Writer
I’ve been lucky enough to have Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal feature in Books and Publishing, the premier magazine for publishers, booksellers, and librarians all around Australia.
Highly compelling, intensely moving and ultimately hopeful, this book heralds the arrival of a talented new young adult author.
The article is behind a paywall for a month, and then I can post it here. Hooray!! There are so many things happening, and I’m racing to keep up. Go Peta!
This could have been a terrible moment… but it wasn’t! It was the best! @cakeandmadness is an #ownvoices reader who share’s Peta’s diagnoses/neurodivergence. I’m so relieved she rated Peta Lyre FIVE STARS!!!
I cried happy tears when I finished reading – it was so good and so validating to feel SEEN; to see someone like me written BY someone like me.
Goodreads review here ~ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3199642336
Pre orders are open all over the place, including Booktopia!
It’s pretty clear I don’t blog, and I don’t have many ways for people to get to know me other than Twitter… so I thought I’d give vlogs a go! SUPER FUN! Head on over, and leave me a comment or question 😀 Once I’m all set up, I can release news and keep everyone up to date on *things*.
I’ll put new content up whenever I can – most likely daily at first – and see what people would like. Also have to manage the tech side. I don’t have a mic yet, but I have plans to get one. It will all happen eventually… ;p
Hi all! May was an intense month – lots of changes again with school going back here in QLD, and fabulous events for Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal. I was on national TV!! Haha, it was great. I have a short recording on my youtube channel. Fauziah was warm and kind, and I really appreciate her taking an interest in Peta’s story.
Tonight, Thursday 4th, I have event with Readings Bookstore (in Melbourne! without leaving home, yay). The panel of four authors, Kay Kerr, Sarah Epstein, Poppy Nwosu and myself, are all great #LoveOzYA buddies so it should be awesome. Jo Case is interviewing, and you need a ticket for the zoom BEFORE 5.30 AEST time. You can BOOK HERE.
I’ve been recording new #AusChat episodes – and did I mention I won a grant from the Australian Arts Council to help out with costs?? Brilliant! It’s made a huge difference, and I’m very grateful.
Apart from all the Peta Lyre things, I’ve been writing. This is an intense time, and I’m still finding direction in my manuscript, but the voice is clear and that’s always a great sign. Creating anything when the world feels so hopeless is, to me, an act of rebellion. It’s saying we won’t give up, we won’t give in, and we will always act with our future in mind.
I’ve had a busy time launching and talking about Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal! Avid Reader hosted a wonderful first event, with Cass Moriarty interviewing. My editor Kate spoke and we all cried! Cass asks great questions, and there’s a chance it will go on their Facebook page if you missed out.
Then @ozauthorsonline hosted an event with the wonderful Rhianna Patrick, and it was just great too! We had prizes, a bit of deep chat, and then an after party via zoom. The interview is on Youtube now 😀
I have a panel coming up at Readings Bookstore – grab a ticket here! I’ll be with Sarah Epstein (Deep Water) and Poppy Nwosu (Taking Down Evelyn Tait), as well as two stellar debut authors, Kay Kerr (Please Don’t Hug Me). It’s free, and will be a hoot.
I’ve also had some blog interviews and I’ll pop links in here. Sorry I don’t have time to write this out nicely! Isolation living is super busy in this house!
https://www.katejfoster.com/general-blog/author-interview-anna-whateley
https://ashleighmeikle.com.au/2020/05/04/isolation-publicity-with-dr-anna-whateley/
An article with InQueensland
Wow, in-store date was a much bigger thing than I realised! Peta can now be bought at your local bookstore, and online at Booktopia. If you are overseas, then there is the option for kindle I believe, or Book Depository, until overseas rights are sold. I’ll try to add links here to these, but since the virus hit I’ve been a little short on time!
I’ve been busy schooling the kids at home, making book trailers, pitching to producers, and continuing with #AusChat. The house is a mess… haha. But we are all safe and well, and that’s something I don’t take for granted.
My official launch is next week at Avid Reader Bookstore via zoom. Tickets are required, though they are free! Wednesday 6 May, at 6.30pm. Please do come along, it’s sure to be a wonderful evening with Cass Moriarty. Peta can be ordered via this link/web site 😀
https://avidreader.com.au/events/anna-whateley-peta-lyres-rating-normal
On Saturday 9 May I have my own event with OzAuthorsOnline.com – in conversation with Rhianna Patrick. Also free, though this one is streamed via youtube and there are prizes! You can also come and hang out afterwards in the ‘green room zoom’ if you have any questions or just want to… And we would ask that any purchases still go via the local bookstores Avid Reader and Where The Wild Things Are.
https://ozauthors.online/watch?e=1
In MORE good news (yikes) it looks like Sydney Writer’s Festival is letting my little self onto their official podcast! It was devastating that the festival was cancelled… and transformed is much better!
I think that’s enough news for this morning. Welcome to the world Peta, what a ride.
[Here’s the Booktopia link!]
https://www.booktopia.com.au/peta-lyre-s-rating-normal-anna-whateley/book/9781760525309.html
It all started from a conversation with Susan Francis…
A lot to add in one post, but I have too much news! We’ve revealed the cover of Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal and it’s gorgeous!! Thank you to Astred for her design! See the twitter fun here: https://twitter.com/AnnaWhateley/status/1204317253535092736?s=20
We also had a cover reveal for Growing Up Disabled in Australia! More twitter action here: https://twitter.com/BlackIncBooks/status/1201720229581205504?s=20
My final thing, and the reason I ventured back to my little web site, is more serious. The bushfires destroying out country have left the rural fire brigades exhausted, and they need our help. #AuthorsForFireys is raising money by auctioning off authory things and the winning bids are donated to the CFA!
Here’s my auction for an ARC that hasn’t been printed yet… https://twitter.com/AnnaWhateley/status/1214362661187538950?s=20
Wish me luck!
I am incredibly honoured to have my essay ‘Noise Silence’ included in Black Inc’s forthcoming anthology, ‘Growing Up Disabled in Australia‘. I reread the essay yesterday, after not touching it since I submitted, and I still can’t believe little Anna’s story will be told.
2020 is going to be a big year with TWO publications… I’m pumped!
I can’t think of a better person to edit the anthology than Carly Findlay. Her book ‘Say Hello’ changed my life and my self perception. I can now proudly say I’m disabled. I don’t even feel the need to justify, or detail, my disability here with all the labels I’ve accrued. This anthology will change lives, and I can’t wait!!!!
[Edit: Thanks to Covid 19 we are delaying publication to early 2021]
On Thursday last week I had a *creative life moment* when my name reached print for the first time! Allen & Unwin held the #YAFanFest19 superproof event in Melbourne, and I was lucky enough to have the first two chapters of Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal included!
The list of authors on the panel was impressive: @elliemarney, @AmieKaufman, @garthnix, @garthnix and @AstridScholte!!!! And check out the other names on this contents page – Scott Westerfeld? OMG.
Here is me looking big on a big screen….
Some great friends from my #6amAusWriters twitter group were there and sending me sneak previews of the superproof (thanks Belinda and Kate!). My awesome agent does the best Insta posts!
All in all, it was an incredible event and I’m so lucky to be supported in this way by my publishers <3
(also, yes, I’m clearly not a blogger, this is just news, straight up!)