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My September 2021
Spring has sprung. Can you smell the newness in the air? A new manuscript started, a new Netflix series to binge, it’s happening people.

When You Are Mine, by Michael Robotham
I found this book slow initially, but once I’d reached halfway, I couldn’t put it down.
My August, 2021
My August, 2021 – Not being able to visit friends, go out for dinner or the movies is just plain annoying now. No one’s fault, it’s just Covid. Here’s what I’ve been doing to keep busy.

Bruny by Heather Rose
Book Review. The Blurb ‘When a bomb goes off in remote Tasmania, Astrid Coleman agrees to return home to help her brother before an upcoming election. But this is no simple task. Her brother and sister are on either side of politics, the community is full of conspiracy theories, and her father is quoting Shakespeare.
The End
I typed those two tiny words that mean so much, two days ago. It’s official, the first draft of my very first manuscript is finished. I’ve closed the file, and now I wait, despite wanting to rip into it and start editing. What now? Meanwhile, I’m three book reviews behind, so I’ll write those. There’s
Character Names – What and Where?
A character’s name in most cases determines the owner’s voice and character traits in the story. I’ve supplied ideas for names and how to find them.
Inspirations – The Olympics 2020
The Olympics – Inspiring no matter who you are or what you do. Watching the Olympics and I can’t help but be blown away by each athlete’s determination to succeed. I’ve cried for the triumphs and the disappointments for some. Whatever the outcome for every athlete at these games, they have already achieved what most
Me, My Story and Continuity.
‘How do you manage continuity as you write?’ I was asked recently. For me, the thought process of spoken conversation is much different to that written down.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London – Garth Nix
I loved this! This book has laugh-out-loud moments, magic, suspense, murder, mystery, betrayal, and feisty young adults fighting evil forces. There’s something for everyone.
My Authorial Writing Tools
The heading looks impressive, don’t you think? Love that word…Authorial. It’s been a little while since my last blog post, of any description, so I thought I’d talk about what tools I am using to write my novel. Pen and Paper When I attended the Sydney Writers Festival recently, I took with me a notepad

The Emotion Thesaurus – Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglist
This is my writing bible, well, one of them. The Blurb One of the biggest struggles for writers is how to convey emotion to readers in a unique and compelling way. When showing our characters’ feelings, we often use the first idea that comes to mind, and they end up smiling, nodding, and frowning too