#%@$#@ Possum Fur Nipple Warmers!

Great!

I have just been informed by my friend Fiona that Ellen and Portia are Vegans and heavy supporters of Animal Rights Groups and what did I send them - Yes, that's right, POSSUM FUR NIPPLE WARMERS!

Obviously I did not do enough research. I was too busy focusing on the funny! Hopefully they will see the humour in this gift, but since I haven't heard anything yet, I have probably gone and blown my chances of Ellen having my book on her show.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can dig my self out of this faux pas I would surely appreciate it!

Rejections and nipple warmers!

Each morning I venture out to my letterbox and nervously lift the lid.

In the good old days I would be thrilled to see an internationally stamped envelope.

Nowadays I remove the contents already knowing what they contain - REJECTIONS.

Each standard letter is polite and encouraging with its message to 'keep trying' (in other words, do not give up your day job!).

So what is a determined girl like me to do? Send a gift basket to Ellen DeGeneres of course!

I am hoping that Ellen will like the concept of book enough to give a copy of it to each pregnant guest in her MOTHERS DAY show next year. Surely receiving a book about travelling the world with two young children is more interesting that getting a gift of diapers and strollers!

I placed my manuscript (secured with a big bow) into a box and surrounded it with iconic kiwi gifts hoping that it would be passed on to Ellen.

I managed to find a Christchurch company that made possum fur nipples warmers, so I hope that the two pairs I included for Ellen and Portia would at least get her attention!

Now all I have to do is... WAIT... Again!

Waiting

I have not written much on my blog since June because I have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

Unfortunately I have had to give up waiting, realising that the agent in London that I sent my gift box to (with manuscript) is probably not going to get back to me.

This is hard to accept (after all, it cost me over $200 and tons of energy) but I guess this is the way it goes in the publishing industry. It's tough!

So after finally accepting that I was not going to receive a phone call asking me to jump on a plane to London to sign a contract, I decided I had better contact a few more agents (I apologise to them ahead of time for the fact that I cannot afford to send them all gift boxes - you will just be getting the gift of my book!).

So last Friday after printing over 3000 pages I sent 50 manuscripts off to New York and London agents - now all I have to do is WAIT (again!).

I wanted to cry

I forgot to mention that after receiving my lovely gift basket from sweet Wendy I went for a bike ride with Jack.

When I got home Marco had arrived back from school and met me at the door all smiles. He then said, "Great news mum. They loved your book."

I realised that he had seen the gift and card and thought that they had been sent by the London agent I had sent MY gift basket to. I almost cried seeing his excited face, knowing I would have to tell him that sadly this was not the case.

A gift box to me

I arrived home yesterday to find a large gift box on my door step full of delicious food and wine. It was sent by a friend Wendy, a fellow mum at Jack's school who had asked to read the first half of my manuscript.

The box included a card saying, "Thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of reading your manuscript. Truly inspirational! You felt the fear and did it anyway. Well done."

When I rang Wendy to say thank you, she said that it was she that needed to thank me, because she had not read a book for seven years and on the occasional time that she did pick up a book she would fall asleep in the first five minutes."

In the case of my book, Wendy told me that she asked her husband Mike to take one of her three year old twin boys to the park so she could have some one on one time with her other young son. But as soon as they left the house, she put on a DVD for her child and started my book which she could not put down."

I am so touched by Wendy's words. Her enthusiam gives me hope, because I know that the chance of getting published is incredibly slim.

My Baby has Finally Departed

Thursday: I was all set to do my final proof read so I could send off my manuscript, but I could not find my glasses anywhere - I searched everywhere but finally gave up and resorted to buying a new pair.

Then on my way home from the optometrist, I bought supplies at the supermarket to keep my brain motivated during the big editing session, but my card got declined at the check out so that was the end of that.

I came to the conclusion that this was not the day to be sending out my book.

Friday: Well FINALLY I sent off my first draft. It should now be in London along with a gift basket full of Kiwi goodies - this is not a form of bribery, but simply a way of gaining the attention of a very successful agent (pray it works please!).

Now all I have to do is WAIT and WAIT!

Almost Finished

I know I have been out of touch lately, but this is ACTUALLY a good thing because I have been busy writing THE BOOK!

In fact, I am hopefully a week away from sending off my manuscript to agents - YIPPEE!

I have just booked a 2 day course at the University of Auckland called 'The Nuts & Bolts of Writing'. Probably should have done this BEFORE I wrote the book!