Sexy Saturday

It's Sexy Saturday time. This week I thought I would share with you another of my Hero Inspirations. Now I just love 'Bones' not as much as Grey's Anatomy, but almost and David Doreanaz, well yummy, hot and sexy.

So here for your viewing pleasure...

Oh forgot to tell you RC, Mari Carr and I are all through to the next round in the 'One Line' contest over at Karin Tabke. YAY.

One more thing it is the lovely Monique Wood's birthday today so drop by and wish her all the best. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Monique.

Well that's it for another Sexy Saturday. Have a fantastic Weekend.

Sandie

Frantic Friday

Now where the hell did this last week go? And the month for that matter. Is it just me or is time going faster now I'm older? I am quite pleased with myself today, I had another good day on the writing front, 4,752 words for the day so far, and I have reached my target goal of 20k for the month. (See my new challenge winners logo way cool hey). So YAY me. 'The Godmother's Wish' total 20,111 words.

I'm not sure if I'll get much more done today but I really would like to have 'The Godmother's Wish' finished by tomorrow. That way I can go back to working on my editing. Let's face it I have more than enough of that to do. i am even going to convince some other person that bugs me from time to time to do some editing. (Wish me luck with that one).

I'm going to be doing a Writer's Bootcamp with two writing buddies of mine Monique Wood and Anita/Ellanora Joy (we are going to have heaps of fun and of course learn even more) anyway we are doing this in February over two Saturdays.

For now I think I'll try to do a bit more writing and see how I go until hubby comes in for dinner. Fish with crab and prawns sauce is on the menu tonight, he should enjoy that as a meal.

See ya tomorrow with my Sexy Saturday inspiration.

Sandie

Thursday's Thoughts

I think I am the reviewer from hell at the moment. I sure feel like I am. I wrote a review the other week on a novel that I found quite hard to read. It was long, a lot longer than I felt it needed to be that’s for sure. The dialogue stilted, and while the theme and plot intrigued me when I read the blurb, the story just didn’t carry the same vibe. Don’t get me wrong the story idea was good, it was just that there seemed to be more telling of the story.

Now I know people write reviews every day and if they don’t like a book or a novel they say so and go on to the next one. It’s all part of the reviewers life. To write what you think, honestly, say how you feel. Hmm… well, I did just that in the process hurt someone. I don’t know this person from Joe Blog, but I inadvertently hurt them anyway. To be honest when I wrote the review I didn’t think it was that bad, well harsh. Then yesterday afternoon I read it to my daughter, “Yep, a tad harsh Mum,” she said. Then this morning I went to the site where I have this review and someone said I needed to give more of a reason why I didn’t like the book. Maybe she is right, maybe I didn’t go into enough detail. But to tell you the truth I was worried I’d say something I really should not say.

So what am I babbling on about this for? To tell you the truth I have no idea. May be I just need to put down on paper that in future when I write a review, I’ll re-read it and make sure anything I say, will not hurt someone. I did point out in my reply this morning that this is only my opinion and that may this girl should read the novel herself as she may enjoy it more than I did.

Sandie

Wednesday's Wisdom

A few Wednesday's Wisdoms for you.

"It's an adrenaline surge rushing through your body. You have this spark of an idea that keeps threatening to burst into flames and you have to get the words out on paper to match this emotion or picture in your head. After this comes the work of cleaning up the mess that you made."--Janet West

"You learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The money's in novels, but writing short stories keeps your writing lean and pointed." --Larry Niven

“One nice thing about putting the thing away for a couple of months before looking at it is that you start appreciate your own wit. Of course, this can be carried too far. But it's kind of cool when you crack up a piece of writing, and then realize you wrote it. I recommend this feeling.”

-- Steven Brust

Sandie

Tasty Tuesday

Yes it is Tasty Tuesday AGAIN and to stay in the theme of Australia Day for one last time here are a couple more of our home bred hotties.


A personal favourite of mine Alex O'Loughlin.

Oh, yet another one to add to the hero file, Scott McGregor.

Enjoy,

Sandie

Monday Madness ~ Happy Australia Day

Happy Australia Day everyone. Yes, it's a day for us all to be proud of who we are, Australians. It is a day to celebrate the founding of this great country we call home. It is also a day to stop and think about those men and women who have fought and are still fighting to keep our shores safe. To thank them for all that they do and that they have done.

And it is also a day to remember those that were here before us, those whose land we now walk and whose lives were changed and not by their choosing. Lastly it is a day to pray, that one day we will all be able to live together in harmony, respect each others beliefs and accept each others way of life.

Okay I am now standing down off my soap box. Have a great day.

Sandie

Sensational Sunday

Heavens here it is Sunday already. Where the hell did the week go? We have a long weekend here in the Land of Oz for Australia Day tomorrow, which is good, I get to have hubby home for another day. Of course, this also means that I do not get a lot done as he is always asking me what I’m doing even when he can see I’m either writing or reading. Speaking of reading, I managed to read four novels since Thursday and write four reviews. Luckily two were only novellas. So I’m all caught up with reviews and I’m about to start on doing some critiques. I managed to write two scenes for ‘The Godmother’s Wish’, poor Roman he is having such a hard time of it. Hehehehe.

I thought I would finish the week off with a couple of photos of sensationally sexy Australian Actors in honour of Australia Day. Well that’s my excuse anyway. LOL.

Sandie

Sexy Saturday

Yes as the title would suggest it's all about sexy men. Now I know this can to seen as exploiting the male body for our own self interest, BUT, I'm looking at it as I'm doing these guys a favour. I mean they are actors, all be it unknown ones, well unknown to me. Not so unknown in India yes these are a couple of Bollywood stars. I just thought I'd give them a little exposure. Help them along a bit. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here we have John Abraham hot, hot, hot.

This is Salman Khan, oh so hero material. Don't ya just love research?

It's a dirty job but someone has to do it. LOL.

Sandie

Frantic Friday

Today hasn't been too bad. I was up early, like 6am (very unusual for me). I had the washing out, the dishes done, the bed made and the floors clean all by 9am. Not bad going.



I've read three chapters of a novel I have to review. (Going to read some more shortly). I did some critiquing, plus I even did some writing. YAY ME!


I added 597 words to 'The Godmother's Wish', that brings it up to 11,732 and Lucy wrote another diary entry.


Miss Cassandra invaded my body for a short period and wrote another 1,171 to one of her WIPs.




In all a good day, may be not Frantic, but good just the same.

Thursday's Thoughts

Well my writing has come to a grinding holt the last couple of days. If I sit to writing at the computer my mind goes blank. I’ve made a few notes in my notepad, but anywhere near enough. I think this upset with my Mum is getting to me. So, I’m going to put everything on hold until I get that sorted out. If I feel like writing I will, if not I’m not going to beat myself up about it.

I did an interview with my hero from ‘The Godmother’s Wish’ Romanos Makris on ‘Let’s Talk Heroes’. Lucy has been updating her diary on ‘Diary of a Heroine’ so I’m at least learning a little about my characters. The diary thing is interesting it is like they are sitting there writing in front of me. Oh, and I have to writing them longhand before I transcribe them to the blog.

I’ve written a review for Robyn Grady’s ‘Baby Bequest’ on my Review site, really enjoyed reading it, Robyn is great to read.

Hope you all are finding the time to write and getting the words on paper. I’ve also made it into the next round of Karin Tabke’s ‘One Line’ along with Rhian Cahill and her CP Mari Carr WOOHOO.

See ya later.
Sandie

Wednesday's Wisdom

I am endeavoring to write a new blog here every day. Today is my first ‘Wednesday Wisdom’. To tell you the truth I really don’t have any words of wisdom, but I do have some sites where you will find loads of wisdom and help with your writing. So here we go with just a few:

Liz Fielding:- http://www.lizfielding.com/aboutwriting.html

Anne Gracie:- http://www.annegracie.com/writing/writing.htm

All About Romance:- http://www.likesbooks.com/write.html

Ally Blake:- http://www.allyblake.com/writingtips.html

Barbara Hannay:- http://www.barbarahannay.com/articles.html

Nicola Marsh:- http://www.nicolamarsh.com/nook.html

Okay that should keep you out of trouble for a while.

Sandie

Tasty Tuesday

Here is today's 'Tasty Tuesday' offering. Hehehehe.

Dino Morea, Indian actor and model. Yummy. Hero inspiration, now all I need is a good story line for him.

Sandie

Monday Madness

It really is mad here today. I had one of my all nighters last night. Yes, I was still awake when the sun came up. Looks like my insomnia is back, I think it more to do with worrying about my Mum than anything else.

I did get to have some breakfast with Jim, when he left for work I went and slept for an hour and a half. Then I was up, tidied up around my writing area, I can now see where things are. I still have the dishes to do, and the washing (I have no idea why I didn’t do the washing yesterday. Oh, yeah I was writing.

So it is now 2.20pm, I have a novel to read so I can write a review for FAR. I have to write at least 500 words for ‘The Godmother’s Wish’, I want to do some editing, (I’m letting that slip, not good) and I need to update my challenge blog. Oh, and Jim will be home in an hour.

Yep, Monday Madness!

Sandie

The Writing is Picking Up

I seem to have a rocket under me the last few days, just a small one anyway. Current word count for 'The Godmother's Wish' is 10,427, yes that means I have written 5,076 words since Thursday. I'm happy with how the story is going, I was concerned on Friday night as I thought I was going to have to deal with a sex scene I didn't want just yet. As a matter of fact I'm hoping this novella/novel will be more along the lines of tender/sweet instead of sexy/erotic, only because I want to prove to myself I can write a novel that is not full of sex.

I'm not saying that the hero and heroine are not thinking about sex, just that they are not acting on those feelings. If you would like to have a glimpse of my heroine's mind set, you can read her diary here: Diary of A Heroine there are a couple of diary entries so far.

Yes I've been making more blogs, Miss Procrastination has been running wild around the house, along with the Heroine's diary I also have a blog for my novels, The Novels . I know I'm crazy, but than you lot already knew that, LOL.

On the editing front, not a whole lot is happening. Every time I think I'll sit down and go over one of my finished WIP a scene jumps into my head and I start writing again. Plus there is another Madame pushing her way in wanting equal writing time as well. She at least is happy to wait until later in the evening to push for writing time.

I started reading Robyn Grady's 'Baby Bequest' yesterday, for no other reason than to sit down and read. I love Robyn's novels and this is shaping up to be a good read.

Well that's it for now, I'll be back through the week and let you know how I go with this week's Karin Tabke 'One Line' Contest.

Sandie

Going Oh So Slowly

My writing is moving slower than a snail at the moment. It has nothing to do with the story, well I don't think it does anyway. No, I think it is more that I have too much going on in the outside world.

My Mum is not doing all that well at the moment and it is looking more likely that she will have to go into aged care. She is going into rest spite next week for a few weeks and we are hoping to get more in home care for her so she can stay in her own home, all we can really do is wait and see. I've decided I don't think I want to get old, it is the pitts.

So on top of that I'm getting more headaches, (well migraines). I don't have time for that crap. I have a novella to write. I'm at 5,351 of my 20,000 words with 17 days to go. So that is words a day I need to write as well as edit and do re-writes on 'We Were In Love'. I do not have time to be down for two and three days with migraines.

On to other news, I'm still in Karin Tabke 'One Line' contest. YAY. Really thought I'd go this week. So I've made the top 50, not bad, I'm happy. Rhain Cahill is still going strong as well, not sure about any other Aussies. I'll have to have a good read through them all and see if I can work it out.

I've written my first two reviews for Fallen Angel Reviews I'm not sure when they get posted to the site. I'm enjoying writing reviews, I'm reading novels I don't normally read and learning a lot about writing as well. I have a few reviews I've written for Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction on my Review Blog , you'll also find my Angel me there, LOL it's the only time I've been an angel.

Okay that is it for this update. See ya next time.

Sandie

An Interview With Suzanne Brandyn

I am joined today by Suzanne Brandyn whose first novel ‘Passion In Paradise’ is digital released today from The Wild Rose Press. Look out for the print format 21 February 2009.

Suzanne, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today, and congratulations on the release of your first novel. I have to ask, how are you feeling now you have your novel published?


I’m excited and a little nervous. I’m looking forward to the reviews.


Can you tell us a little about your novel?

Passion In Paradise was originally titled seven days. The first three chapters were entered in the RWAustralia Emerald Competition gaining a mark of 95%. I had to withdraw it as it was accepted for publication. I wanted to get two characters stranded on an island. It all took off from that single idea.

How long did you spend on writing your novel?

Oh now that’s a hard question. I wrote ‘Passion In Paradise’ in the National Novel Writing Month. But then a lot of edits followed to perfect little mistakes. :-)

In writing your novels, how do you decide what point of view to use?

This depends on which character has the most to lose but basically most of my manuscripts are 65% in the heroine’s POV.

Tell me a little about your writing process. How do you get yourself into the mood to write?

I really don’t get myself into the mood to write. I am in the mood to write. I think this stems from the desire to want to succeed, the desire to see my novels published and the desire to fulfill readers dreams.

Do the characters take on a life of their own? Or, do you direct where they go and what they do?

I basically have a general plot and a few subplots, but yes, my characters at times tend to do something I never planned. Usually when this happens it is such a great turning point and works out well.

Did you want to be a writer when you were growing up?

No, I wanted to be an airhostess. ;-)

What is your revision process like?

Once my manuscript is finalized I print it out. Then I read it through marking what needs to be changed. I pick up more discrepancies that way. I also read chapter for chapter aloud. This is a great way to pick up mistakes.

What are you working on now?

I have recently finished a category and currently I’m finalizing another.

What writers have influenced you?

I guess I could say Nora Roberts. But I admire most authors and their talent and ability to tell a good story.

What is your daily writing schedule like?

I try to write four days a week with an hour here or there. It depends on what I’m doing. I get up at seven, walk, attend to any domestic duties and by nine I am at my desk tapping away until five or five thirty. When I’m in my story I find that by five I have missed lunch and that’s not a good thing. Lol. But it continually happens.

Do you keep a journal?

Definitely. This is where everything in my life goes. I have done since 1994.

Do you have any bad writing habits?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. All writers have bad writing habits. I tend to be repetitive. This includes using the same word over and over. You know pet words. I am becoming more aware of repetitiveness. ;-)

Can you tell us something about yourself that we would never guess?

An accident brought me to writing. The first accident in 1994, I wrote short stories articles etc. I then regained my health and joined the workforce until another accident in 2004 brought me back to my writing. Now, I am too in love with what I do to ever consider doing anything else. :-)

Suzanne thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish you every success with your novel, I know I’m looking forward to reading it.


Thank you Sandie. Thank you for having me. It has been wonderful. A great new experience for me. :-)

Enjoy! ;-)


If you would like to purchase Suzanne’s novel ‘Passion In Paradise’ go here to The Wild Rose Press.

Sandie