Losing It unleashed

Having a book launch involves as much organisation, angst and 'why-am-I-doing-this-again?' fretting as your average wedding.  Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating, but really, a launch is not for the faint of heart. Once upon a time publishers used to organise launches: in these uncertain times, those days have gone the way of three-book contracts.  A launch is the author's business.

So the first thing I did when organising the launch of Losing It was to say, 'Help!'  

Help came in the form of the superlative Patricia McMahon, who did everything from script her four teenage co-launchers to coordinate the platters to supply her very own husband for security and clean-up duties.  

Help also came from the team of The Literature Centre, who provided the venue, books, glasses, moral support and wine-toting (thanks Mailee!).  The Literature Centre is second home to many of us writers, and first choice for book launches (of which mine was one of four for May: the author-organised nature of these things is clearly not putting many of us off!) 

I am waiting for some more photos of the four gorgeous girls who played my four characters: in the meantime,  see below.  And if you want to know why you should never have sex in a Yaris, watch this.

And if you want to know why I wrote Losing It, read this, which also features my daughter's first published photograph.  I'm not sure why it got a mention on the Australian Christian Lobby site, but hey, I hope all their readers buy a copy.  I'm sure they'll find it worthy of, er, discussion.

Lots of Losing Its.

Lesley Reece, still luminous from her BHP Billiton partnership launch that same morning.

Patricia McMahon: 'Take the shot, then put that camera down.'

My wonderful supporters #1.

My wonderful supporters #2.  There was a lot of love in the room that night, in both directions.