Well I woke up yesterday only to discover that it was April the First already. Is this some kind of a sick joke?!? Where did a quarter of 2019 go?

I’m supposed to be deep in writing the serious YA novel which was the focus of my Queensland Writers Fellowship but it seems instead …

• I’ve spent some relaxing time at the beach (Sunrise Beach Sunshine Coast) and in the mountains (Binna Burra Lodge).

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• I’ve been Axe-throwing with some of the wilder members of my tribe.

• I had the pleasure and honour of launching two great new books at the wonderful RIVERBEND BOOKS at Bulimba. 1.Stella the Unstoppable – by Richard Newsome …

… and 2.Squish Rabbit’s Pet by Katherine Battersby.

• I visited some terrific schools – Padua College, Mitchelton State School, Mt Gravatt SHS, Marist College Ashgrove and Taabinga State School (below) – and spoke to lots of great kids.

• I went to Melbourne with my wife where we spent a wonderfully varied few days with our daughter and son-in-law going to Aami Park to see the footy (next time Broncos!), having a close encounter with giraffes, taking in the amazing Escher exhibition at the NGV and flying to the moon and back at Science Works.

• I was thrilled to learn that The Things That Will Not Stand was selected as a 2019 CBCA NOTABLE BOOK alongside these outstanding Older Reader novels.

• I had a fun time and caught up with some fabulous authors and illustrators at Somerset STORYFEST on the Gold coast. (Below with Felice Arena, Oliver Phommavanh, Bren MacDibble, Cath Crowley, Jane Caro, Kim Kane and Fiona Wood.)

• I managed to find time to read and enjoy these books.

• I bought this fantastic TOON SANDWICH t-shirt.

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• And I started an ambitious breeding program for dinosaurs.

Oh, AND I ALSO WROTE THIS AMAZING BLOG!

Of course, what I SHOULD have been doing all along is writing that serious YA novel for which I received a Queensland Writers Fellowship, and so that’s what I am going to do RIGHT NOW …

… after I make myself a sandwich for lunch.

Cheers
Michael

… hey I wonder what’s on Netflix … … … …