imprint/Macmillan decided to pick up my weird, eerie, hard-to-define book 2 years ago, after it was on submission for almost a year! THANK YOU! Erin Stein, you're a dream-maker! Rhoda Belleza, I'm so grateful I got to work with you, however briefly, and of course my editor extraordinaire John Morgan - your dedication and complete and utter love for this book knows no bounds. 

And, of course, I'm so grateful that Amy Tipton offered rep and agented me/my book toward a sale all this time ago! 

 I'm absolutely blown away that Allen & Unwin is my Australian publisher! I'm so incredibly proud to be their author! Eva Mills and Hilary Reynolds - THANK YOU. 

 Rena Rossner - I can't wait for what the future holds! Just saying😉

I'm very VERY thankful to my A&U publicist Jess for reaching out to the amazing Readings Kids in Carlton to host my launch. Readings Kids rocked so much! Everything was perfect, on the day and leading up to it. 

 Angela at Readings Kids who managed everything on the day - thank you! And huge thanks to Chris as well!

Astrid Scholte! You were spectacular! Thank you so much for agreeing to launch me, for reading (and loving❤) my book, for your cool questions, enthusiasm and energy! I know you're under so many deadlines and doing so many amazing things, and yet you still made time to do my launch! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't wait for Four Dead Queens to take the world by storm next year! It's gonna be amazing! 

 Ella! ❤❤❤

 Michelle! ❤❤❤

 Ebony McKenna! Thank you for helping me promote the launch event! I wish we had more time to chat on the day! 

 (Side note: Everyone! Sign up to Ebony's YA/MG newsletter - it is a great way to keep up with all the relevant bookish happenings)

Jess from Cake and Madness - WOW! I've said it to you a few times already (but who's counting:)), and I'll just say it again: you're amazing and I'm so grateful you've agreed to do the cupcakes for my launch. They were spectacular and delicious! Once more, I say WOW.

 Yum Catering for making the savoury treats for my guests!

Wendy J. Dunn, for your unlimited support and kindness! And for the live-streaming!!!

 Kasey and Chris! Thank you so much for coming! And congrats on winning the hardcopy raffle! I wish all the amazing success to Violet Grace and Chess Raven Chronicles!

 Barbara and Min-Hui! It was amazing to have you both there!

OF COURSE, The YA Room lovelies get a special mention! Sarah and Alex! There were lots of amazing photos! Lots of Twitter/IG love! And just lots of sparkling energy! I was to grateful to sign a book for an international gvieaway hosted by The YA Room. This was totally unexpected and I was so happy to hear you're doing this! 

 Plus Sarah did this totally amaze video capturing the highlights of the last night: 

All the wonderful bloggers, readers, bookstgrammers, teen readers, members of the Readings Advisory Teen Group, and everyone else who wandered into the shop and stayed! 

 Kim - it was great to meet you in person! I look forward to more of our Twitter/IRL chats!


My husband!!! He organised the savoury catering - so when you thank me for the finger-food at the launch, you should really be thanking him. And my dear friends who all came and celebrated with me: (in no particular order!) Steph, Lina, Lana, Kath, Cam, Kev, Jason, Jarrod, Matt, Mat, Maha (+ Mom!), Maritza, Kimberley, Preeti, Jess, Penny (+ Penny's friends), Josh, Suz!!! 

And here some of my fav highlights of the night, courtesy of friends:







 And one last thanks to ALL:

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