Bob, Barbara and Raoul
G'day.
Once again I'm sorry I haven't been updating the website. But I have been busy: driving back and forth to Narooma researching the new book. Doing a doughnut in the middle of the F3 and smashing up my car when some old turd cut me off in the rain near the Hawkesbury River Bridge and didn't stop. Going on The Ultimate Aphrodisiac book tour. And amongst all this trying to write another book: a new Les Norton, Mystery Bay Blues.
Firstly, I want to thank all the people who came along to the book tour. Especially Emily who drove from Grenfell to Grafton to meet me. I like book signings. I don't like doing talks and interviews are part of the job. But meeting my readers is the real buzz. And I have to say, when that woman turned up in Lismore with the baby possums down the front of her dress, I nearly piddled myself.
The feedback on the new book is all good. A lot of people said it was the best one I'd written. Thanks for that. I appreciate it.
Now, about the story in the back of The Ultimate Aphrodisiac. 'They Call Me Barbara' I said it appeared in the Sunday Telegraph magazine. It didn't. They told us three times they were going to use it. Then they changed their minds. It's got me buggered. Anyway, we've put up the photos that went with the story, from Grungle to me in that alien mask. But I reckon the story revolved around the photo of me and Johnny Johnson, and how I said he was so happy to see me. Check out the photo. JJ looks like I just kneed him in the nuts, shoved a lemon in his mouth then drove a tractor over his foot. But the concert was great. And so was the Blues Festival. In fact I've booked my ticket and rented a flat for this year's already.
I mentioned in the back of The Ultimate Aphrodisiac why it was late coming out and about all the coincidences between writing it and what happened on September 11 in New York. I honestly think the New York World Trade Centre thing has been done to death by now. But I'll mention a couple more: the photo of Barbara Barrett appeared in the local paper at the time it happened. And that the first reports out of New York were from a journalist named Milne. (One of the main characters in the books is called Milne.) It was just uncanny all these things happening as I was finishing the book. And at the very end I wrote about a plane crashing into a building in Italy.
I'm still doing my best to answer all your letters. There's just so many. And I'm doing my best to get books to all the prison librarians that write. And I have to get the Team Norton T-shorts out. I've got a casual assistant. And boy, is she casual. But we do it. There's a new Team Norton logo. The new T-shirts are all Bonds and made in Australia. And there's now tank tops, especially for my women readers. I thought the new T-shirts and caps were that good, instead of just putting them on the website.
I did a fashion shoot and hired three top models - Jenny, Lyndy and Raoul. Jenny's the slim one in the park, Lyndy's got the fuller figure sitting on the old Norton Commando. And as for Rauol, believe me - if the new XXL T-shirts could fit Rauol, they'd fit an elephant seal. Check the photos out and how to order them. And women be warned. The stretch tank tops with the message on the front are causing riots.
I have to go. I'll have more photos and things to tell you next month. And the new Les Norton is coming along okay and should be out in November.
See you next time and thanks for reading.
All the best,
Bob
May, 2002