Clayton's Conference 2009

RWAustralia Clayton’s Conference is over for another year. We had a lot of fun with the Inaugural Clayton’s Conference Awards. Some really great entries in all categories, as well as the weekend writing challenges. You all know how much I love writing challenges. LOL. So goodie bags are packed ready to send out, just need to print off Our Sponsor’s Information leaflet to go with each bag and I’m finished until next year.

On the writing front, not a lot has happened. ‘Robin Hood and His Merry Maid’ has been released by Kiwi Writers. I’d like to expand on this one, but I’m thinking instead of this short story being the last in the series, I’ll make it the first, which is why Robin goes on his lustful journey. All I need to do is keep it a bay long enough so I can get my editing done. I may write ‘Robin’s Adventures’ for NaNoWriMo this year. I have just over two months to get my act together.

Tannia Franklin did a ‘Time Management’ workshop with us over the weekend, I think I need to get some of that happening. Thanks Tannia. I’d also like to thank: Anne Whitfield, Zana Bell, Joanna Challis, Heather Brown, Rhian Cahill, Diane Curran and Valerie Parv, for taking the time to hold workshops and chats we us over the Clayton’s weekend. I also have a mile of people to thank for donations, I’ll do that tomorrow.

Okay, I’m off favourite son-in-law has just arrived. See ya.
Sandie

Clayton's Conference and Other Things

Heaven’s has it been that long since I did a post. What a slack butt I am. I’ve been busy with writing, editing and family. Plus RC and I ran this year’s Clayton’s Conference. That was a lot of fun we had some great workshops and chats. The feedback was positive which was a relief; it’s always hard to take on a project someone else has worked on for a number of years. So when Julie-Ann asked if I would be willing to run this years Clayton's I was a little nervous, but thought "If I don't give it a go I'd kick myself." Of course then I asked RC if she wanted to come play as well. Thank you Julie-Ann for allowing us to watch over your baby this year.

We had a ‘Novella Workshops’ by Shiloh Walker, ‘Ask the Author Anything’ with the talented Allison Rushby very interesting. It was wonderful of Allison to take time away from her family to chat with us. RC did a workshop on ‘Sensory Overload’, that had us all thinking and was a great lead into Sunday evening. Laney Cairo’s “Mechanical Sex’ was fantastic; we had a great time over all.

I’d like to take the time to thank all our sponsors for donation of their time and prizes, without these people the weekend would not have been such a great success. I hope you’ll go and visit their sites (just click on their names) and learn a little about these talented women. Allison Rushby, multi-published author of Adult and Young Adult. Anna Campbell , author of dark, sexy regency historical romance. Anne Whitfield, multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. Annie West, Annie writes, Presents and Modern romance. Elisabeth Rose, has her second novel with Avalon due for release in October. Janet Woods, Janet’s 22nd novel will be published in 2009. Laney Cairo, is a multi-published author of erotic romance. N.J. Walters, has over 30 novels published in romance and erotic romance. Rhian Cahill, now this is an author’s name to remember, Rhian writes erotic romance and it is only a matter of time before she hits it big. Shiloh Walker, Shiloh is a multi-published author with Berkley, Ellora's Cave and Samhain Publishing.


I have some great news from the Melbourne conference. Diane Curran got a request for a partial how cool is that? Go over to Diane’s blog and have a look. There were a few girls that got ‘The Call’ or request for partial’s or full manuscripts. Congratulations to all.


My writing is coming along slowly at the moment. Had four more ideas jump into my head the other day. I’ve jotted them down and I’m trying very hard to stop them from moving into the ‘Head City Motel’ I really need to empty some rooms up there.


I also did a couple of on line workshops, they were fun. One was about time management. Let’s face it; I need to get into a route. The fact that I haven’t posted here for so long is a sure sign of that let alone my other blogs. As for Facebook, well lord only knows how many applications I’ll have over there. But now I have my trusty time manage techniques and I’ll be able to do all the things I need to do and a well organised manner. (She’s says crossing her fingers).


I have a new challenge coming up soon. ‘From Start to Published’ yep, this is a big one. Twelve months, twelve months to write edit and submit a novel. Okay I have a few I’m working on now to get ready to submit and enter a few contests. But the one for FSTP is my historical novel. The research that I’ve been doing, oh and the cool sites I’ve been playing at, I’ve had a blast. Come November 1, I’ll be ready to rock and roll with my novel, I hope.


Alright I need to go and get some housework done so I can get back into my writing. I have contests to enter, query letters to send off and manuscripts to research, start, finish or edit. The life or a writer is never done. When one motel door closes another opens.

Hugs
Sandie

Borders ~ I've Been Bad AGAIN

I had to go back to the doctor's yesterday, just a check up after my day surgery. He has put me on some different tables in the hope that these might spot my nausea, one can only hope. Anyway after I left the doctors I went to borders just for a look mind you. Yeah right, as if, I should know better.

So what did I buy this time? Well I got my first Anne Gracie novel YA. 'The Perfect Kiss', I've heard some very good reviews about this book, so I'm very excited about reading it. I also got Lucy Clark, 'Her Very Special Baby', Jennie Adams, 'To Love And To Cherish', Anne Oliver, 'Business In The Bedroom', and Trish Morey, 'The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin'. I just don't know which to read first, plus I still have a mile and a half of other novels to read. Sigh, just not enough hours in my day to fit everything in.

While I was in Borders I had to do some shelf rearranging. I mean how rude can they be? Fancy putting our own fantastic Trish behind the Mother's Day Special box when they clearly have enough of them out on display. Well Trish is front and centre now, as is Anne Oliver. They had her behind someone else, not good enough. When will these people learn that they should be promoting our own authors. I just know I'm going to have to go over to my two local Big W stores and do some more rearranging, oh and K-Mart as well. ;-)

Now I didn't just buy novels, I also bought Susie Bright's 'How to Write a Dirty Story', yes I know I'm suppose to be writing contemporary romance. Just couldn't help myself, I have started an erotic novel so thought this might help. Mind you if I do decide to go the erotic way, my daughter has told me to use a different name. (Cheeky little devil). I also got Louise Jordan's How To Write For Children - and get published', this one to help me with my stories I'm writing about my grandson's adventures. :-). For reference books I picked up 'Sex Slang' by Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, very interesting book, IMHO. And because my spelling is just atrocious I got 'The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Misspelled and Easily Confused Words'. So as you can see I had another fun fill day in my little slice of heaven.

Oh, I also got this cute journal; Books To Check Out, you write down all the books you want to read, borrow or lent, and your favourite books. So I'm making my list of books I want to buy. I now know they can get me some of Anne Whitfield's, so next time I'm down there I'm going to place my order. I'll also have my list to take to my local library, hopefully I'll be able to get them to stock a few of our own brilliant authors ;-).

Okay that's me for another blog. I'm going to do some housework, YUCK. I've put SVEN on hold for a couple of days, I'll get back into that on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone.

Hugs

Sandie

Friday Night and Feeling ??????

What was my day like today? I went to the doctors, he now thinks I might have an ulcer. An ulcer what good is that to ME!! Blood pressure was not bad, not good, but better then last time. YEH. Kidney fiction is down again. BOOHOO. I got into trouble from my hubby and daughter because I didn't tell my doctor everything, but I get in there and my mind goes blank, (okay my mind is blank a lot of the time) it's like I don't know, I just forget half the things I should be telling him. Anyway I have to have more blood test, yuck another needle. Then I have to have a gastroscopy, needles AGAIN!! Have I told you I HATE needles? Yeah I'm sure I did. I had hubby home with me today, he has my flu, (poor baby) nothing like sharing.



On the writing front, I looked over a couple of my WIP. My plan is to get back into it all again next week. I have spend waaaay too long letting Miss P run my life, so she is out the door. It's a pity it's not winter here here I could have kicked her out in the cold to freeze her buns off. Anyway she is going to be out of here.



I also joined Anne Whitfield's Historical Fiction Book site. It's a place where authors, publishers and readers of historical fiction can chat and swap information. It's something like Bebo and MySpace on a smaller scale at the moment. But they are all so friendly. So click on my badge on the side or here http://historicalfictionbooks.ning.com/profile/SandieHudson and and it will take you to my Site. I also joined Novel Sisterhood it's a Yahoo group of romance authors and readers. It's run by Mary Martinez, Cindy Spencer Pape, Rita Karnopp, Judith Rochelle and Elyssa Lynne. Mary is going to have Workshops on I think it's the 3rd Sunday of each month. You have to be a member to participate so go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/novelsisterhood/?yguid=327075132 to join. Both groups are growing fast.

What else have I been doing with Miss P to waste time? Well I re-designed my MySpace site and Made my own Bebo skin (which I was quite pleased with myself). I've done some more to my web page, but I think I might have to much on there, I think I'll take my photo page off. Oh and I've been playing on Facebook, Miss P is very happy with that site. She has lots of fun there. Oh and I've been sleeping, well laying around really and watching my Grey's Anatomy DVD's because I'm missing McDreamy. So that is me for today, catch ya again soon.

Hugs
Sandie