How To Write a Picture Book

Hi everyone!

Today I want to share my new picture book, VIOLIN & CELLO with you. I’d also like to tell you about the process, in case you’ve always wanted to give it a whirl…and why not? Why not you?

Here’s what happens:

1. You write a story (no more than 500 words in total). But here’s the trick — it has to be compelling, unique, and fun for kids, with a child-centred hero who solves their own problem. And yes, even a children’s story has to focus on a problem because that’s what story is: conflict. Whether you’re writing a novel or a picture book, your hero has to want something they don’t have.

Five hundred words sounds so easy, but often a story can take months to create!

1. Email your manuscript to a publisher who is accepting submissions (check their websites). How to find a publisher? Look at picture books you love — who published it? Also, if you don’t know which picture books are doing well in the current market, that’s the place to start! Go to a good bookshop to browse and buy books you love.

2. Success! Let’s talk about this, because so much information around writing is about dealing with rejection. (And let’s be real: rejection happens A LOT.) But if a publisher loves your manuscript, they’ll call you — so exciting — and say they’re taking your story to an acquisitions meeting! This is usually a monthly meeting where editors take a short list of perhaps eight great titles and decide whose books will be selected to be published. Publishing houses can’t publish every worthy manuscript…

3. The publisher then pairs you with an illustrator of their choice. Look who I was paired with for VIOLIN & CELLO…the exceptional Joanna Bartel from South Australia! (It’s rare to be an author who is able to illustrate, but many illustrators go on to write and illustrate their own stories.)

Joanna created concept drawings, and we discussed them. Her vision was perfect for my beautiful story set in a big city about two young mystery musicians who’d never met…

Then Joanna spent many, many months creating beautiful illustrations for the book, while my editor and I perfected the story.

And…VIOLIN & CELLO is a world-first…because this is the first picture book worldwide featuring violinists and cellists. The talented young Australian composer, Alexander Lau, composed The Mystery Friends duet for young cellists and violinists to play. The music is part of the story.

5. Publication happens about a year after signing a contract. Authors and illustrators split a 10% royalty from every book sold, which is around $1 per book sold for each creator.

If writing a picture book is something you’ve always wanted to do, now is the perfect time to get started!

And if you’d like to cheer us along with our beautiful new picture book, here’s how:

• VIOLIN & CELLO is out now in Australia! Ask at bookshops or order online.

• Spread the word — if you know any child musicians, this is the first picture book worldwide featuring violinists and cellists. Please tell your school library, your child’s music teacher, and musical friends. ❤️

• Pre-order in Canada, America and here in the UK — coming in early November!

• You can gift a book to a little musician, to a local school or to your library.

Thank you, my friends, for sharing. It means the world, truly. Enjoy your weekend.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

• In Australia VIOLIN & CELLO is available in all good bookshops and online at Amazon and Booktopia.

• Pre-order in Canada, America and here in the UK.

• Meet composer Alexander Lau and listen to the music from the book!

• Meet Joanna Bartel, illustrator!

• If you love it, please review it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

It's time to finally tell you...

Hi friends, and hello to all the new people this week! I have an exciting announcement!

But first…time for a quick intro (and photo!) in case you’ve forgotten what you’ve signed up for. I’m Catherine Greer, author of some best-loved books. I’m Canadian-Australian, and we live in Australia with two young adult sons and the cutest little pup. I send a newsletter every Sunday (Saturday overseas) from LOVEOURAGE.COM with useful tips and fun suggestions. (Sign up here if you’d like those weekly newsletters!)

Today I’ve sharing some quick wisdom and a fun surprise. Let’s go!

There’s one little word that’s magic. It can activate us to:

• try something new.

• make a change.

• believe again.

• stop anxiety.

• have a fresh start.

We can use it anytime. It’s this.

You’ve probably done a lot in your life: some things were easy, and some were hard. I have, too.

We’re all facing things now—some you share with others, but a lot you don’t. Some things we hold inside, the worries and the fears, and struggle to move forward.

From time to time, we can struggle to believe in ourselves.

That’s where a little word like “maybe” can move mountains. It opens up space and shifts our attention to what is possible, not the blocker that’s right in front of us.

Give it a try today and see what happens.

Love, Catherine x

PS. Yay! You’re the first to know…

• The 10 Minute Fix Journal is out now!

  • Over 200 pages of goodness: a quick overview of 100 “fixes” from The 10 Minute Fix book, with 200 unique writing prompts, and 100 practical affirmations.

  • 6x9 inches, lined cream paper, with unique questions and guided writing prompts.

  • Find it here in Australia and Canada (paperback), and hardcover in America and the UK (paperback coming soon).
    
    

Small Steps Are Perfect & Macarons!

Happy Sunday! It’s Catherine from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect—my new book!

I promised you my easy macaron recipe. Let’s do this! It’s ideal for your gluten-free friends and family.

First, though, thank you to everyone who has jumped in and ordered Small Steps are Perfect. It’s a little book of comfort & joy and I hope you love it. This morning I received another beautiful message from a reader who said, “Just got my Small Steps Are Perfect book today—when will there be a third, please…so excited!” Thanks, Ingrid. I’m grinning.

Also this:

“You’ll want to share this book, but you’ll want to keep it for yourself, so save a lot of guilt and buy two.” Love!

If you’d like to pick up a copy for you (and I hope one for a friend!), the links are below. Thank you for your support! Writers can only keep writing when readers buy and share books, and I appreciate you.

Now on to these beauties….

Can you see how delicious they are?

The pep talk: yes, you DO need to weigh everything and you DO have to be exact.

You’ll need:

1. A scale.

2. A fine metal strainer to sift the almond flour.

3. Piping bag with a round tip.

4. Almond flour, icing sugar, caster sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and GEL food colouring (not liquid).

Okay, let’s make this easy. All the YouTubers act like it’s rocket science but I think it can be practical and fun (that’s my take on life, actually).

The Macaron Shells:

Weigh and set aside these ingredients in separate bowls:

• 260 grams egg whites (not from a bag…from real eggs…and at room temperature)

• 172 grams caster sugar

• 312 grams almond flour

• 458 grams icing sugar

• (You’ll add a few drops of GEL food colouring to the egg whites later)

The filling:

• 230 grams (1 cup) butter

• 380 grams icing sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Make the shells:

1. Whip egg whites to firm peaks, and gradually add caster sugar. I use my Kitchenaid mixer.

2. Add a few drops of GEL food colouring and mix. So pretty!

3. In a big bowl, sift almond flour and icing sugar together through a metal strainer. Discard chunky bits. Weigh again and make sure you have 770grams total weight.

4. CAREFULLY and SLOWLY, mix the dry ingredients into the egg whites in your mixer until BARELY combined. I turn my mixer on and off, take it slowly and barely mix together. Nobody tells you to do it this way, but if you’re CAREFUL and don’t over mix, it saves you a lot of time and painful mixing by hand.

5. Then you need to macronage. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl, use a spatula or a scraper and fold, fold, fold until the mixture falls off the spatula in a ‘figure 8’ ribbon without breaking. Then stop. Don’t overmix.

6. Pour mixture into a piping bag with a round tip.

7. Line cookie sheets with baking paper.

8. Pipe small 2 cm (1 inch) shells. Aim in the middle, hold the piping bag upright and squeeze a ‘dot' — it will spread a little. Whack the finished tray on the counter to remove air bubbles.

9. THE SECRET — let dry for 30 mins to an hour. You should be able to run your finger across the top of the shell. This creates the ‘feet’ on the macaron shell.

10. Preheat oven to 160 C fan forced. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

11. Cool, match up the shells, then make the filling in a mixer. Whip the butter for about five minutes, add the icing sugar and the vanilla and that’s it. Pipe the filling onto one shell and top with a matching shell.

This will make more than 50+ delicious macarons. They freeze really well, and taste even better the following day. Everyone loves them.

Is it a little bit tricky? Maybe, but only the first time. That’s kind of like life, too.

Enjoy!

Love Catherine x

PS. If you want to be inspired, please consider SMALL STEPS ARE PERFECT: Simple ways to find comfort & joy. You can find it here!

• in Australia

• in Canada (selling out so fast!)

• in America

• in the UK

• in Germany

Surprise! New just for you...

Surprise!

Happy Sunday, everybody. I have some book news to share…

Small Steps Are Perfect: simple ways to find comfort & joy!

Isn’t it pretty? I love this book!

You might love it, too. Here’s why.

1. It’s practical.

2. It’s an instant pick-me-up when you need some encouragement.

3. It’s the perfect book for your bedside table—short chapters, fun stories, wisdom, encouragement…all the good things we need to feel better. Like a little sister to The 10 Minute Fix.

4. It’s a fantastic gift for a friend—lasts longer than flowers, and it’s pretty, encouraging and fun!

You can find it here!

• in Australia

• in Canada (selling out so fast!)

• in America

• in the UK

• in Germany

This book is dedicated to all of you (you’ll see when you open it!)

Here’s a sneak peek inside. Months ago, when I was writing the epigraph, I loved the synchronicity and magic of finding these words of Van Gogh’s. I’d never read them before. Amazing.

You guys, this beautiful book is like the little engine that could…we just keep chugging on, my friends, and sometimes we need a bit of inspiration and encouragement. Comfort & joy. That’s what you’ll find here!

I’m off to celebrate with coffee and breakfast! I hope something amazing happens for you today :)

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• Notes from me every Sunday at my new blog, LoveOurAge.com - sign up there!

• Stay tuned…next week at LoveOurAge.com I’m sharing my EASY recipe for macarons that anyone can make. One batch is probably 40-50 macarons. Buy almond meal + butter + icing sugar + gel food colouring for next Sunday .

• Book love—with my whole heart, THANK YOU for your kindness and support! Sharing books with your friends truly helps authors to keep doing what we love.

About Last Night and Being Loved

“I chose these flowers for you,” my new friend told me at dinner last night. “I had them make it up specially. I thought about your personality, and wanted to pick the colours you’d like. The yellow iris. The roses.”

Paulette is a gardener, and thoughtful and Canadian. Even though I’ve only known her a little while, she’s the kind of person you’d call if you found a lump or needed an emergency dog sitter or wanted to float a business idea and get good advice. She’s sensible. Calm. Savvy.

And she’s this: she’s good at making people feel loved.

It’s a skill, like baking or riding horses or gardening.

Of all the things I am and do, I hope I’m like that, too. It matters to me that I make people feel loved and seen. When you read my new book, you’ll find so many 10 Minute Fixes about loving people well.

• How To Be ‘the one’ For Someone (Chapter 49)

• Let’s Talk About Kids (Chapter 79)

• The Best Relationship Advice (Chapter 10)

This week I promised a giveaway — books for people who need a lift. There’s a lot of job loss right now and sickness and struggle.

Here’s what we’re going to do. (THIS IS SO FUN! Yayyyyyy! I love to give!)

If you know someone who might love a beautiful copy of The 10 Minute Fix, enter YOUR details below. I’ll choose a bunch of winners and get books to you…so YOU CAN GIVE The 10 Minute Fix to someone who might need it.

From me, through you, to someone who would love it.

Sounds like a deal, my friends??

CLICK HERE TO ENTER - WIN A BOOK FOR A FRIEND!

Love Catherine x

PS. You’re using my book to show friends and mums and daughters you love them. I cried when I got an emails like this from Sharon and Jules and Wendy and Tara this week. Right here, below, THIS IS MY DREAM. You are literally making my dreams come true. I mean that so sincerely. Thank you.

• “I ordered four copies, one for me and three for my daughters!”

• “I gave a copy to my two best girlfriends.”

• “I loved mine, so I bought three more to give away.”

Want your own copy now? It’s $19.99.

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: on amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

There's Something I Have To Tell You...

My friends, while the world was reeling, I waited quietly, with respect. I’ve bought books and products from Americans, cried, reached out, donated. I made the decision to hold back from telling anyone about my news, because I believed the world needed to focus on others, not me. My new book quietly hit the shelves on 31 May.

Today, I’d love to tell you all about it.

When the big things feel broken, sometimes it feels wonderful to focus on the little things.

Here it is, from me to you.

The 10 Minute Fix: 100 simple ways to feel better now (Balmoral Press) — at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk, Booktopia and Bookdepository and in select Aussie bookshops.

So let me tell you about The 10 Minute Fix!

I’m pretty sure you’ll LOVE it. I write about 100 simple ideas to feel better RIGHT NOW. You’ll get lists! Easy reminders! And it’s like a mini-workbook, too, with space to jot down your thoughts.

Advance readers are saying beautiful things (bless them!):

• “It’s made me feel better about myself.”

• “Completely compelling…I couldn’t put it down.”

• “So pretty! It’s a beautiful book.”

• “A high-vibe book.”

• “Makes me feel like I can do it, too.”

• “So many books have just one idea. This book has 100 ideas. All realistic and do-able.”

I hope you’ll want to share a copy with your mom, your friend and your sister. (You might even want to leave a page open for your partner or your kid!)

Okay, today — please show me you’re here to cheer me on. This is my book where I cheer for you!

From my heart and home to yours, please enjoy my new book, The 10 Minute Fix!

Love Catherine x

PS. Next week I’ll do giveaways if you’ve lost your job, or want a copy and things are tough, or want to nominate a friend. RRP is $19.99.

• In Canada: amazon.ca

• In America: amazon.com

• In Australia: amazon.com.au or Booktopia

• In the UK: amazon.co.uk

• You can also go to Book Depository but they set their price 30% higher with free delivery.

Thank you for your support. If you can, I hope you order a copy to keep and one to give away to someone you love. (Yes, your mom or your daughter will love this little helpful book…promise!)

My, oh my! All the GOOD things...and a tragedy

Everyone, especially my New Zealand readers — I want to reach out and offer peace this weekend. Every sentence I try to write comes out like a cliche, but please know that the world loves your country.

(Moni, Susan, Frannie, Joan, Amiri…and all the other beautiful Kiwi readers I don’t know personally, we are all thinking of you.)

---

I don’t know how to continue with what I had planned to tell you this week, but I’m going to try. It’s been a big week, with lots of this — baking for my launch party.

And a lot of this… rushing around!

LOVE LIE REPEAT is out now in Australia and in our beloved New Zealand, and I’ve been signing books before they fly out of shops. Want to see what a book signing looks like, especially if this is YOUR dream for your life? If yes, take a look here.

• Bookclubs are reading LOVE LIE REPEAT! Get your free Penguin Book Club notes.

• High schools are interested in teaching it! Free excellent Teachers’ Resource Guide is here.

• I’ve been baking yummy biscuits and decadent chocolate brownies for the launch party next weekend, and I’m planning a charcuterie board like this one, but massive…

I want you to know this: you can write your book, too. Let my story encourage you. It took two years to get LOVE LIE REPEAT from my laptop into the shops. People are reading it in one sitting — racing through — so we need LOTS of books. There is room for all of us. Me and you.

To party with us next Saturday, 23 March, 7:30pm Sydney time, you can join with Zoom on your laptop. It’s like watching a meeting, live. Just click on the image below OR on this Zoom link https://zoom.us/j/732408698 Check your time zone before you click! Zoom will load automatically, so follow the prompts. I’ll share the replay link next Sunday, too.

Can I say a million, billion THANK YOUs for being on this journey with me?

New Zealand, we’re carrying your heart in our hearts today.

Love, Catherine x

It's a big week for me...

This is Archibald Fountain in Sydney’s Hyde Park, and behind it, St Mary’s Cathedral. I wrote about these classic landmarks in my novel, Love Lie Repeat. I snapped the picture last night, on the way to visit a friend.

Yes, my book is my love song to Sydney…and it hits the shops tomorrow!

If you have any desire to write — if you do write — can you imagine how this feels? I’m proud and tired and happy. It feels a bit like leaving a five year old at the door of a kindergarten classroom.

(You hope that people will be nice.)

I’m a beginner and I started at 50. You guys, it’s been amazing and scary and wonderful all at once. Reviewers are loving my book and posting gorgeous photos like this one.

celebrate with us on 23 March!

I’m getting super excited about my launch party in the city on the 23 March. We’re getting close to capacity at our very cool venue in the city, so if you want to party with us (Penguin Books, my family, me!) please email me or Libby at Beachside Bookshop.

Overseas people — we’re going to Live Stream the launch so you can ALL party with the Aussies! And you can watch the replay, too. (Details coming soon — but it’s easy.)

Everyone is invited.

Everyone’s still sleeping in my Sunday-morning-house, so I’m off to make another cup of coffee and enjoy the birds and autumn sun.

I hope you all have a beautiful Sunday!

Thank you for being here with me, in real life, or in this corner of the internet. I appreciate you more than you know.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• How are you all doing with your posture exercises?? So good!

• You can buy Love Lie Repeat at your favourite indie bookshop, Dymocks, Harry Hartog, Kinokinuya, Berkelouw Books, Target or Big W. Overseas free worldwide delivery here! (Available across Australia on Monday.)

• Melbourne author Louisa Deasey wrote about authors and money. So interesting if you’ve always wondered how the book industry works.

Giveaway! Win LOVE LIE REPEAT & my favourite ring...

Happy Weekend!

If you know me in real life, you know I love giving. I’m the youngest of six kids and was raised in a family that knew how to share. (Was there enough to go around? Did everyone have something?) Giving was natural, like breathing, staging a play in the basement and fighting over board games.

I’ve baked a million cookies, given thousands of meals to friends, wrapped little gifts to encourage people, passed on poems I love. I’ve shared clothes and shoes and recipes, recommended just the right book to my writing students.

And this is weird: in my fantasy of fame and fortune, the best part about being like Oprah would be that moment where I could give the entire studio audience ALL my favourite things.

Enter to Win!

So today: something for you! I’m giving away a copy of LOVE LIE REPEAT and my favourite ring (pictured above).

I get so many compliments when I wear this ring that I went out and bought two — one to give away on my blog and one on Instagram. The pink ring was sold out, so I bought the ‘emerald’ stone to give away here, and the black stone ring on Instagram. Both are so pretty.

How To Enter:

Enter your details below, and forward this email to a friend who you think will enjoy my weekly Happiness Blog. That’s it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest closes Saturday, 2 February. I’ll announce the two winners on my blog next week — one person wins the ring, one my book. Fingers crossed that the technology works for me here. It’s my first giveaway using Rafflecopter (but it won’t be my last!).

And here’s some wisdom about these rings: I used to think I needed to wait until I could have a real emerald to enjoy one, but now I seize the day. You can have so much fun with a $12 ring, my friends.

Have some fun today!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• More awesome happiness posts: how to fix anything in 10 minutes, and is it time to rest?

• Thank you for pre-ordering LOVE LIE REPEAT! Early sales determine a book’s popularity. Order here with free postage worldwide (in Australia, try your local bookshop first!)

One Trick To Feel Better Now!

Everyone, it’s your weekend!

I always feel like the weekend is filled with limitless possibility.

For all of us, there’s at least some time to do what we love:

• chat for hours

• get creative

• cook (try my favourite salad!)

• relax

It seems like a MIRACLE to me that we get a weekend every single week.

Aren’t we lucky? Despite everything that’s going on in our Not Perfect Worlds, even if we need to work a little, we get this space to pause.

All of us have something we’re worried about. For me, there are sons to raise, book sales targets to hit, a house to clean, work to do, a new part time job, a just-finished novel to give to my publisher (and a brain that will not stop fretting about it). There are sisters in Canada and Phoenix to miss, school fees to pay at the end of the month, and on and on.

My life is both easy & hard, probably a lot like yours. And that’s only on the surface, the things we share with each other. We all have deep concerns that we don’t share.

When I’m feeling less than great, I use this quick fix. It’s so simple I’m almost too embarrassed to tell you! I sing Pink’s lyrics to myself. Crazy, but I do. (Song is here). This is the line that helps me:

Today, no matter what hard things are going on in our lives, there are a thousand worse places we could be.

We have a weekend! We have the choice to do something that makes us feel alive. We have the right to enjoy ourselves, if we decide to.

Have some fun, my friends, and let’s be FUN to live with.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Last week I heard from SO MANY OF YOU! Love getting your emails. Please share my blog with any friends who would like it!

• Love Lie Repeat is out 5 March! Which cover do you love? Here’s the ARC (Advance Reader Copies for reviewers) and the actual cover is below. So far, everyone loves both, but most people prefer one or the other. I feel SO LUCKY. Penguin’s running a competition for Australians to win an ARC! Closes 22 Jan!

And here’s the actual cover — books arrive in shops on 5 March!

If you’ve pre-ordered, thank you! It helps so much! In Australia, please support your local bookshop — like Beachside Bookshop — or shop online. Overseas people — you can order here! I appreciate your support more than you know. Thank you.

There's Something I Haven't Told You...

Hi, everyone!

It’s time to let you in on some exciting news.

Eighteen months ago, I signed a book deal with Penguin Random House. It’s been my dream to write a novel since I was a little girl, and finally, in the middle of my life, I decided it was time to step out and try.

LOVE LIE REPEAT hits bookshops in 8 weeks — March 5th! (Available overseas via book depository & amazon kindle)

What’s my book about?

I’m intrigued by strong women, and I wanted to write about beauty and power. (A long time ago, I wrote my Master’s thesis on Feminine Vitality in the stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald.)

LOVE LIE REPEAT is about mothers and daughters, the pressure to be perfect, and why we hurt the people we love. It’s set in the upper north shore of Sydney, full of private schools and privilege, opportunity and competition, love and disappointment…and what that does to women and girls.

People are saying it’s “lush and chilling” .… “gorgeous and biting” ,.. “powerful and shocking and completely unputdownable.”

I hope you think so, too!

A publisher at Penguin said, “LOVE LIE REPEAT is your love song to Sydney.” It’s also my love song to the Pacific Northwest, where I used to live. And it’s a tribute to Margaret Atwood, whose poem ‘Siren Song’ inspired the book.

We’re all more than we seem…

You’ve known me as a happiness blogger and a children’s author; some of you know me as a teacher and book coach for my online class, How To Write Your Book This Year.

But like you, I’m more. I’m also a writer of juicy family dramas, thrillers with the twists & without the gore — psychological suspense novels. I write about beauty, power, deceit and redemption. And I do it all on my patio, with my laptop and my dog and a good cup of coffee.

So how does this relate to you?

If I can move toward my dream in the middle of my life, so can you. I want to be an example of what’s possible for all of us, especially if we remember this:

Thanks so very much for sharing in my good news! All writers need fabulous readers, and I’m so grateful for your encouragement and support.

Happy Sunday! I hope you find a way to take the first step towards making your dreams come true.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Pre-orders help authors so much! It means publishers know how popular a book will be. You’ll get your copy of LOVE LIE REPEAT in just 8 weeks, March 5th. Preorder here on book depository for worldwide delivery, here on booktopia, here on amazon in Australia, here on amazon Kindle. Thank you so much for your support!

• Want to write your own book this year? It’s not too late to join my online class. Fabulous students — all beginners. You’re so welcome! I can send you the replay for our first class; there’s four to come. Learn more.

You're Doing Better Than You Think You Are

As the year draws to a close, are you distracted by what you didn’t get done?

When I start down that road, I also begin comparing myself to other people…

Instagram.

Facebook.

Friends and colleagues in real life.

Sometimes we come up ahead, and sometimes behind. Often we think, “I’m so thankful I didn’t have to walk through THAT!” and often — if we’re honest — we also think, “Where’s MY good thing? When is MINE coming?”

But here’s the deal: comparison is the thief of joy, as Teddy Roosevelt famously said.

And I will add this:

This is the season to be jolly, not to blame yourself for things you didn’t get done. Life is twisty and some things take time; we don’t always know why events unfold as they do. My wish for all of us right now is this…

Slow down.

Enjoy.

It’s okay to take your time. It’s okay to let things unfold. And remember: you’re doing better than you think you are.

I love this quote from Morgan Harper Nichols:

So as the year ends, let’s enjoy it. Let’s celebrate. Blooming ever-so-slowly is still just fine.

Love, Catherine

P.S.

• It’s almost finished Jacaranda Snow-ing in Sydney! Kerri from Adelaide @asqueezeoflemon sent me this beautiful Jacaranda Snow photo! Thanks, Kerri!

• If you’ve read the Notes to my picture book, Jacaranda Snow, you’ll know that jacaranda seedlings were given to new mums in Australia when they left hospital, and that’s why we have so many beautiful jacaranda trees. This week, a lovely fan of the book emailed me to tell me that jacarandas were also given to young birth mothers at adoption. I love Australia and our jacaranda kids. (If your local library or school library doesn’t have Jacaranda Snow yet, please ask them to carry it! It’s so important for our history.)

The Best Berry Shortbread Cookies

What’s better than family and holidays and cookies?

Yum.

You’ll definitely want to make these Raspberry Almond Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle. Last year I made them for my publisher and carried them on the train. On that commute, strangers gazed at my cookies longingly. I made a blog-friend, shared the recipe with everyone, and became the most celebrated author in the city — ha ha!

Now you can, too.

And it’s quick and easy!

Whip up the dough in your mixer, thumbprint the cookies and fill with raspberry jam.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, cool and drizzle with white chocolate. The secret is to fill a ziplock bag with melted chocolate and snip off the end. It’ll give you more control as you decorate.

The recipe is here, from last year!

Enjoy — these cookies are perfect for Christmas and as giveaways that everyone loves. It will take you less than an hour to whip up a batch.

You are so welcome!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• In Sydney it’s Jacaranda Snow-ing — purple snow everywhere! I finished my book launches for JACARANDA SNOW this week. Thank you for supporting this beautiful project. (Books available here and in good bookshops in Australia).

• And for anyone who’s ever asked me about writing a picture book, I pulled together all the information you’ll need in this quick, comprehensive How To e-book, available now! You can find it here. It’s a clear, quick, no-nonsense guide.

Behind-the-scenes of A Picture Book

JACARANDA SNOW, my debut picture book with award-winning illustrator, Helene Magisson, will hit the shelves in Australia in September! It's about a little Aussie girl who longs to see snow -- and finds a way to make her own dream come true.

Right now, Wombat Books is pitching JACARANDA SNOW to three Canadian publishers, so I'm hoping that it will be on shelves in 'my home & native land' of Canada, too!

In the meantime, if you want a copy, you can get yours here!

Did you know...

• Jacarandas are native to Brazil and were introduced in Australia. In spring, their beautiful purple blossoms fall like 'snow.'

• There are jacarandas all over Australia and some in California, too.

• When an author's manuscript has been accepted for publication, the publisher chooses an illustrator for the book. (But from the start, I dreamed of being paired with Helene...and it happened!)

• It's challenging to write an engaging story in under 400 words! And it can take months/years and many revisions to make a "simple" idea work. And it's really tricky to get a book deal!

• Picture books are a labour of love! Illustrators and authors make 5% of the book sale price (usually less than $1 per book) and an initial print run is 2,000 copies.

• Illustrators paint (draw, collage etc) more than 16 paintings/ illustrations for a single book. You can see Helene's award-winning art here and buy gorgeous prints in her shop.

What's extra-special about JACARANDA SNOW?

Alexander Lau, a 17 year old award-winning Australian composer, agreed to compose a piano quintet for two violins, a cello and piano called "Jacaranda Snow." We hope to feature the debut performance at a Sydney book launch In November.

Alexander's piano score will be reprinted inside JACARANDA SNOW for parents, teachers and pianists to enjoy. There's never been a picture book like this one!

JACARANDA SNOW teaches Growth Mindset / Flow with help from Educalme! Kailey and Josianne, founders of Educalme -- a Canadian company that equips parents and teachers to create a calm, productive and positive classroom or family -- have created a FREE Education Resource Toolkit for JACARANDA SNOW. (coupon code inside every book!)  

Now every child who reads JACARANDA SNOW can learn about Growth Mindset and make their own dreams come true.

Educalme has a weekly podcast, The Balanced Educator, and offers amazing free resources and workshops, as well as useful resources for families AND classroom teachers. As a bonus, everything is in English and French. (Yay, Canada!!) Take a look at Educalme here!

<I'm holding the proof of our book! It will be a hardcover, A4 size.>

It's hard to believe that all this started with a story that came straight from my heart. I'm so proud, honoured and excited to share JACARANDA SNOW with the world.

Thank you Helene, Alexander, Kailey and Josianne and Wombat Books. We've ALL done our best to make JACARANDA SNOW a modern Australian classic. You're welcome to buy a copy for kids you love, or pick up a copy in a bookshop in September.

I'll post your book/s to you mid-September.

Love Catherine

PS.

• Teachers and parents -- check out Educalme! I wish I'd had this resource for my kids.

• So fun to watch Helene painting another illustration from JACARANDA SNOW!

• You can listen to Alexander Lau's music here. Seventeen! So talented!

Fleur de Sel Caramels and a Sweet Bookshop

My friends, I'm spilling all my best secrets on my blog. Like this one: the most amazing homemade Fleur de Sel Caramels. Honestly, if you learn how to make them and share with friends, you'll get regular requests. I hear this a LOT: "Will you make me your salted caramels as my birthday present?"

It's the perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy. One pan of these caramels and you'll be hooked.

But first: something even sweeter...Libby Armstrong's beautiful bookshop in Avalon, Beachside Bookshop. My Aussie friends, have you been there? I dropped in recently to tell Libby about my new picture book, Jacaranda Snow. Libby has curated the greatest selection of novels for adults, children's books, beautiful new releases, young adult novels and more.

The shop smells like hyacinths and looks so good. In winter, it's warm and toasty inside. In the summer, it's close enough to Avalon and Newport to drop in and grab a good book for the beach. 

Best of all, Beachside Bookshop has this incredible old-fashioned vibe. You walk in and feel loved. It's Libby and her team. She told me this:

One last pic of the window seat... I have always wanted one! When I was there, the cutest little girl was curled up with her Mum reading. (For all you Mums out there, Happy Mother's Day!)

Now...on to the caramel-making!

Fleur de Sel is a little hard to find, so you'll need all this below, plus butter, cream and white sugar. And yes, you do need the candy thermometer. You won't get the right consistency without it.

Have a sweet weekend, my friends.

Love Catherine x

PS.

If a friend sent you this email, you can sign up for your own weekly dose of happiness here, on my author's website! All welcome!

And just for fun...potentially my favourite photo of my mum, the original Catherine Greer (I'm Catherine Greer Version 2.0). She rode a camel in Australia at age 85. I plan to be just as awesome. Happy Mother's Day, Mum.

How To Have The Best Birthday

Another trip around the sun for me!

I celebrated my birthday this week and, for the first time ever, I shared it with everyone. My sweet friend, Victoria Buda at Being Me Movement podcast has this incredible tradition. Every year during her birthday month, she tells people My birthday is going to be awesome. So I did the same and it was. I mean, look at me! Dog and cake. Friends. Family. It doesn't get better.

Will you try it? Are you willing to let people show you how much they love you this year? 

Then I gave myself the best $7 gift: No Lights No Lycra.

I love to dance (kitchen dance!) and I've been meaning to try this for ages. Two Aussie women started No Lights No Lycra as a community dance movement and it's completely amazing, of course. The heart of the movement is the belief that everyone can dance. I went for the first time in Manly the night before my birthday. Imagine it -- one hour of incredible music in this gorgeous old community hall with dozens of women and all the lights off, everyone doing her own thing. No heels. All ages. High vibe. Complete freedom.

Magic! 

Want to see if there's one near you? If it's not in your city yet, anyone can be an ambassador. It would be a fun weekly side hustle / easy business AND it provides an awesome benefit to your community. Learn how to start one up!

And one last bit of goodness! I can't wait to show you Jacaranda Snow, my growth mindset / flow hardcover picture book published by Wombat Books. Jacaranda Snow hits the shelves in September. I wish I could share Helene's brilliant illustrations, but not yet. Let me just say that the book is so pretty I cried! If you want to pre-order, you can buy it here. Sneak peek of a detail:

And most important of all, for all the new people this week, welcome! I appreciate you! Thank you, truly, for joining us. If a friend sent you this email, you can get your own here. A weekly dose of happiness from Sydney!

Enjoy your weekend. And, as always, have some fun...and be fun to live with!

Catherine x

Guess Who Is Illustrating Jacaranda Snow?

French-Australian artist, Helene Magisson!

I'm beyond excited to tell you that Helene has agreed to illustrate JACARANDA SNOW, my first picture book.

Helene's work is so beautiful! Before I knew who my publisher had commissioned, I had already imagined Helene as the illustrator of my dreams...and you'll see why.

from Beauty and the Beast (New Frontier, 2017)

Helene understands beauty. She sees it everywhere, and so do I. She's the perfect artist to bring JACARANDA SNOW to life.

Her training is fascinating; Helene studied history of art at the Louvre combined with a bachelor of painting restoration, including medieval illumination. Please, if you have time, read this incredible article (in Helene's own words) about her love of art!

The Gardener...available on Helene's website

“I use only traditional techniques: hundreds of different brushes, extra-large papers with strange smells, and thousands of different water colours... so my art studio is always incredibly messy! I never use pure water colour. I mix 2 colours (sometimes 3), always ‘playing’ with the amount of pigments so that the layers are never completely plain and flat. I like when it vibrates. I work on a few layers first with a rough brush and add 2 or 3 layers with soft brushes to polish the final aspect.”

— Helene Magisson

Helene has several picture books available now. Her first book was a new interpretation of the classic story, The Velveteen Rabbit. Her latest book is Slowly, Slowly with T.M. Clark.

• Visit Helene's shop

• See her portfolio of work

• Read more about JACARANDA SNOW

I keep daydreaming about all the kids who will get the chance to enjoy Helene's gorgeous art, wrapped up in my beautiful story.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend, everyone. If you're in Sydney, it'll be filled with JACARANDA SNOW. And if you've taken any JACARANDA SNOW photos, I'd love to see them: catherine@catherinegreer.com.au

Catherine x

P.S. Here's sweet Miss A, the daughter of my gorgeous writer-friend Tara, and their jacaranda snow! Tara's an emerging novelist and her fabulous blog is here...enjoy!

<Photo credit: Tara Ray>

Playing Big and Playing Small

This week on The Practical Minimalists podcast I had a heart-to-heart with hosts Heather and Eryn. You'll love these two American women and their work. I promise! Click on the link above to check out their podcast. You can read about Heather and Eryn here and follow them here on Instagram.

We talked about playing big and playing small.

You guys, we'd need a world of coffees at my kitchen table to talk about this.

In your life and mine, why are so many people stuck on playing small? Where did it come from?

• Are we afraid of being criticised?

• Do we have imposter syndrome?

• Do women eat the lie that we should be small and quiet and agreeable? And not take up space?

On the podcast, we get real and honest about... 

• parenting fails

• hiding our light

• playing big

• starting where we are

• and JACARANDA SNOW, my new picture book about kids and flow and growth mindset.

Today I want to whisper in your ear what I said to Heather and Eryn, "We need you to be as big as possible. The world needs you to shine."

You can listen to our chat on the The Practical Minimalists podcast by clicking on this link, or you subscribe on iTunes. Heather and Eryn's show is about so much more than living a minimalist lifestyle! If you want a sneak peek of the writer-friend-vintage-collector I mention, Jules Van Mil, you can see her vintage jewellery here. Enjoy!

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The jacarandas are snowing in Sydney!! (Here's the story-behind-the-story!) For all you beautiful Canadians and Americans, this is a jacaranda tree. Sending big hugs to my talented photographer-friend, Doug Frost...and to all of you. 

<Photo credit: Douglas Frost photography>

"I have saved this afternoon for you..."

Hello, friends.

Can I share something gorgeous with you?

It's T.S. Eliot's poem, "Portrait of a Lady."

Have you ever spent a melancholy afternoon "recalling things that other people have desired"? Have you ever had your "conversation slip...among carefully caught regrets"? Have you ever whispered, "I have saved this afternoon for you"?

So many people think they hate poetry, but I think this: they just didn't have a good English teacher to help them fall in love with words. 

Life without at least one good English teacher is a tragedy. 

It really is.

"Portrait of a Lady" is a bit tricky, but it's gorgeous. Remember? If you've never read it, you can try it here. (You don't have to understand every line to call it 'beautiful.')

And if your tastes run a little simpler, here's one for your weekend by American poet Robert Frost.

<Image source>

And here's my personal favourite, a stanza from Wallace Steven's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." The poem has 13 stanzas in total:

<Image source>

If you take a look here on Instagram (and in all my other kitchen photos), you'll see I have "Thirteen Ways" on the wall.

Beauty is everywhere, guys, just a click away. Any poem you love you can read right now. You can even google '50 Best Poems' and be inspired by what you find.

So there you have it -- some beauty for you today as I sit here sipping Earl Grey tea, thinking of you...in Australia, in Canada, in America.

Enjoy your weekend. Be fun to live with!

Catherine x

The Lively Show

So. Much. Fun!

It was a big week -- that's why I'm sending you two blog posts (with love).

I had the chance to join podcaster Jess Lively on The Lively Show to talk about an online course Jess teaches, Flow With Intention Online. At it's heart, it's a class about optimism and flowing downstream rather than struggling up. (I've written about that idea here and here.)

Jess Lively is this amazing American world-traveller, podcaster and entrepreneur. She inspires and teaches, and she also generously donates funds to build schools for kids in developing countries with Pencils of Promise. She's interviewed so many of my heroes, like Liz Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic) and Brene Brown (author of Daring Greatly). Jess is very expansive in her thinking -- she loves science and some out-there stuff -- and I love that she's all about helping people live with more joy.

Click here to listen to me talk about my new book deal & Jess' online class...fun-spiration from us to you!

Happy weekend, everyone. 

Catherine x

PS. There are also many, many other fabulous interviews with Jess and a range of lovely people, celebrities, thought leaders and entrepreneurs at jesslively.com.