A brief pause

I have a few days leave from the round (bits of) Australia tour promoting my new book IVORY, Legion of Fans (LOF) so thought I would check in and update you all on the progress so far.

My, my. I'd forgotten how much y'all love the free stuff. I think it's going to take Alex the Pirate Wench (my assistant publicist) about a week to read through and decipher all those comments on the last post. She is a principled young lady of a conservative and proper disposition, so don't expect extra points for fart jokes and other smut (although I was impressed by these).

Had me a fine 'ol time in the golden west (Australia) and attended some excellent functions. At least I think they were excellent. I was rating them according to the scale of my hangover and numbers of books sold, and in this respect the Painted Dog Conservation Inc cocktail party at the Hyatt in Perth deserves an honourable mention. (Though I love every single function I attend and every person who attends.... especially the ones who buy books).

As with the dinner I attended last year for the highly efficient and exceedingly nice John and Ange, who run this worthy charity, we auctioned off two character names in my next book to raise money for the stinky but loveable painted doggies. And my oh my, did we get a couple of top names for next year's book. You'll just have to wait until next year to find out who they are.

I can reveal that the auction of character names netted about half the total amount raised on the night, so thank you very much to all who bid. We also sold out of books (and took orders for many more) and I was so hungover the next morning I could barely speak.

However, cowboy-up I did, and speak I did at a simply beautiful shop called Raw By Nature at Guildford, Perth. Owner Leanne persuaded me to come and talk and sign books and, lured by the promise of a Bloody Mary in the pub across from the shop afterwards, I did plenty of both. If you live in Perth or visit there, make sure you check out both the shop and the pub. I managed to stay vertical, until making it to Perth Airport, where I collapsed into a comfy chair with a beer.

I don't want you to think I spend all my time on tour drinking, but this past weekend was proof that book signings and alcohol definitely do mix.

First up, on Friday night, it was my (serious) honour and pleasure to join with teachers, parents and students from John Paul College in Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid north coast to help them raise money for a school they support in Kawalazi village in Malawi.

All jokes aside, I was touched by the kindness and generosity of these people and the work they're doing to support kids and teachers with virtually nothing but a will to learn. (Also, they put the booze on after the function - in moderation and for adults only, of course). Doing good and drinkng red. I loved it. All profits from books sold on the night went to the Kawalazi school.

More good causes and a seriously irresponsible consumption of alcohol were the order of the next day, Saturday, when I addressed a gathering at the Maclean Services club at the invitation of my good mate and fellow Pan Macmillan writer, Peter Watt. Peter and I raffled off sets of our books and raised a tidy sum for the Maclean Hosptial auxilliary committee.

Where better to hold an event for writers and readers than a club with a deck overlooking the sun-flecked Clarence River in northern NSW, complete with gratis wine and a bar serving happy hour schooners for $3.60 a pop? I just about moved there on the spot.

Pete and the club have put together a couple of "Meet the Author" tallks so far and have earned the small but perfectly formed town of Maclean the richly deserved title of Literary Capital of the Lower Clarence, according to their local paper.

By the way, LOF, if you like my books then I INSIST that you go out and buy all of Peter Watt's books. They are ripping yarns and, besides, if you start reading them you can stop hassling me about writing more books.

Back home, and back to work now, as I have just received the first edits on my next book which is called..... Book 7. So, I'm busy again with no excuse for faffing.

Winner of the caption competition to be announced soon...