I do love a sizzling, toe curling, face flushing sex scene. I love the voyeurism of it, the tantalization, the memories it might dredge up and the ideas it might offer. I love seeing two people hit their peak, especially when it’s surrounded by lashings… of love and romance. What did you think I was going […]
What is it about Weddings?
Why are we charmed by the thought of a woman and a man coming together and pledging their fidelity, finances, and futures to each other? Especially since statistics show that 1 in 3 marriages in Australia will ultimately end in divorce? Is it the pageantry, the traditions? White dresses, men in suits, rings, flower girls, […]
Love and Gravity by Samantha Sotto
I read Samantha Sotto’s novel Love and Gravity in two sittings over one day, and loved it – 5 stars from me. Andrea Louviere is seven years old the first time he appears. While she’s alone in her bedroom, practicing her beloved cello, the light shivers and a crack forms in the wall. Through the […]
Stay Happy in 2017 – Read More Books!
It might be naive of me, but I have high hopes for the world in 2017. Guaranteed, there are going to be changes. Some good, some… not so good. Some that will only affect a small portion of the population, or even only one or two, and some that will have a flow on effect […]
Pen vs Keyboard – Brain Wars (or what happens in your brain when you write by hand)
What differences does it make in your brain if you write with a pen or type on a keyboard? Lots of writers believe that their creative juices flow more freely when they take to handwriting. I happen to be one of them. But is there any evidence that this is so? I wanted to know, […]
Squee!! New Covers!!
I’ve recently been doing a little bit of title-and-cover updating for my Perth Girls series. While I liked my titles and covers, I wasn’t sure they properly conveyed the intent of the series, that it was a romance series, and that it was about individual relationships. I also updated blurbs and meta-data, so that searching […]
A Labour of Love
Whoever it was who said writing a romance novel is easy needs to spend a week in my shoes. I am around 5000 words (two writing days) away from penning the final words in The Defiant One – the second book in my Perth Girls series. Its been a mission. I’ve had to dig deep, […]
Setting Goals and Kicking Butt – the ancient Japanese art of Segokibu.
Like every other worthwhile endeavour, writing a book takes effort. Writing a whole bunch of books takes a whole bunch of effort. Writing a shitload of books… well, you get the picture. Building a career as a bankable author is a daunting task. Ask any bankable author. Apart from the very rare overnight sensation (EL […]
Each one of you is a Little Piece of Me…
They say you put a little piece of yourself into every story you write. With my Perth Girls series, each of the three heroines definitely got a piece of me, or should I say, I gave them a piece. They are my ‘write what you know’ stories, so it made sense to give those […]
How Changing Perspective can Improve Your Story
While editing the manuscript for Hidden Duchess, I’ve made the conscious decision to change a couple of chapters from one character’s perspective to another. Today, I’m explaining why I would go to all that trouble – and why writers should be looking at their stories from different angles, to give their readers the very best experience […]