Do you remember a couple of blogs ago, I was saying I had to create some new habits, one of which included making more time to read.

Pretty excited to be heading to the Words Out West Readers and Writers Festival in Dalby next month.

The festival is on from the 14th to the 16th of Feb. My session is at 11:00 am on Saturday, the 15th.

Guess what? On Monday, my fourteenth novel went to print. Who would have thought that eleven years after Red Dust was published, I'd still be tapping at the keyboards and playing with my imaginary friends?

Stephen King says, 'If you don't make time to read, you can't make time to write'. Yes! Reading is nourishment for the soul, intellect and entertainment.

You told me you'd like to read a bit of STARTING FROM NOW...

Here's the prologue and first chapter.

• Prologue

• Chapter One

STARTING FROM NOW doesn't hit the shelves until October 5, but you've got the opportunity to get your hands on a copy, a month early!

What's the saying about never working with kids and animals?

Jack usually defies that saying, but today he wasn't acting quite the way I'd hoped he would!

Happy Monday!

Aren't Mondays sometimes a bit hard to get warmed up to? Hopefully, this will make your day a great day!

First up, exciting news! It's only six weeks until my new novel, STARTING FROM NOW, is released. You can preorder from Booktopia.

When I was on tour for WITHOUT A DOUBT, I came across this blue door (pictured on the computer screen). I was sitting in a narrow alleyway, drinking coffee (because I'm a bit like Detective Dave and nothing happens in the morning until I've had my coffee), when I saw it.

Have you ever wondered what happens the morning after a novel gets finished?

Screenshot of a laptop that has words on it, the end of a manuscript says THE END.

Check out this haul that I'm going to read over the next few weeks. Have you read any of them?

I LOVE Kerry McGinnis's writing, so I think The Roadhouse is going to be the first one I start on.

'So, Fleur, tell me, do you write every day?'

'Where do you work from?'

'Oh, you have a deadline? Really? Thought you'd just write and hand it in when it was ready.'

I've been mulling an idea around for a while, and I need your feedback. I'm putting together a writing course, and I'd love to know what you writers out there would like to know/learn/read about. The course will run over 15 days.

I'm very excited to be opening my blog up again to other authors who have new books out. It's great to be able to let readers know what is out and about and what authors have new books. Joy Rhoades is first cab off the rank with her beautiful new novel, The Burnt Country. Take it away, Joy...

It's that exciting time of the year again, when there is a cover to show you all! If you can believe it (because it only feels like a few short weeks ago, that Without a Doubt hit the shelves), I have another book on the 5th of November.

What a great day to spend in front of the fire, editing the next book for you all. Starting from Now will be out in November, and this has been an awesome, fun book to write, albeit slightly controversial...

It’s International Women’s Day today - Here’s to the girls! An important day in our calendar to celebrate everything women are capable of… our strengths, our abilities, our uniqueness.

Back in 2007, when I first started writing fiction, I created a character named Detective Dave Burrows.

He was my lead male character in my first published novel, Red Dust. Dave worked hard, played hard, loved the bush and his job as lead detective in the WA Rural Crime Unit.

The Farmer's Choice - a background into Detective Dave Burrows

Recently, I've been getting a few questions about the difference in the Dave books: 'Last book I read, he was married to Kim, and now he's married to Melinda! Help, have I missed a book?'

April will see the release of the second Detective Dave Burrows book, Without a Doubt.

To celebrate, in May, I'm hitting the road with my ute and maybe my dog and coming to a town near you.