After less than 12 months in vibrant, football obsessed Melbourne, we returned north just after New Year to the land of many cockroaches and my beloved Sydney Swans. Yes, we’re back in NSW, floating around the far, far outer reaches of Sydney. Frustratingly, we’ve yet to find anywhere to live but we’re working on it. Hard. I’m rather jack of tramping around houses and poking around realestate.com but these things must be endured, and it does help me get to know the area little.

Never mind. There are marvellous things occurring to make up for it.

Firstly, I was ridiculously chuffed to learn that Heart of the Valley was a finalist in the Favourite Contemporary Romance section of the Australian Romance Readers Awards. It’s so amazing to see HotV (as I affectionately call it) listed alongside such illustrious company and I cannot wait for the first weekend in March when the winners will be announced at the Australian Romance Readers Convention. I’m not expecting even slightly to win – not against THAT competition – but it’ll still be great to be a part of the celebrations.

Secondly, I’m writing up an absolute storm! Monday week ago I started my next novel and the words have been gushing out. It’s amazing. Given the circumstances, I’d expected some sort of keyboard constipation but the opposite has occurred. I can only put it down to how completely besotted with this story I am. Either that or I’m plain old bored out of my skull, and getting lost in my imagination is far more preferable than staring at the stark black and white interior of our temporary accommodation. Nah. Has to be the former. I LOVE this story!

Thirdly, I’m finally making a big dent in my massive to-be-read pile and have read some wonderful books. Monica McInerney’s The House of Memories is a stand out (oh, I bawled!), as was Jonas Jonasson’s The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared (what a hoot!). So far I’ve read five books since the start of January – a lot for me – and with almost a week to go the tally’s likely to be six. Looks like I’ll have to go a-bookbuying again. What a shame…

And lastly, my May release Heartland is becoming real. Soon I’ll have a cover to show off and a blurb to tease you with, and it won’t be long and it’ll be off to the printer. I’m doing a final proof of its pages right now and having a wonderful time revisiting Callie and Matt at Glenmore. Giggling a little too over the antics of Honk, Glenmore’s highly territorial and more than a little bit brain-fried goose.

So it’s not all bad. In fact, when I discount the “of no fixed abode” part of my life I have to admit it’s all pretty damn fabulous!

Speaking of fabulous, this time next week will see the return of Friday Feast and you should see the line up of authors booked for 2013. It’s droolworthy. We kick off with Man Drought and Stand-In Star author, and very good buddy of mine Rachael Johns, who was only this week also ranked as Australia’s 10^th favourite novelist in Booktopia’s Australia Day poll. So stay tuned!

Wishing you all a brilliant Australia Day tomorrow. Enjoy those barbecues.

STOP PRESS: A minor miracle has occurred. We think we’ve found a house! Please join us in throwing streamers and generally wahooing about the place.