I'm Baaaack

And this time the only way to get rid of me is to unsubscribe.

Seriously though, this time I am better, bolder, and have a PA on my team.

I know I've been a very bad newsletter sender. You heard from me on a regular basis for a long time - twice a month! - and now you're probably as surprised as I am any time I show up in your inbox.

Sometimes, it just gets too much. Sometimes, you lose yourself and you can't bear to show your (metaphorical) face because nothing feels real. And that's what was going on. So much changed, so fast, and I got whiplash. I had to learn how to bring some Main Character energy into my life. With ME as the MC, that is, rather than the people I love.

But I've taken the time to breathe and do some important healing work, some assessing and deep thinking about what I want to bring to this world as an author, and how I want to show up both on the page and in the world (or, social media, for the most part!). Hugely important to this has been connecting with the delightful Megan Hunt, who I'm so very happy to welcome to my team as my PA!

I met Megan at the Ages of Pages book fair, as she was assisting the (super cool) author at the next table. We connected, and I felt like she might just be the one for me. The next week I started work as a casual librarian (long-term life dream achieved! I LOVE being a librarian) and suddenly had the funds to make it happen.

Best Investment Ever. Already. She gives the best pep talks and has helped me to think about how I can do all of this in a way that suits me. I've always longed for a Hype Queen, and now I feel like I've found one.

If you see me showing up more, then there is a good chance it's because she prompted me to. I'll still be writing my own posts here, and replying to my emails, and obviously if you see me on a video then it's me (I don't, and won't use AI, and would find it seriously creepy to make fake videos of me), but I'm hoping she'll be creating other content to help me promote my books because quite frankly I suck at that ;-)

What am I working on now?

Currently, Iris Beaglehole and I are working on the next draft of In The Earth's Embrace, the second book in the Kotahi Bay series. The audiobook for In The Spirit dropped last month, so if that's your cup of tea you should totally check it out. Oh, and I'm also plotting which books I'll be creating special editions for, for A Romantic Adventure in Christchurch next year.

Is there anything you'd love to see get a special makeover?

Anyway, hope you're well. You'll hear from me again soon (unless you do unsubscribe, and honestly, that’s totally fine. Not everyone is going to wanna stick around for Nova unfiltered).

xxx