If you follow me on Twitter or we’re Facebook friends (or maybe one of those rare and magical real-life friend thingummies – yes, you at the back there in the trenchcoat and dark glasses), you’ll have heard me banging on about how strange it has been to have my book and I in different hemispheres. It may be a relief for you to know that there will be no more of that. Girl, Aloud and I are now in the same neighbourhood.

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I celebrated this fact on 29th April at wonderful Readings in Hawthorn, where all it took to shift a few books was the promise of pink cupcakes, wine, and the opportunity to watch me squirm at a microphone. If I find my tear-drenched speech notes I might transcribe them here at some point. Or make a youtube clip. Or I might just forget to do that and watch Glee instead.

You never know how a launch is going to turn out (says she who has only had one launch). The weeks beforehand were pretty hellish…for my partner. Every night I’d lie awake, wondering out loud (shaking him violently to make sure he was listening) why on earth I’d thought it’d be a good idea to organise an event that involves public speaking. I loathe public speaking. The nerves became laughable on the actual day. If you’ve ever given birth or been on a long-haul flight – two of the scariest undertakings known to humankind – you’ll understand me when I confide that the nerves had a kind of colonic irrigation effect. I walked to Readings 3kg lighter.

But like most things I spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about, it turned out fine. After all – as a friend reminded me – the people there wanted me to do well…most of them, anyway, and those who actively wished I’d fall over or vomit on my shoes hid their disappointment valiantly. Best of all, Girl, Aloud is on the Readings bestseller charts for teen books (April). After two years in Oz, I think I’ve earned the right to say: I’m stoked.