“We think we need to fly you to Auckland,” Jennifer said on the phone. She’s my publicist at Random House New Zealand.
“What for?” I asked.
“To be on TVNZ’s Breakfast. They want to talk to you.”
I was incredibly happy. Breakfast is a New Zealand morning news and talk show that’s been running since 1997. It’s sort of like the New Zealand version of Good Morning America or The Today Show.
A week later I got another call from Jennifer. “We don’t need you to go to Auckland anymore.”
“You mean I lost my spot? Breakfast doesn’t want me?” I said. I couldn’t believe they’d changed their minds.
“No, no. Now they want to come to you. They want footage of the olive grove and the pigs.”
Olive harvest time
Right about that time, I was planning a day off from my job in Wellington to be here on the property for our olive harvest, which was going to be mid-week. This year we hired a mechanical tree shaker to do our harvest. I suggested to Jennifer that the camera crew show up on the day of the olive harvest to get footage of the tree shaker.
Sure enough, a week later a TVNZ cameraman and reporter were knocking on our door, just as the harvest was underway down in the olive grove.
They were here for a couple hours altogether. They got 60 minutes of footage. Then they took that footage into the studio and cut it down to a couple minutes.
I can’t tell you how many times I had to lift Ethel the Chicken (our last remaining Fat English Lady) for the camera, then set her down, then lift her up again just to get the shot from another angle. In the end poor Ethel got barely a second of screen time!
As luck would have it, my Mom was here for the book launch and so was CJ’s Aunt Mims (who appears as ‘Aunt Charlie’ in the book – I’ve blown her cover now!). James the TVNZ reporter interviewed them too. The were both thrilled.
Here’s the video below. Can you spot the brief appearance of Ethel?
Note: Big thanks to Mike for helping get the video clip together!
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So so cool, squeeeeeee!
Squeeeeeee back at ya!
So I’m not the only big city American to have discovered rural New Zealand??
Clearly there are at least 2 of us. Let’s start a club. 🙂
FYI – the subtitle “Finding the Good Life” in the intro is a reference to a very popular TV series that aired 1975 – 78: The Good Life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Life_(1975_TV_series)
I’ve heard about that show but I’ve never seen it. I should check it out on YouTube.
You must! Here’s the beginning of the first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyZ–z8RpOI – alternatively Aro St Video has it: http://www.arovideo.co.nz/film.php?FilmID=6228
Great! Thx!
Just read the book and think it is charming. Would love to see it become a big success. Good luck to the author with all the future endeavours he has planned and thanks for a lovely read.
Thanks Lorraine. It’s currently on the NZ bestseller list, so that’s good enough for me! 🙂
The price is pretty steep for here in America. Wish you could sell it on Amazon:-) I have been to NZ three times since 2005. Son lived in Welly for six years. Got his residency there! Is back in states last year, but know he has intentions of moving back. We all love NZ!!
Best of luck with your book!!
Hi Bev – Thank you! It’s going well. You can get the ebook on Amazon and Kobo. Here’s a list of all the ways you can buy the book: https://jaredgulian.com/book/
Hooray for Jared and CJ and the Moon! Looking forward to reading the book (I’m gonna make the local library buy lots of copies) –Aarene in the Swampland, USA
I love that there’s a chance that a library in Swampland, USA just might get a copy.
Loved the book. Loved the film clip. Who wouldn’t want the title ‘Farm boy’?
I know, isn’t that hilarious?! Of all the titles I could imagine being slapped under my face on my national TV debut, ‘Farm Boy’ certainly was one I never considered.
So happy for you! Hope the book will be sold in the U.S. soon; I’ll be first in line to buy a copy.
Thanks so much. We’re still hoping to get a US rights deal. In the meantime you can buy the ebook or get the print book shipped to you from an NZ website. More info on that book page here: https://jaredgulian.com/book/
Wow!
Hannah and Kathleen
Yes, it’s a bit weird, I know!
Love your life! Congrats on the book!
Houston hug – Kimberly
Congrats on your success also from Switzerland. I really like your short stories. They are well written and an absolute delight to read. I’m about to publish my first book of fictional short stories myself via a publishing house, but love the way you were discovered. It’s a story in itself. Good luck!
Congrats on your first book coming soon! Best of luck to you.
Dit is op margottrommelmans herblogden reageerde:
A short video: TVNZ’s Breakfast visits the Moon
Thank you for re-blogging my post!