UPDATE (August 16) Great leaps for Only One Of Me

Hi folks - here's a brief(ish!) rundown on what's been happening over the past few days with the #OnlyOneOfMe team...

• We've hit our SECOND fundraising target! Thanks again for your continued generosity and support. We no longer need to use the funds to pay illustration fees - Catalina and Tim have both refused to take one. This means the funds can cover the costs of a fundraising event to launch the book, with any remaining funds buying copies of the book to donate to charities, or going directly to Lisa's preferred charities.
• Lisa has met with Gemma Wilkes - WHY We Hear You's Fundraising and Communications Manager - to get planning the book's launch party. It's looking like being early October for publishing - and partying!
• Lisa spoke beautifully about her situation and why she wanted to make the book on BBC Radio Somerset yesterday morning. You can listen online for the next month or so on the BBC iPlayer.

L-R: Maria, Catalina and Tanya

• Our fabulous illustrators Catalina Echeverri and Tim Budgen have met in person! They needed a meeting space in London and our friends at Walker Books came good with space, lunch and even a helpful once-over with the picture book editorial team. Huge thanks to Dee, Maria and Tanya for making this possible. Cata and Tim now have a crystal clear vision for each and every page. Now all they have to do is draw them all by August 30th...! They will absolutely SMASH IT.
• Meanwhile, Peter Gill at our amazing publisher, Graffeg has been working tirelessly to get contracts finalised - Lisa, Catalina, Tim and me are all donating all royalties to charity.
• Peter has been a very busy man, actually - he's also been booking printing time in... Remember our friends at CPI Antony Rowe? They'll be printing a very special limited edition of #OnlyOneOfMe for Lisa to gift to her family and close friends. Meanwhile, Graffeg will be publishing a beautiful hardback picture book for YOU to buy or donate to a charity of your choice. Two, actually - Cata's Mum version and Tim's Dad version.
• ...and all the while, James Catchpole, gentleman and wonder agent, has been bearing the brunt of coordinating all of this while I bugger off on a family holiday planned longed before all of this came into being. THANK YOU, JAMES!

Thank you for your ongoing love and support. We've had messages and donations from all over the world, and it really helps keep our own energy levels up. This is quite a marathon, and for everyone involved it's an honour to be running it.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DETAILS OF WHEN, HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN BUY A COPY OF #OnlyOneOfMe!