You’re walking through the local nursery, or at the very least Bunnings. You’re in a mad flat out rush, pounding across the concrete, tail up, punnet of tomato’s or petunias in hand, because today is the day you simply just MUST plant them or else the whole world’s going to fall apart (I have no idea why) and you need to get back to pick up the kids from whatever sport they’re doing in five minutes ...

There are times in your life when you just have to have a breather. Take a step back and contemplate the world around you … where you are going … what you are doing. A sabbatical, I suppose one could call it.

Brrrr … June has arrived and winter has slammed into us with a vengeance here in Southern Victoria. The wind is icy and days overcast and grey. It was such a sudden change! The week before last we were getting dreamy, calm, warm and clear autumn days, the weather you hang out for all year – then, WHAMO!, the icy tendrils of winter hit. It was like a slap in the face, just when the dogs and I were getting into the swing of fencing in the sun.

Guess it had to come sometime. didn't it?! And at least the wind hasn’t started howling again yet (but now I’ve said that …!)

And so, Lake Hill is launched. Huge thanks to all you wonderful readers who have bought, read, talked about, and generally supported Lake Hill as much as you have. The book reached No. 2 on the Collin's Booksellers Best Seller list (The Barefoot Invester, pipped me at the post, darn it all :) and was still going great guns at No. 6. Apparently the book is plastered on light walls at the Sydney, Brisbane and Perth airports too, but as I'm nowhere near those lovely places, I'll have to take my publisher's word for it :)

First up, I want to thank you for all your good wishes on the launch of LAKE HILL from the very bottom of my heart. For those of you who have bought my new book already, huge appreciation for investing your time and money in my words, and for those of you making lists for a Mother’s Day present, maybe you could suggest LAKE HILL? ;)

Our book launch for LAKE HILL is a sell-out! Thank you to everyone who has responded in any way to the invitation to help celebrate the arrival of my seventh book! It should be a fabulous night!

SO, if you aren’t at the book launch to get a signed copy, where can you get LAKE HILL?

At any good book store, is the short answer! And if you can’t see it, ask for it and the bookstore can order it in. It’s that easy!

The time is nearly here! LAKE HILL is due to start arriving on shelves at a bookstore near you LATE THIS WEEK. Are you excited? I’m excited! Can you tell?

So last week I wrote a blog post about heading over the Great Dividing Range to the biennial Jugiong Writers' Festival. I did really, but it was last minute, and then my website admin had dramas and between the two of us we never quite got it live.

Which is probably just as well as so many wonderful things happened at this extraordinary, boutique writers' festival up past Gundagai in rural New South Wales, that there's much more to tell you all.

And so, this week I need to share with you all, the most fabulous array of news.

After many early mornings (and more than a few late nights), my edits on LAKE HILL are done and dusted! Now, to the typesetters for this baby (and that would be baby number 10 if you count five print/ebook novels, two novellas and three kids :)  … WHOO HOO!

Thanks to all you fabulous, amazing and incredibly supportive people, I have made it into the FINALS of Booktopia’s search for Australia’s Favourite Author!!! YA HOO! They are on the countdown to find the Top 50.

Good morning on this balmy Friday! It feels like rain but the clouds are too high, a bad thing for my paddocks which are so dry the grass underfoot crackles as you walk; a good thing for the Mountain Cattlemans Get together that starts today at Buchan! And no, I’m not going. Boo Hoo! The things I sacrifice so you guys get to read a good book for Mother’s Day. That said I have just spent the last three days at the beach with the kids, so I really can’t whinge.