Sexy Saturday ~ Back

It's been a few weeks since I've posted on Sexy Saturday. What with my Mum not well and getting her settled into her new home, doing RWA Bootcamp 109 and other things I've let it slip. But I'm back and here are today's offerings. LOL.




Right: Dave Harris ~ Hot.

Below: Kevin Finch ~ Yummy


















Sandie

Way to go Rhian Cahill

She has done it! Yes my writing buddy Rhian Cahill has sold her first story 'One Night In Bangkok' . How cool is that? Pop over to her site and have a read of what she has to say. From me to the wonderful RC, mega CONGRATULATIONS.

Sandie

Addicted to Blogging

Thanks to the lovely Suzanne Brandyn I now know I have a blogging ADDICTION! Okay I knew that anyway, but I can see just how bad I am. LOL. Is there a bloggers anonymous anywhere?


68%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Sandie

I've Been Lemonaded

I decided I should visit some of my friends blogs this evening and found out I'd been Lemonaded by the delightful Monique Wood . Now this is suppose to be a good thing, it's a "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade" Award. An award for ME!!! Thank you Mon. SO if you have been hit here is what you do:

It works this way:
1) Link back to the person you received the award from, and
2) Nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award.
Okay! I lemonade the following!

Diane Curran

Rachel C

Gail Symmonds

Anita Davison

Sussan Marz

Karin Tabke

Annie Doyle

Amanda Freeman

Denise Rossetti

Helen Ellis

See ya

Sandie

Frantic Friday ~ Saying Goodbye to a Friend

We lost a friend today. 'Traveller Joesie' Joesie was born in
October 1980, the same year as our son. Now, I know 28 is a good age for a horse. But that doesn't stop us from grieving her passing.




Joesie was one of those horses that you couldn't help but love. Her gentle nature won everyone over. She took our daughter to High Point Youth of NSW two years running and Paint Horse of Australia High Point Youth one year. Tammy could get Joesie to do anything she wanted her to do. I remember the time when Tam came in and said she wanted to teach Joesie to do Trail Events (this is where horse and rider has to negotiate obstacles without the horse refusing to go over or through the course.) Now Joesie was not that keen on the idea, but Tam worked with her everyday and in the end had that mare doing every obstacle in no time.


Joesie will be sadly missed by us all, but in the end
watching her roll in pain with colic was more than we could cope with, the odds were that if we got her right this time, the next bout would more than likely be worse. It is never easy saying goodbye to something that has been part of your life for so long. It is even harder telling your daughter that it is time for her to say goodbye to her best friend.


Joesie will be laid to rest on the farm here with us along with two other of our horses. We'll buy a tree to plant by her and shade her final resting place and know that in her time with us we did all we could to give her a good life.


Rest In Peace Joesie.

Sandie

Thursday's Thoughts

Today’s Thursday Thought is of the families affected by the fires in Victoria. I’ve watched the news night after night and I can’t help but admire the courage these people have after all they have been through. I am so proud to be an Australian at the moment. Well more than normal, and I’m always proud that I’m Australian. But to watch the donation pour in for the relief fund, to watch some of our best actors, musicians and sports stars take the time to go into these communities or man the phones for the telethon tonight and the fact that so much has been raised. All I can say is “Well done Australia”.

This is going to be a long and hard road to recovery for many people and communities, let’s not forget them in the months ahead.

Donations can be made by phoning 1800 811 700 or go to the website http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm and click on the Donate Now button.

Sandie

Wednesday's Wisdom

The week is not going at all as I planned. I was going to be knee high in editing and rewrites by today. Not happening people. Instead I'm either sitting with my bunged up foot up on the foot rest of the lounge watching telly, (Yes I know I could be editing but my mind is just not there) or I'm walking around the house on the phone to my sister trying to work out what we can do for my Mum. She had another fall last night. This is the second in two days. At least tonight she'll be okay as my younger brother is going to take her over to his place for the night. Tomorrow he'll take her to the doctors. Oh have to tell you my foot is a lovely shade of purple today. LOL.

I missed out on the next round of Karin Tabke 'One Line' contest. I'm not surprised, I should have stuck with my original sentence and not fiddled. But I'm happy with how I went just the same.

The writing Bootcamp I signed up for is getting close. I'm looking forward to that, but I really, really need to get some editing done on the piece I want to use for that. The other participants all are great, seeing as I know most of them makes that easier.

Okay here's some words of wisdom for a few of the greats, seeing as it is Wednesday's Wisdom.

"What is The Subconscious to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse." ~Ray Bradbury~

"The best antidote to writer's block is ... to write." ~Henriette Anne Klauser~

“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.” ~Gloria Steinem~

"It is worth mentioning, for future reference, that the creative power which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book quiets down after a time, and one goes on more steadily. Doubts creep in. Then one becomes resigned. Determination not to give in, and the sense of an impending shape keep one at it more than anything." ~Virginia Woolf~

Sandie

Tasty Tuesday ~ Cowboys

Now only because I fell over on Sunday and hurt my feet. Well I twisted it and it hurt like hell. Then today I was either walking or driving and now it looks like a football and I need to be cheered up I'm posting a heap of cowboy pics. We all know that a good piece of cowboy flesh will put a smile on any gals face. Hehehehe.

Sandie

Monday Madness - Re-Writes

I started on my edits and re-writes again today. So far getting rid of the first two chapters of 'We Were In Love' has cut out 9,500 words. But I did write 1,000 back in with another couple of scenes. I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days, and I do think it will make the story flow better, at least at a quicker pace. This way will bring Jackie and Tyler's meeting a lot earlier in the story. The words I've cut I can reuse some of them, not sure how many yet, I'll just have to keep working on that front.


I've also organised for a topic chat for RWAustralia loop to take place on Friday. I have some great authors to help me out with that, but you'll have to wait for more on that one.

Mum came home from respite today and seems happy enough. She told my Auntie yesterday that she is a bit afraid to be at home on her own, which is a worry. I'm going down to have tomorrow with her and my older sister is going to spend Wednesday with her. I am so thankful that I have brothers and sisters, I really do not know how only children manage at these sort of times.

Anyway I'm heading off to bed, I have to be up early to take Hubby to work.
Happy writing.
Sandie

Sensational Sunday

Well it is so much a sensational Sunday here today. But I'll get to that shortly. Firstly I have some really cool news in regard to one of my critique partners. Heather emailed me last night with the wonderful news that she received a contract for her murder mystery novel. I am sooooo happy for her. I'll let you all know more when I find out. WOOHOO Heather.

That's the good news, everything else about this weekend has been anything but sensational. We have one end of Australia coping with floods, that's the end where the sun is suppose to be shining most of the time. Yes, most of Queensland is having to coping with on going rain. You can't help but feel sorry for everyone going through this crisis. At least this is a natural disaster, unlike the one the is ripping through much on Victoria.

Surrounding area of Melbourne are fighting bush fires, the worst part is that some of these fires were deliberately lit. What the hell is wrong with these people? So far we have 65 people who have lost their lives and hundreds of people homeless because their homes went up in flames all because some nut case played with matches. I can't help but hope that the authorities catch these bastards. Sorry, I refuse to call them human because they are not! They are animals, low life and I know that someday they will get what they deserve. I've felt sick to my stomach every time a news break come on the telly. My prayer and thoughts are with everyone involved with these disasters.

If you would like to contribute to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, people can call Red Cross on 1800 811 700.

Sandie.

Sexy Saturday ~ Grey's Anatomy

In honour of Grey's Anatomy starting back here In Australia I thought I would use today's Sexy Saturday to display a couple of the boys from Grey's. Dr. McDreamy and Dr. McSteamy.





Patrick Dempsey aka Dr. McDreamy.

Eric Dane aka Dr McSteamy

See ya.

Sandie

Frantic Friday ~ Fantastic Failure

So it was frantic Friday today and you know what I did? I watched two DVDs. Yep, no writing, no editing and no writing reviews. I am soooo slack. The DVDs I watched were 'The Duchess' and 'The Edge of Love' both starred Keira Knightley and both I thought were fantastic. But than I think Keira does period pieces so well. Then just to top it all off I came up with an idea for a new novel. Just what I need, NOT. Anyway I'm going to do some research and see where it leads me. But I am Not starting a new novel YET.



On another note, I'm all signed up for the RWA Bootcamp later this month. It should be great and I'm looking forward to learning heaps. More on that as the time gets closer.

I'll do reviews on both DVDs soon. Okay I know it's a short post today, but at least I posted. LOL.

Sandie

Thursday's Thoughts

To continue along with the theme from yesterday, I thought I would ask this question on editing. Since I’ve been doing reviews I’ve noticed many of the manuscripts that come through have quite a few editing mistakes. Some are more obvious than others are, but never the less they are there. In some cases it may be just one like the double use of a word e.g. the the, easy to miss I know. In other cases they are splattered throughout the manuscript, it could be something like having (s) instead of (a) or the wrong name in a conversation, or half a sentence written twice.

Now my question is who is responsible for these mistakes? Is it the author? Well, to some extent it is I guess. What about the editor? Isn’t that part of their job to pick these mistakes up? Or has that changed from years ago? I know most publishers use readers to pick up these sorts of mistakes, and I also know they do this free, but shouldn’t they pick these mistakes up?
One thing I am learning is to make sure I read and re-read everything I write and everything I critique for my CPs. So what are your thoughts?

Sandie

Wednesday's Wisdom

Seeing as I am in editing mode. (Okay well not in it exactly now, but soon. Very Soon) I thought I would donate this Wednesday's Wisdom's to quotes on editing. Before I go on to that though I have an update on Karin Tabke 'One Line' contest. YES... I'm Still in ... WOOHOO. Top 35.

Now onto those quotes:

What I have crossed out I didn't like. What I haven't crossed out I'm dissatisfied with.
- Cecil B. De Mille

Editing is the same as quarreling with writers -- same thing exactly.
- Harold Wallace Ross

The waste basket is a writer's best friend.
- Isaac Bashevis Singer

Words and sentences are subject to revision; paragraphs and whole compositions are subjects of prevision.
- Barrett Wendell

All writing is a process of elimination.
- Martha Albrand

There is no great writing, only great rewriting.
- Justice Brandeis

Catch ya tomorrow.
Sandie

Tasty Tuesday

For your viewing pleasure this Tasty Tuesday is Antonio Sabato Jr. Now is this not great hero inspiration or what?

Okay, not a lot happening here at the moment. I'm hoping to get into my edits on Thursday.

Hope you enjoy the pics.

Sandie

Monday Madness ~ Families

Here it is Monday again, and I have not been able to concentrate on writing/editing at all. One of my sisters has had an operation on her back today, just got word that she came through the op okay but she hasn’t seen the doctor yet so we still waiting to see if everything went well. I’m hoping we’ll know more later this evening.

My Mum had a fall at the weekend so it is now more important than ever to find a place for her so she will have full time care. I went to visit her not long after we got the call telling us about her fall and she asked me if I thought she would get another two years in her home. I think it one of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to tell her that her time at our family home was coming to an end. It was Dad and Mum’s only home that they owned. We have so many memories there, Dad racing us around the bloke, obstacle races in the back yard, and Friday night picnics in the lounge room. Yet when I go down there now, it is all changed. The once quite street now has townhouses at the end of it and there are cars going up and down the street all day long. We use to be able to play cricket out on the street for most of the day and not a car in sight. I also think the fact that Dad is no longer there makes the old house seem sad in some way. Do you think a house can be sad?

Anyway, the last few days have been a roller coaster of emotions for me and until we get Mum settled one way or another I think they will continue to be that way.

Sandie

Sensational Sunday ~ Books

I've been bad again. Yes I went shopping today, only for groceries mind you. But first I had to get a set of keys cut so to fill in time I went for a wander around Big W and what did I find, none other than Kelly Hunter's 'Playboy Boss, Live-In Mistress' and Anna Cleary's 'Untamed Billionaire, Undresses Virgin'. Now of course I couldn't very well walk by and not have a look at them, now could I? Somehow they ended up in my trolley and are now in my TBR pile.




Then because I thought I could do with some exercise I went for a walk way up the other end of the shopping centre, and I swear Angus & Robertson has a magnet attached to it because I was dragged into that shop and right to the romance section. And there staring me in the face was Anna Campbell's new release 'Tempt The Devil' now only because I have loved both of Anna's previous novels 'Claiming The Courtesan' and 'Untouched' plus the cover is just soooooo lovely and it matches the other two so well. I thought I really can't walk out and not buy it, I mean I miss out if I leave it there, someone else might buy it, then I'll be sad. Everyone in my family knows if I'm not happy ain't anyone happy. So for the peace and harmony of my home and family I bought it as well. Now aren't I just the most caring person in the world? LOL.
This is the US cover.

Now have a look at these and tell me, aren't these three great novel covers fantastic?

See ya next time.
Sandie