We had a great day connecting with other authors and services dedicated to the literary world.

I met fans and readers, shared insights about the book, took photos with friends old and new.

And I even sold some books to curious readers and gave away some Aussie schwag.

Thanks to everyone who came out, those who bought books, those who took photos, interviewed me, brought me flowers, promoted the event through social media and to those who brough us Timmies and especially to my friend Wendy who, as she’s been since the day we met, was there beside me from start to finish.

Thank you! You are all priceless treasures! And, when it comes to friends and fans I am truly blessed. xxx

Shows like Catfish sensationalise the negatives of online dating, rarely, if ever, showing the up sides.  The media, so-called web and relationship experts and  internet fear mongers everywhere jump at the opportunity to promote their hypothesis that everyone on the big, bad internet is either psychologically twisted, out to steal your money or your identity and no one online is to be trusted. The sub-text is “offline=good, online=bad”, especially when it comes to looking for love.

To that I say, “Rubbish, bullocks, bullshit!”

As in the offline world, online you will find good, bad, honest, deceitful, trustworthy, dishonourable, exciting, boring, intelligent, ignorant, happy, morose, passionate, apathetic, beautiful, unattractive, tall, short, young, old… (you get my point) people.

The online world is a microcosm of the offline world.

Offline or online, do you not try making friends because you have one enemy? Do you not trust anyone ever again because you had a promise broken? Do you stop looking for love because you’ve had your heart broken?

Worse yet, do you you cower in fear, paralysed into inaction because someone, somewhere, at some point in time had a bad a experience?

No, you don’t!

You find balance. You respect that there is the potential for a negative experience, but you focus on the positive. You take calculated risks. You learn from others. You implement safeguards. And then you harness your inherent optimism, create some truly great experiences and share them with everyone who’ll listen.

The positive needs promoting. It’s out there. Everyday, people using online dating sites are having a few laughs, making new friends, getting lucky, forming relationships and falling in love.

While not every time, these sites deliver lots of the good stuff lots of the time – the entertainment, the self discovery, the companionship, the sex, the romantic dreams and the happy-ever-afters.

We need to get better at sharing the positive stories and helping others to see the plus side of online dating.  This is one of the reasons I wrote eloves me, eloves me not.

And, it’s a key reason I started this Google+ community for fans of online dating to share their stories, their milestones, their inspiring experiences.

If you’re still reading, I suspect you might agree with the notion that the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to online dating.

So, if you do and you have great experiences to share, then step over to the Google+ platform, find your voice and start shoutin’ from the rooftops.

There’s a lot of negative noise to overcome. So, online dating fans, let’s crank up the volume on the positive side and drown out the naysayers.

Because there’s a lot that sits on the plus side of online dating!

Another milestone accomplished!

You can get yours here

The review process is very confronting especially for a new author. I submitted my novel for review by Chicklit Club, one of the pre-eminent ‘chick-lit’ blogs. These people are immersed in this genre, so understandably, I was keen to hear what they thought (okay and just a wee bit nervous, hoping they’d love my characters as my as I do).

The results are in and they thought it was literally ‘fabulous’. Here’s the full review:

With a newly broken heart, Kayte, 39, is determined to find her Mr Right. She is on the path to finding true love through the ups and downs, pleasures and dangers, of dating – blind and internet – and has to kiss a string of toads to find her prince. Together with her best friend and number one male (Dylan the dog), her happily married friend Chloe, and the mysterious Bigbadwolf (aka Roman) and his Book of RROOD (pronounced RUDE) for Roman’s Rules of Online Dating, Kayte sets off on her roller-coaster pursuit of love. Kayte is a modern, fit and healthy, IT-savvy Bridget Jones – and this romantic comedy has a chuckle or a twist on every page mixed with just the right amount of passionate liaisons. It has great one-liners, is fast moving and very entertaining. It is a fabulous debut. (AT)

Began distributing  the official media release for the book today. Where are my  newswire friends now?

You can read it here

My little darlings have arrived. I may just have to cuddle each and every one of them!

Okay, now it’s real.