Who'd a thunk it...

Now Tania Hutley's book launch isn't the only one I've been to recently. I also went to the launch for the gorgeous picture book The Cat With No Name by Sher Foley and Brian Lovelock the weekend before last at Mainly Toys in Mt Eden. Another wonderful event at another fabulous and supportive shop and the speeches included one of the most romantic touches I've heard in a while. Suffice to say the journey of coming up with this book resulted in a love match between the author and illustrator. It definitely put a very rosey glow over proceedings.

Life has a slightly surreal quality to it at the moment. Last week a school made a request to the NZ Book Council to have me visit their school as part of the Writers In Schools scheme. This is my first time to be asked (I've always thrown myself at schools in the past) and I feel very honoured. Schools only get one author visit a year under the progamme and I am thrilled they picked me. And then on Friday a friend told me that The Were-Nana made it on to the NZ Fiction and Non-Fiction - Childrens and Teens Bestseller List for the week. You could have smacked me with a fish and I would have been less surprised then I was by this piece of news. I am super excited that people are buying my books. I love that the NZ Post awards remind people about all the fabulous benefits of books and encourage them to go out and get some. I love that in these financially testing times people still see spending their hard earned cash on books for their children as a good investment. IT IS, IT IS!!! BOOKS ROCK! And I feel very, very lucky...