July 31, 2008
It’s been a while since I blogged, because I have been awash with Evie’s end-of-term social events - she has just finished nursery, and starts “big school” in September - and last week I was in Spain on holiday with the family (gaining new tips for travelling for future books!). I’m home in the UK now, and today I was back on “Sneaky Parenting” duty, with an appearance on BBC Three Counties Radio, as the “expert” on the Expert Hour on Lorna Milton’s Afternoon Show.
I did this slot back in May, and that went well - so did today’s. Lorna was wondefully friendly and professional as usual - despite having had to eat a whole “extra-strength” chilli on air minutes before my slot as part of the previous feature! - and we had a good range of calls and emails. I find it really exciting to talk to “real” parents on air and hopefully be able to pass on some ideas they hadn’t thought of - and even to gain some ideas, as many listeners have good tips of their own.
I’m booked in to do the Expert Hour again in August, so I look forward to that, and the book still seems to be doing well on amazon.co.uk and in Waterstone’s and all other retailers.
I hope to have some very exciting news about another book soon - watch this space!
June 12, 2008
The local paper has written an piece on Sneaky Parenting and the book signing in Waterstone’s - it’s a good piece for them because so many of the parents who contributed tips and suggestions for the book are from the area.
It says the book ”tackles many of the difficulties faced by parents every day in a lighthearted and sensible fashion”, adding: ”Instead of telling readers what to do with their youngsters, Sneaky Parenting puts forward practical solutions based on what has worked for others.”
Actually, it’s rather nice to see a piece in the Observer, because my friends in Bishop’s Stortford and Much Hadham were such a huge help and exhibited enormous patience with my endless requests for help. Also, it’s rather nice to see that they’ve put my age down as 36 - only just got away with that, as I turned 37 last week!
June 11, 2008
A Dad-to-be has said some great things about Sneaky Parenting on his blog the Progenitor, which is all about his impending journey into parenthood. He says it is ”packed to the brim with helpful hints and tips from real parents, who have been there, done that, bought the t-shirt factory, and are certified experts in raising their own kids”. Thanks Progenitor!
May 31, 2008
Today I did an in-store book signing for Sneaky Parenting at Waterstone’s, Bishop’s Stortford. It seemed to go well - we sold all of the copies the store had, so the events manager was happy!
It was fascinating to be in a book store for a few hours, seeing the different types of shoppers - some browsing idly, some knowing exactly what they want and going straight to it, and some spending hours and hours looking at almost every title in the shop…
I noticed that a lot of the buyers were grandparents (so obviously parents too!) - I guess it makes sense that you would give a signed copy as a present to your children, if they’ve just become parents themselves. Or to your friends with new grandchildren. One proud Grandmother showed me pictures of her new Grandson, Charlie, who was just days old. As the mother of a Charlie myself, I loved seeing the pics of him all brand new in his hospital blanket, and was delighted to sign that copy!
Sneaky Parenting continues to do well, and get good reviews, which is obviously fantastic. The Herts and Essex Observer - my local newspaper - also came and took phots in-store today, and even managed to time it so that some Much Hadham friends (and contributors to the book!) were roped in to pose with me. Thank you so much to those of you that came in to say hello and provide a much-appreciated bit of crowd boosting!
April 27, 2008
I’m going to be on The Afternoon Show with Lorna Milton on BBC Three Counties radio (that’s Beds, Herts and Bucks!) this Thursday. It’s on from 2.30pm-3.30pm, and it’s in a slot called the “Expert Hour”, which is slightly daunting - but then, since it’s all the real parents who gave their tips to Sneaky Parenting who are the true experts, I will just have to remember that these “smart shortcuts” have been tried and tested!
I’ve looked at the other guests lined up for this coming week, and I’m there alongside experts in everything from coins and banknotes to herbs and nutrition. My feeling is that callers hoping for advice on parenting will probably have the most challenging queries of the week, if the sticky issues my own children throw up (sometimes literally) are anything to go by… hopefully the radio listeners of the Three Counties area will be kind…
You can listen to it on BBC Three Counties FM or AM, or on the website www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties.
April 17, 2008
Went to the London Book Fair yesterday - my first since the book has been published. There’s a fantastic atmosphere there, and it felt thrilling to be a tiny part of such an enormous, dazzlingly complicated but very exciting industry. There is plenty of talk about the questionable future of books, but when you’re surrounded by publishers from all over the world all displaying their diverse wares, it’s hard to believe we will ever forsake good old-fashioned paper pages completely, no matter how appealing the alternative technology.
Also went to the annual authors’ lunch of White Ladder Press, when all of us rather far-flung writers get to have a good natter - and marvellous food - and pretend we are not such solitary creatures after all. This year we had even more than usual to discuss, as White Ladder was recently acquired by Crimson Publishing, of which it will now become an imprint, and Crimson MD David Lester was there to meet us and encourage us with lots of dynamic talk about the future. Roni Jay, who set up White Ladder with her late husband Richard Craze, is staying on as commissioning editor for White Ladder, which is just as well because even after my relatively short time with the company I can see that to all of its authors she is irreplaceable.
Anyway, parenting titles are going to be the next thing, it seems, so watch this space!
April 11, 2008
Hello! I am an author, journalist and freelance writer. My book Sneaky Parenting - Smart Shortcuts to Happy Families (White Ladder Press) was published on March 31 2008. ISBN 978 1 905410 28 6.
Here is some information about the book, taken from the White Ladder Press website:
Are you a perfect parent? A yummy mummy or a delicious dad? Or are there days when you feel more like a stale, worn out shell, struggling to do the best for your child? Feed them 5-a-day, play games with them, keep their minds stimulated, bath them, read to them, wash their clothes, and still have a life of your own…
Luckily, it’s perfectly possible to be a brilliant parent without being a perfect one. You just need to know all the sneaky tips, tricks and strategies that Jo Wiltshire has collected from loads of real parents. Parents who care more whether the kids are happy than whether their clothes are clean. That way you’ll be able to give your child everything they need without draining yourself dry in the process.
You’ll find countless clever shortcuts and real life tricks in here to help look after your baby, toddler or pre-schooler:
- potty training
- mealtimes
- sibling rivalry
- holidays
- getting dressed
- socialising
- minor illnesses
- cleanliness
- manners
- messiness
- grandparents
- baby equipment
If you want a fast track to a happy family, this is it. The book that tells you how to deal with the real stuff – quickly, with humour, and in time for a cup of tea with EastEnders.
See the “Sneaky Parenting” page for more details, publicity Q&As and press reviews.
