I have news!

Okay, maybe this isn't the best time to write this as the news hasn't sunk in yet and it has all happened so fast but here goes.....
Spoke to my editor tonight about the last Romance I submitted and it turns out the book isn't a Romance but a Modern Extra. Yes, that's right, I'm now writing for another Harlequin line!!!
It was totally unexpected as it wasn't my intention when I wrote the book but I can see how my ed thinks it would be perfect for the old Temptation line(now renamed Modern Extra): not many Romances start off with a naked man!
I'm really excited about this unexpected turn of events though a bit blown away too. It means I have to write 4 books this year, not counting finishing the NEXT or my single title stuff.
If I vanish here more often than not, you'll know where I am....chained to my chair, slaving over a keyboard in serious meltdown! Or will that be my brain?

Reminiscing...

Took a step back in time yesterday when I caught up with a group of uni friends, some I haven't seen for 10 years!
To protect the not-so-innocent, let's call this gang Rob, Mary, Leanne and Teresa. Back in the physio days, we'd attend lectures, swap notes, study together, hang out and write the odd letter to each other over semester breaks. These guys were great.
Then of course, life intrudes and we head off in many different directions, career and personal wise. Families are born, new careers followed and a whole heap of other stuff which gets in the way of keeping in touch more regularly.
Step forward to yesterday: a gorgeous balmy Autumn afternoon, great food, fabulous company and a feeling like nothing had changed, that same comfortable feeling you get when you sit down on the floor cross-legged with a familiar photo album.
It's a special feeling; the warmth, the camaraderie.
So, to the gang: Rob, you just might make it as a hero in one of my upcoming books! Mary, follow your dream. Leanne, your energy levels never cease to amaze me. And Teresa, my creative friend, you paid me one of the nicest compliments I've ever received about my writing. "When I read your books, it's like I'm chatting to you, the sense of humour, everything."
Thanks, guys. Today, I'm off to recapture some of that wonderful feeling and flick through old photos...and maybe the odd letter or two?

Steady...steady...

It's always so hard to get back into the story after a weekend off (one of the main reasons I used to drive myself like a maniac and rarely have a night off.) I just found it easier to keep writing, keep the story flowing till I realised that exhaustion and sickness are not conducive to producing a good story anyway!
So, managed 2000 words tonight. Not bad, steady progression. I'm almost a fifth of the way into the story in a week and I have to be happy with that (though I'm usually so much quicker and this pace is killing me!)
Seeing as I work at night, I don't have an opportunity to watch much TV. However, this season I've become addicted to Commander in Chief and Prison Break so without further ado, I'm calling it quits for tonight and heading off to enjoy more of that lovely down time.
Dante and Natasha can wait till tomorrow...

Baby steps getting bigger...

The end of my writing week and I'm pleased to report I'm 7250 words into a new book. In all honesty, I can't quite believe that word count as it feels like I'm moving at a snail's pace with this one (probably because my mind is definitely on other things.)
However, the baby steps do add up and in forcing myself to sit at the keyboard every night and write something, at least the words are there.
As a wise author once said, you can edit a bad page, you can't edit a blank page.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

A fresh start

If you're anything like me, you love new things: new books (I really dig the smell!), new clothes and starting a new book.
The characters are jumping up and down, sticking their hands up in the air saying 'notice me! notice me!' and you just have to start telling their story.
This happened to me last night. I started watching a movie (which turned out to be bor-ing) so went to turn off my PC around 9.30. Instead, found myself sitting down to maybe get the first page written of the new idea. 5 pages later, called it quits because I was pretty zonked anyway but I know I'll love whizzing through the first 3 chapters, loving the fresh, vibrant newness of a story.
Writing the rest is the hard part...

Done!

After working about 8 hours the last two nights, I've finished the revisions for Bollywood or Bust. Yay! After chatting with Ethan, I didn't think they were much but I ended up adding around 10 000 words to the book. The good thing is, they weren't that difficult and definitely improve the story.
Now all that's left is the final read through and it's off!

I'd planned on starting off the new week with the NEXT story but I forgot about the article I have to write for a German romance magazine about the Melbourne lunch mob of authors who meet regularly. I'm also in the middle of planning a presentation with Ally Blake for the Williamstown Literary Festival which we're doing on May 13th.

Looks like the next few weeks are going to be super busy.

Weekend? What's that?

I have been bad.
As many bloggers have warned me, this blogging business eats up time and they're not wrong!
I have revisions on my ST and NEXT novel (that's for the Harlequin NEXT line as opposed to my next novel which appears overly important with the use of capitals!) so what did I do all week?
Celebrate my good news, fluff around surfing the Net for blogs and finally creating my own.
So when the weekend hits and I usually wind down and have a few nights off, what happens? I work!
Made a start on the Bollywood or Bust revisions last night and pretty happy with them, almost finished. Then it's onto the NEXT.
As my Nan used to say, no rest for the wicked, huh?

We have lift-off!

Ok, after spending a few hours trying to get the links stuff to work last night, I huffed off to bed, only for the savvy Ally Blake to save me from tearing out any more hair this morning with a few quick pointers.
Thanks Ally!

Now I have some idea how to work this thing, I can actually get down to the interesting stuff like telling you about my huge week! And it has been huge...


On Saturday, I received a call from the USA. Impossibly Pregnant, released Oct 05, has finalled in the HOLT medallion, Best Traditional category. After hugging everyone within arm's length (my poor squeezed family), wandering around in a daze for a while then sitting at the PC and actually trying to tell all my writing buddies with shaking typing hands, the news finally sunk in and I resorted to grinning like a loon instead.
This book was one of my faves to write and I'm thrilled that the judges loved it too.

The HOLT winners are announced on June 10th so fingers crossed!

My big week continued when I signed today with Ethan Ellenberg. I am thrilled to have him as my agent and look forward to working with him. I'll keep you posted on developments.

Now, I really should get back to the writing stuff.
I knew this blogging thingymajig would be distracting...

The Anti-blogger

Yes, the unthinkable has happened...
The anti-blogger, as some of my friends call me, has succumbed and finally decided to blog.
Better late than never, right?
Now, I have no idea how often I'll post or whether the content will be as scintillating as I'd like but hey, I'm here.
Things can only get better from here!