Category › General
A Progress Report
February 20, 2025
Misha is now nine months old, so here’s a quick progress report: Misha now understands the words wait, get in and STOP! … and generally complies. She’s learnt to walk happily on her three-metre lead (thanks to wonderful dog-trainer Jo for this tip), and knows now to urinate before a trip in the car. She’s…
Warning!
February 13, 2025
Watch out and drive slowly! Kangaroos and other wildlife are foraging for food alongside roadside verges at the moment, where there’s still some green grass. At night many are being hit, leaving drivers traumatised, cars damaged and dead animals everywhere. By driving slowly and staying alert for wildlife about to cross the road, you can…
Remembering the Black Saturday Bushfires
February 6, 2025
I have a difficult confession to make. Until recently, I had never read two books about the Black Saturday bushfires – books written by locals I know and deeply respect. For years, I simply couldn’t. My own harrowing experience of that devastating inferno on 7 February 2009, made it too painful to relive through someone…
Douglas is Cancelled
January 16, 2025
Apologies, fellow boomers. I do think that Douglas – and all those millions of Douglases who’ve told a sexist joke at a woman’s expense – should be cancelled. It’s taken me a while to arrive at this conclusion. Although the show “Douglas is Cancelled” came out six months ago, I’ve only just caught up with…
Great Holiday Reading
December 12, 2024
Hooray! Holidays are almost here! While I really enjoy my life, it’s an opportunity to have a break … which means no more writing for me for a while. I’ll see you back here early in 2025. But in the meantime, there’s plenty of great free holiday reading for you to explore on this website.…
An Expensive Mistake
December 5, 2024
When I first saw this ad for my book, I was thrilled … and full of hope. Now it just makes me feel sick. As I’ve mentioned before, I love writing but have no idea about marketing. So when I heard about the new Readalot Magazine which was going to promote books and authors Australia-wide,…
In Several Bookshops
November 21, 2024
Looking for some holiday reading or a special gift? I’m happy to announce that my novels Off Track and Nikki vs Jess are now available in some wonderful independent bookshops: – Eltham Bookshop, Novel Nook in Yarra Glen and Farrells in Mornington!
A Moment in Time
November 16, 2024
Suddenly, surprisingly, here I am – 70 years old. It’s very strange. I don’t feel it, I don’t look it, but there’s no denying it. Today, 70 years ago, I was born. Up until now, I have always marked each new decade with a party. This time, instead, I’m celebrating my birthday with you online.…
Some Shnookals at the Shoreham General Store circa 1960
October 25, 2024
Growing up, I was incredibly lucky to have four siblings and a holiday house at Shoreham. Those long summer days spent as a mob on the beach were the best, and invariably on our way home, we’d stop at the Shoreham General Store. The day that this video was taken was unusual – for we…
The Shneatles – One Performance Only
October 18, 2024
My brother Jim has always loved The Beatles. Growing up, he refused to go to kindergarten until he’d listened multiple times to “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on our father’s reel-to-reel tape machine. As an adult, Jim has read, watched and listened to every skerrick of information about The Beatles,…