I’ve made up some bookplates for Dead Heat, so if you’re giving your Mum (or your wife, or your Aunt, or anyone else!) a copy of Dead Heat for Mother’s Day, and you’d like a signed bookplate to put into it, I’ll send one out to you. They look like this:

I write in the white part and sign it, and you can peel off the backing and stick it into the book.

If you’d like one to include with a gift, fill out the form below, including your name and address, and the name that you’d like the inscription made out to. Don’t forget to click on the ‘Send’ button! I’ll post them the working day after I receive your request. (Edited to add – If you can’t see the form below, click on the title of this post and you’ll see the whole post, including the form.)

Please note, though, that as I’m in rural Australia, the mail will take a few days to get from me to you… so I suggest that you request a bookplate by Sunday, 6 May at the latest. (Requests made after that will be posted, but unless you’re in Sydney and surrounds, may not reach you in time for Mother’s Day.)

As you can imagine, losing my Dad and my friend within six weeks at the same time as Dead Heat was released has been something of an emotional roller-coaster for me. I’m trying to concentrate on the highs – and there’s definitely been some! Some great views, lovely comments from readers, and appearing for 3 weeks in a row in my publisher’s Top 10 books – for a short while there (probably due to being in the Big W Book Bonanza catalogue!) Dead Heat was outselling Stephen King, John Grisham and JR Ward  It won’t make it on to the Australian Top 10 charts (that Suzanne Collins is claiming most of the places!!) but it’s a good feeling to be doing well for my publishers, anyway.

Thank you to everyone who has commented recently, emailed me, commented on Facebook or Twitter. If I haven’t replied to everyone, please know that in this difficult time your positive words and feedback about Dead Heat have been uplifting and have mattered to me. I hope to catch up and get back to everyone this coming week.

Thank you to all my readers for your support for my books!

My canine companions were relatively patient while I was waving the camera around. Skye has learned to ‘sit’ (and can do so for seconds at a time!):

And here’s a rare photo of Tansy that isn’t blurred with movement:

Friday Photo is part of my new blog plan to encourage me to blog more often!

‘They,’ he said, and his arms swept out to embrace the world, ‘will tell you and encourage you to develop your brain and your five senses. But that’s only the half of it, that’s only being half a human. The other half is to develop the heart and the wits.’ He ticked them off on one gnarled old hand with the end of his pipe. ‘There’s common wit, there’s imagination, there’s fantasy, there’s estimation, and there’s memory.’ Old Woody’s face turned upwards, his spirit danced and was warmed out among the stars whilst his body remained with us and was warmed by the old tin-can brazier. ‘Never let anyone rob you of your right to be complete. The daylight is for the brain and the senses, the darkness is for the heart and the wits – Never, never be afraid. Your brain may fail you one day, but your heart won’t.’

Fynn, Mister God, This is Anna.

I first read that quote in my early teens, and I thought of it again yesterday when I was telling a friend about the book, Mister God, This is Anna.

I’ve always loved the night-time, and it’s probably no surprise that night is when I write best; the distractions of the day and their demands on the senses are dealt with, and out here in the bush it’s still and peaceful outside, with only the rustlings of the nocturnal animals. My imagination unfurls, and I can more easily find my characters’ hearts and souls. Writing becomes more intuitive, the words flowing, and less a conscious, rational word-by-word process.

So perhaps Old Woody was right – the darkness is for the heart and the wits.

Wednesday Wisdom is a new feature on my blog, in which I’ll share a quote or some wisdom that has shaped my thinking about writing, books, reading, love, or similar.

Although I won’t be posting every day, themes for different weekdays will, I hope, provide writing prompts and ideas for me and therefore make my blog more interesting for readers, and more frequently updated! 

Here are a few photos, courtesy of my friend Angie:

Some of the lovely crowd who came to celebrate

Chatting with Professor Dugald Williamson and Dr Rose Williamson

Graeme from Dymocks launching Dead Heat

Saying a few words and reading a few words

Signing books for my friends Angie and Paldon

Dead Heat is out! The official release date isn’t until next week, but it’s in the Big W and Target catalogues (and on their shelves) this week, it’s been spotted in Kmart, and some bookstores already have copies. Oh, it is so good to have a new book out at last!

As well as the Armidale book launch next Thursday 29th, I’ll be at Collins Booksellers in Tamworth on Sat 31st to meet readers and sign books. If you’re in the region, do come along to one of the events!

I’m a guest over on the wonderful Mandy Magro’s blog this week, in her Awesome Aussie Authors series. Do come over and visit Mandy’s blog and find out what my favourite Australian saying is, and other fun things about me – and also about Mandy and her great books.

I’ve also been over at Booktopia last week, answering their 10 Terrifying Questions, and also in the Romance Buzz newsletter, answering Nine Naughty Questions for Romance Writers. (Sorry I didn’t post about these earlier – my unexpected trip to Canberra distracted me.)

I’ve drawn the winner of my newsletter-subscriber giveaway: random-org picked the number 40, and the subscriber on row 40 of the spreadsheet is Rosemary G. Congratulations, Rosemary – your signed book will be on it’s way to you tomorrow!

I’m interviewed in this month’s Bookseller and Publisher magazine about the appeal of rural romance. Do let me know what you think about it!

Kate Cuthbert reviewed Dead Heat on her blog - and highly recommended it Kate also reviewed it for Bookseller & Publisher; unfortunately I can’t link to that review (subscriber only) – but it does have 4 stars and includes the words… ‘genuinely chilling…a well-crafted novel that makes excellent use of its wild setting’.

There’s just a couple of days left to enter the GoodReads giveaway for Dead Heat - so be quick!

I’ve started an author Q&A on Goodreads – if you’re on Goodreads, do come and have a chat about Dead Heat, my other books, and writing and reading in general.

I think that’s the important things for now! I’ve got an urgent couple of jobs to finish this week, so now I’m going to get off the internets and go and do them. I’ll be back when they’re done

My dear Dad passed away on Wednesday last week, a month before his 80th birthday. In those almost 80 rich years, he touched many, many lives with his kindness, gentleness, respect and humour. Every loving Dad is special to his children, and my father is no exception to that. Dad was not famous, or rich or powerful, but he was special to all those who had the privilege of knowing him. I can’t tell you how many times during my life people have quietly said to me how influential he was in their lives, and I heard more of those stories yesterday at his funeral and wake. The chapel was full to overflowing with people.

In looks, he was far from the tall, athletic warrior we often associate with the term ‘hero’ – yet for all who knew him there’s no doubt that he was a hero. Through his example, every day of his life, he taught me – all of us – so much about love, courage, loyalty, and integrity. He was the best of what a man can be, and I think there’s a bit of my Dad in every hero I write.

He loved the bush, and I suspect I’ve inherited my love of the Australian landscape from him; although he lived in cities most of his life, both he and I have always tended to look outwards, to the land beyond the city, and some of my early memories of him are out in the bush, making our way carefully down a steep slope to the river.

His long, rich life is all the more remarkable because he was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta – brittle bones. He broke most of the bones in his body at one time or another, his legs too many times to count. While he participated in some sports in his youth, I cannot remember him ever running, jumping or dancing anything other than a waltz. As his bones deteriorated with age, he needed a walking stick, then crutches, then a wheelchair. Early last year, he broke his right arm. With minimal strength in his left arm, this left him reliant on others for transferring from bed to chair, and for personal care – very hard for a proud man who had done his best to be independent for as long as possible. As his struggles grew and pleasures diminished, he began to contemplate rest, and eventually to yearn for it.

At his funeral yesterday, three daughters, two honorary sons, and two beautiful grandchildren paid tribute to him; nieces and nephews made the long trip from Melbourne; former colleagues from his days in medical research came; friends from all the many community groups he was involved in came to say farewell.

Rest peacefully, Dad. Your legacy will be long-lasting.

I’m also trying to line up some other events in other places – stay tune for details as things are finalised