Koalas sighted: Zip

CD of the Day: Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

I’m in love. And it’s all down to a friend, Joni, who sent me a scan of my August book cover - already out to Direct customers in NA. Thank you Joni! And here it is…

If I could work out how to put a border around it, I would, but unfortunately I’m still a novice at this WordPress thing. Anyway, I’m sure you can understand why I love it so much. Like titles, authors don’t have a lot (if any) input into covers, so it’s fantastic when they get it absolutely right. Thank you cover gods!

And in other cover news this week, my all time favourite cover is getting another run around the block - this time on fellow Presents author Kate Walker’s fabulous Alcolar Family Trilogy reprint! Check it out…

Doesn’t it look fabulous! Of course, it’s the same cover shot from my A Virgin for the Taking. A truly gorgeous cover that deserved another day out and I’m thrilled to bits it’s wrapped around Kate’s fabulous trilogy.

And in other fabulous news, the MOTH continues to do well. Saturday night without a run to A&E was truly a very good thing. And now that he’s on the mend again, it’s time to turn my thoughts back to my wip! I have an extension, so might be quiet for a week or so. Be good!

 …but don’t make the mistake of counting chickens.

 In my last post, I thought we’d escaped the worst of it. We hadn’t. And so all good material for a writer, I got to see how a modern hospital A&E department really works (so not like on the telly!) and got a reminder of how cold my bed is when the dearly beloved isn’t there. Too cold! But he’ll be back soon and on the up and meanwhile, I want to entertain you with some pics of a gorgeous baby koala my mum (a wildlife nurturer) is looking after.

 It had been heard crying way up in a tree for a few days before being discovered wandering along the road, probably abandoned by its mother because her milk had dried up (we’ve just had rain, serious rain and we’re all praying the drought is really over this time!)

She’s a total darling, very gentle and happy to be bundled up in a fluffy pink rug and fed gum leaves because she must have been missing the hugs so very much.

Koala count - just one today, curled up snuggly in the fork of a tree, and sighted from the car on the way toodling around - I wasn’t even walking!

The Good - part one: Today I sent off post packages to my latest patient contest winners! Watch out for them in the next week or so, or longer, given that one of them is heading off to Egypt and I understand your customs people are extra vigilant. Here’s wishing them all loads of fairy dust to speed them on their way and to your post boxes soon

The Good - part two  and no doubt the best bit: Daughter #2 returned yesterday from a two week sojourn to Malaysia. It might have been the mutt that went ballistic at her return,  but all of us were so happy to welcome home one of our own.  I have to say, like every mother, it’s so lovely when all the tinlids are back under the roof. It was so wonderful to welcome our gorgeous traveler home!

The Bad - Last week was a bit different to most, and just why is a bit of an explanation why I couldn’t send off winner packages then. In a huge way it was a relief that it had finally happened but after a relapse of a rare form of leukemia,  my gorgeous husband was subjected to a series of chemo that saw us at the hospital 5 days in a row while he underwent treatment.  It’s done now and we’re handling the fall out knowing that while the cure seems at this stage almost worse than the disease, the prognosis is good we’re waiting for that to come true. It takes some time so all positive vibes are very welcome in the meantime.

I thought long and hard about posting about this. I couldn’t do it last week, while treatment was underway and while there were so many uncertainties. But this week, knowing my gorgeous hubby is responding all the right ways and knowing there’s probably more than one of you out there at this stage undergoing something just as serious if not a hell of a lot more so, well, it’s not like it’s something we have to cover up. Like I said a few posts ago, life happens, and this is just one more example of that.

And all of us, whatever we do and however much or how little money we have, have to deal with this kind of unwelcome event some time in our lives, and if not for ourselves, then for someone we hold close. That’s life. And I have to say, it’s half the reason I love writing romance and books that have happy endings. Because a happy ending is what I want not just for my characters, but for my family and friends. I know it isn’t always possible, I know that sometimes the worst happens, but that still doesn’t diminish the power of love. A story with a happy ending makes me feel better. 

And personally I’ve found it so valuable in the last few weeks while I’ve been sitting in waiting rooms to read stories where love conquered all, where the good guys won and where the doctor said, “The tests are clear. You’re in remission.”  Hey, that is one hell of happy ending!

The Ugly - Well, there’s a book due next week and just knowing that is a kick in the head but in the scheme of things, I have to honestly say, while I want that book to go in and be the best thing my editor has ever read, first and foremost right now comes my family. Which I know my editor understands. The deadline is there, staring me in the face, and I’ll do my best to meet it, but at times like these, family comes first. (But the book is a cracker too:-))

Koala count - haven’t had my walk yet - soon, Chino, soon! (post walk PS: No koalas today - seems subs and people aren’t the only things to run silent and deep:-))

Music: The sounds of silence

It’s school hols here and I have a book due in two weeks. Classic mistiming if ever there was. So like the submarine USS Nerka in the 1958 film, I’ll be running silent and deep. Sometimes life’s like that, we have to sink below the surface and immerse ourselves in what needs to be done.

To the winners of my recent contest, I’m going to have trouble getting to a post office in the next few days, so please bear with me and look out for your prizes in a couple of weeks. Your postman is not holding out on you - honest:-))

See you soon!

Koala count: zip

Music: Nick Cave - No more shall we part, which is kind of funny seeing we said goodbye to #2 daughter today, off on an o/s excursion. Don’t you hate goodbyes?

And today, with much pomp and ceremony, the winners of my latest Newsletter contest were drawn!!

And around here, much pomp and ceremony means just that… an icecream container filled with entrants’ names and held up high and drawn by daughter #3 while she cleaned her teeth before catching the school bus! Another budding multi-tasker So, for a little more pomp and ceremony, let’s have the fanfare please…

And the winners are…

1st prize - A signed copy of Jennie Lucas’s debut Presents, The Greek Billionaire’s Baby Revenge and a signed copy of the Mills&Boon Annual 2008 featuring my short story, Falling for Nick - Mona H!

2nd prize - An autographed copy of the No 1 Bestsellers Collection featuring my story, The Italian’s Virgin Bride - goes to Jackie W!

and 3rd prize - a copy of the Mills&Boon Annual 2008 goes to Dorrie W!

Congratulations everyone and thanks for your interest. I had a record number of entries this time. And remember, if you want the chance to enter these contests, you just have to sign up to my newsletter. It’s that easy!

Koala count: Didn’t see one on my walk with the mutt this morning, even though I looked and looked and searched those gum trees all around. Clearly there’s a koala conference going on somewhere and I wasn’t invited. Shame! Did see one overhead driving down the hill in the car to the big smoke later on.

CD of choice: We’re going for silence. We have a book to write. The voices in my head - right now they need space

I’m lucky enough to call myself a full-time writer, which is what I do. Write. At least, that’s what I do to get paid for. There’s the other part of me, the mum part (or the mom part, if you come from the US).  This slice of me is probably just as big, if not bigger than the writer part, even though it pays not a cent. (Not in money terms anyhoos.)

Take yesterday. Here is my yesterday’s full time writer’s day (and not so far from a typical day, when it all comes down to it!):-) 

We have a book to finish in three weeks.  School hols start in one. So MOTH decides to have a birthday.

Well, okay, he has it the same date every year and I should have seen it coming, the way I should see Xmas coming and Easter and the end of the school year and all that other stuff that somehow creeps up unawares. And every birthday it’s tradition here that I cook each the birthday person’s favourite meal. And because he’s his gorgeous self and he knew I was on deadline, he said, “don’t go to any trouble. buy something ready made.” Of course. His favourite meal is moussaka, it’s his birthday and so I’m going to get something store bought! I don’t think so!

So while I’m down the road at 11:30 picking up daughter #1 from the bus after uni (yes, I’m a full time writer apparently!) I get the ingredients. While I grab lunch for myself at home, I make the meat sauce. Around 3, before daugher #4 comes home and before the bus run to collect #’s 2 and 3 from the highschool bus, I grill the eggplant and assemble the first two layers.  I have an hour to collect rest of kids, make white sauce and topping and  get to our after school stretch ballet class (and because I spend so much time at the computer, I really need this class!). Perfect timing! And I’ve already done three whole pages. Half of what I need, but after the bus run, there’s time for the white sauce to be made and more.

Cue call from #3 daughter. She missed the school bus home:-(  Panic stations. We make other arrangements that mean she has to catch two different buses and I’ll have to dash down the hill to pick her up from the terminus at another bus stop. Meanwhile I go in other direction to meet daughter #2’s bus. Come home, ready to make white sauce. Except I”m missing one vital ingredient. Head off to shop in next town. Come home, make sauce, cover moussaka, cheese on top. Phew.

Dive down hill to pick up wayward daughter #3. Except she’s not at terminus. First time she’s caught this bus so she got off a few stops early. Now I don’t know where she is! 15 minutes later she’s finally in the car. Get home in time to drop her off, pick up others and get to class. By which time, OMG, I needed that class!

Home finally by 6:30pm. I have four tinlids home. I have hubby home. I have a birthday moussaka constructed and ready to roll. But only three pages of the ms. Frustrating? Yes. Would I change a thing? Nope.

I am so lucky to have a job I love and that is pretty flexible. I am so lucky to have girls who took it upon themselves to make a dessert while I”m at stretch because it’s Dad’s birthday and nobody else could do it. I am lucky as  hell because I have four beautiful daughters and if I only get three pages a day done because of them, so be it. I will make it up and gladly.

Writing full time? I wish. But meanwhile, life is good. MOTH’S birthday dinner was a real celebration, of family and kids and working together and all the things that make life worthwhile.

The book will get done. And meanwhile, life happens!

Koala count: haven’t set foot outside today yet. The MOTH is making bacon and eggs. Would you go out in that case?

Music: The sound of the extractor fan in the kitchen. While I’m not cooking. Music to my ears!

Daylight saving finished today. Hallelujah! Usually it finishes the end of March. This year, for some daft reason only politicians can make sense of, they thought they’d extend it another week. Which meant my kids leaving for school before dawn, which for where we live is downright madness.  Now I have to use that reclawed hour on my ms. It could do with it.

Yesterday I had my workshop at the SA Writers’ Centre in Adelaide and it was fabulous. Met a great and talented group of women who are very serious about their writing and it was a very productive three hours. We covered so much ground and I really want to thank them all for making my presentation so much fun. It is so good hanging out with writers. I love it! So I have a double reason to be grinning today (triple if you count having brekky made for me:-))

And we have winners today too! I couldn’t choose between your fabulous entries on the “Why I love where I live” blog, so I got two of the tinlids to choose for me. Misses 11 and 17 took their time, read them all a couple of times, stated their reasons and both individually selected Port Macquarie as their favourite entry. So Annie, the #1 Bestsellers collection is yours! Let me know your snail mail addy and I’ll put that in the post for you. But I still want to go to Canada, and Arizona and the great community where Rach lives because it sounds like just my cup of tea.

Brekky calls!

Koala count:  Just 1 today, seen on the way to dropping off Momoko at school on her last day here. A good day, but sad.

Music: Still melancholy. Leonard Cohen again - and again (am I showing my age or what?)

Just wanted to remind everyone that there’s still a couple of days to add your comments about why you love where you live. There’s a huge big fat No 1 Bestsellers Collection up for grabs, and while the entries so far below are fantastic, I’m pretty sure there are a couple of other wonderful places out there.

So let’s hear about them!

… at least, I have five daughters this week.

When we agreed to host a Japanese student for a week, I really had no idea what to expect. I did know I would have to turf out daughter#1 from her bed so we could put our visitor in to share with daughter#2 and her designated school buddy, and I also knew it was going to involve a lot of cleaning before the event. (Do you have any idea how much I hate cleaning? I’m not a housewife - I never married a house!)

What I didn’t know is how much I could grow to love someone else’s child in just one week. I am in awe of how brave Momoko was when we first met, even though clearly nervous about meeting her host family and of being whisked away to goodness knows where with them.  I am in awe of her parents who sent their child to another hemisphere to live with a family of total strangers.  But I thank them so much, from the bottom of my heart.

Momoko has enriched our lives and our family. She has brought us together in a new way, to share our lives and our special environment with her. Together we’ve seen koalas and fairy penguins, fed the school chooks and collected the eggs and petted the orphan kangaroos my parents look after.  Together we’ve learned about another family and how they live in another city far from here. Together we’ve all learned something.

Momoko flies back to Japan and her real family tomorrow and we will be sorry. One week is nowhere near enough.

I always thought four daughters was plenty. I was wrong. This week I am proud to say I have five daughters.

And just to prove I haven’t forgotten - koala count zip - it’s a wild and blustery day and the koalas have battened down the hatches out there 

Listening to: Leonard Cohen, feeling a little melancholy 

 Koala count: 2! And many fairy penguins, thanks to a trip to Victor Harbor to show our exchange student something of our gorgeous coastline and its own special treasures.

CD of choice: Radio

I thought today I’d recycle another of the articles I originally wrote for the wetnoodleposse ezine - to explain a bit more about why I love where I live. 

Cherry orchards, apple trees, vineyards and bushland, my own special spot in South Australia has it all. Norton Summit is a blink of a town a few short kilometres outside the capital city of Adelaide, yet it’s a different world. Whereas the city is situated on the long flat plain stretching north and south between the hills and St. Vincent’s Gulf, Norton Summit is perched at the tip of those hills just to the east.

Follow the winding road up through the valley and suburbia slips away, the air sweetens and million dollar views greet you as you make the steep climb up the escarpment. Take the trip late afternoon and you’ll be rewarded with even more breathtaking views as the valley is bathed in golden red hues as the sun sets over the sea behind.

In pride of place at the top there’s a pub, perhaps uninspiredly yet so appropriately named the Scenic Hotel, with commanding views through the cleft in the bush clad hills, over the city and to the gulf and beyond. The Scenic serves the best seasoned squid in the world, or at least outside that cute little trattoria in Volterra, Tuscany that’s just a tad too far distant for take away. Or try the Scenic Burger, a tower of a burger that will ruin you for chain junk food for life.

Unusually for an Australian town, churches outnumber hotels in Norton Summit. There are two. There’s also a post office agency, a primary school that has almost one hundred enrolments and a cemetery that boasts several hundred more. Don’t waste your time looking for a shop.

Nowhere in South Australia shows the change in seasons to better effect than the Adelaide Hills. Winters are cold and wet, the city below often disappearing beneath the magic white fog that hangs thick and silent over the hills. Perfect writer weather! The whole world dissolves so you can make up your own. Snow makes a rare and brief visit.

Spring sees the blossoming of cherry, apple and pear orchards bursting into life and the winds that whip through the orchards, sending flurries of white petals through the air. Up in the gum trees, old-man Koalas grunt like chainsaws on steroids throughout the day and night, advertising their availability to any passing love interest and causing windows all around the hills to be slammed firmly shut.

Then summer. Summer is hot and dry, picking season full on as trucks weighed down with fresh produce roll their way slowly downhill to the city and the markets and the planes that will take fresh cherries to tropical Christmas lunches in Darwin, Brisbane and beyond. Colourful rosella parrots, the curse of growers and the delight of birdlovers alike,

vie with the pickers for the best fruit while black cockatoos divest the pine trees of cones, firing their detritus down on the unwary below.

And autumn, most beautiful season of them all with still, perfect days and leaves turning every shade from russet through gold. A magic time and nature’s reward between the blowtorch of summer and the winter damp.

It’s a very special corner of the world. Close to the city but a world away.

Can you tell I love it here?

Tell me why you love where you live by posting to my blog and the best judged entry will receive a copy of The #1 Bestsellers Collection, featuring my title, The Italian’s Virgin Bride.

Entries close Sunday April 6th, so make sure you put in your entry. I’m looking forward to hearing about the wonderful places you live!