Well I’ve done it again. I left the HRW girls speechless
today when I started to rattle off my goals, career plan, business plan and
career plan. Okay, maybe they weren’t speechless but they were dumbfounded, got
the giggles and wondered where in the hell I plan on finding the time to reach
my said goals.
So my excessive compulsive disorder has been in over drive
this month. What can I say, but it is better that I have a heap of goals, then
none at all.
My career plan needs some tweaking, as do my business plan
and book plans but I’ll continue to work on these until I’m happy with the end
result.
My goals I’m happy with what I have set out for the year. I
believe once I move and get into a good routine I’ll nail them each month. Plus
I have the girls to give me a boot in the butt if I don’t.
I’d actually be interested in knowing how many
writers/authors do write business/career and book plans.
What I'm Reading: ‘Paying the Forfeit’ by S.E
Gilchrist and ‘Hidden Passion’ by Marianne Theresa
What I'm Watching: Big Bang Theory
What I'm Working On: Regency novel
Happy New Year everyone, yes, I’m very late offering my best
wishes, but that’s me lately always running late. I hope you all had a
wonderful Christmas. I know I did, this year we had the family come and have
Christmas lunch with us on the farm.
I have some non writing news to start off the year with; my
husband and I are moving after being on the farm for almost 28 years we have
sold it to our daughter and son-in-law. I know they will enjoy life here as
much as we have, for Jim and my self it’s getting use to life in town. Thank
God I have my writing.
Speaking of writing, I’ve sent the first three chapters of a
regency off to an editor. Now the wait begins, of course there is always
editing to be done. Plus, I have a mile of packing to finish.
Well I’m leaving it short and sweet for this post, I really
just wanted to let people know I’m still floating around.
What I'm Reading: 'The Elusive Bride' by Stephanie Laurens What I'm Watching: Grey's Anatomy & NCIS What I'm Working On: Novella ~ 'A Titanic Affair' and novel 'Lady Mounthall'
Okay, I knew it had been a while since I'd last posted but 4 MONTHS, that is not good, even with all the good reasons under the sun that I have. So what has been happening in my life?
First I had a wonderful time at the RWAustralia Conference in August. The workshops were fantastic, the venue fabulous, and the organisers, well what can I say, they were out of this world.
Shortly after arriving home and a visit to my doctor I was advised I needed to find a way to ease the stress levels in my life and to cut down the time I spend on the computer, this would make it impossible for me to carry on my role as Secretary of RWAustralia, so with much sadness I stepped down. While my health is improving, I still have aways to go before I can start to increase my computer time.
Much of my writing I'm doing long hand, and as odd as it seems it is working better for me. I can edit as I transcribe it onto the computer.
Hunter Romance Writers, (HRW) were lucky enough to receive a grant from RWAustralia this year, which we are going to use to run a one day 'Self-Publishing Workshop' presented by Cathleen Ross. This will take place on 3rd November, something we are all looking forward to with much excitement.
Left: A mock cover for 'A Titanic Affair'
My plans for the next few weeks, work on improving my health. Continue to work on my novella, this is to be included an anthology series with HRW early next year. And bring Lady Mounthall up to scratch, I've had a change in the plotting. This is what happens when you are a panster, I'm working on changing that aspect of my writing.
Well that is it for now, hopefully I won't leave it so long next time. Sandie
Who would be the crazy person to decide to do 50ks in 30
Days as well as Margie Lawson’s Fab 30 in 40? Well that would be me wouldn’t it?
Yes, for some peculiar reason I thought I’d be able to handle doing both at the
sometime.
Anyway, I’m sort of keeping up with Margie, although I do
need to read some of the other participants work and give my opinion. But as
for the 50/30 (and I’m not even doing 50ks, just 15ks) I’m lagging way behind.
I’m also a tad behind in my goals for Hunter Romance Writers this month.
Over the next few days I really need to get my butt in my
chair and write like the devil is after me. I’ll let you know next week whether
I made it or not. LOL.
Much of the art works from the Regency Era were of
landscapes and portraits. Some of
England’s greatest artists came from this era, and many were know for their
work with oils and watercolours.
Today I’m going to share with you a couple of my favourite
artists from Regency England and their works.
One of my favourite artists of this period was John
Constable. John was never financially successful at the time although his
paintings are amongst the most popular and valuable now.
What draws me to John Constable’s paintings is his love of
the country side as depicted in these two paintings.
The next of my favourite artists is Sir Thomas Lawrence. Sir
Thomas was known for his oil portraits of some of England’s most respected
society members. Thought of something of a child prodigy, he supported his
at the age of ten with his pastel portraits.
Sir Thomas first royal commission was to paint a portrait of
Queen Charlotte.
One of my favourite portraits by Sir Thomas was of Sally
Siddons, the woman he loved. The story
goes that Thomas fell in love with Sally, but then turned his affections on her
sister Maria before returning to Sally. When Maria became ill and on her
deathbed make Sally promise not to marry Sir Thomas they never saw each other
again. Thomas never married.What a sad
story.
So that’s the first of my favourite Regency artists blog. I’ll
share more with you another day.
This is the second of my Regency research links post. As with the six I shared with you in my first post, I have found each of these sites useful in my writing Regency romance.
It is April 25th here in Australia, ANZAC Day. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It is the day Australian and New Zealand families look back and pay homage to our fallen soldiers. To those who have gone before us, to those who fought for our freedom and the freedom of many around the world.
In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the alliance with Great Britain to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula during the First World War. In what was expected to be a swift and unexpected strike turned into an eight month battle with heavy casualties for all the allies.
Since 1916, we have remembered our service men and women with dawn services and street marches in most towns and cities no matter how large or small.
The poem most read for our fallen. The bold paragraph is the most well known.
For the fallen
By Laurence Binyon (1869–1943)
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
***
Today take some time to remember those who have lost their lives, but mostly remember those they left behind. The wives, children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, these are people who have given us so much in their darkest hours.
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