Tuesday, November 19, 2013

My Life at the Moment

The end of the year is nearly here and suddenly I'm crazy busy. I've finally finished the manuscript for If Not For This, the novel about the effect of the Herero genocide on a couple who get lost at the battle of Ohamakari and only find each other again in Tsau, two broken people trying to rebuild a life together. I really have high hopes for this book and am starting once again to try and find an agent in UK (my perennial search). Cross fingers for me.

Last weekend I got the Slovenian copy of Signed, Hopelessly in Love. It doesn't look anything like the orginal, I think the title is different too. I wish it luck!



I'm finishing up the last proof edits for The Vanishings which is to come out in January published by the Botswana based, Black Crake Books. Black Crake will be the first publisher to attempt to publish books for the trade market in Botswana. Though I must add, my publisher for Signed, The Secret Keeper is also trying to help build a trade market with the book. They'll be running a few adverts in national papers in the coming weeks trying to get people excited about the book. I'm glad to be part of these embryonic initiatives in our market.

The Vanishings will be my first published full length novel.(YAY!!)  Not my first written full length novel (there are plenty of those) but my first published. I've been a bit of a novella queen up to this point.

It is the first in a new detective series set in Maun. I'm very excited about it and I'm excited about some of the interesting ideas my publisher has for launching and marketing the book.

Beyond all of this writing stuff, I'm helping out with the Bessie Head Literature Awards. The ceremony is on the 30th November at the National Museum in Gaborone, so I've been busy today trying to send out press releases and invitations. Maybe I'll see you there???

6 comments:

Vanessa Gebbie said...

Goodness me, you are a powerhouse, and an inspiration, Lauri. x

Lauri said...

Thanks Vanessa. You know this business, it's tough to try to make a living. Need to keep moving. :)

Sue Guiney said...

What a whirlwind! So often we're overwhelmed by frustrations, it's great to see so many successes, too. Congrats on it all. Go! Fight! Win! (As they say)

Lauri said...

Thanks, Sue. Yes, it often feels like three steps forward and two steps back, but we must just keep going. We're lucky, at least, to do something we enjoy.

Helen Ginger said...

Congratulations! You're doing so much, I wonder how you find time to sleep. I'm cheering for you.

Lauri said...

Thanks Helen. I think people forget I'm a full time writer. If I'm not writing, what am I doing all day? It's unlike people who need to juggle a day job. I'm lucky like that.