Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Home Sweet Home


I'm a bit of a country girl at heart and so of course I had a great time at my brother's farm, 220 acres of big green hills with creeks that were overflowing big time when I got there (left my car at his neighbor's for a day.)
He had half a dozen cows having calves, in fact one was born half an hour before we got there and tottering around. He's got a few goats that hang out with the horses or cows to help protect them from dingos and wild dogs - since their Maremma 'guard' dog hangs out at the house lol! 
My brother's always been mechanical and creative, and can turn his hand to anything. He built his own home from his own timber, a big games room and an amazing octagonal pergola with gorgeous views for having bbq's. (and damn it, I don't think I have a photo!)
While I was there I managed to outline a whole new series (will speak of that at a later date when it's actually started lol)! I guess being away from the house and relaxed really sets free the creative juices =)


 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Holidays!



I'm off to NSW tomorrow, inland from Gloucester and Taree on my 13 hour or so car trek to my brother's. He lives on a fairly remote slice of land with his wife and son, some dogs/horses/cats, too many snakes and a whole lot of cattle. 
It seems to be a UFO hotspot lately (he's woken to fierce bright lights. And his wife, who is a nurse and works nights, had a UFO/light speed up behind her car and then half overtake her before disappearing from sight) but I must say I really don't want to see one of those unidentified flying objects *g* -- paranormal writer or not!! (If you'd seen the movie The Fourth Kind, supposedly based on real footage, you'd understand my reluctance!)
Besides which I've had my fair share of paranormal 'stuff' happen. I've had ghostly encounters in the past, plus lived in a haunted house in my teen years -- wasn't fun! So I'm pretty happy to get on with my own existence and problems, thank you very much!! LOL
On a 'safe' topic, fuel in QLD is around 1.55 a litre for premium (gulp) - it will be interesting to see how the V6 turbo fares on the long drive. And did I mention I'm taking Miss four, Miss 'almost' 14 and my mum along for the drive? (my poor husband is stuck working again!)
I couldn't be a truck driver - those long hours really wear you down. But I do love long distance driving once every now and then. I used to drive on my own from Sydney to Gympie and back in the days when it used to take around 15 hours one way-- did it once while having to stop and breastfeed my (then) baby =)
Take care everyone over the holidays, and I hope you all have a wonderful, Merry Christmas!!





Monday, November 21, 2011

Review for Identity Shift


Thanks so much to the wonderful, fellow writer, Jenny Schwartz for giving Identity Shift 5 stars and a short and sweet review!  And I have to say once again - didn't Helen of Helzkat designs do an amazing job of Identity Shift's cover!

Review:

I love shifters and paranormal romance. This great little novella was at the hot end of the spectrum when it came to sexy books I'm comfortable reading...which is not a bad thing ;)

Most of all I enjoyed the intriguing use of the black big cat sightings in Australia. Cryptozoology is fascinating and this twist used it well.



Friday, November 18, 2011

Something Wicked This Way Comes: Anthology!


Kelli Collins, my editor for the Something Wicked This Way Comes anthology, sent me the blurb for my story Dragon Heat, with a tentative release date of 23rd December =))

I'm so excited to be published with some great EC authors including Jaid Black and my wonderful writing buddy, Laurann Dohner =)
I'll post the blurbs for all the stories when I get my mitts on them...meanwhile here's my blurb for Dragon Heat:
 
A highly skilled operative, Grace has been trained to track, fight and kill paranormal creatures. Only after she’s in the clutches of her latest target, a devastatingly sexy dragon-shifter, does she discover betrayal in her ranks. Suddenly the hunter is the hunted. Grace will soon learn of her ex-agency’s horrific agenda—but not before seeking solace in all the pleasures of the flesh her new dragon ally has to offer.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Chaos is my Middle Name!! And Update!

It's been a frantic month (great way to lead up to Christmas!!?) with my eldest daughter pregnant and just out of hospital and me babysitting my gorgeous grandson, right along with the normal 'chaos' that seems to be my life lol!! 

Somewhere in between all that I've started book 2 of the Alien Hunger series - and really loving it! I believe the majority of readers will enjoy this story, and I really can't wait to send this baby off  - though it's only around halfway finished. I've also been working on a short story for an erotic anthology with some other Aussie writers (more on that at a later date) and reworking an old story - turning what I'd originally wrote as a Desire into an erotic paranormal (gulp gulp - why do I do these things to myself!!!) I'll probably work on that one today.

Now it's close to December I'm really going to have to think about digging up my 'writing wish list' that I had hoped to achieve this year and see how I've fared...

Where the hell has the time gone anyway!!!!????

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Unworldly Movies & Giveaways!


I'm over at Kate Hill's blog today, talking about some of my fav unworldly movies. 
What is your fav?
Let me know, I'm doing some giveaways of my gargoyle e-books =)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Great Reads



I haven't posted about anything I've read for ages, but I really have to say I'm loving Kresley Cole's 'A Hunger Like No Other.' The characters are so different - well unless we're generalizing I will say the hero (Lachlain) is tortured. The heroine (Emmaline) is totally NOT kick-ass (yes, you heard right! Though I love kick ass, on this occasion her fear is skilfully woven through the storyline). I think what I like the most about this book is that Emmaline doesn't want to be with Lachlain, while he most definitely wants to be with her. Makes for some great conflict. (5 stars)

BLURB

A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her....
After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy....
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents - until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae - and their notorious dark desires - ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all-consuming desire....
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?




Although I had the Charlaine Harris series of books well before the DVD's, I've watched 3 seasons of True Blood before deciding to begin my reading marathon and starting with book 1: Dead Until Dark.  It's made me realize (at least so far) how true to the books True Blood has stayed, but I am kind of wishing I'd read first and then watched the DVD's. It does make for some interesting research though. (3.5 stars)


BLURB

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much - not because she's not pretty - she's a very cute bubbly blonde - or not interested in a social life. She really is...but Sookie's got a bit of a disability. She can read minds.And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill: he's tall, he's dark and he's handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she'sbeen waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own: he's fussy about his food, he doesn't like suntans, and he's never around during the day....Yep, Bill's a vampire.
Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind. And then one of Sookie's colleagues at the bar is killed, and it's beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim.... 




 This is book 8 in JR Ward's, Black Dagger Brotherhood. She's an incredible writer and I couldn't wait to read John Matthew's pov. I really enjoyed it, but I have to say I found her earlier books more romantic and these later ones much darker. Not sure why, but I found myself enjoying the romance better. Totally adored Dark Lover, still one of my all time favorite reads. Still, an amazing book by an amazing author (4 stars)


BLURB

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - vampire warriors, defenders of their race…John Matthew has been through his vampire transition and taken to the life of the Brotherhood with a vengeance, but he still can’t shake the nightmare of his past and is unsure of his future as a warrior hero. He’s made a promise to honour the Brotherhood and their fight with the slayers at all costs, until the love of his life is kidnapped and he is forced to make a choice that could change his life and the Brotherhood’s forever.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Photo-less at Supanova


Hate to admit it, but yes, we took NO photos at Supanova =(
I did buy batteries for Shannon's new camera, but that camera was left in her suitcase all day lol!!! Best laid plans and all that.

We had a great time, met quite a few of the stars in the foyer of the hotel we stayed at (and let me say, Colin Morgan from Merlin was one hot, charismatic - and nice - guy!) And supanova itself - really great. Plenty of costumes, though my fav would have been the costume/face of Freddy Kreuger.

Shan bought Tracey O'hara's (our roomie) latest book Death's Sweet Embrace and had it autographed, as well as two books from Keri Arthur's latest series, autographed too. (Tracey took a couple of shots of us three, plus Shannon with Keri, will have to get her to send them along)

Aside from Spending the day at Supernova, Shannon spent all my pittance lol on clothes shopping and some great restaurants, including Jo Jo's (their cookies and cream cocktail was just YUM).

Now it's time to get back into routine and WRITE =)))

Friday, November 4, 2011

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Supanova


I'll be driving to Brisbane tomorrow with Miss 13 to check out Supanova - can't wait. I'll catch up with my writing friend and renewed CP *g* Tracey O'hara and hopefully chat to Keri Arthur (my daughter is a big fan) plus many other great Australian writers. 

And did I mention the movie stars? Billy Boyd from The Lord of the Rings, Evanna Lynch from Harry Potter, Colin Morgan from Merlin, Val Kilmer from Batman Forever...the list goes on =)

Loads of stuff to take in and do - Shannon is bringing her camera, so I hope to have some great photos to post in the next few days =)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Quote of the Month

Writing is like child birth, you've got to go through the pain to appreciate the end result.
~Mel Teshco (after talking to Cass about writing comps and babies lol!!)



Totally random photo of my cat, Yammy

Damaris - coming soon!

  The fourth book of the Alien Fugitive series, Damaris, is coming at the end of this month! I'm just now finishing this book and puttin...