On Friday I met a lovely man called James Knight, who is the publisher of Hot Gossip Magazine. He likes my book, Eternal Sparrow: Poetry for love, laughter and life, and is going to publicise it in the magazine. I am extremely happy about that. Lynne, the owner of Rosie Brown Boutique, is also selling the book, as is Muswell Hill Bookshop. Charli has it on order too. People are contacting me and telling me which of the poems is their favourite, and that gives me quite a buzz. I have my favourites too, I suppose, for all sorts of different reasons.

The Sonnet, Italian Style, "The Orchid" seemed to write itself - it just flowed and the usual blood, sweat and thingummies were not needed - very unlike the haikus, so tight a discipline that at times I could hardly breathe with the effort of containing as rich a description as possible into three tiny and carefully limited lines.

The Grown Up Nursery Rhyme was fun to write because somebody challenged me to write a nursery rhyme and it just turned out to be a tad saucy. I started on the premise that nursery rhymes had to be clear, with simple language and if possible also with a nonsensical refrain (cf: Lavenders blue, dilly dilly); they have to have something magical, so I incorporated the number three by having three lines to each verse; also they have simple topics and themes so that children can easily relate to them, hence I chose two: primary colours and clothes. You can find the ever so slightly naughty result on page 54.

In later blogs, maybe I will talk about some of the other pieces....

Meanwhile, Rosh Hashana has taken up a big proportion of my time, and we have had a houseful of guests as usual. Tonight is Kol Nidrei, the eve of Yom Kippur, one of the most sacred festivals of the year. At the end of the week, I am off to Paris for Fashion Week. Vivienne Westwood's Show is on Friday afternoon, so I have to go straight there as soon as I get into town. Hussein Chalyan shows on Saturday and I am really hoping that my friend Melih will be able to get me a ticket to that one. I want to see Kinder's collection as I was unable to attend his London Show although he sent me a lovely invitation, and as always I love spending time with my friends Vicki Sarge Beamon (Erickson Beamon Jewellery), Maria Grachvogel and Aydin & Angie Kurdash (Gina Shoes). We always have a ball!

Publication launch today in the USA for my book, Eternal Sparrow: poetry for love, laughter and life, ISBN 978-1-60860-535-4. What a great feeling - I have just had a message from Inez at my publishers, Strategic Books, to say that today's the day. Strategic will be setting up a website for me from which to sell it, and will be also selling it from their own site. I am a little shell shocked, I have to admit. This has all been done by email until the final Galley Proof arrived a few days ago in the post. Already two of my beautiful, generous friends, Maria Grachvogel (gorgeous designer dress shop: 162 Sloane Street London SW1X 9BS) and Vicki Sarge Beamon (fabulous fashion jewellers: Erickson Beamon, 38 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9NZ) are wanting to sell it in their shops. I am very lucky with my friends. Another wonderful friend, the supermodel Marie Helvin, is offering to give me a UK launch party even though Eternal Sparrow is only published in the USA. I feel very blessed and very grateful. People will, of course, be able to buy it on the internet booksellers like Amazon. So now I am just praying that everyone will feel an uncontrollable urge to go and buy themselves a copy and lay in a stock to be used as Christmas, birthday or anniversary presents for their nearest and dearest - and then for their not-so-nearest and less-dear too. It is only $9.99 so bulk buying won't be painful on the pocket and will make this old lady very happy. It's kindness to old folk week, my darlings....