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I’m so excited. The advance copy, hot off the press, first edition of my new book landed on the doorstep. “The Islands” looks great, I have to say. The cover shows a huge gold wave, backlit by the sun, crashing onto the rugged cliffs of the Napali coast on Kauai. I think that it’s an eye-catching cover. They say never judge a book by its cover, but it’s the one thing that first attracts someone to pick up a book, as well as the author’s name. Because my novels are inspired by a specific landscape it makes sense for the jacket to reflect that. I’ve tried hard to move away from the jackets of my earlier books which made them look like romance novels. Some jacket images come more easily to me and my publishers than others. . . I generally get an idea of what I’d like when I’m researching in the place where the book is set. The cover for ‘The Reef’ (Heron Island) was obvious and The Bay (Belongil Beach, Byron Bay) was a logical choice. Sometimes book designers have odd ideas and one has to gently point out that The Songmaster is set in the Kimberley and and that the selection of The Devil’s Marbles for the cover is wrong because they are in the Northern Territory!
Now comes the hard work – hitting the road on The Book Tour. I speak at a Literary Lunch in Sydney next Tuesday, then do the rounds of the TV shows including my old mate Kerri-Anne Kennerley. I go to Coffs Harbour, Noosa, Melbourne, Wagga, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and a few spots in between. I do radio, TV and print interviews, speak at morning teas, libraries, dinners and a businesswomen’s breakfast. My publisher thinks that ‘The Islands’, as well as pleasing my regular readers will also appeal to young women, so I hope I see some younger faces at these events.
But every day is a different town or city. No time to dry clean or wash clothes. I’m up at 5am, wash hair, get dressed made up and am talking by 8am and rarely get back to the hotel before 11pm and off again at twit the next morning. Thank goodness I have Jane, my good friend and publicist along with me. Extra meetings and book signings are squeezed in, plans change, announcers run late on air and throw our schedule out and so on. It’s exhausting but it’s wonderful to meet my readers and get firsthand feedback from them.
The Islands goes on sale end of next week.
Cheers
Di is Australia's number one bestselling female author.
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