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Long time no blog. Apologies, but I've been flat out promoting the new book, which is going great guns in Australia and New Zealand. In between times, Jonah the cat has been using me as a channel for his thoughts on Facebook, and constantly posing for photographs.
Off to New Zealand next week where I'll appear on TVNZ's Good Morning on Friday May 25 around 10.30,and on Triangle TV. On Thursday 24th I'll be at Takapuna Library 6pm, then at Hedley's Bookstore, Masterton 4pm on Saturday May 26. Monday May 28 I'll be at Edgewater in Wanaka for a lunchtime event, then on to Arrowtown for an Evening With Helen Brown. I'll be signing books at Scorpio Books, Christchurch, at 12.30 on Tuesday May 29, then speaking at Oxford 7pm that night. The tour ends in New Plymouth at Benny's Books 5pm on Wednesday May 30.
It's always a thrill to meet readers, so I hope to see you at one of these events.

Signed copies of "Cleo" in Hollywood's Barnes and Noble yesterday. Great to see it in shops here in the US. Driving to Vegas today. If they have a Barnes and Noble store there, I'll drop by and see if their shop assistants are just as friendly. The young guy working in the Hollywood store was a fan of 80's New Zealand rock bands. Sadly, I was unable to match his indepth knowledge about bands I'd never heard of. Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting Miami, Phoenix and San Francisco and maybe sign a few more.

In Hollywood this morning visiting Ellen's set, I bumped into the studio cat - a charming tabby called Smokey. Apparently hundreds of felines were let loose in the Warner Bros grounds after Jimmy Cagney complained about rats eating his straw hat. Cats have roamed the studios ever since - and kept the stars' costumes safe from the gnaw of rodents' teeth.

I'm excited to say my new book is going to the printers next week. Strange as it seems the book has three different titles so far.
In the UK it's called "Cats and Daughters", and in Australia and New Zealand it will be "After Cleo Came Jonah". The book will be on shop shelves toward the end of March. In Germany it's titled "Cat With Karma" to be published in the European Autumn.

Now I'm back in my red room working on edits for "After Cleo". It's great having the guidance and interest of clever editors in both Australia and the UK. Not half as lonely and scary as sitting in front of the computer churning out 1,000 words a day. Fortunately, my publishers on both sides of the world love the new book. I hope you do, too!
If you want to know more about the new book log on to Two Roads website.

Delighted to say my new book is FINALLY nearly finished!! Feedback on the early chapters from my UK and Australian publishers is fantastic. After months shut in my red room it'll be strange to get back into the real world.

I'm dyslexic with numbers and have just realised I made a DREADFUL mistake with dates! The Phoenix Park Library evening with Helen Brown was supposed to take place TONIGHT, Monday September 5 NOT tomorrow. I've just phoned the library and t's too late to get out there to meet the people I've disappointed. If you were planning to come along tomorrow night, please cancel. With any luck the library will be forgiving enough to invite me back another time. Apologies to all I've let down.

After a wonderful time meeting readers and writers at Byron Bay Writers' Festival, I'll be giving a talk in Melbourne at Phoenix Park Library, Rob Roy Road, Malvern East on Tuesday September 6th 6.15pm. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Beautiful Byron Bay is one of my favourite places on Earth. I'm really looking forward to attending the Writers Festival there this weekend. I'm on three discussion panels and will be available to meet readers at The Lakehouse there on Saturday 2.30 -3pm. It'll be great to catch up with readers and writers - and perhaps fit in a swim or two!

The new book is now 75,000 words long - only 25,000 more to go. I'm hoping this last leg will flow easily. It was easy to write in Italy. Even the air was inspirational there. I've been thinking about flying back next month to finish the final chapters - but it's a long way to go. Guess I should follow my own advice and glue my backside to a chair...and keep writing!