Dan Coxon

Ka Mate: Travels in New Zealand may have been out for almost a year now, but there's still no sign of the interest slowing down. In the life of the struggling, penniless writer this always counts as good news. Last week not only did I make an appearance (and meet some other local writers) at the annual PNWA Conference Autograph Party , but I also received two new reviews from bloggers. The truly great news is that both were positive reviews, too. Clearly someone is smiling upon me. First up is this review from the Vegemitevix blog. Okay, so she did get my name wrong first time around (for more on Davegate, see her blog post on the name mix-up here ), but it's nice to get a true Kiwi opinion on Ka Mate . If she wishes that I'd gone to some of the more far-out places, then trust me, so do I. Anyone who wants to pay for my return ticket to New Zealand can contact me below. Book Corner - Ka Mate, review by Vicki Jeffels The second review came courtesy of the 1Dad1Kid

It's official, summer is finally here (in the Pacific Northwest, at least). The sun is out, the crowds have flocked to Alki, everyone's complaining that it's too hot... and, of course, it's the season for writers conferences. The PNWA Annual Conference is one of the biggest of its kind in the Northwest, and around here it rules the writing roost. That's why I'm pleased to say that I'll be attending their Autograph Party this Friday, July 20th, signing copies of Ka Mate and generally mingling with the literati. It takes place at the Seattle Hilton in Seatac, and runs from 8.30pm-10.00pm. The party is only open to conference attendees (and authors), but if you'll be there then please do hunt me down. I'll be the one with the English accent, weaving my way unsteadily between the tables. And if you're extra organized, leave a comment here - or tweet me - in advance, so I know to look out for you. Now, back to that sunshine...

If you're a lover of great books (and if you're reading this blog, then I certainly hope you are), you'll probably already have discovered Goodreads . The website does for reading what Facebook did for embarassing personal information, or Twitter did for banal one-liners. You don't just get to recreate your bookshelf in virtual form - you also have the chance to discuss what you've read, share reviews, chat to authors and other readers, and even discover your next favorite author via their surprisingly accurate recommendation algorithm. If you thought the internet would mean the end of real literature, then Goodreads is your bearded, haloed savior. All of which means it was about time that I embraced the new, and created a pixelated Dan Coxon for the internet reader. So you'll be pleased to hear that I now have an author profile on Goodreads, complete with bibliography, events listing, far too much personal information, and an inanely grinny photo. If you st