Recipe for a good book launch

It was my book launch last Thursday and it is has taken me a few days to process the event because it was so AMAZING! I thought the best way to approach this was a recipe.

You need to collect all your ingredients including a lot of wonderful friends and I mean A LOT. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came to celebrate with me the launch of Flight. So many friends from far and wide. The room was full of happiness and love. It was incredible

They even flowed out into the road

While adding spice be prepared for emotions to run high. Sorry, Imogen, I didn't mean to make you cry...

But you will include a good sprinkle of laughter too

Following a recipe for a book signing is hard work. Do your stretches ready for your book signing queue. (I was thrilled when David from P&G Wells said mine was as long as Jacqueline Wilson's!) Yes, I did begin to forget how to spell my name by the end!

Cake is an important part of the mix (Made by the brilliant Beth)

Add in a great friend to read your story - thank you Sally Ballet x

Fold in a brilliant publisher who has believed in your story right from the beginning - Thank you Penny and Firefly

And then the first and final ingredient a great big dollop of crazy family - love you all

And that is my recipe for a book launch. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated the launch of Flight with me. I am certainly flying high still. You are wonderful people.

This is a song we would play years ago for many reasons but now I am putting it here because I love it:

Planning for the future and becoming a marketing expert. Flight begins to fly...

Event with Penny Thomas of Firefly Press

This week I had my first event where I had an opportunity to read from Flight. I was with my publisher Penny Thomas, Firefly Press and we were at my uni, University of Winchester, where we were talking to the MA students plus some members of the public of who had ventured out into the snow. It was a great event organised by Judith Heneghan.

I must be honest it suddenly made me realise that it was all very real and that Flight was going to be published soon...well on August 1st. Very exciting. It came at a perfect time as it a year ago on the 1st March that my great friend Imogen Cooper had rung me to say that Firefly were interested in Flight and so I had begun to live the dream.

I sent the latest edits off recently and have seen what I think is going to be the cover - it is beautiful - I LOVE it! I am very lucky Firefly have made it very easy to work with them. I am now aware that it is all going to move very quickly as I start to plan and move onwards to the launch and beyond.

Suddenly you need to think about a whole lot of different things and become a bit of a marketing person. I need to get my website sorted. I would like to write some school resources that would work well with Flight. I want to check who wants to review the book and also look at doing some blogs perhaps. Obviously, there will be a launch which is a going to be a celebration and a thank you - watch this space for details, and maybe some other events too all that need to be organised. I can't wait it is going to be such fun.

Anyone interested in reviewing Flight, or in me writing a blog for them or even having an event feel free to email me - until the website is sorted best to email me on nessharbour@btinternet.com

Keep an eye out for news. There are going to be some exciting announcements soon!!

Must be honest I love a bit of George Ezra and I do feel as if I am in Paradise