It’s been a busy couple of weeks here in Murphville, hence the scarcity of my posts here. Wish I could say I have been slaving away at my new best seller, but, although I’m still plodding on my two current projects, much of my busyness has been non-writing related.

Last weekend I left the Murphlets in the good care of their grandparents for a few days and headed to the big smoke with my beloved. He had a conference to attend, and I attended some functions with him, and also got some much needed rest. One of the wonders of the Burswood Hotel is that the big oval bath is next to a sliding Japanese-style glass screen, which opens into the bedroom. This allows one to relax in a bubble bath and watch your football team win the Western Derby. Go Dockers!

I was also fortunate enough to attend the conference key-note address. The speaker was Erin Brockovich, whose life and work was made famous by the Julia Roberts’ film bearing her name. Her address was inspirational. She challenged me with her statement that if you know that something is wrong, you have to fight to change it.

Perhaps it was this address that made me post my comments below about the Angus & Robertson ‘issue’. This one is still making my blood boil. How dare a book chain try to hold small publishers to ransom? I’m so glad to see it getting some attention in the press and online. The ABC has a great article, but my favourite is the one on the SMH Entertainment blog which includes a copy of the original letter sent to Tower Books, and Tower Books’ well-stated reply. Have a read.

Not long until Children’s Book Week. I was asked by the librarian at our school if I could do something with rap on one of the days. So, with the help of some year two and three students, I am going to rap Pemberthy Bear. It’s not something that occurred to me before, but getting the kids to clap out the beats in the book really heightens the rhythm and rapping the story offers them a new take on it. So now Pemberthy is not only a singing bear and a blogging bear – he’s also a rapping bear. A & R don’t know what they’re missing out on!