Promoting the book has so far been a very happy, enjoyable process.

Talking to interesting people, hanging out in libraries and bookshops, eating scones – seriously, what’s not to love? And yes, those scones pictured left were laid on after my talk by the lovely Clare, who owns Aesop’s Attic book shop in Kyneton, Victoria. They were homemade, and every bit as delicious as they look.

I have finished my run of radio interviews for now and, just as I was getting very comfortable with delivering author talks, I seem to be moving into a phase of festivals and conversations. Excellent!

My most nerve-wracking author talk is yet to come, though.  Later this week I’m speaking to quite a large group at a retirement village. The size of the group doesn’t phase me, nor the venue, but the village is home to my parents-in-law as well as to several people who knew me as a child (the village, in the Melbourne suburb of Macleod, is not far from where I grew up, in Rosanna). As if that wasn’t pressure enough, my elderly but still very switched on Dad is also coming along (he still lives in Rosanna). So, just this once, I might actually speak from notes, rather than off the cuff.  Although that would mean writing up notes… Aaaarrrgghh – can see you my anxiety levels ramping up already!?

If I survive the retirement village, I’m scheduled to speak at La Trobe university a few days later, in a guest lecture to a group of undergrads studying creative writing (in a non-fiction unit). That talk will be less about EM, and more about the craft of biography. Yep, I’m definitely speaking from notes for that one. It’s even possible that I may prepare slides, although that really does seem a bit too keen. Maybe I should just take a big bag of chocolate frogs, and hand them out to anyone who stays the duration?

I have a podcast interview coming up (The Book Podcast: talking with Australian women writers), and a conversation with 3-4 other new authors at Brunswick Bound’s monthly First Chapters event. I’ll be chatting with: Robert Lukins, The Everlasting Sunday; Roger Averill, Relatively Famous; and Paul Filev, translator of a novel called Alma Mahler.

In mid-June I’ll be visiting Sydney, for a series of talks at bookshops and libraries (so far, I do know I’ll be speaking at Gleebooks and Woollahra Library).

No sooner do I fly home from Sydney than I’ll be off to the famous Williamstown Literary Festival. Tickets went on sale today, and the program looks AMAZING. The day after that, I’ll be speaking in Clunes – not at the Booktown festival but as part of a monthly author talk program called Booktown on Sundays. I’ll be in conversation with a local farmer – a woman who has inherited her farm through her mother and grandmothers. She sounds fascinating and I can’t wait to meet her. After that it’s more author talks and more writers festivals (I have at least two lined up but it’s too soon to say which – stay tuned). Phew!

So if you’re out and about and chance to hear me rabbiting on about EM, please do come on over and say hi.