And more months have slipped away ...  No wonder!  It's been so busy. Right now I'm in Brisbane, staying at my son Nick's home, and the weather is the typical Queensland "Beautiful today, perfect ..."  - you all know the rest. But it's true.

I've been here not only for family catch-up, but mainly as a delegate to the three-yearly Synod of the Lutheran Church - an intense week of meetings, dialogues, debates which were strenuous, perturbing, disappointing, but ultimately hopeful for the future. Bis issue, of course, the ordination of women. So close a vote: about 64% in favour, but not quite the mandatory two-thirds. Just another 13 votes need from a group of 423 delegates!! Next time round, surely!

But another big part of this trip for me was a Queensland launch of Bystanders during Synod, which was a lovely experience. Almost 150 people came to the launch, with its great wines (donated by a most generous group of Barossa Valley winemakers, a group that does a lot of combined things under their title of 'Lutheran Winemakers - and, believe me, I'm grateful to them.) We'd carried the wines on the four day drive from Adelaide to Brisbane without any misadventure, as well as books, etc etc. A long slow but very pleasant trip. Stephen Rudolph, National Director of Lutheran Education Australia launched the book again at this event with lovely commendations, and sales have been good throughout the week.

Also on the Bystanders front, I was delighted by the wonderful review by Peter Pierce that appeared first in the Sydney Morning Herald, then the Canberra Times. I've been told it was also in the Melbourne Age, so am zealously hunting it there.

But, almost pack-up time here, and tomorrow we start the trek south again. However, it's OK  - I hear the weather there is just as good!

Looking back, it's frightening to see that my last update here was beginning of June - and it's now mid July. That entry was before the book launch for Bystanders ...  Since then, it's been such an action-packed few weeks that - while alarming - it's not at all surprising that I haven't put anything on this web page! 

An amazing book launch. About 200 people, so superbly catered for by the Immanuel Lutheran Church ladies (no wonder people come - they have a great reputation) and smoothly MC'd by the West Torrens Mayor, John Trainer. Guest speaker, the Rev. Dr Lynn Arnold AO, gave a launch speech that made me wonder whose wonderful book he was talking about! He showed me things in my book that even I hadn't realised were there. Great job, Lynn. Thank you. Also to the West Torrens Library Staff, who always make these occasions a pleasure for everyone, and the Hamra Centre Auditorium is the best spot for a launch that I know.

Since then, some really pleasing publicity - things like the Advertiser article in the Monday edition's faith coverage pages, the enthusiastic response from groups who are already using the book as a discussion guide, the tremendous wow! moment when I saw that Dymock's city bookshop in Rundle Mall had given my book a whole feature window. I confess to standing in Rundle Mall pretending to be a casual tourist whose camera just somehow by sheer chance was mainly directed towards Dymock's window ... A lovely interview for 5MBS radio was also a pleasure; talking to Emily Sutherland for Kaleidescope is always a delight.

The last few days have involved much more marketing activity, with interviews and photos for the Messenger Press, lots of discussion with people in various religious groups and education bodies who are interested in using the book as a discussion guide, a book signing at the National Pastors' Conference of the Lutheran Church and, last night, a wonderful hour and a half in conversation with Lynn Arnold on his fortnightly LifeFM radio program. I'd not expected to be the sole featured guest, but it was amazing how quickly the 90 minutes of the program sped by - it was probably the most in-depth interview I've ever had. With, of course, a most polished and engaged interviewer. Thank you again, Lynn.

Meanwhile, unfortunately, writing time has slipped. Despite the encouragement of some poems published in magazines such as The Mozzie and Tamba, and the need to produce new work for the various writing groups we belong to, there's been sadly little focus on what I love to do. Oh well, back to the quill soon, I hope.

Next on the agenda, though, is the big CSA (Christian Schools of Australia) conference next week, with its 1100 registered participants. I'll give a workshop during this and have also booked a 'Market Stall' in their exhibition hall. That will be an interesting (perhaps daunting) experience. Wait and see.

Only four days to go to the launch of the new book, Bystanders. It's been a packed few weeks. First, the publication and the excellent response to the Literati group's production of Something in the Blood - Vampire Tales with a Christian Bite. The launch, in the North Adelaide Lutheran Church, was a fun occasion, and the garlic bread and red cordial we served seemed to get an appropriate reaction... Guest speaker, Dr Lynn Arnold, gave the book a tremendous introduction to the world, and made it clear that this was an arena where the popular interest in vampires and Christian concerns could meet most productively. Four of us read excerpts from the book - including my poem 'Apostate'. Sales were good, and the audience enthusiastic. A good night.

Now I'm in the throes of preparation for my own book launch, with some great publicity in the morning's Advertiser, in the Articles of Faith section.  The photo, with my huge old family Bible, Heilige Schrift, could have been worse, so I'm relieved. On other fronts, good to see the latest issue of The Write Angle arrive in my mailbox, with poems by both David and me. But little writing is getting done, as my main work for the moment seems to be promotion and marketing of Bystanders, a very time-consuming affair. Roll on the launch, and back to real life. One of the really good side-effects of this launch, at the West Torrens Auditorium, has been the getting back into touch with so many old friends who are planning to attend.