I haven't told you much about The Cloak of Challiver, book two of The Talismans. It was launched at a very low-key affair during the recent convention in Canberra. It's available as an e-book, and you can pre-order a hard copy version, but I have no word on when that will be released.

It's a different book from The Dagger of Dresnia, although Ellyria is again the linchpin character, with her daughter-in-law Tamirayne as her sidekick. They are twenty-two years older, and as the story is basically a double romance, the plot highlights the adventures of Ellyria's two granddaughters, Milana and Lyrien, both of whom fall in love with men their parents would not consider to be suitable partners. The Dark Spirit is still around, as is Nustofer, the villainous cleric from The Dagger of Dresnia, and as with any good medieval fantasy, there are plenty of of love scenes, battles and mysteries. You can buy the ebook from Amazon and other online retailers, or direct from the publishers at http://satalyte.com.au/ - and if you're holding out for hard copy, just put in a pre-order.

Book Three, The Seer of Syland, will be a couple of generations later than the Cloak story. Don't hold your breath - it's still very much a WIP (work-in-progress!) I'm also playing with a novella, a spin-off from The Cloak of Challiver.

I've just returned from a most enjoyable cruising holiday with my sister Anne. We boarded Golden Princess in Melbourne on 4 December, and experienced two weeks of lovely cruising around New Zealand. As is so common in that part of the world, the sea was too choppy for us to visit all the ports on the schedule, but we had fun aboard ship and also on a very pleasant coach tour around Gisborne, which I'd never visited before.

As you can see from the picture, Golden Princess is a large vessel. Wikipedia tells me that she measures 109,000 gross tons and carries 2,600 passengers in twin cabins, along with 1,100 crew members.

There were plenty of enjoyable activities on board, although I was disappointed that the offerings were not as many and varied as those on the last cruise we did, on Dawn Princess. I had hoped for Yoga classes, but none were in evidence, and although the keep-fit classes were well-presented, they only lasted half an hour and didn't challenge us much.

There was plenty of entertainment in the evenings, though, and I reflected on how many entertainers must be kept in employment by cruise ships. At least a dozen were on the ship, and their performances were of high quality and well received, with packed houses in the theatre nearly every night. And the food, of course, was fabulous. (I've gained a couple of kilos, I fear!)

Now, of course, I am feeling the symptoms of whatever cruise lurgy was going around - dizziness and a slight headache are my constant companions. I'm getting stuck into the Vitamin C and Olive Leaf remedy in the hope of throwing the bug off before it gains too strong a hold.

The holiday season looms large, and whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hannukah or a Solstice (Summer or Winter, depending on where you live!) or something else entirely, I wish you all every happiness for the coming year.