I said goodbye to my fur baby Mala today. She was the sweetest cat ever. She came into our lives when we bought our first house. She'd been abandoned by the owners and she stalked us from window to window. We wanted to find her a new home, but we fell in love instead, and couldn't let her out of our lives.

In Bosnian mala means little, and that's why we named her Mala. She was always tiny and we kept begging her to stay little and she did. She was under 3kg and looked like a tiny kitten.

I know she had a good life, and she was very much loved. She has been declining over the past year, and became completely deaf, and has slowly been declining further with cat dementia. The past few weeks her behaviour changed, and within the past few days she became weak and frail, and couldn't climb the stairs anymore and wasn't eating.

I'm so thankful we were able to get a vet to come to the house and euthanise her without causing her too much distress. It's still so hard saying goodbye to a member of the family, and she was. For 20 years, she was our daily companion who brightened our spirits and gave us unconditional love.

She is already missed and I look around my house, feeling bereft as it's empty of her presence.

Goodbye my beautiful little fur baby. I love you forever.

​One of the things that I am learning as I focus on developing my public speaking portfolio is asking people two questions: 1-where did they hear of me to book me, and 2-for reviews after the appearance is completed. 

When I was contacted by a library representative to book me for a self publishing workshop at the 2024 Brimbank Writers Festival I found out that he found me by googling me. So my SEO optimisation and constant updates of my website are working.

And then I was fortunate enough that attendees connected with me on social media and commented on my post and I was able to ask them if I could use their reviews. 

So I have updated my website with all my testimonials and photos, and created a little graphic capturing it all. I'm looking forward to more opportunities to deliver self publishing workshops and connect with more emerging writers and helping them get their writing out into the world.

It has been an interesting term 1. I have clocked three viruses in three months: Corona, gastro and now laryngitis. There have been so many viruses and illnesses going around the school and staff have just been knocked around.

In the good news though I have been blessed with a beautiful year 7 class and a 9EAL class. I taught on Friday without a voice and had a double English lesson with my year 7 students and they were so amazing. I was typing instructions on the whiteboard and they were reading them. We went outside for them to practice their oral presentations and they were really amazing at keeping an eye out for me and taking on board my mimed instructions. 

I suspected I might not be in this week and wanted them to present their oral presentations so we did an abbreviated version outside where I did not have to worry about noise levels. They all pulled together and we completed all of the work for the term and I was able to share their grades with them on the day. I came home feeling exhausted and yet so uplifted too at how they came together and worked so hard. We gave ourselves a big round of applause and my heart was so full as I looked at their beautiful faces.

My year 9EAL class are also so amazing and completed their AT on time so that I could grade them too and release their grades before the end of the term. So now I can stay home and be sick and lie in bed without worrying about my students missing out.

I won't be able to attend parent teacher interviews this week, but at least all the information is available to the parents online so I'm happy about that.

Last night I dreamt about my comfort food-Bonsnian rice chocolate so here is a photo of my favourite things today: my chocolate, my remote to watch Hart of Dixie on Stan, remote control as I cycle through fever and chills and Lemsip which takes my aches away.

So I'm technically starting my school holidays early, in bed, alternating between binge-watching and sleeping. 

To all the teachers and students out there-happy last week of the term. May you survive and embark on a restful and healing school holidays.

Today I had my self publishing workshop as part of the Brimbank Writers Festival and it was a great turnout. I created my first presentation using Canva and it was so pretty with all these hyperlinks to demonstrate aspects. I also created some pretty handouts for the audience and have helped prepare  emerging authors to embark on their new careers. 

Looking forward to doing more workshops on self publishing  in the future.

Thank you Brimbank Writers Festival for the support.

Announcement: Jesse's Triumph audiobook is being published on retail platforms, narrated by the amazing Rob Alec. So excited to have the third book as an audiobook and am also planning on creating a audiobook box set. Listen to the sample here and I've also uploaded chapter 1 on YT. Thanks to @squaresoundstudio for their work in recording and producing this audiobook.

I'm looking for review readers. Sign up using the form in my bio or via link:
https://forms.gle/j3QPRyGphL3dTxf17

📚🌟 Jesse's Triumph 🌟📚
Sassy Saints Series, book 3
🏆 From award-winning young adult author Amra Pajalic comes a best friends love triangle, zero to hero makeover, found family, coming of age YA novel for fans of Melina Marchetta and John Green. 📖💫

After Jesse’s debut novel is published while he’s a high school student, he's thrust into the spotlight. Can Jesse steer his way through his new-found triumph, be with his dream girl, and ride the high school popularity wave without losing sight of who he truly is?

Link 📖🔗https://www.amrapajalic.com/jesses-triumph.html

👇 Retail links: https://books2read.com/jessestriumph/

My latest article in The Age about my battle with over sharing.

And Jesse's Triumph is launched!!! Thank you Brimbank Writers Festival for having my event with the wonderful Demet Divaroren in conversation. I had such a wonderful time celebrating. Here are some photos from the event.
 
I had my daughter and her friends as the Sassy Saints Squad in some merchandise who did an amazing job selling books and helping with the set up. Thank you Sofia, Isabella, and Mia.
 
I also got the chance to catch up with Nina Nikolic, who is the voice of Alma and Sabiha in the audiobooks.
 
Thank you to Giselle and all the staff at St Albans library for their support, and all the staff at Brimbank Council.

Thank you Jodi and Elzette for coming.
 
More photos to follow.
 
📚🌟 Jesse's Triumph 🌟📚
Sassy Saints Series, book 3
🏆 From award-winning young adult author Amra Pajalic comes a best friends love triangle, zero to hero makeover, found family, coming of age YA novel for fans of Melina Marchetta and John Green. 📖💫

👫🌈Jesse's childhood took a backseat as he became his ailing mother's primary caregiver, patiently counting down the days until high school finished and his real life began. 🕰️💔 When a new student, Sabiha, arrives at his school he meets his dream girl, but she’s met his best friend first. 😍👫

🌟🎤 After Jesse’s debut novel is published while he’s a high school student, he's thrust into the spotlight. Can Jesse steer his way through his new-found triumph, be with his dream girl, and ride the high school popularity wave without losing sight of who he truly is? 🌊🚀

🌟 ‘Rewarding, poignant and occasionally chuckle-out-loud funny,’ Books Buzz.😢😂

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The Sassy Saints Books 1-3 and bonus short stories in a box set out now on all your favourite retailers. Included:

1-Sabiha’s Dilemma
Massacre (short story)
2-Alma’s Loyalty
Reckoning (short story)
3-Jesse’s Triumph

https://www.amrapajalic.com/sassy-saints-series-books-1-3.html