Believe me when I say I have actually been writing to you all. Blissfully tapping away at blog posts over the last couple of weeks … but you haven’t seen them. The computer gobbled up two, I forgot to add the blog attachment to an email sent to my Web manager as I left for overseas (you’ll understand why shortly) and then, well, a beloved relative passed away and that post was too morbid to see the light of day.

From the chatty and lovely feedback I received on last weeks blog, ‘Boronia Blues’, it sounds like those who are like me and struggle growing Boronia are also challenged by Daphne! And, whats more, a lot of us are trying to grow either or both because they remind us of our mums and grandmothers. Isn’t that just the most beautiful thing?

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.