Yesterday I had the most wonderful surprise when I switched on the radio and tuned in to BBC Radio Somerset. Vicki Clarke’s morning show was about to air and she flagged up the fact that I was going to be on!
It was, I must admit, a bit of a nerve wracking moment just before I heard myself, but the other surprise was that I think I did ok! Vicki is a true professional and managed to coax my writing story out of me in a really natural seamless way, so thank you so much for that! You can still catch up and listen to the show if you missed it. It's available on the fantastic BBC iplayer - let me know what you think! I madly contacted family and friends so they could share in my excitement at being broadcast. Even my sister all the way in Singapore managed to tune in. It was a real pleasure to asked to do the interview and I’m so pleased to be able to let people know that Asha And The Spirit Bird is a step closer to reaching its readers. A huge thank you to Vicki and BBC Radio Somerset.
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An interview with Vicki Clarke at BBC Radio Somerset!
With the publication day for AATSB drawing ever closer, it was so exciting to be invited to BBC Somerset to talk about my book. I really had to pinch myself as I stood at the platform of our village station watching the orange glow of sunrise filter through the trees, I was actually going to be on the radio! It was another exciting episode in the run up to the publication. Taunton isn’t too far from Bath and I loved the train ride through the Somerset Levels. West Country grey skies reflected silver in the abundance of water and wading birds dipped their beaks in, taking a long drink. Once there, Vicki Clarke whisked me away and before I had time to get any nerves I was halfway through chatting. It was very relaxed and the whole team at BBC Somerset were amazing. I was so please to hear that a few of the presenters had already pre-ordered their copies! One of the producers told me that her daughter loved Indian myths, which got me all excited again when I thought about her reading Asha’s story. The programme will be aired at some point around Christmas – what a fab early present! Keep your eyes open for news of the broadcast date. Preview copies take flight
About a week ago the lovely Jazz Bartlett at Chickenhouse said that she was preparing a package…it contained some spicy chai, a letter from me and a fresh copy of Asha And The Spirit Bird wrapped in gold ribbon. It sounded so lovely and I couldn’t quite believe that the time had come to share my debut properly. Things seem to be hotting up and I’ve had word that the first of these pre-publication copies have landed! I was going to have a quiet Sunday but I haven’t been able to resist having a nosy into twitter – some very kind recipients have posted photos of my book in all its glory. I can’t wait for them to dive in and be my first readers. Watch this space for further news! PRINTING DAY ARRIVES!
On Tuesday 4th Dec, the most exciting thing happened. It was the day I have been eagerly anticipating, the day my debut novel, Asha And The Spirit Bird, was due to be printed. Chicken House being the amazing publishers they are, invited me along to watch the process. It was incredible. A little like being in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but here it was all about the books. You could smell the ink as you walked onto the printing floor and the thought that in a few moments it would be my words on the machines, filled me with such delight. There was a point where the long reels of paper made a sort of bridge over my head and whizzed their way at top speed to their next stop, like a printing roller coaster! Christmas definitely came early for me when I was presented with my finished novel literally hot off the printing press. I couldn’t have hoped for a more stunning shiny cover. Seeing my name in print with the most perfect of colour combinations was a dream come true! Huge thanks to the team at CPI books, especially to Kevin who looked after us wonderfully during the day. You can share in my excitement by watching this short film Hope you enjoy! |
AuthorHi I'm Jasbinder, thanks for visiting my blog page. Hope you have fun exploring the posts and finding out more about my life as a writer and more! Archives
March 2023
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