It’s time to say goodbye to While The Kids Are Sleeping. Sob!
Never fear, though; I’ll continue to blog about all things writing, books and reading, but just not here on this site. Let me explain, and I’ll also tell you about the $50 Booktopia voucher you could win.
3 Kids, 1 Book and Not a Whole Lot of Sleep
I started this blog 4 years ago, in early 2010, because my first book was coming out later that year and I’d heard that writers should have a blog. I called it While The Kids Are Sleeping because I had a newborn baby, a 1 year old and a 3 year old. I literally only wrote when the kids were sleeping, so it seemed like a good name at the time.
Back then, I had no idea what I was doing—remember, I was severely sleep deprived! I slapped together a blog in WordPress, and I also had a separate website made at www.natashalester.com.au because, back then, having a combined website/blog wasn’t really what people did.
I used to struggle to think of things to write about on my blog, which seems really hard to believe now. In that first year, just over 2,000 people visited my blog, which I thought wasn’t bad. Last year, 20,000 people visited and I’m still amazed that so many people take the time to read what I have to say about books and writing.
But it doesn’t make sense to have a separate website and a separate blog. I’d like people to come and visit me in the one home, so …
Drum Roll … Announcing a Brand New Website!
As well as madly trying to do a final edit on A Beautiful Catastrophe, I’ve been building an entirely new website, which includes my blog. You’ll be able to find everything at www.natashalester.com.au from next week. (It’s still the old site right now, but check back next week when it becomes amazing!)
I’m really excited about the way it all looks. And I’m excited that on the one website, it will be so much easier for you to get lots of helpful tips about how to write a book and how to get published, to check out what books I’m reading and what I recommend, to find out about upcoming courses I’m running and all that good stuff.
So, I’m putting the kids to sleep at last, but I’ll still be blogging just as much as ever in my beautiful new home. And because you’ve all been such fun to blog with, here’s a sneaky peek at the new website below!
Which Brings Me to the Giveaway
It goes without saying that I would love everyone to follow me to my new site. If you currently subscribe to my blog by email, I’ve got you covered and you will continue to receive an email every time I publish a new post—although the emails have had a makeover and will look a bit different.
If you Follow my blog via WordPress, you’ll no longer see me in your Reader and won’t get updates. Oh no! But if you’d like to stay with me (and I hope you will!), you can click here to fill out your name and email address. Or, if you’ve never subscribed to my blog at all, but would like to from now on, you can also click the link to subscribe.
This way, you’ll get an email from me once a week with a link to each new blog post. This email always has some extra tidbits for the very important people on my list, so it should be worth your while.
And, in case you need any extra encouragement, for those who do click this link and subscribe to my new blog, you will automatically go in the running to receive one $50 voucher from Australia’s fastest growing online bookstore, Booktopia. Plus, you’ll get a signed copy of either of my books—you get to choose which one. I will randomly draw one winner on May 12 and will notify you via email as well as announcing the winner’s name on my new website.
And for the lovely people who are already on my list, which includes my newsletter list, there is one separate $50 voucher, plus one of my books, for you too, so please don’t feel as if you’re missing out! I will randomly draw one name from my existing email subscriber list on May 12 and announce the winner via email and the new website.
If you’re not sure whether you’re on the list, the best thing to do is just to click here and enter your email details. You will not be subscribed twice. If you’re already on the list, a screen will come up and tell you this straight away.
Thank You!
Most importantly, thank you for the fun of the last 4 years here at While The Kids Are Sleeping. I’ve learned so much from blogging, I’ve loved the way people comment and share and discuss the posts I make here and I can’t wait to keep sharing the love with you at my new site from next week.
Until then, raise your glasses and farewell While The Kids Are Sleeping. It’s time for a long and well deserved nap.
While the kids are sleeping 
Thank you! Thank you, Natasha for all your wonderful While The Kids are Sleeping Blogs. They’ve been fantastic, inspiring and memorable. And looking forward to your new blog. 🙂
And thank you for being one of my most loyal commenters and supporters. I love seeing you here every week, Marlish, and hope I’ll keep seeing you at the new site.
As a newbie trying to learn to follow blogs let alone how to create a good one, I now look forward to the combined approach. I continue to learn from you even though I am an intermittent reader. Thanks Natasha for opening your life to the world. From
that alone I learn. 🙂
Thank you Susan! So glad you find the blog useful. I promise to keep it that way in its new home!
I know what you mean about working all this blog stuff out. I suspect it takes four years before you really feel ‘at home’ and know what you want to do and where you want to take your blog. The new site looks great. The photo’s so vibrant! Best of luck, but I’m sure it will be successful x
Thank you Louise. It will be so much easier to focus on one site, rather than splitting my focus over two places. And yes, I have learned such a lot from blogging and love it so much I won’t be stopping for a long time!
Fantastic move Natasha! Can’t wait to see the new site. 🙂
Thanks Allison! I know you’ve been through exactly the same thing, so you know just what it’s like. Luckily it’s all been fairly easy so far (she says before it goes live and all the problems really start to show up!)
I very much look forward to seeing the new website with your fun new branding. How exciting for you and for us, the people who look forward to your articles, advice, recommendations and general words of wisdom and interest. Exciting times. 🙂
Thank you Tabetha, and, like Marlish above, thank you for being one of my loyal readers and commenters. I love seeing you here in the comments each week. It’s so nice to know that people do read and enjoy what I post. x
Good luck Natasha, the sneak peek of your new site looks great! Looking forward to seeing more xx
Thanks Sara. I’m looking forward to next week, when it’s all done!
Wow, Natasha, although I only met you last year, you have had a profound impact on me in terms of the steps I am taking towards achieving my writing goals. I am a long way from achieving my goal of getting published although I have had some great feedback from some insiders about my writing. I have had many hurdles to jump and although my three are older than yours raising them with all the challenges and time required to steer them through their young adulthood has at times “gotten in the way of my writing”, although truth be told, I think I am becoming a better writer through some of the experiences over this past year. I am looking forward to the unveiling of your new site, and also seeing you in your June course so I can finally master Scrivener! Oh … and just because we women should pay compliments to each other – I love love love your new hair, the chic bob is very New York! x
Thank you Kaili, and I hope I see you over at the new site too. And compliments on hair are always very welcome! Good luck with everything. x
So glad you are continuing as you are one of the ones I read fully and don’t skip over. Rae xxx
Yay! There are certain bloggers I follow and would never miss a post from any of them. It’s so nice that someone feels the same way about me. Thank you!
This is so exciting, Natasha! I already subscribe but it would be fabulous to win the voucher and one of your books – fingers crossed! 😉 A fond farewell to While The Kids Are Sleeping! xo
Best of luck in the give-away Adele! And I look forward to seeing you at the new site.
Good luck with your move, dear Natasha! And now that I know what ages your kids were when you started blogging, I’m even more in awe of you. You’re a true superwoman!
Thank you Lee! I’m by no means a superwoman, just someone who loves to write. I look forward to seeing you on the new site.