It’s my Book Birthday!

When I was a kid I had three big dreams:

• To be a writer
• To own a VW Campervan
• To marry the weird, funny boy in my primary school class

Done, done and done.

So my thoughts today are mainly gratitude. I feel very very lucky, not only that this book has happened but that it has happened in conjunction with such lovely people. I feel very lucky to have such a brilliant agent, publisher and editors, not to mention all the writer friends who have supported me in getting here and put up with my whinging about problems that are really very nice problems to have.

My lovely editor sent me this in the post today!

A trapeze clown! He does tricks! Cutest thing ever.

The bit where my advance copies arrived in the post!

Taa-Dah!

So it’s a real thing in the real world at last, instead of just existing in my head! That’s both very wonderful and very weird.

I’m looking forward to the launch party next week, but after that I guess Finch and Birdie will be on their own in the big wide world and I’ll have to get on with writing the next one and falling in love with my new characters, which is a bit like when you go to a new school and have to make completely new friends but you kinda don’t want to because you miss your old ones. It’s hard, but it can also end up being wonderful.

So I hope you enjoy Flying Tips! I had so much fun writing it and today I’m both happy and sad that it’s finished.