Dear friends and supporters,
Tremendous thanks to everyone who joined us on Zoom a week ago for the Immortal virtual launch party. It was quite a revelation on several counts.
First, it is every bit as much a launch do as a "real" party would be: you have to prepare properly and have the right support. I could not have been more fortunate in my amazing team, all dear friends with special kinds of expertise: Simon Hewitt Jones, who knows how to work the technical side of such things; and Joanna Pieters, editor and podcaster, who I knew would bring a fantastic positive energy to the hosting and interviewing. (Do check out her podcasts, The Creative Life Show.) She did. The whole thing ran like a perfectly oiled clock, and I hope I didn't sound too cuckoo.
Next, we might not have been together, and the audience chat was all typed rather than spoken, but we had friends signing in from all over. Los Angeles, New York, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and even good old East Sheen. How would that even have been dreamed of a year ago? (Clue: it wasn't.)
Third, it was enormous fun and at the end I felt like we'd had a genuine party, even though I was safely on the sofa in my slippers with a cat and a glass of wine by 8.30pm.
And finally, but by no means least, if you missed it you can now watch it on Youtube, right here. Enjoy!
I'm starting to get ideas as a result, which is really dangerous.........
Meanwhile there's lovely feedback arriving about the book: several top-notch reviews on Goodreads et al, and lots of spin-off interest in the vein of "are you free next Monday?", which is how the music world has to plan things at present. On balance, and with hindsight, I must admit I'd advise people to check the date of the American election before planning a release date for a new book...but nevertheless perhaps there is some advantage to the fact that more people are feeling vaguely positive now than were previously.
Thank you as ever for all your support. You've made all of this possible. I look forward to raising an actual glass with you when we're allowed to do so.
Love and best wishes,
Jessica