Retrospective guest blog!

Nothing like missing ones own guest blogging post. Oops! Back in September would you believe, I guest blogged for the fabulous Veggie Mama! http://www.theveggiemama.com/2012/09/guest-post-veggie-mama-vs-omnivore.html I love Stacey's recipes. They are vego without being tasteless or - god help me - all insanely healthy and raw. Taste, not missing out on yums, that's what I am all about. She has the lot. Love her stuff.

Winners! Is it you?

Time to announce the winners of my Kate Morton give away. I loved reading your replies about who you read and why, and now I have more authors books to devour myself. Yay! These books arrived yesterday and they are beautiful. I cannot wait to read one myself. Please email me at feistierkel @ gmail (dot) com with your address if you are named below. Thank you again to the wonderful onions at Allen & Unwin for giving us all an early look at a fantastic book.

Belinda H (from her tweet reply)
Lib
Truly Blessed Life
Atticus

Love books? Love to #win? Looky here!

My favouritest (is so a word :P ) book publishers in Australia, Allen & Unwin, have kindly allowed me to give away some copies of The Secret Keeper. The new and not-even-on-shelves-until-November book from Aussie author Kate Morton. Kate has 3 bestsellers under her belt already, and The Secret Keeper will be no different.


In a bucolic English summer at the end of the 1960s, a young girl witnesses a shocking crime. Fifty years later, she sets out to find out the truth, uncovering layers of mystery and deception. Moving from London during the Blitz to the present day, this is classic Kate Morton: a compulsively-readable, entrancing mystery with a long held secret to be uncovered at its heart.

1961: On a sweltering summer's day, while her family picnics by the stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of a boy called Billy, a move to London, and the bright future she can't wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything.

2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to her family home and begins to piece together a secret history. A tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds - Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy - who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatefully entwined.
Shifting between the 1930s, the 1960s and the present, The Secret Keeper is a spellbinding story of mysteries and secrets, theatre and thievery, murder and enduring love.

I don't know about you, but that's enough to have me completely drawn in. Cannot wait to devour this one. Want to join me and win your own copy? I have 4 copies to give away! Simply comment and tell me your favorite Allen & Unwin author/s  and why (click through to a list!) Don't forget to like my facebook page here. Good luck!

Note: Open to Australian residents only

Onward to the future

I made a decision this weekend. I've ummed and ahhed over this one for some time. Some years, actually, and with my youngest starting kindergarten in the new year, the time is now. I'm going back to school. Again. I know, I know, I have an unhealthy addiction to study. I've studied for most of my life. I have a Bachelor of Arts, I started a social work degree, then I did a Grad Dip in Literature which extended into a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature. Then I toyed with the idea of education and teaching, and pondered journalism. And here I am. Again. I applied for a Grad Dip in Journalism yesterday. I have a feeling I may already have a deferred place to accept, I forget now, but hopefully that all sorts out and I can nut it out. If I want to, I can get advanced credit with my writing units and just do 4 units for the journalism part, but might do the full 8 of journalism units, not sure yet.

The thing is that all of my qualifications so far are, well, useless. Sort of. I mean, they are a foundation but they do not specifically meet job criteria. They're a little wishy washy - I loved them, I don't regret going after passions and they've all given a solid base to stick this GD onto and to then go into positions which want specific media qualifications with an extra boost. I'm excited about it. All I know is that I need to write. Whether it is journalism, fiction, creative or factual or a combination of all the above, I need words in my future. Am I too late? Is all but 35 too old to get into this over young hungry grads? I like to think I bring wisdom and experience to it as well, but whether that will be enough, only time will tell.

I may create my own positions, I may create my own work out of it all as well yet. Certainly I have ideas that with the right knowledge could become a future in and of themselves. Life awaits. Watch me go!!!

Book time - Don't Breathe A Word

Am not very good at reviews but had to write about this book I just read. It's called Don't Breathe A Word and is by Jennifer McMahon. The first clue to how good it is, is that I read the entire thing in less than 24 hours, despite continuing my usual errands and whatnot. It was painful every time I had to put it down. It kept begging to be picked up again.

The book is creepy. Quite unsettling, yet fascinating and the mystery is really well written. Right to the very last word.

I won't include spoilers, but the blurb reads:


On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn't fear the dark and doesn't have bad dreams--who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam's hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed--a promise that could destroy them all.


Really. I don't tend to read anything like this, fairies and whatnot are not really my thing. I don't know what compelled me to even read this, I think the crime element? Regardless, I will now be reading all of her other books stat. Loved it. Have a very definite book hangover now, and will struggle to pick up the next on my to-read list, without thinking about Sam, Lisa, Evie, Phoebe... And Teilo, The King of the Fairies.

/Shiver.

Book happy

I have read some great books recently, so thought I'd drop the names so those on the hunt have somewhere to look!

Firstly, I read Red Queen by Honey Brown. It's an Australian book, which always gets bonus points from me, and not a bad one at that. It's about 2 brothers, hiding out in the bush after a virus is wiping out the world, and how their hideout is infiltrated by a strange woman...

Next up, Room by Emma Donoghue. Have been meaning to get to this for months and months and finally nabbed it. I loved this book, just so well written and with such beautiful characters.

Nora Roberts - The Witness. I like her stuff, dead easy to read, sort of chicklit crime mix. This was another good read, and this was her 200th book. 200. That blows my mind. I guess she's doing something right!?

I also read Jodi Picoult's Lone Wolf. This was a while ago and I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, it was not bad. Typical Picoult, but nothing out of the box for me.

My new favorite author - Jojo Moyes. I mentioned in an earlier entry her book called Me Before You and because of it's power, I tried another by her called The Last Letter From Your Lover. She has a way of writing that just takes a simple story but crafts it into something more. They are not just love stories, they are truly poignant and lovely. Just beautiful writing. I adore her work.

Allen & Unwin again asked me to take part in another read-a-long with Bree. This time the book was called The Unfinished Journals Of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier. I loved this book, I tried to stop at the first break for the discussion but I couldn't put it down, I had to keep reading. I identified with the exploration of an individual as opposed to their role as 'Mother' or 'Wife' and that wanting something more, and what was going on... The characters were so real, they had flaws, they were uncertain, they had more than one dimension. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another of my favorite authors has a book out and I didn't realise so I quickly grabbed it on kindle when I found out. Liane Moriarty's The Hypnotists Love Story is just as good as her previous works that I also love. Another Australian author, her writing is so easy to get lost in. I loved this book, amazing that I could empathise with all the characters, even the whacky Saskia. Love lost and relationships starting... all relevant to me and so I enjoyed that about it too.

Also mentioned in my last post was Jennifer L Armentrouts Lux series. Book 2, Onyx, came out last week and I immediately got into it. I really love Katy and I like where things went with she and Daemon in this book. I love that Katy is independent and strong for a YA female protagonist. We need more like her! Mind you, my kindle told me I was at 93% and just as it got super exciting... The End. The rest was a sample chapter etc. I almost cried! Now I have to wait until December for book 3! GAH!

Finally, last night I finished If I Stay by Gayle Forman. This was pegged as an emotional book that would have me in tears. Nup. I actually felt a bit robbed to be honest. I felt like there was opportunity for the author to really get into an emotional place with this and ravage the emotions... But she didn't get there for me. Not a bad book, simply okay.

That's a wrap!


Picture credit: http://weheartit.com/entry/35296248#

Book review: Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson

I need to start this review with a few disclaimers: Firstly, this is a completely unbiased review. I would be upset were anyone to think differently, because I always strive to act with integrity in everything I do and something as important (to me, in my life) as a book review is no exception. Ever. That said, Jessica Davidson is, and has been, a friend of mine for some time. She inspires and motivates me as a writer, but also as a friend and mother. If I hadn't liked her book, I'd have politely outlined my reasons, along with what, if anything, I did enjoy. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I loved this book. I really loved it, and I am so proud of her. I begged her publicist for an Advance Release Copy and was so grateful he obliged. Whilst he didn't request or demand a review in return, I felt it was standard practice and the least I could do in return.

First, the blurb: "I wait for him, the cold seeping through my clothes, until it finally dawns on me that he's not coming back. And I wonder why he chose her instead of me? Why he went looking for her when I was right there."


Tai and Juliet have been best friends forever – since they met at kindy and decided to get married in first grade.


They understand each other in the way that only best friends can.


They love music, beach walks, energy drinks and, they are slowly discovering, each other.


As they begin to dream of adventures beyond the HSC – a future free of homework, curfews and parents, a life together – their plans are suddenly and dramatically derailed.


For Tai is sick.


And not everything you wish for can come true.


A poignant story of first love, hope, grief, family, and the twistedness of life.

Let me begin by saying, read this with a box of tissues at hand. I not only cried, I sobbed, and was a snotty, red eyed mess. It is such a heart wrencher, not only as someone who has loved and lost, but as a mother, as a friend, as someone who can only imagine what it's like to face your own mortality so young. In every way, from every perspective, this one rips at you. Sad books aren't for everyone, same as a sad movie, I suppose. But a book that can make you feel, that can reach into the vulnerable parts of you and reduce you to a brutal mess, is one that must be well written.

I want to share with you a few of my favorite bits, all the while avoiding spoilers where possible. These are some of the words that struck me most, for all kinds of reasons, and I wanted to share my top few.

I liked this first one because you know, this is pretty much exactly how i felt when I found out mum had breast cancer. Everything is off kilter, and she described it perfectly for me.

It's kind of like a dream, where you know you're dreaming because you know that your real life isn't quite like this. p77.

Oh man... Tai repeats this to himself a few times, this one, and it hit me hard because I could feel the same panic. Made my heart race.

"A year, Tai. You're fucked, Tai." p83

I love this line, it just is so charged, and you can feel the desperation he has to get this message across and it just made my heart ache a little. Young love. Innocent love. It's so much more perfect than what comes later in so many ways.

"You need to know,' he whispers, 'you need to remember when I'm not around to remind you, that I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.' p158.


And then comes a line that frankly, I think is the absolute best thing I have ever read in the history of ever. Not really, but still. *


Oh shit. Oh dear mcfucking shit." p166.

The next line made me adore Juliet. If I hadn't already. Attitude wins me over every single time.

He sighs. "So then you get your compass and - "
"Stab myself in the eye?" p201.

From here on I started to feel the heaviness of what was going on - "I remember your first day of kindy... you came home and told me you had a best friend, and asked if he could come over to play. He did, two days later - and that was it." p213

The vomit in the hair, Tai crying in fear... These things had me a mess. The entire last third of the book made me an emotional wreck. I actually had nightmares that night. I dreamed of losing my child, of death, of heartbreak. I think Tai and Juliet hit me a little TOO hard, and I don't know if this is in part because I watched Jess (from afar, not in the stalkery kinda way ;) ) write this and felt I knew these characters, long before I read them in final form. Jessica has done herself proud in Everything Left Unsaid. It's masterful, and it's another one of those great books that in the face of so much crap that is out there, restores my faith in good publishing and well written books. It's in bookstores from August 1, you won't regret snapping it up.

5 out of 5 stars.


*The only biased line of this review ;) 

The magic of books

My friend, Dee, linked me to this video today. I watched it and by the finish, had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. Books are magic. This is so beautiful.

Books. Good ones.

So I might have stepped on a few toes lately on Facebook with my perpetual links to snarky critiques of the horror that is 50 Shades Of Grey. To be clear, it's not horror genre, it's horror writing. It's a horrible, painful stringing together of words that frustrates me beyond belief. As someone who wants to write, who loves to write, who appreciates excellent writing - I found it frustrating. Maybe even angering. But I won't be dedicating a post to that pile of steaming excrement.

Instead, I am going to direct you to some stuff that is REALLY worth reading. This is the best way to fight back against shite writing - really good writing. Since I begged Allen & Unwin for an ARC (Advance Release Copy) of Susan Johnson's My Hundred Lovers, they hooked me up with a blog that does these reviews all the time. Bree's blog, All the Books I Can Read is a book review blog that I am so excited to have found. It's certainly enriched my life, as has Bree herself, providing me with recommendations via twitter, as well as reviews on her blog. Books! Wonderful books!!!

Before getting to Bree's stuff, and after enjoying My Hundred Lovers so much, I asked Allen & Unwin on twitter, what else they currently felt was a good read. They suggested two books that Blew. Me. Away. Firstly, I read The J.M. Barrie Ladies' Swimming Society by Barbara J. Zitwer. I loved this book, because the characters were so well drawn, they just engaged me and were different enough to the same old same old to fascinate. The story was well written too, and I enjoyed how easy it was to read. Bliss after the pain of 50 shades.

Next up was Nicole Trope's The Boy Under The Table. I don't know if I can find the words for this one. It was brilliant. The writing was brilliant. The characters were brilliant. The emotion was palpable, and I literally could not put it down, finishing it in a mere two sittings and reading into the wee hours. I haven't done that in a long while. I loved everything about it. If you're going to choose just one of these books to read, make it this one - you won't regret it.

(They also recommended The Taliban Cricket Club but I haven't got to it yet).

After these two I was a bit lost, wondering where to next after two good books... There is nothing worse than the feeling of finishing a good book, it is a loss, for real. This is where Bree has saved the day! Her first suggestion for me, was Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. Oh. My. God. This is up there with Trope's book. I sobbed when I finished it, and it's been a long time since a book reduced me to tears. This is such a beautiful book, it's masterful. I adored it.

Then I read her suggestions of Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number (awesome chick lit, readable, fun and a gorgeous protagonist as always in Sophie's books), and Trish Doller's Something Like Normal - quite a heartstring tugger about a young marine who comes home for leave from Afghanistan after seeing his best friend killed. It's a love story with a new angle, I really loved it. These were followed by two books from Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series - Obsidian and Shadows. I liked Obsidian for a few reasons, but the most impacting was reading of a young adult female protagonist that was not a simpering, blithering idiot turned to mush by a good looking guy. In fact she tells him to bugger off often for being a jerk, despite wanting to just crumble and be with him. Take THAT Bella Swan and Anastasia Steele. YES!

I have started Fiona Higgins The Mothers Group too, but being in such a non newborn or mumsy headspace at the moment (which sounds quite terrible for my kids but it's not really, I swear!) I haven't got into it properly yet, I will though.

Next up on my kindle waiting for me to dive in are these 2 -


Red Queen by Honey Brown. 

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris.

If all this looks familiar, it's because it basically follows all Bree's reviews on her blog, lol. Her reviews make me want to buy and read and read and buy... She's bad for my bank account but I love it!!!

Before I go, I need to mention again how desperate I am to read Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson. I've sent an email to her publicist, who has assured me of an ARC, so fingers crossed it arrives soon because the official release date is still a month off. Comeeeee Onnnnn!

Living!!!!

I feel alive, I feel that familiar burning in my fingertips, it's an itch. It means WRITE, and don't stop!

It's been ages since I wrote anything that really motivated and inspired me like this. In fact, the first time I have ever felt it like this. I have this mental block about word counts, they scare me terribly. Is there a way to turn off my word doc at the bottom of my screen? So that I can only see it if I manually go Tools, Word Count... ?

Anyway, as I just said on twitter - of all my pieces of crap, this is now the longest. Longer than my masters thesis story, longer than anything else I have ever written and what is exciting is that I know it's not over yet, there is still so much to fill in, still so much to write. It's kind of exciting! Of course, this only makes up about 18% of what I need to get to. But. Still. :/

It's funny how that passion feels. Yes I am passionate about books, about animal rights and infertility and loyalty and friends and family... But the action of doing it, that is what makes life fun to live. I need to disappear into their world and tell their story. It's screaming at me to do so and it's a wonderful sound.

Who, or what, inspires you?

I am really lucky, in that in every facet of my life - be it veganism, writing, or anything I choose to do, I have a great group of friends and family that will always support me.

When it comes to writing, aside from this invaluable encouragement, there are people that really and truly inspire me to keep chasing my dream. I was watching this fantastic speech recently, by one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. It's so freaking inspiring. I watch it repeatedly, and still get goosies. Make. Good. Art. It makes me want to contribute, and put my words out there.

Another incredibly inspiring author (and friend) is Jess. She's on book 2, and she wrote much of this one literally with a newborn in her arms. She has 3 littlies, and she still finds makes time to write. What excuse do I have?! Jess is full of encouragement, and motivates me. I appreciate it, Jess. You are a gem.

I really don't know how to find time to write when I have a three year old whirlwind demanding time and attention, literally every 5 minutes. I guess it means no sleep, or a fuckton of redbull, a la Jess ;) I need to require more of myself. I keep looking for the inspiration and the motivation from those around me because it helps.

What inspires and motivates you to chase your dreams?

Writerly write write

Two of five articles I have written for www.birth.com.au are currently up on their site. You can read about Trouble With Conception and Supporting Someone with Infertility. Three more will appear in time. I have had really lovely feedback from my editor there, but most importantly, I feel so good about this. When I was going through infertility, the thing that I always swore to do, was to increase awareness about infertility and it's attached emotional issues. I wanted to normalise and validate the experiences we all have. I feel like I am making good on my promise to myself now, and it makes me want to continue to do so, either with more articles, or perhaps at some point, even a book. I can do this, I am the best person to write this book, and it's so needed. This is only the beginning for me, and my work with infertility. I'm excited about it!

Dymocks Booklovers 101 best books

I was shopping at Dymocks yesterday and saw this stand. I liked a lot of the titles I saw, and decided that may indicate I might like the rest, so I set myself a challenge to work my way through the entire list. There are a few anomalies, of course, and I am sure I won't love them all, but the ones I have read, I've mostly enjoyed, so I am using that as an indicator. I believe Dymocks are compiling another list of the same at the moment.

In no particular order the 2011 list is as follows. I have highlighted the ones I have read in red.


1. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
2. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury Ray
4. Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
8. The Happiest Refugee by Ahn Do
9. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
11. On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
12. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
13. The Shadow Of The Wind by Zafon Carlos
14. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer
16. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
17. Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
18. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
19. The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
20. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
21. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
22. Breath by Tim Winton
23. Life of Pi by Martel Yann
24. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
25. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
26. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
27. Magician by Raymond E Feist
28. Spare Room by Helen Garner
29. Persuasion by Jane Austen
30. The Millennuim Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
31. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
32. Emma by Jane Austen
33. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
34. My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
35. Middlemarch by Eliot George
36. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
37. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
38. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
39. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
40. Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
41. The Power Of One by Bryce Courtenay
42. The Elegance Of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
43. Wolf Hall by Mantel Hilary
44. Tomorrow When The War Began series by John Marsden
45. Mists of Avalon by Bradley Marion
46. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
47. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
48. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
49. Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
50. Lord of The Flies by William Golding
51. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
52. Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly
53. Lord Of The Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
54. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina SImons
55. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
56. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
57. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
58. The Bible
59. Small Island by Andrea Levy
60. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
61. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail
62. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
63. Marley and Me by John Grogan
64. Atonement by Ian McEwan
65. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
66. People Of The Book by Geraldine Brooks
67. Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
68. The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
69. Ransom by David Malouf
70. The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
71. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
72. Dracula by Bram Stoker
73. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
74. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 
75. Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons
76. Tully by Paullina Simons
77. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
78. The Secret River by Kate Grenville
79. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
80. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
81. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
82. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel
83. Host by Stephenie Meyer
84. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
85. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
86. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
87. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
88. A Fortunate Life by A.B.Facey
89. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
90. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
91. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull
92. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
93. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
94. The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody
95. Maos Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
96. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
97. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
98. Possession by A.S. Byatt
99. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
100. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
101. Room by Emma Donoghue

The blue is the book I am currently reading. Some thoughts on some I have read - some of my all time faves are in there, The Power Of One is my favorite book ever. Has been since I first read it at 15. I have re read the Tomorrow series by Marsden at least 7 times and it never loses its ability to engage, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas made me 'feel' like no other book has. It caused terror and panic, it was brilliant. The Twilight series is terribly written and I was distressed to see another Meyer book on the list for me to tackle. I don't do fantasy, I am in trouble with this list. Prove me wrong, books, prove me wrong. Still Alice is another fantastic book. 

There are some books on the list I have been meaning to get to for a while, and I am really looking forward to reading them, such as The Slap, Almost French, Marley & Me, The Help, and the one I am reading now - We Need To Talk About Kevin. Some are classics I should have read but haven't, and I think they are one of those 'everyone should read in their lifetime' things, like Nineteen Eighty-Four, A Fortunate Life, War and Peace, Lord of The Rings etc. And no, watching the movies doesn't count!

I dread Shantaram. Have you seen the size of that tome?! Looking forward to adding some of these to my favorite books. Now if you'll excuse me, I've a book to bury myself in. 

Naww just found this!


It'd be nice to get a vote, but there are so many great blogs on this list, it's nice just to be on the same page!

Saturday happy

Today was a good day. I was feeling good for having written a nice 1000w+ chunk last night, writing also grounds me. And this morning, I had some great time alone with my boy; a rarity these days, but RJ was with her dad. He and I went to a farmers market 30 minutes away, and had a lovely time wandering around sampling produce, buying goodies, and listening to the busker. Then we grabbed some groceries that we needed aside from the market fare, and went home. We made chocolate truffles together - so yum!! And then we did some science experiments from a book he got for his birthday. Just quality time together. I hadn't realised just how much I missed it.

Then a true deep and meaningful chat with the man-face that just made me feel connected and understood, and mostly, loved. I like being content this way. It's such a nice feeling.

We had a yummy organic produce dinner, and followed it with a chocolate, rum and raisin pudding from Puds, along with their mocha chocolate sauce. HEAVENLY. Seriously, chek their range and drool. So freaking good. So, not too shockingly, I am feeling satisfied and warm and happy. Long may it last!

Staying motivated.

I wrote this on July 23rd last year, and I need to read it often to stay inspired.


I have direction, and I have it clearly and firmly.
The presenter at the seminar on Wednesday said something that I really got a lot from: constantly starting new projects is an act of fear. Fear of finishing something, and the imperfection it will be. She said accept imperfection and FINISH IT. First drafts, are by nature, imperfect. She said that so many talented writers never get a book written because of exactly this. It really hit me. I can see myself in that.
I keep starting new and shorter things, putting off finishing my novel. So, thats it. My short story is ready to be submitted at the last few places I intend to send it, and now I am going to go back to the fiction I wrote during my Masters, and complete it to novel length. This weekend, I am going to sit down with it and work out a chapter plan (her advice again, and me being a list lover, totally me!) and set myself a writing goal of words per week. It is time to be firm with myself and push through. Even if it is terrible. That’s what editing and further drafts are for.
I thought about why I have put it off, and I realised that when I wrote it, I had some intense things going on in my life – an IVF pregnancy, and my mother’s breast cancer and subsequent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As a result, I have not only linked the emotions of that time to the writing, but nor did it end up reflecting my original vision for it. I was not as dedicated to it as I wanted to be, because of those things. Now, I can be. Now I can inject my everything into it, and bring it back to that vision. I still believe in the story, and am absolutely certain of its potential, and my ability to reach it completely.

The story behind 'Emancipated.'

I wanted to talk a little about why I wrote Emancipated, and why it was such a powerful and important piece to me.
As someone who experienced infertility and the traumas of assisted conception first hand, the hardest part of the entire process was always managing the negative emotions that went with it. I managed to form a circle of friends all of whom were facing infertility problems of varying degrees, and I became aware that all of us were feeling these same emotions and having these same thoughts, and we all carried enormous guilt for them. Any time that we voiced them, we were ‘bitter’ or ‘jealous’ and it really made the entire thing so much harder to cope with.
It is important to me that we acknowledge these thoughts and emotions of negativity and accept them, with an understanding of where they come from and why they exist. They don’t make us monsters, they are understandable and valid experiences. The more people I was able to get this message through to, the better – and as a result, the more I heard from women feeling the same who were able to say “thank god I am not alone, thank god someone has said it’s okay to feel the way that I do about this…”


Emancipated is included in my ebook, The Result of Coercion.

Dreams

How freaking weird are dreams? People who've known me for some time, will know that I often have very vivid, and often violent dreams. I've gone from fearing them, to being fascinated by them. Admittedly, I am still affected by the super bad ones, it's impossible not to be. I always want to use them for writing fodder, but so far, I haven't been able to capture them in the same vivid and realistic way I dream them. It's very frustrating.

I take notes on my phone when I wake in the night, I thought I'd share them with you for a chuckle (or a scream!)


A cult you can't escape, the murdered girls feet cut off and used as art on the wall serve as a warning for what happens to those that try to escape. Bloodied footprints appear down the hall, she walks among them still. Etc.

Every year a girl re-lives her date rape beating. She tries to stop the cycle of repetition by telling her friends the times and places so they can prevent it this time. Each year it changes by a small detail.

A flood is wreaking havoc. A new journo asks the premier at a press conference - "How will we know when the rain stops?" the premier looks dumbfounded and replies "what the hell? Look out the window!? Is that really the question you meant to ask??" "Err, no your honor (facepalm). It's just my first day..." And my last.

A school group is trudging through drains to an unknown destination. Familiar places look different. Is it a parallel world? A guy with a laser gun fries someones head off for getting out of line. They hand out immunity cards to a lucky few. They begin separating boys and girls. I make a boy go in my place, claiming he is a girl, I try to escape before the next car comes to take us who knows where? It's nowhere good.

"Like" a serial killers facebook page... and he comes visiting.

Hospital infections turn faces green. We learned their secret, now they are after us. A friend sacrifices herself so we can escape. we see the circular saw start as she shoves us out of the room, then we see the blood splatters across the door... and we run.

Evil spirits are following me, they right on the window in blood. Words like "gullible" and "useless" and "I'm coming" - I write back in the fogged up window - 'wanker' and everyone freaks that I am asking for it. I feel the spirit wrap around me and at first it tickles, then it tightens and it constricts my breathing. it chases me around the house. I try to shut it out, it pushes me off balance and shoves me around. It feels awful, and inescapable. Makes me anxious and panicked.


Hmm. Kind of a scary look into my mind. I'll have a psych team at my door any moment now! teehee!

Photo credit

A little bit of fun

I have added a poll over to the left top of my page. I'll take it down in a week. For now, I want you to help me decide what to write about next. I have ideas for most of the opposite, but I can't decide which I feel most compelled to write. I am especially interested in hearing opinions from those who have read my ebook and know my style and voice.

A young adult piece with a strong female character (none of these sulky twihards), a love story full of passion and heart, something set in the past, maybe encompassing a few elements, or something with grit and fear at its centre. Let me know what you think. If there is a decent response, I'll go for it.

Setting goals

Way back in 2008, before IVF brought me my darling RJ, I had some goals. I called it my post IVF dream-scape. I think it is time to revist those.

Travel remains a high priority. I have made progress on this, certainly, and intend to add Europe as soon as possible.

Writing also needs more work. I have progressed, but I need to commit to it regularly. Like a job, I can't just do it when the mood strikes (or it won't get done).

Returning to language lessons. this is still a strong desire. Italian, or French? Italian is my love (and likely my next travel destination) but Finn is learning French so that'd be cool, too. Thoughts?

Post grad study... I was doing teaching. I'm considering deferring for a bit whilst I decide what I want to do for sure.

Cameras - I have mums old DSLR which is pretty awesome. It has a crack on the lens, though, which in certain lights, puts a smudge on photos.

I could totally do the dark room thing in this house. There is a funny cupboard under the stairs that would be perfect, though it's not ventilated, I am certain it is workable. This is something to investigate ASAP. I would LOVE to develop photos of my own!

Added to this list is spending more time with the kids and with my friends. This makes me happy.