SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING BLOG

Only two more days until the start of "Sisterhood of the Travelling Blog" and it's all systems go! I have my blog entry written up and all ready to post. It's been sent off to Patricia, as it will appear on her page along with my author interview. Come 31 October, I will be posting Lisa's blog entry on my page here. I can't wait to see this all unfold, I know there are going to be some great entries.

Another exciting thing that will be happening is - we'll be giving away an e-book at the end of the blog tour. All you have to do to be in to win is comment on one of the blogs in the tour. It couldn't be more simple! Plus if you sign up officially to follow any of the blogs particpating (by clicking the join button) Then you get an extra entry. A list of the books (By some of the authors in the blog tour) will be made available for the winner to choose from.

 (For a list of participating blogs, please see my previous entry on this page, where links are posted for easy access)

I am one of the authors due to participate in a very exciting project, taking place from OCT 31 - 21 NOV 2012. Sisterhood of the Travelling Blog is a group of nine authors who would love to talk about and share our love of writing. We plan to cross post on each others blogs to give you the readers a chance to meet some new authors, and perhaps grant you the opportunity to read some exciting new books. There will be a topic every week, and through out the duration of the travelling blog, all authors will give an interview at some point. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I'm one of the first authors to give an interview, and I've just finished writing that up. I thoroughly enjoyed answering the questions, and can't wait to see how some of the other authors will respond. Next I will be preparing my blog post for the first round of the event. Stay tuned!

Here are the blogs of all the authors involved if you are interested in reading along:

A L Kessler

Ashley Nemer

Patricia Laffoon

L S Broomfield

Sherrie Henry

Stacy Moran

Torie James

Tracey Steinbach

Here is an excerpt from The Mercenary:

The leopard continued to advance, taking his time. About an arm’s length away he stopped, sniffing the air between them. Lying down in front of Jodie, he never broke eye contact and she was too damned afraid to. When she refused to move a muscle the leopard slowly inched closer, keeping his pale furred form low to the ground. He appeared to be gauging her level of fear.

His paw touched the tip of Jodie’s shoe and she startled. The leopard shuffled backward with alarming speed, dragging himself up into a sitting position. Barely daring to breathe, she squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten under her breath. It’s going to be okay. I’ve just been working too hard, my brain has gone a little crazy, and none of this is real.

Jodie opened her eyes and stared directly into the gaze of the leopard. The majestic animal sat very calmly at a respectable distance. It watched her with intelligence, never missing a single tiny movement. It’s waiting for something, she thought. Jodie felt drawn to the animal, and she couldn’t understand it. I should be paralyzed with fear, but I want to touch him. Why on earth do I want to touch him?

End of Vacation

The school holidays (vacation) are finally drawing to a close. During most term breaks I struggle to keep my children entertained and find myself spending most of the long hours breaking up squabbles and separating trouble makers. These holidays however, it was a drastic change. 

At first I couldn't understand it at all and began to wonder if aliens had body-snatched the children or if I was about to wake up from some strange dream, but then I stopped to think about it. We kept very busy this time around. I visited someone different every day, or had someone stop by to visit us. We caught up with quite a variety of people, family and friends, even some acquaintances that I hadn't seen for years. They didn't act out because - quite plain and simply - they didn't have time to get bored.

For five days out of those sixteen I took the kids to the beach. What a glorious break away that was.The place where we stay is in the region where I grew up, and incidentally the region that inspired the fictional community of Redcliffe in my book The Mercenary. Even though I've lived away from this area for more than ten years, I always feel as though I'm coming home when I return. 

So the kids will be back at school tomorrow, and I will be back to my Acar tutoring and my seven year old writing groups/classroom activities. In some ways I'm really looking forward to it, but a small part of me does wish I could have stayed at the beach a little longer. Hopefully once the routines all fall back into place, I will also fall back into my regular writing rhythm. The Fury - which is the second book in the Therian Secrets series (And follows The Mercenary) Is already more than 55,000 words long. I'm off to a good start.

So where ever you are in your little corner of the world, I hope that the change of seasons has settled for you and all is well. I'm off to make a fresh cup of coffee and sit down to write. xxx

Two new books in a month! Evernight Vol 2 is here!

Wow, the last month has passed by in a blur. Since the book release, my days have filled up with all sorts of unexpected tasks. I've spent a great deal of time working on promotional stuff for the book, and I've also been ploughing ahead with book two. I'm already half way in on the first draft, and my beta readers have the first few chapters to look over. A writer's job never ends! I am pleased I decided to make Therian Secrets a series as I am nowhere near ready to say goodbye to any of these characters.

In other news, Evernight Volume two has just  been released! We have some authors who appeared in the first volume, but we also have some fresh new talent. I urge you to check it out, there is some great stuff in there. If you like paranormal romance, you will find this collection deliciously satisfying. At $4.99 for 13 stories, its an incredible bargain. 

Don't forget too, that authors rely heavily on feedback and word of mouth. Please if you can, take the time to review what you read. It doesn't have to be anything spectacular in terms of length, even a few short sentences to express your opinion can really make a difference. And if you enjoy something, tell your friends. We authors really appreciate it.

Buy Evernight Volume 2 - Click here!

Buy The Mercenary (Therian Secrets Book 1) - Click here!

NEW RELEASE

At last, The Mercenary is finally available for purchase! You can buy it in paperback, hardcover and kindle editions so come and check it out!

Buy The Mercenary-Therian-Secrets (click here)

Because this was my first solo novel, it's been a long and challenging road to walk. Everything came as a new experience to me. From the finer points of the etiquette of writing to the editing battle, and trying to fit this in and around my family commitments, it seemed for a while there that this journey would never be complete.

Now here I stand with this chapter closed and ready to give to the world, and it is an amazing feeling. I am well on the way to starting the next chapter - or the next book should I say - and I am loving every moment of this journey.

The poetry book is out, and more releases to follow.

There has been so much going on lately that I've barely had time to blink. First and foremost the poetry book is out, and now available in paperback on Amazon. The kindle edition will follow soon. My novel (The Mercenary) is mere days away from release, and Evernight volume two will be out soon too.

Click here to buy it! 

Day to day life has been hectic for me which doesn't always provide a nurturing environment for a writer. I've had everything from a nasty cold going through the family one by one and starting again at the beginning, to house renovation dramas, and electrical disasters as a result. I've been trying to keep my head down with the students I'm working with at the school, and with the classroom support I provide, and I have also been preparing for a visit from a dear friend. She's coming all the way from America to see what the fuss is about our beautiful country NZ. I'm so very excited about that.

I think these next couple of weeks are going to be just as busy as the past couple have been, but I will make sure to check in with updates on the other two publications. In the mean time, do check out the poetry, and I hope you enjoy it.