A RITA finalist...

I have very exciting news today. News that started at around eleven o'clock last night. I was sound asleep when the phone rang, and I might have panicked, but I did know it was the day the RITA^® calls would go out. Just the same, I was a bit dopey, not thinking to turn on the light, but stumbling through the dark house and bumping into furniture. When I heard a lovely American voice on the line I knew that one of my books had finalled. Wow. Sat there in the dark, listening and it turned out it was Rancher's Twins: Mom Needed, my book with an illiterate cattleman hero, a story I brainstormed at one of our earlier retreats, so I have wonderful friends to thank for the inspiration.
I'm thrilled that a fellow Harlequin Romance author has been nominated in the same category. Donna Alward is a finalist with her fabulous book How A Cowboy Stole Her Heart. And Aussies Trish Morey and Fiona Lowe and Christina Brooke are also finalists -- all in different categories, so we don't have to compete with each other which is cool.
If you'd like to see the full list of finalists selected by Romance Writers of America^®’  you can see it here.

a wonderful life...

I had every intention of blogging this past week, but I’m afraid travel and a deadline leave little room for extras. I have to confess I’ve had THE BEST week – on a writing retreat with six friends at Coolangatta.

I know I’m truly blessed to have wonderful friends who are fun and generous and wise – and totally switched on when it comes to writing. In these weeks away, we spend a lot of time alone in our own one bedroom apartments (above is the gorgeous view from mine). But we're still writing madly because we all have deadlines. However, we do meet for lunch...

 and a writing related discussion (this was the flashest lunch I had and those chips were the best I've eaten in years).
In the evenings we gather to let our hair down, but the conversation is invariably about writing. The brainstorming sessions are invaluable. I always take away gems that sustain me during the writing of the next book.
This week, we also caught up with wonderful Gold Coast writers, Meredith Webber (on left)...

and Helen Bianchin, (we secretly consider helen to be The Queen of Romance.) Helen shared amazing stories of her life as a young wife in Mareeba when her husband was a share cropping tobacco farmer long before she became a bestselling author for Harlequin Presents.

Now... it’s home again, home again and a week to my deadline, but I’m refreshed and re-inspired and aware of how very lucky I am to have such wonderful friends.

And here's a lovely pic of Trish Morey and Fiona McArthur.

Talent!!!!

I heard this on the radio the other day and thought I just had to share it here  -- Leonard Cohen reciting the lyrics of 'A Thousand Kisses Deep.'

Very inspiring...

A lovely day...

I've just completed another trip around the sun -- (new speak for birthday) and had a lovely day with lots of phone calls and e-messages -- dinner of Thai prawns and Champagne cooked by E. A big thrill was watching the NQ Cowboys beat the Brisbane Broncos.  (Somewhat unexpected) Matty Bowen, a notoriously shy player on camera, was the brilliant double-try scoring Man of the Match and it was his birthday too. So that was fun!!

 I spent the day working on my line edits for Zoe's Muster, my Penguin book, a very different experience from M&B, very enlightening and interesting. My lovely editor talked me through 'Track Changes' -- so great to have an Australian editor, working same hours!!!

Today I'm off to my acapella singing group at Yungaburra, one of the activities I've started in my bid to get out of my writer's cave and become more involved in the community. On Sunday, I'll be catching up with daughter Emma and her family. Emma's running a string workshop in Cairns for the Young Con, so that will be great fun.

Oh, and I've just discovered that Rancher's Twins: Mum Needed is now an audio CD from audilble.com. I'm thrilled about that!

Foreign editions...

Lucy Gordon kindly sent me this cover from the Czech Republic. As you can see I am Barbara Hannayova in Czech -- which is something we all smile at. It becomes especially smile worthy for Elizabeth Rolls and Shirley Jump whose surnames become Rollsova and Jumpova.

a different kind of week...

So where have I been and why so quiet?

Well... I've been having a rather self indulgent week in the "big smoke" -- Townsville. Getting Mother Of the Bride outift altered and trying to buy shoes to match. I was told that to get my size I would need to order 30 pairs!!!

So may be shoe searching at the Gold Coast when I'm down there soon for my annual writing retreat (can't wait!).

As a result of that little episode, however, I went to the podiatrist and then had to have Xrays etc, so have been getting things done that I've been putting off. Writing wise, I've experimented with writing in waiting rooms and in coffee shops in between these other tasks -- just jotting outlines for future scenes by hand (with Blake Synder's Save the Cat as my guide). I've been surprised by how much I've squeezed in that way, so week doesn't feel totally wasted.
Tomorrow night I have to present an award at the Townsville City Council Arts awards... a bit swanky...
Then home on Saturday.
 Our friend here in helping us to design a chook pen and vegie garden combined, so that's been fun too.



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Great writing advice...

If you're a writer, you should probably check out this interview with Michael Hauge on the Romance Writer's of Australia blog. I attended one of his workshops a couple of years ago and experienced so many light bulb moments.
Something I loved in today's interview was this snippet of good advice:

Don’t dwell on what the characters (or you) are feeling about what you’re writing, don’t get caught up in words to describe that. Think of what we would see if we were in that situation, and what would convey the feeling, or create the emotion that you want to create.

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Memories...

Yesterday was the anniversary of the bombing of Darwin during WW2, which happened when my husband was just nine days old.


I often think about my poor mother-in-law at that time. She’d already had several miscarriages (Elliot was her only child) and her husband was away with the Air Force, flying bombing raids against the Japanese over PNG and Indonesia. And on top of that, people in Queensland were absolutely terrified of this new threat on their very shores.

In fact, there was a strong belief at the time that the government had a policy called the Brisbane Line. All the north of Australia beyond Brisbane would be abandoned to the invading armies.

My mother-in-law was above this line, living in Bundaberg on the Queensland coast, and in the last weeks before she gave birth, she was evacuated inland to Murgon. So much stress on top of the normal stress of giving birth for the first time.

It’s easy to forget how brave every day Australians had to be – even those who were far away from the warfront.

I love these two photos of Elliot taken with his parents during the war years. He was three years old when his dad finally came home for good.

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A nice surprise...

A big thanks to Cataromance for giving Bridesmaid Says: 'I do!' a Reviewers'  Choice award for Best Harlequin Romance (shared with Donna Alward).

Had an interesting discussion with readers last week when they were airing their preferences for Zoe and Kent from this story, or Bella and Damon from Runaway Bride.

One story was definitely sweeter,  so I guess, it's all a matter of tatse.

Trying again...

I've been having a lot of trouble with blogger. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to post. Have been away too -- busy with National Year of reading in both Cairns and Twonsville. So much I wanted to tell you about.

Interesting...

Today I decided not to bother with the handwriting...  (yes, I'm not great at keeping new habits)... and the writing has been a real struggle. So I guess I'll be getting out paper and pen again. It's worth a try if you're feeling blocked or jaded or in need of a change of chair...

Taking a break... I had a lovely phone conversation this afternoon with my aunt in Sydney who's been very ill but is feeling a bit better at the moment. Gosh, it was lovely to hear her voice sounding strong and happy.

 And now I'm going to give some thought to my speech for next week when I'll be talking in Townsville at the Thuringowa Library for National Year of Reading. 

If anyone feels like sharing why reading is an important part of your life, I'd love to hear...

When the cat's away...

OK... what's a woman to do when her husband's been taken off by their sons for a little trout fishing in New Zealand?
If she's a romance author, she gets in a little extra research. No, stop it. Not that sort...
I'm talking about viewing... DVDs and TV shows that are a tad too girly for couples viewing.
Would you believe I am only just now catching up on Sex and the City? I've watched all of Season One and am happily settling into Season Two, with my eye on those other series lined up in the Video shop.
I've also watched Rachel Getting Married, When Harry Met Sally and The Blind Side.

Of course, I'm reading too. I've just finished Anne Gracie's gorgeous Bride By Mistake (Check out this lovely review on Barnes and Noble by Eloisa James).

And now I'm reading Jackie Braun's Mr Right There All Along (another on Wendy the Super Librarian's list of favourites in 2011)

You probably think this sounds like I'm slacking off -- but I'm writing too. I'm a couple of thousand words into my next M&B -- trying a new technique, writing by hand first -- mainly because a change is as good as a holiday. But I do think there's something rather liberating about writing by hand. I feel freer to experiment and make little notes to myself. This may become my new MO. The crucial ingredient is a really smooth flowing pen that makes writing a breeze.

I can blame this new direction on the power cuts we had on Saturday. Almost a year to the day after Cyclone Yasi, a big low went through FNQ. It turned into Cyclone Jasmine just as soon as it hit water and it certainly felt like a cyclone while it was here, hence candles and handwriting... I felt very Jane Austen. (well... almost).

I'm b-a-a-ack...

Sorry for my silence. I've been deep in the deadline cave. But now the single title book is in, the editor at Penguin really likes it and I have a release date... September 2012.

All we have to do is think up a title... I'll keep you posted...

Meanwhile, in the real world...

Two little people in our family have started kindy.

Someone else in our family has an important date she needs to keep reminding us about...

Elliot is off to New Zealand with our two sons who are taking him trout fishing to celebrate a significant birthday.

And I must update my website and start my next Mills and Boon.
Just as well I love my job. :)

Guess who started school today?

Molly Cooper's Dream Date

Molly Cooper has found her way onto another shortlist. This time she's a finalist in the Australian Romance Readers Association's awards for best short category romance of 2011.

I feel hugely proud of her. I had a feeling that girl was ambitious when she first jumped into my head.

Wendy the Super Librarian...

Wendy the Super Librarian... has a popular review site, and has just posted a list of her top ten favourite category romances for 2011.

Five of the ten books come from the Harlequin Romance line. Woohoo!!!!

Molly Cooper's Dream Date was included on the list which is kinda nice.

Out this month in Australia...

The sequel to Bridesmaid Says: 'I do!' ...

In Runaway Bride, Bella comes to terms with her past, and understands at last why her bad boy high school sweetheart Damon Cavello left town. And (of course) she finds her own happy ending...

You can buy it here ...

Happy New Year!

It's a beautiful first day of 2012 where I am. Last night we celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary with a few special friends, old and new, and one of them quoted from this poem by Robert Browning:

GROW old along with me!

The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, ``A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''

I hope 2012 brings you peace, health and happiness and the chance to bravely and trustingly reach for your dreams.

And here's a pic I love of my grandson Tom and his dad in Paris for New Year, and appropriately overawed.

The best is yet to be...

How was your Christmas?? ...

I'm so sorry that I didn't get to actually write this post the other day. Now, I can't even remember what happened to call me away from the laptop. So, as you can guess, it was a busy but fun Christmas for fifteen of us on beautiful Magnetic Island, where the usual feasting and gift giving was interspersed with lots of swimming in both the sea and the pool, as well as attending church (partly outdoors) on Christmas Eve.
Our son Richard baked the most scrumptious ham, which was served with barbequed eggs for  Christmas breakfast. (That's Bob in the background on egg patrol.)

Mangoes and lychees were a must -- so sweet and juicy and tropical.

And here's what our tropical Christmas plateful looked like. Turkey roasted with proscuitto. Beef capaccio, Roast lamb and vegies. Tomato and basil and bococini salad . Beans tossed in butter, garlic and champagne. Roasted cherry tomato relish on the side. It was all delicious and we were truly blessed.

Amidst all the fabulous presents, simple little glow toys (from a special friend in Melbourne) were a big hit! At night I went up to say goodnight to the girls who were lying in the dark gleefully squishing their glowing chickens and rubber balls.

But it was hot my friends -- very hot -- and the neighbour's dog found the coolest spot. However, this lawn was cool and shady in the afternoon and we had a great game of Italian bocce.

And now we're back in our cool misty mountains and I have a book to finish writing, but I feel refreshed and am keen to find out what happens next. :)

3 Outback baby stories...

Already available at the Mills and Boon website -- three Australian stories about my favourite combination -- outback cattlemen and babies.

Gorgeous cover, isn't it? The books included are my story, Adopted: Outback Baby, plus One Small Miracle by Melissa James and Their Newborn Gift by Nikki Logan. And today Mills and Boon are offering a special 10% discount if apply the code xmas09p for paperbacks or xmas09e for ebooks.