Launched

Bloodflower is officially launched. Clare Renner of RMIT (pictured) launched the book at The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park last week. Christine Hinwood, she said, could write about the telephone directory and it would be beautiful.

The shop was packed with Christine's family and friends who toasted Bloodflower and congratulated its author.

I love book launches - and not just because of the free grog (and gluten-free cupcakes in this case) either. Writing a book is such a long, arduous journey of creating, doubting, writing, revising, doubting, editing, more revising and more doubting. To celebrate the culmination of that process, to buy a copy of a brand new book and have the author sign it for me, and, yes, to have a drink in its honour, is a fine thing indeed. A pleasure and a privilege.

Here's Christine presenting her thank you gifts:

Then it's home, off with the glad rags, and back to the drawing board to go through it all again with the second novel.