MAILBOX MONDAY

Number of books in my mailbox this week - zero! It's a good thing as I have a small pile in my review tray and last week I went to Sutherland Library.

It's the best library I've ever been to and I keep my membership even though I don't live there any more. It's worth the 45 min trip each way just to borrow and return books. They have a great range of historical non-fiction. This trip I borrowed What Life was Like On the Banks of the Nile, Isak Dinesen's Africa, Sudan: Ancient Treasures, The Legacy of Ancient Egypt, Magic Stones: The Secret World of Ancient Megaliths, Portraits of Africa, Sahara Man, The British Museum: Africa, The Ancient Egyptians: Life and Customs and Journey to Mauritius. Yes, I am researching my next historical novel. No it's not about Ancient Egypt!

The most exciting thing in my mailbox this week was the chapter heading illustrations for Monkey Fist (Samurai Kids Book 4) out in August this year (I think!)). It's such a wonderful thing to see my characters come to life in Rhian Nest-James' drawings. I'll do a post on Rhian's artwork shortly. Just magic. I am not a visual writer. I don't see pictures in my head, just words. But the words have their own physical dimension. I found this hard to explain and no-one seemed to understand. Then one day I heard Ursula Dubursarsky speak and she said the same thing! And look at the great books she writes. The Red Shoe and Theodora's Gift are all time favourites of mine.