Rich writing

I've been so caught up with life and writing and business stuff, all while trying to get over throat infection, that last week passed in a bit of a blur.

So I know some Aussie mates finalled in the RITAs but I hadn't seen the whole list. Yesterday I took a squiz and was absolutely delighted to see one of my all time favourite authors there, Barbara O'Neal, with this book.If you haven't read any of Barbara's books, do yourself a favour (her original women's fiction novels are written under Barbara Samuel.)

Her favourite of mine is No Place Like Home but this book would be a close second. Read it. Indulge. Wallow in the richness of her characters, which are truly awe-inspiring for another writer.

I was lucky enough to meet Barbara when she come to Melbourne several years ago and she's a gorgeous lady too. Told me to take time out to care for the 'girls in the basement' (my muse) and what she said and the way she said it really resonated.

As for her current release, The Secret of Everything? Ordered a few weeks back, waiting anxiously for it to arrive. That one will definitely feature in my Weekend Book Club!

Foiled

Today's post should've been named men being contrary rather than yesterday.
Or should be 'boys being contrary' more to the point.

Last night was a mums' night out from school, our first dinner for the year.
I don't get out much. Can't think of the last time I went out without the kids. So was looking forward to it.
Felt a bit bad leaving toddler, who has my awful cold but he was happy enough. Prep kid had a mild rash on his cheek but was otherwise okay.

So what happens?
I'd barely set foot in the restaurant when the phone rings. Prep kid's rash has spread to his back and chest and he can't stop itching.
I issued instructions to head off to chemist for an antihistamine (obviously an allergic reaction to something, we haven't figured what yet) and to keep me posted.
But I couldn't do it, sit there in the restaurant and chatter while worried about kidlet.
So I left, after ten minutes.

I always put my kids first and never begrudge being with them 24/7.
But as the wonderful Barbara Samuel told me during a chat at last year's RWAus conference, I need to refill my well, take some me-time. I don't do it often enough.
I'm aiming to change all that.

Another brilliant read

Another brilliant read by Barbara Samuel (who now has equal status as my favourite author alongside Susan Elizabeth Phillips.)

A PIECE OF HEAVEN features an American Indian hero, complete with acne scars and paunch, and she makes him sexier than sexy!
Luna, the heroine, is an alcoholic.

The way Barbara weaves a beautiful tale around these characters (along with a host of fabulous secondary characters) made me never want to put this book down.

If you haven't read Barbara, you absolutely have to.
The way she layers emotion and brings characters to life is nothing short of brilliant.

Glomming

Remember how I raved about Barbara Samuel's NO PLACE LIKE HOME last week?

Well, I've devoured 2 more of her books since then, MADAME MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE and LADY LUCK'S MAP OF VEGAS.

She's a fabulous author.

If you love books packed with emotion, with real characters that will make you laugh and cry, grab her books.

I hadn't heard the term 'glomming' till recently (where you devour an author's backlist) and I'm proud to say I'm now a glommer of Barbara Samuel.

Best-laid plans

Yesterday was a disaster.
The date didn't happen.

I was so excited, got all dressed up, bub down for a long nap and happily watched by grandpa, and headed off in the car.
Not 10 kms up the road, a slow moving truck flicks up a rock and puts a chip in my windscreen the size of a 10 cent piece. Ka-ching! Moula to fix when we got home.

It was only a minor blip but I instantly thought, 'what else is going to go wrong today?'
Well, we were on the freeway, almost to the city, when we got a call from DS1's kinder. There had been an incident. We had to get there asap.
So cue the exit off the freeway, get back on, in the opposite direction.

The exquisite lunch we had booked never happened.
Our first date in goodness knows how long...nada.
But the kids are all right and that's the main thing.
And after being quoted $200 to fix the windscreen (my hubby got this on the first phone call!) I rang around and got someone to come out and fix it for $65. That first mob is famous and first port of call for most people...robbery!

The highlight of my day?
Curling up and finishing Barbara Samuel's NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

I met Barbara at the recent RWAus conference and was blown away. She's my idol.
So I rushed home that night and bought her entire backlist.

'No Place Like Home' is the first book I read...and oh my...she's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
I cried and I never cry with books. Movies, yes. Books, rarely.

Here's what it's about.


Sometimes a wrong turn is the only way home. . .
No Place Like Home tells the unforgettable story of a family bound together by tradition-and the emotional journey of an estranged daughter risking everything for a second chance at life and love.
Twenty-one years ago Jewel Sabatino left her childhood behind and never looked back. After a magical taste of fame, she found herself alone with a son to raise and not much else. She survived with the help of Michael, her one true friend. But now Michael is too sick to care for himself, and Jewel has run out of options. She leaves New York for the hills of Colorado, unsure if the family she ran from will welcome her back.
For Jewel, coming home is falling back into a world that smells of Italian restaurants and home-baked pies. It is the laughter of sisters preparing for a summer wedding, and the peaceful haven for a treasured soul mate's last days. It also means facing the unforgiving eyes of a father betrayed by his favorite child-and letting go of a son who is ready to become a man. But most of all, it is the love she discovers in her own wary heart when Michael's brother Malachi unexpectedly arrives on her doorstep.

I will be devouring the rest of the books.
In fact, I'm already half way through MADAME MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE and I only started in last night!
I want to be Barbara when I grow up. :)