I'm delighted to tell you that last Friday I signed my third contract with Penguin for another book: The Simple Home. It will be a hard cover, similar in size to Down to Earth. I had told my publisher that I wouldn't write another big book because I felt I'd said what I wanted to say. However, a few years down the track, I found that wasn't the case and a new plan started bubbling away in my brain. When I told Penguin what I wanted to do, they were very happy. The new book will be about the work we do in our homes that help us to live a simple life. It will be published next March. Yesterday was the three year anniversary for Down to Earth.
This is going back in time to early 2012 when Down to Earth came out. Above I was signing books at my desk to post out. Below I was signing books at Dymocks in Brisbane.
I've sold the world rights this time, not only those for Australia and New Zealand. That doesn't mean it will automatically be in book shops around the world but Penguin will take both books to the London Book Fair in April so I'm hopeful that it will be published on a wider scale than Down to Earth originally was. Maybe the two of them will make more sense to an international publisher that one book by an unknown. Fingers crossed.
It means a lot of hard work in these coming months. I've already completed a few chapters but the deadline is June so I can't slow down. I don't want to just write a book, I want it to be a good book, the best book I can manage, and one that readers will use in their daily lives. There will be a photo shoot too. So if I don't write here as often as I used to, or if I'm missing at the forum, you'll know I'm here, tapping away on the keyboard writing something I hope you'll read early next year.
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
Good luck with it, Rhonda! I look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI am a fairly new reader who lives in the US and is a stay at home mom to two small boys (my oldest is two and my youngest is seven months). I am enjoying reading through all the archives in my spare time and bookmarking/printing out some of the wealth of advice you have gathered here for us. Thank you so much for this wonderful resource. I also own The Simple Life and Down to Earth on my Kindle :)
This year we hope to have a more successful garden--last year with me being pregnant we had only a small container garden with limited success--and I dream of the day I can maybe add some rabbits or chickens to our life.
I also had an idea to use yarn i made from cotton t-shirts to knit myself some sturdy drink coasters after being inspired by your post on dish cloths!
Down To Earth will be very hard to beat ! It will be fascinating to see what you have 'cooked up' this time - can hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad to hear about your new book in progress. I too hope it goes international so that I can get it. Here in the U.S. it seems only to be available on Kindle which I unfortunately do not use. I like to hold a real live book in my hand where I can dog ear pages (I know you aren't supposed to do that but I enjoy breaking the rules now and then) and underline etc.
ReplyDeleteVictoria in Indiana
Congratulation Rhonda! I'm with Vic...wishing we could get it here in the USA in real hardback book and not kindle.
DeleteI ordered the hardback directly from the publisher at penguin.com.au about a year or so ago (I'm in the US). Love having the book in my hands!
DeleteYippee, Rhonda, another book! I can't wait to read it. I always take one of your books along while waiting for school pick-up and it would be a treat to get to read the new one soon. How I wish I could fly there to meet you at a book signing. Good luck with the writing and take care.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda. I just started reading your first book Down to Earth, on the week-end. The introduction and first chapter resonated with me very deeply.
ReplyDeleteHello, What wonderful news. I refer to Down to Earth all the time. Actually, I started borrowing Down to Earth from the library. After borrowing for the 4th time I decided I should probably buy my own copy :0). I will start saving now for this one. Have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That is very exciting news. It sounds very practical. Birthday presents for next year sorted! :)
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Rhonda, Congratulations and Best Wish on your new book contract. Hubby & I are looking forward to reading it. Cheers
ReplyDeleteWonderful news Rhonda! Jan x
ReplyDeleteHow encouraging to hear of this new book, and that it could be more available worldwide! I'm looking forward to it and wish you a good few months of writing, editing, and further preparation - this is such good news, and I'm taking out my copy of Down to Earth right away for another "read" over the next few weeks :) Congratulations, Rhonda Jean!
ReplyDeleteWonderful news, I can't wait to buy a copy :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read your new book, Rhonda. It will be a busy few months coming up for you. It is a big commitment but I am sure you will have a sense of satisfaction when you finally finish that last page.
ReplyDeleteOh Rhonda, this is a wonderful message that you write a new book. I'm reading to your blog from 2007. I've learned so much from you. Everything is so motivating for me.But it is a pity that there is only your books in English. It would be nice if you could read them in German. Help me in translating Mr. Google. But some times it's funny what he says so ;)))
ReplyDeleteI send you many greetings to Australia from the cold Black Forest and I wish you much joy when you writing your book. Excuse me for my bad English, please :o
Gudrun :) von Baustelle "Leben"
Excellent, I will look forward to it. With the last book I managed to find a seller that would ship to England so I will definitely purchase this one
ReplyDeleteLove Jenny, Canterbury, England
What good news! I love Down to Earth and The Simple Life, and your new book sounds like it will be right up my alley. Thank you for letting us know!
ReplyDeleteLovely news. Congratulations and all the best for the process & beyond.
ReplyDeleteWonderful news Rhonda, I love the first one & can't wait to read the second
ReplyDeleteWonderful news. It is impossible to find your books here in Europe. And to have your cornucopia of knowledge and experience on paper would be a joy!
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic Rhonda. I'm very excited for you. Hoping that it spreads the word world-wide so that many others can read what is possible, and that it's a huge success for you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Rhonda! I can't wait, and will buy 4 again to go with the one I own and the three I gifted to my sons and sister. happy writing! Love Julia in Bowen xx
ReplyDeleteWonderful new, Rhonda! Looking forward to reading the newest book!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting Rhonda congratulations xxx Look forward to reading it !!!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful news Rhonda! I'm looking forward to it. Happy tapping.
ReplyDeletekate xx
That's awesome! Congratulations and good luck with your writing. I so often use your book for the basic recipes and just the other day I pulled it down to remind me of somethings I had forgotten and am currently re-reading it. :) I look forward to your next one.
ReplyDeletexx
congratulations! a new book! can't wait!
ReplyDeleteselina from kilkivan qld
Congratulations Rhonda!
ReplyDeleteHope to see it in the stores in the USA!
You always have very timely insights!
Congratulations, Rhonda! Thanks for showing everyone that being frugal can also be "cool". I get teased by people for being frugal, and I thank them for the compliment! Keep up the good work and inspiring others!!
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic! Your passion for simple living comes through in your writings.
ReplyDeleteThis is so wonderful, I can't wait to read it. Having said that, I was preparing laudnry liquid from your book just now, and left water running to fill in the bucket to the top. I thought that while it runs I go and read your blog and I so got carried away with reading this post and comments, that I totally forgot about my running water and now I have 14 litres instead of 10 :) so I am back making it more concentrating with soap, soda and borax :) Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! All the best to you! It will be another awesome book!
ReplyDeleteVery exciting! I'll look forward to it. A signed contract and a few chapters in is such an exhilarating place to be in the process of writing/publishing a book! (I just do small-scale academic stuff, but that part of the process is really my favorite.) I hope you are enjoying!
ReplyDeleteErin
Congratulations! This is so exciting! I look forward to your next one! I hope, hope, hope, it will be available in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! Congratulations Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteSo glad for you.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
That is so exciting, Rhonda! Congratulations! I can't believe it's been almost three years since D2E came out. How did that happen? I remember it well. Must get myself a copy, it's been on my list for all that time (but I'm in the UK, so it's harder). E-book it is, then!
ReplyDeleteVery, very exciting and happy news! Congrats! I hope you enjoy the work ahead in creating another gem. I've come across some older books of late, apparently written during the "back to the land" movement in the 1970s here in the US. I can't believe the incredible wealth of information in these books - they're unlike most modern books or online resources which seem to condense information into lists or bullet points (to the detriment of the knowledge attempting to be conveyed). I feel very strongly that we need more authors like you, with wisdom and many years' experience. The younger generations are in dire need of it!
ReplyDelete-Jaime
ooh please let us know when you will be signing books in Brisbane again so I can come and visit and get your book (both, I hope they have both available at the time) and meet you too
ReplyDeleteHow exciting and wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to it coming out :)
Congratulations Rhonda ! Looking forward to it's release. All the best with finalising the book.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda that is great news and selling the two books together as a package makes a whole lot of sense. Maybe you can start scheduling some old posts to automatically pop up (random ones) so we can still be in touch even if you are busy writing. I will be buying your book when it comes out that's for sure. All the best. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane PS..drop into my blog to see the link on "Honey on Tap"....sounds so cool.
ReplyDeleteEurope needs your books Rhonda! Do hope l can lay my hands on a copy of your new book. Can't wait. Pam in Norway
ReplyDeleteLots of luck and good wishes.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! What lovely news! Good luck with all the work ahead. The end result will be a treasure.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful, and so close to an anniversary. Many congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThat's great news. I'm now hoping it will be available by march 2016 so it can be next years Birthday present! Good luck with it over the coming months x
ReplyDeleteWhat exciting news Rhonda! The quality of your Down to Earth book made it so lovely aesthetically, and of course, the quality of your writing makes it a very special book! Glad you and your family weren't too badly by the weather last week. With love from Penny L in Dorset u.k
ReplyDeleteCongratulations ! I know it will be wonderful. I cant wait , how exciting and well deserved. Another great inspiring topic.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda. Such good news that it will be internationally published. I, too, am not a Kindle user, so i will look forward to having my very own copies.
ReplyDeleteJak x
You continue to amaze and inspire me, Rhonda! How exciting! Sending lots of good wishes on the process of your new book!
ReplyDeleteDebbie-central Illinois
Brilliant news!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the new book to join Down to Earth on my bookshelves :-)
Congratulations! I would love to see your books on the shelves here in Canada as well.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda!!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet you never thought you would be where you are today!!
I'm so happy that I found your blog!!!
That is so exciting! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteWonderful, Rhonda. I am so happy for you and look forward to the new book.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS...RHONDA!!!
ReplyDeleteAll the best..
What a wonderful news Rhonda. I'm looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteThat is really good news , I look forward to being able to purchase your books in Europe .
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! To you, for writing another book and to us, all the people who will get to read it and be inspired and enlightened......You have an important message to get out there!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. Look forward to reading the next instalment. J9 x
ReplyDeleteOh Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI'm positively thrilled that you're writing another book!! Truly, your first book resides right by my bedside where I can refer to it when the day has passed and I can relax a bit. We will all miss the days when you're not able to post, but we'll take joy in knowing that there is another wonderful book on the way.
Best wishes to you and Hanno.
Love from Diane in North Carolina
Your book" down to earth" is available to download to my kindle. I'm from Northern Ireland
ReplyDeleteHooray! What a joy to be editing your work again... Jo xx
ReplyDeleteYes Jo! It's wonderful to be working together again. :- )
DeleteCongratulations! Looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI bought your first book in Kindle format as I'm in the UK, but I find holding a book in my hands is part of the enjoyment of reading and Kindle doesn't replicate that, so here's hoping Penguin manage to get it into circulation over here.
xxSteelxx
Ditto to all the above congratulatory comments! But a word of caution Rhonda from your 'birthday twin"...while you have a lot to do and a deadline to do it by, don't burn yourself out. We aren't getting any younger, and I know how tired I get, and you work a lot harder than me!
ReplyDeleteHugs
Gina.
Dear Rhonda, I have been enjoying reading your blog for several years now (and read through all the back archive too!). It has been one of the inspirations that has encouraged and enabled me to start writing my own blog. So I am really looking forward to seeing your new book, and especially hoping that it and DTE are made available in the UK before too long.
ReplyDeleteAll good wishes, Deborah
Excellent! Congratulations and thanks for spreading the message of simple living!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea for your new book. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteFantastic news! Congratulations :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda. I will impatiently wait for the book and also cross fingers that it will be available here in US. I bought your first book from an Aussie online book store, shipping cost more that the book, but it was well worth it! Now it is well read, marked and bookmarked and read again. :>
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda. I can't wait. I have your other two books and they are my most looked at. Yipee!!!!! Happy writing. xo
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda! I look forward to this one, I love how you right about the practicalities and rhythms that affect your life. I have the first book close at hand and love being able to open it up and read a passage, page or chapter to help anchor and remind me.
ReplyDeleteHello Rondha, this announcement is a geat and wonderful surprise. I bought your first book when it was published and had it delivered from Australia to France and though it was costly, I think it was worth every penny! This book is always at reach' send and I read and browse through it all the time. This book, and your blog, both help me to refocus on my objectives when I need to. My way to slow down is to sit and work on my embroideries and my quilts... Then I meditate on one of your saying which means a lot to me " Bloom where you are planted" It helps me try to find my own answers or at least ask myself the right questions. It also helps me understand that happiness is not to be found far away in a dream place but that happiness really depends on me planting the seeds and be true to my own values. Thank you for all you do, you are an inspiration. Have a great day, David
ReplyDelete