Wonderful collection of friends and supporters at the Freo launch on Saturday. The Arts Centre provided a fine venue & the refreshments received accolades.
A great relief to have that one out of the way. Now off to Denmark in two weeks for the 'country version'.
The pic on the left is of Danielle Masson who did a great job with book sales. Thank you again, Danielle!

Recovering after an aural assault last night. I liked Neil Young as a balladeer but can't make the transition to the heavy rockster he seems to have become. AND - unless they get into the habit of lifting the roof for summer concerts, there will be many who won't return to the stifling heights of the Perth Arena, where we sweltered for hours in the dead air.

Happy to come up for air. Proof corrections despatched to Vivid Publishing and the book cover now in it's final version. The result look far better than the earlier incarnations and I'll soon upload it to the New Book link.
Quiet night at home with stuffed tomatoes, a glass of red, and Xanadu, another William Dalrymple travelogue, as he retraces Marco Polo's original journey.

Arriving back on Earth after immersion in Planet Word. Not the computer program - the written stuff that appears in books. Perth Writer's festival blessed many - kids included - throughout the weekend. Margaret Atwood held us - and her host, Jennifer Byrne - in the gentle palm of her hand on Saturday night. Such restraint ['I'm kind' she said, with just a trace of her reputed needle. Loved it!

Jared Diamond, in jacket and red tie, looked the Californian professor, and matched well with a younger Tom Holland. Their latest books now line up with others on our shelf, awaiting their time. We have enough reading matter for a year or three.
Also liked (not in the Facebook sense) Madeleine Thein, Michelle de Kretser, Anna Heiss, and the drop-dead gorgeous, Anna Funder (who can also write rather well).

Back in my den, conversations take place with the book cover designer and publisher. We are getting there.

Have renamed the website.....WRY [Write, Read, Yarn].............Wadya reckon?

Warm weekend. Walk and swim early then breakfast at home - us two plus the quartet. My sourdough extravaganza went down well, as did the yarning.

Celebrated both my birthday and the book heading out the door. Digits crossed. Another stage of the journey.

Down south for a few days. Enjoyed old stomping grounds and old friends. Silent forest; crystal waters; still nights, sparkling with stars. A piece of heaven.

Great morning at the beach after wild weather earlier in the week.

Saw Samsara last night while D went off to watch flamenco with the girls.
Nearly went to sleep in the first segment but woke up when the movie moved into a series of confronting images. Powerful stuff - a strong message but I came away wondering whether it achieved much.

Preferred The Life of Pi. Ang Lee has done a good job, bringing the book to the screen.

Finished reading Elliot Perlman's The Streetsweeper. He paints on an international canvas this time (after Three Dollars and Seven Degrees of Ambiguity, both of which are set in Australia.) It took a while but I really got into The Streetsweeper. If I have one criticism it's that the historical narrative at times overloads and obscures the personal. Otherwise, an impressive attempt to highlight the issues that continue to swirl around Jews and blacks in America, and cleverly link their stories.

Have reached a hiatus with my novels. Renamed both of them. The first is finished and the second is at first draft stage. Exploring self-publication. Many options; as many pitfalls. Indecision. Wait and see.

The photo above is taken from the Dalkeith foreshore, just below the Sunset Hospital site. I toured the site last Tuesday, as background for the novel.

Survived a hot water  and gas leak, thanks to a friendly plumber. Cold showers for a week. Meanwhile, saw Starbucks at the Somerville. French-Canadian. A few laughs.

Started Eliot Perlman's The Street Sweeper. Not yet really into it. Gloomy stuff, for the most part.

Yesterday, completed first draft of TSBTS - the sequel to APBTR. Happy with the effort and now for revision.

Have a quote re self-publishing APBR, and waiting for a second. Still uncertain which way to go. T says self-pub has drawbacks. i agree - and yet.....

Heatwave in abeyance, to relief all round.