Do you have goals bloghop. Novels, novellas, short stories, travel articles...how has June been for you?

Earlier this year I joined this regular monthly Friday bloghop hosted by Misha Gericke and Beth Fred. It's a steadily growing list as writers realise it's a good motivation.

The reason I joined this hop was to keep myself honest, and honestly, reflecting on my goals for the month is a good motivation to push myself. So here it's the last Friday of June, ridiculous, so it's time again...

You're more than welcome to join this bloghop. All you need to do is read and follow the guidelines then SIGN UP HERE...

Your goal is the link title. Not your name or your blog's. This is so we can keep track of who's doing what. 

I signed up as Number 13,  'publish a novel and submit short stories' this year. 

MY WRITING LIFE IN JUNE 2016

MY PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELLA, BOOK TWO - The Vendemmia (The Harvest)

I am into the sequel to the second story in my  series Under the Tuscan Moon. Sorry for taking so long for those of you who have asked where is the second novella, but the research is taking longer than I'd planned. I hate reading sequels that are rubbish, written under duress, so bear with me.

In the sequel, my two 'loveable', ahem, vamps, Vipunin and Cuchulcain, have returned to Vipunin's castello where he lived before he was turned. Here Vipunin intends to be a very disruptive influence at harvest time. Ciassia and Sibon  are unaware they harbour a monster in their midst, a monster who will do anything to get what he wants...and he wants Ciassia. 

SHORT STORY UPDATE

Last time I gave an update on one of my Paris short stories, Carpe Diem, it was at 25,000 words. This story is lighting up my life and sending electricity through my fingertips as I type, so it is now at 30K+. So I figure my protagonists, Saskia and her lover Raphael, are demanding nothing less than novel length. When you meet these two, you'll know what I mean...

A quick mock up to give you the idea

Currently I'm sorting the chapters as there's a PAST and PRESENT element. I have a further motivation to get the structure right (even as I continue to write up their marriage in country France). I'm lucky to be attending a Margie Lawson immersion class in Brisbane in early August. I've worked through some of her online tutorials and this woman knows a thing or two about writing/editing.  As Margie says on her web page: "EXPECT to work for three full days (plus the afternoon and evening you arrive) dissecting, analyzing, and deep editing." I feel very blessed to have strong-armed my way into her seminar. I'm going to use Carpe Diem as my piece to work on with Margie.

WRITING ABOUT TRAVEL 

As regular visitors and blogger friends know, I wear a travel writer's hat. Well, I've been travelling again...to tropical North Queensland, so haven't achieved more than taking photos and making notes. No time to work on my travel articles, but it won't take long to rectify this now that I'm back home. 

MY PARIS COOKERY SCHOOL NOVEL

This is still waiting for November's NaNoWriMo. 

WRITE...EDIT...PUBLISH

Have done some guest posts, at Chrys Fey's in particular, in which I mention WEP's August challenge, GARDENS. I spent some time meandering around the Remembrance Gardens in Townsville. I felt a story coming on...Please join us in August if you love gardens--flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photographs, artwork...

WRAPPING UP...

So overall, June has been very low key as far as writing goes, but you've got to live your life. Major renovations at our beach house (next year our principal residence) are slowing me down writing-wise. I'm helping with the painting now. It'll be worth it when I can lock myself away in Den's Den which is about to be painted. Filling the bookshelves will be delightful.

READING 

I READ A LOT but haven't reviewed much this month. I'm concentrating on bloggers' books on my kindle. Just finished The House by the Lake by Ella Carey, an Aussie writer. Delightful! Already topped some of Amazon's best-seller lists. Set in Berlin and the US and follows her Paris Time Capsule based on the true story of an abandoned apartment in Paris. 

AIM HIGH

Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.– Ray Bradbury

How are you going with your 2016 goals? I'd love to hear from you. Please share in comments or join the hop.

I've been visiting Townsville in Far North Queensland. Some photos and chit chat for you...

Hello there!

Thank you for the great response to my IWSG post re beta readers and critiquers last week. I've taken on board the advice to leave my ms in the drawer for awhile then take control of it myself. Meanwhile, I'm about ready to self-publish my first novella! Yay! I started this paranormal romance in 2010 and picked it up recently with the intention of publishing it for Halloween. I'm running out of time, but I intend to make it. Wish me well getting it on Amazon this week!

If you think I've been slack with blog visits, it's because I've been away travelling again, but this time I've remained in my home state, Queensland. It was school holidays, so I travelled to the Far North to visit my daughter in Townsville. If ever the north seceded from the south (and there is always talk of this), Townsville would be the capital city. 

This was an exciting time to visit Townsville. It was the Rugby League Grand Final, and this year it was between two Queensland teams, the Brisbane Broncos and the Townsville Cowboys. Whoa! And didn't Townsville get into the swing of it. As soon as I entered the airport, I was met with banners.

Jonothan Thurston on right, the best rugby player in the world. 

Townsville has many wonderful eateries. Maybe not as slick as Brisbane's, but in the last few years the eateries have gone gang busters. Enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at a new establishment, the Cat's Meow. Inside there was something different. The owner had sourced little Golden Books and turned them into menus. So cute.

The food was amazing too.

And the owner also sells antiques. I picked up this beautiful Italian pink art glass which will go so well in my new writing room when it's done.

Walking along The Strand is always refreshing. It was very windy so the stretch of water between Townsville and Magnetic Island was a little grey instead of the usual pristine blue, but as you see, the sky had nothing to apologise for.

And each time I visit my daughter, I read A House in Fez by Australian author, Suzanna Clarke.

Finally finished it this visit. No way would I restore a riad in the Fez medina in Morocco, but it made excellent reading. What satisfaction to go from this--

To this--

Made me homesick for Morocco. Here we are in Morocco in 2012.

Back home again. Walking around our street last night, I picked some spring blossoms which were everywhere! So pretty!

I know it's autumn in the northern hemisphere, but it's spring Down Under, but it feels like summer. Here is a whacky art sculpture at the beach on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.

I hope you enjoyed your brush with Queensland culture.

By the way, the Townsville Cowboys won the Grand Final for the first time ever! In the last half minute, Jonothan Thurston, dubbed the best rugby player in the world, kicked a field goal. The poor Broncos! They thought they  had it won!

• What have you been up to the last couple of weeks?
• Don't forget the WEP Halloween challenge! Get together something creepy by October 21! You can sign up in my sidebar!

Thanks for visiting!

Travelling again

My, I have such an exciting life! On Friday morning (early!!!!! because someone likes to get an early start!) will be taking a road trip to Townsville, North Queensland. It is over 1000 km, so will be on the road 2 days each way. It can be a very long trip, and unfortunately boring in some bits, as the road doesn't go close enough to the coast. You're driving through the wonderfully samish Aussie bush. Hopefully no kangaroos will pop out to say hi when we're travelling at 120km per hour! Anyway, thankfully you may say, my blog may be quiet for a few days as travelling is pretty exhausting (especially with a husband and puppy!) so I won't be feeling like chatting. It is a great time to hit the road over in Oz - winter - although our days are 26 deg C. Townsville is in the tropics (I'm in the sub-tropics) so it is still around 30 deg C. Not a bad winter!