I’ve had my head down working on my novel for most of this month. Life has been fairly boring – writing, editing, slashing, resubmitting. But for my main character, Poppy, there is high drama and action and lots of emotion. She is coming home.

I’ve just about finished editing Poppy Comes Home, the last book in the Poppy series. It has been a long journey not only for Poppy but for me as well. The third book, Poppy and the Thief arrived in the post the other day. It won’t be in the bookshops until July.

This week I visited Killara, Camberwell South and Wattle Park Primary Schools as part of Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge. I am one of the Ambassadors. That’s one thing I love about my job – meeting my young readers and talking to them about books, writing and art.

Now that I have almost finished one novel, it’s time to start a new one. I already have the seed of an idea. I know the book’s title but I don’t want to give it away just yet, not until I start writing. This is such an exciting time, when I have a idea in my head that’s bursting to come out. It’s also quite scary because I don’t know if it will work.

I’m heading off to Italy in a few weeks where I will begin this new book. The small town I’ll be staying in will hopefully play a big part in the setting. Setting is always important to me when I write because then I can picture the stage where my characters will act out their story. I think this ancient town will be perfect.

You are probably wondering what the photo above has to do with endings and beginnings. Well, in a roundabout way it does fit. This is Chinese ghosthunting equipment – bells, dragon bones, coin swords and a ghost catching mirror. I took this photo to use in the book trailer for A Ghost in My Suitcase.

Lastly, and this is the most important of all endings – my favourite uncle died this week.

Rest peacefully, Uncle Phillip.