Recovery is awesome!

I don't know why replies to comments come up in a red box on here. It's something I've tried to fix a few times (went on the Blogger forum and got some html code to put in the layout / properties or some such techy business - didn't work, gah! - hate this techy stuff and am not very good at it). So great that there are clever web people right now working on the design of the new site and they'll be in charge of ironing out glitches once we all start using it.

They've sent me a list of content they need me to write for the welcome and information pages.. so I'll start doing that from today.. and their design team is going to show me soon what it's going to look like. It's so exciting!! I can't wait for it to be up and running so anyone who wants to share how they are going in the adjustment to living alcohol free can do that (anonymously if you like) and we can all encourage and help each other along the way - share tips & experiences, generally boost each other along.

I'm keen to get people to send in photos of themselves for the new site holding up signs with their sober date or some wish or desire they have for their life without booze.. what do you think about that idea? Faces of recovery. Having said that you could always hold the sign up to cover your face if you wanted to keep yourself hidden at first (which I totally understand) but I think those images of actual real people can be very powerful.

The words we share are powerful too.

I'm going to spend a lot of time on the new site but I will keep blogging regularly here as well because this blog is my home and I love it and don't want to leave it behind.

Anyway.. the book launch party… SO FUN! I had a great chatty night surrounded by friends and family. I missed out on one of the pre-poured, fancily garnished mocktails but had a few glasses of  non-alcoholic punch throughout the night. I had planned to get a Red Bull from the bar during the night to boost me along (and it feels a bit naughty coz I don't usually touch that shit) but I completely forgot. I did however smoke a cigarette!!!!! There were a bunch of people outside having a fun time smoking and drinking and I joined them for a while and smoked the ciggy. That was fun but I don't think I'll be climbing back into that little habit.

Completely forgot to thank my amazing publishers in my speech which I am totally gutted about - Allen & Unwin are the best publishers a girl could ask for! Strong and wise and smart and incredibly kind. There, hopefully that gush on here will stop me feeling guilty for not having said thanks to them on Saturday night (and it's all true).

On the morning of the party I had to go and do a radio interview. I was super-nervous about it because this interviewer is a totally awesome, clever, formidable broadcaster. But it went great. I loved talking with her and actually got to go into some of the detail about how I re-trained my brain to live without alcohol. At 34 minutes long it was possible to get a good discussion going. I'd said to my sister-in-law before I left home that I was going to try and say "recovery is awesome" during the interview.. and I managed to say it twice!! Hooray!

I've had a few people message me asking about where to buy the book. It's in stores in Australia & New Zealand now.. if you're overseas and want a hard copy you need to buy it from this side of the world (here or here) and they'll ship it to you. I think from October it'll be in warehouses overseas. Or the e-version is here or here.

And now I better go get writing content and responding to some more of the lovely emails I have received. It's raining, I have a scented candle burning and Natalie Merchant softly playing. It is a good day to be sober.

Love, Mrs D xxx