an artist to love...

I'm being rather boring at the moment. Head down writing and all that. Have to have this book done by end of month. So I thought I'd give you some lovely images to look at.

These are by woodblock artist Cressida Campbell and I just love them. Isn't it amazing to think that she first carves these images from wood, then paints the wood block and makes a mirror image print from that? She only ever makes one copy! All my heroines love her work, too, and their homes are often versions of these interiors.

If you are lucky enough to live in or be visiting Brisbane, there is an exhibition of Cressida Campbell's work at the QUT museum and it will continue till April 16th.

A smile, a smile...

The twins have started smiling...

Someone caught this photo of Sophie smiling at Aunty Vicki when she was here as part of her new Outreach job last week.

And what about that little smile? As my friend Trish Morey described it: "sort of like a baby bird trying to fly. Concentrating really hard, all the bits not quite working for take off, but so almost there."

a new motto... ?

So many things come via email that don't necessarily click with me. This one did. It's a message I need to give to the heroine in my current work in progress, right about NOW.

In a store near you this month...

This month, Her Cattleman Boss goes on sale in the UK and in North America and online in Australia.

Before I started writing this book early last year, I knew I wanted to write another Outback story and I had been increasingly fascinated by the almost dying art of cattle droving. I'd heard stories that recently, because of the drought and the economic downturn, more and more cattlemen have turned to the "long paddock", as the droving stock routes are called.

In the summer of 07-08, while I was holidaying in the south, I quizzed a cousin who owns a cattle proprety near Roma, in south western Queensland . OK, yes, I cornered the poor guy and drove him mad with my questions about stock routes and droving, but I did ply him with food and drink in return.

And I talked to another writer friend who had reserached aspects of droving, who then sent me maps of actual stock routes so I could plan Kate and Noah's journey authentically. During this time, I was also looking after my granddaughter, who helped me make a collage for the book and who named Noah's daughter Olivia (after one of her schoolfriends). You can see that the maps played a big part in the collage.

A sense of place has always been very important to me in the books that I write and those I read. And I have to have the names right before I can settle into a story. So a huge thanks go to Malcolm Douglas, Gordon Smith and to Lucy... and Olivia.

I hope you enjoy Noah and Kate's adventure!

that tea cup...

I love drinking tea at any time of day, and the only thing that makes it better is drinking from a lovely tea cup.

My current favourite is the range by Robert Gordon of Australia. I have several pieces in his Alice range, including the teapot and milk jug. I love the nostalgic look of these pieces (although they actually feel quite substantial and modern) and I adore the pink inside, which makes me think of a sea shell.

creative mess...

A guest will be sleeping in my study tonight, so I have to clean it up. A-r-rgh! I’m mid-book. This is what my desk looks like.

Those bits of paper are all the notes I make to myself as I’m going. There’s always a tea cup somewhere – headphones for listening to music (mostly classical – no words). On difficult writing days, I put on a CD and don’t let myself get up until it’s finished. Usually, somewhere during the 60 mins or so, the writing starts flowing again.
The book under the headphones is British Poetry Since 1945. If I’m stuck or blocked I often find reading poetry helps my mind to un-knot itself.
I just pick a random stanza from any old page, like this:

But somehow his arms had become just bits of wood
Somehow his guts were an old watch-chain
Somehow his feet were two old postcards
Somehow his head was a broken window-pane
‘I give up,’ he said. He gave up.

Creation had failed again.
(From Fifth Bedtime Story by Ted Hughes)


Don’t ask me how it works to read something like that (brilliant, isn’t it?) and then sail on with my own writing, but it often works. Not always, mind you.

Sometimes a chat with E helps. Or my last resort is to head off somewhere with pen and paper to THINK.

Oh, and you can see my old computer behind my laptop, because I just haven’t been able to bring myself to throw it out. But now, it must all be tidied. And I haven’t shown you the floor or the sofa where my poor guest must sleep.

It’s all creative mess, I assure you…

The Oscars…

Coming in late here... but I stayed up late on Monday night to watch the Oscars. I do love them. Yes, I love the glamour and the gowns and the stars, but mainly I love them because I love cinema so very much – almost as much as I love books. And now that my children have flown the nest, I can go to the movies quite often – whenever I’m in the city, that is…
I find movies inspire my muse in subtle ways I could never quite identify. This year, I particularly enjoyed the tributes former Oscar winners made in person to the new nominees. I found their comments very interesting and insightful and inspiring and generous…

Over this past year I’ve been lucky enough to see many of the nominated movies:
Changeling
Revolutionary Road
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Happy Go Lucky
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Iron Man
Revolutionary Road

Of course, I enjoyed movies that weren’t nominated too, (or if they were nominated, I missed seeing them in the abridged late night version we saw here) Movies like:
Gran Torino
Mamma Mia
Burn After Reading

Hunting and Gathering

Now, I really want to see:
The Wrestler
Doubt
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Harvey’s Last Chance

And what were my personal favourites this year? I’d have to say:
Slumdog Millionaire (If you haven't seen this, you must. I promise you, it's brilliant!!)
Happy Go Lucky (Feel good and deep and original)
Revolutionary Road (First class acting all round)

OH, and my current heroine looks rather like Kate Winslet, in my imagination. What were your favourites?

Sunday afternoon indulgence

It's another rainy Sunday afternoon here, and I think I just might give in and try this recipe I received the other day by email, courtesy of the wonderful Anne Gracie.

THE MOST DANGEROUS CAKE RECIPE
A RECIPE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

The most dangerous cake recipe 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar (that sounds like a lot. I think you could halve it)

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

You are going to print this out straight away, aren't you????? Let me know how it goes.

the urge to write...

I guess I’ve always known that the urge to tell stories is something we’re born with. The first story I remember writing down was a story I wrote for the writer’s badge when I was a Brownie. No one in my Brownie company had asked to do this badge before and I caused my Brown Owl a headache, hunting down a tester. Anyway, the story was about a girl whose family was transferred to the Outback and she was really upset because she would miss Brownies, but then she learned about the Lone Brownies and all ended well.
Yes, I know, I’m still writing versions of that same story, aren't I?
I’ve heard it said that we all have a core story to tell. I guess this is my core story. And in a way I’m still playing it out in my life – yo-yoing back and forth between the city and the country.
But there is another kind of story I love and that’s fairytales. I’d say Blind Date with the Boss falls into that category. As a teen, I wrote lots of ugly duckling and rags to riches stories. And later, I wrote stories for my four children. This book – A Story About A Princess and Pink is one I wrote for my daughter Victoria and her friends Tanya and Ruth, when they were at kindergarten and used to fight over the pink dress in the dressing up box.
My children helped illustrate the book. I think Vicki was four when she drew this front cover pic. Richard drew the handsome Rainbow Prince at the end and I photocopied the pages at the library and sewed them together on my sewing machine. Never was a book produced with more excitement!

what's your guilty (reading) secret?

The organisers of World Book Day are running a “Guilty Secrets” campaign, where the public is invited to vote for the books they most enjoy reading (but don’t like telling people about!).

What a wonderful chance to put in a word for romance novels. The list of authors comprise the usual suspects and Mills & Boon is listed as an option!
Wouldn't it be fantastic if M&B could pip JKR or Grisham to the post? So it would be terrific if you, (and all your friends and relations) log on and vote...
Take a look here.

May this story find you sometime, somewhere...

My next release (February 20th UK) is a short story. At least, my editor calls it a short story, but at 30,000 words, it didn't feel particularly short when I was writing it. :) Just the same, I loved -- really, really loved -- writing this novella, which is now called The Billionaire's Baby Surprise.

It's being released for the UK's Mother's Day in a collection called The Secret Baby Bargain and I was hoping to run a competition so that readers in other countries had a chance to read it.

However, the book is being used in a special promotion and, at this point, I don't have any spare copies.

Sorry. I really do want to share this story with my readers.

If you live in England, please do keep an eye out for this book and give it a little pat for me. If you don't live in the UK, it is, of course, available from amazon.co.uk.

To tempt you, let me tell you a little about it.

My heroine, Claire Eden becomes the gaurdian to her little nephew Harry after her sister Flora dies suddenly from post-delivery complications.

Claire gives up her life as a busy and successful events planner in Brisbane to live with little Harry on Sapphire Island in North Queensland and to bring Harry up in the relaxed, 'island life' she knows Flora wanted for him.

But a tropical cyclone, and the unexpected reappearance of Harry's father, adventurer billionaire Jack Dysart, interrupt Claire's plans...

Other stories in the book include Expecting His Child, by wonderful fellow Queenslander, medical author Meredith Webber, and Claiming the Ashbrooke Heir by historical author Mary Nichols.

You can read an extract of Claire and Jack's story here.

A recipe I'd like to share...

This Women's Weekly recipe is easy and nutrtitious and low fat, and better still it's been a big hit with family and friends, so I thought it was too good to keep to myself. These quantities are for two, but it's very easy to expand and I've made it without the chicken stock and with various vegetable combinations and it was still good.

Mind you, I'm aware that American readers might find it strange, because I don't think you eat much lamb, or pumpkin as a vegetable.

spiced lamb cutlets with coriander pumpkin
200 butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1 cm pieces
125g chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup (60g) frozen baby peas
2 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
4 french trimmed lamb cutlets
2 teaspoons curry powder
cooking oil spray
1/3 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 clove garlic, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/180 fan forced
2. Roast pumpkin in small, shallow baking dish, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Remove from oven, sprinkle with coriander.
3. Meanwhile, sprinkle lamb with curry powder. (I coat mine fairly liberally). Spray lamb with cooking oil. Cook lamb in heated frying pan. Remove from pan.
4. Add coconut milk, stock and garlic to same pan, bring to boil, stirring in pan juices and spice; remove from heat.
5. Serve pumpkin mixture and lamb, drizzled with coconut sauce.

sunsets and a bushfire book appeal...

This was the start of a most spectacular sunset at Tarzali yesterday evening. It went on and on after this shot was taken, lasting for almost an hour as it spread over the whole sky, growing deeper and pinker.

During this past week we've all been shocked by the Victorian bushfires and the terror and death that Nature can bring. Yesterday evening, however, it was a joy and a privilege to drink in the peace of her quiet beauty.

But that doesn't mean we've forgotten the plight of victims in Victoria and I'm adding this message from Kelly Hunter, President of Romance Writers of Australia.

We've all seen the devastation the recent Victorian bushfires have wrought and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time to come. But...We also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when reality gets tough.

So…With the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we've put together a Romance Writers of Australia Bushfire Book Appeal.

What we need? FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children's books, genre books, whatever– either new or in sparkling condition.

Please send them to: RWA Bushfire Book Appeal c/- 89 Rennie St Thornbury Vic 3071

When to send them? Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and delivered to the appropriate neighbourhood centres/communitycentres/libraries in batches as soon as practicable. Feel free to pop a note inside, or if you're an author, sign it.

With thanks, Kelly Hunter On behalf of Romance Writers of Australia Inc.

A nice surprise from my publishers...

These long stemmed roses, chocolates and a scented candle arrived in a glamorous long box from Harlequin Mills & Boon's Sydney office.

Another reason to love being a romance author.

I hope a nice surprise comes your way on Valentines's Day. On the other hand, why not just reach for a good romance novel?

how I met your mother...

Yesterday was E’s birthday. Again. Gosh, how the years flash by. For us, there is always an extra anniversary, because we met on his birthday and this year signalled a significant number of years ending in zero. (But a girl mustn’t reveal too many details.)
We met in my first year of teaching, when I’d recently left home and was flatting for the first time. In fact, my flatmate took me to his birthday party and introduced us. Now comes the really embarrassing confession. At the party, she announced I was his ‘birthday present’.
Now that could have been the end of everything. I was, after all, a budding feminist. But we managed to survive this shaky start. Actually, we went for a midnight swim and I emerged from the sea covered in phosphorescence and looking (apparently) like some kind of sea nymph.
And here we are all these years later. Our granddaughter (the new big sister) was thrilled that we were having a birthday party and of course she sang loudly and helped pappy blow out the candles.
And in (secret) honour of the phosphorescence, I gave her glow in the dark bracelets to wear. A big hit!

a country in mourning

There's not much I can say about the terrible bushfires. They're so horrendous and terrifying. We're all so stunned by this tragedy, and the danger's not over yet.

The best thing we can do is dig deep and donate money, which the people in Victoria need desperately, and this is the best place to do so.

A rose by any other name...

The book I'm currently reading for my book club is The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society . I'm loving it, but the thing I find funny is that when I first saw this book in a bookshop window, I swore I would never read it.

I was walking home one evening from our favourite Thai place around the corner with E and my son and part of our ritual is to stop and look in the window of our favourite bookshop Mary Who?

A small mountain of the Guernsey book had pride of place and Andrew said very disparagingly, 'That looks like the sort book you'd read, Mum.'

'Never!' I protested hotly.

But when I discovered it was the next book for my reading group (made up of women I used to teach with and whose tastes closely match mine) I discovered just how fickle I am, because I was suddenly intrigued by the title and eager to read it. Of course, comments by others about "couldn't put it down" helped.

But it also confirmed a few points about titles and target readers.

Many people are surprised when I tell them that we have very little say in the titles of our books. This is because the titles are so important at hooking readers and we authors often don't have a clue.

Although I'm proud to say that two of my bestselling books had titles I chose. These were Outback with the Boss (reprinted this year in Her Outback Boss) and Having the Boss's Babies.

On the other hand, In the Heart of the Outback was a book I loved. My publisher chose the title and I was quite happy with it at the time, but it didn't sell as well because the title didn't have enough hooks.

So it's a tricky business the titling of books, especially in series romance where the books are only on the shelves for such a short time.

Water, water everywhere...

It's still raining. In fact, it's been raining in Townsville all year! That's right -- almost all of last month and again in February.

We're completely cut off to the north, west and south by flood waters and if there were roads to the east, they'd be cut, too. The supermarkets only have long life milk, because the trucks can't get through, and a consignment of groceries has been sent up to Cairns by barge.

Some areas of NQ have received over a metre of rain in the past seven days.

And what am I writing about at the moment? Funny you should ask. It's a story set in Cape York in the wet season. I am so totally soaking up the appropriate vibes.

Time to saw awww...

Aren't these puppies too cute for words?

And at our place, when the twins & co came to visit, Nan (that would be me) improvised a cot. Of course, it was too much of a temptation for their big sister, who is, by the way, wearing a new line in jewellery -- my USB stick.

Aussie bargain...

The southern part of our country is suffering from a terrible heatwave that's caused bushfires and train stoppages and blackouts... and countless other problems...

Hah!! Isn't that clever? It's actually a sculpture by Orest Keywan. The artist won the $30,000 Sulpture by the Sea prize in 2006, but his sculpture captures exactly how our poor southernerns feel right now.

Meanwhile... up here in the tropical north, we still have constant rain and flooding. I tell you, it's a big country!

At school, we all learned a poem by Dorothea McKellar called "My Country" and the most famous lines are:-
I love a sunburnt country,
a land of sweeping plains,
of rugged mountain ranges,
of drought and flooding rains.

The poem was written early in the twentieth century, long before anyone had heard of global warming, but each year, those words seem to become more significant.

While I'm here... Aussie readers, if you missed the chance to read Adopted: Outback Baby, you can now buy it here at a bargain price in an Australia Day special 'sweet pack' with fellow Aussie authors. The pack includes The Boss's Unconventional Assistant by Jennie Adams (doesn't that one sound good?) and The Desert Prince's Proposal by Nicola Marsh (sure to whisk you away to a fab romantic fanatsy).

If you'd like to find out more about Adopted: Outback Baby and to read an excerpt, you can do so here.

You know you're Australian if...

A bit late for Australia Day, (with the odd explanation for readers from overseas, who won't "get" some of these) but you know you're Australian if....

You know the meaning of 'girt' (In our national anthen we sing: "Our home is girt by sea")

You believe that stubbies can either be worn or drunk (worn as shorts)

You think it is normal to have a Prime Minister called Kevin

You waddle when you walk due to the 53 expired petrol discount vouchers stuffed in your wallet or purse

When you hear that an American 'roots for his team' you wonder how often and with whom

You understand that the phrase 'a group of women wearing black thongs'refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds

You pronounce Melbourne as 'Mel-bin'

You believe the 'L' in the word ' Australia ' is optional

You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highwayswith large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep

You think 'Woolloomooloo' is a perfectly reasonable name for a place

You believe is makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice asbig as its $2 coin

You understand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga' but 'WoyWoy' can't be called 'Woy'

You believe that cooked-down axle grease makes a good breakfast spread

You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff up,at which point they again become Kiwis

You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says 'cobber'

You believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionary known as theWagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year

You still don't get why the 'Labor' in 'Australian Labor Party' is not spelt with a 'U'

You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like them

Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language

You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, while 'scuse me' is always polite

You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasions via your nose

You understand that 'you' has a plural and that it's 'youse'

You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle

Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules of beach cricket

You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they call'Anzac cookies

You still think of Kylie as 'that girl off 'Neighbours'

When returning home from overseas, you expect to be brutally strip-searchedby Customs - just in case you're trying to sneak in fruit

You believe the phrase 'smart casual' refers to a pair of blacktracky-daks, suitably laundered

You understand that all train timetables are works of fiction

When working at a bar, you understand male customers will feel the need tooffer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer

You get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national anthem and then have trouble remembering the second

You find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed essential in the government's new test for migrants

Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...

Tomorrow (January 26th.) is a public holiday here for Australia Day. I explained all about Australia Day on this blog in other years, so I won't go through it again, but after tomorrow it's back to school for most Australian students and it isn't always easy after their lovely long summer holiday.
Already, their happy memories of Christmas and holidays at the beach will be a fading memory. Families will be scrambling to buy all the books and pencils and uniforms necessary for the new school year. Dads could well be assembling new flatpack desks from Ikea or somewhere similar. Some kids will be nervous about a new school. Some will be excited about seeing all their friends again. Some could be trying to pretend it isn't happening.
Meanwhile, teachers (including many of my friends) will be enjoying one last weekend of summer freedom -- or possibly the conscientious will be planning lessons.
The back-to school busy rush always seems such a hassle when it's happening, but there's always an edge of excitement for everyone facing a new school year, isn't there? I can't believe my grandson Thomas is starting high school this year. He'll be doing a German immersion program -- v exciting.
But where have the years gone? It was only a moment ago he looked like this on the right.
There are many times, when we think back on those years, when E and I really miss our kids, as kids. So much. They grow up in a flash and then they're gone.
I can't say I've suffered from the empty nest problem, but there are times when I wish we were still all together. Just the same, I thank heavens that I have my writing job and that it keeps stretching me and keeping me fulfilled.
And when I hear from readers that one of my books has given a few hours of pleasure, I feel very grateful.
That said, I've been lazy, lazy, lazy lately -- at least lazy about writing. But I've planted lots of lovely things at Tarzali. And Elliot and I have wasted hours with tape measures and pen and paper, dreaming up a plan for a master bedroom that hangs off the edge of the hill (on poles). And I actually have a beaut idea for a new book, but I've dithered around and let it go stale.
But I know once I immerse myself in the new story (which I must do very soon) the characters will take me by the hand and show me the way.
They always do... and it's been nice to have a laid-back January.

The big day is almost here...

If any Americans are dropping by here today, I want to wish you all the very best for the historic occasion of your new president’s inauguration.
Wow! What a man.
What an incredible moment in history.
In 2003, I visited Washington DC and I stood on those impressive steps in front of the Lincoln memorial. At the time, workmen were embedding a plaque into the concrete to commemorate the very spot where Martin Luther King stood to deliver his famous “I have a dream” speech.
Then I looked up at the other famous words from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, inscribed in the south wall of the memorial, and I couldn’t help but be moved…
“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
It seems so fitting that Obama stood there this week. I think we all feel the connection all around the world between, Abraham Lincoln, JF Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Barack Obama.
A huge burden rests on this man’s shoulders. I don't suppose he's perfect. I guess he can’t possibly get it all right, but I applaud his social conscience and his earnest intention (and his handsome looks!) and I’m thrilled that he’s filled so many, many of his people with hope. Good luck, America! I’ll be getting up at 3.25 a.m. to watch the inauguration on television. I can't wait till midday tomorrow, because I’ll be on the highway again, going back to Tarzali.

Now, girlfriends, here's something to aim for...

Britain's Oldest Romantic Novelist
Posted at 7:58AM Wednesday 14 Jan 2009 Britain's oldest romantic novelist to spend 101st birthday working on her 130th Mills & Boon book.
An author is to celebrate turning 101 by starting her 130th book for Mills & Boon.
Jean MacLeod has been working for the publisher of romantic fiction since 1938 when it brought out her first novel, Life For Two.

Meanwhile, in 2009 I'm celebrating ten years of being a Mills and Boon author. My first book, Outback Wife and Mother, (Gosh that title was a shock to me at the time) was released in May 1999.
And in other news, my RITA winning book, Claiming His Family, has been published in France. It was a bit of a bit of a shock to see my Outback cattleman, Luke Manning, looking like a Frenchman, but if that's how the women in France prefer to see him, I'm not complaining.

Home...

Despite the deluge dumped by Cyclone Charlotte and extensive flooding in Townsville (including the lower part of their home) the baby twins are now putting on weight and are safely home and here are the proud grandparents with one each.

How blessed are we? What a wonderful way to start the new year.

A few days away...

We had to get away for a maintenance trip to Tarzali -- and for a little bit of a holiday after missing out at Christmas. There's nothing quite like spending lazy hours staring at our view and talking, talking... even brainstorming a new book. Many of my stories have started right here, chatting with E...

While we were there, we were visited by guinea fowl, which we love, not only because they look so cute and keep in flocks, but because they eat ticks and chase snakes.

And then, on the way home, we came via Paronella Park, which is a fascinating structure (folly?) built by a Spanish immigrant many years ago. His story is very romantic and I'm amazed the film makers haven't done something with it. This waterfall is on Mena Creek, right next to Paronella and down below you can see an amazing little stone balcony. With the creek swollen with wet season rains and the Spanish architecture, you could almost think you weren't in Australia at all, but somewhere in South America.

I find our country endlessly fascinating.

Blind Date in Australia

For me, 2009 begins with the realease of Blind Date with the Boss in Australia.

This is the book Romantic Times described as "a Cinderella-style fantasy; Sally’s delightful and Logan is completely irresistible. Pure magic, beginning to end."

So while you're out chasing those January sales why not grab a copy and add a little magic to the start of your year?

2009... the year to be decisive?

Happy New Year!

2009 – Year of the wine? Year of the handbag? Year of the Ox? Of living frugally? Of living vicariously through good books?

Actually... it's the International Year of Astronomy!! Yay! More stargazing at Tarzali. Now that's something E and I do want to learn more about.

I do hope your year has started well and that it continues wonderfully. Are you organised? Ready? Have you already given 2009 a great deal of thought?
I have to confess I’ve been so busy lately I can’t answer “yes” to any of the above.
I’ve been deep in the revision cave – yes, all through the lead in to and after Christmas, right up to New Year, I’ve spent long days at my computer rewriting. Holiday plans with family down south were abandoned – such is my dedication to my art. :)

But now I’m surfacing to discover I have a whole brand new year ahead of me. I haven’t reflected on 2008. I haven’t made a “best of” list. I haven’t made any new year's resolutions – although there’s always (every year) the vague but hopeful plan to get thinner and fitter and to seek inner wisdom. I’ve started this year with a stomach bug, so that was, at least, different.

Apart from that, my mind is already humming with the buzz of a new book idea. Can’t help it, you see. It’s an addiction. (Do you read Susan Miller? Yes, I know astrology is not the same as astronomy, but it's close. And Susan's writing is always fascinating.) Anyway, my stars tell me that this is a good year to give up an addiction, but I’m not sure that telling stories is the addiction I’m meant to relinquish. And I’m not giving up reading. So where does that leave me? Will I have to give up wine? Tea? Could I promise to tidy my office instead?

Another vague plan is to give up starting work at 5 a.m. and to go back to having early morning walks.

I can see a pattern of vagueness here.

When I become less vague, and more decisive I’ll let you know. But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to becoming a more informed stargazer. What are your plans? I hope they're inspirational.

Two little heroines...

Monday morning was such an exciting morning for us!!! We had to be at the hospital for an important date -- the birth of our little granddaughters.

Yes, Lilly is now the big sister of twin baby girls. Not that she was there, on that morning. It was just the two sets of grandparents plus Andrew and Addy.
It was a reasonably long wait and we were all chatting away, trying not to look worried or the slightest bit anxious. And suddenly my son Richard appeared in green scrubs, with a huge smile. Within minutes, he was taking us into the nursery to meet Sophie and Milla. So perfect and sweet, lying together in a crib, holding hands. Is there anything in this world as precious as a newborn baby? Such an exciting moment.
I hope to bring you a photo of that moment soon, but for now, here they are a bit later, after gastro tubes were put in. For now, their mum, Lauren, is expressing her milk and it's being fed down the tubes. But I'm sure that won't be for long.



These little girls might be tiny but they're really strong. Watch out world!


Milla (above) and Sophie (below)

And in perfect timing I've just completed my duet, Baby Steps to Marriage.
Expecting Miracle Twins and
The Bridesmaid's Baby
will be out in September and October 2009.