I have a deadline. A novel I'm writing needs to be published in five to six months. I usually take years on my manuscripts, working on a draft, then putting it aside for a few months. When I pick it up again, I'll see what needs work, fix, then put it aside for another few …
So, you’ve lost interest in that book you’re reading.
I admit, it takes me a long time to ditch a book. I always get into a story, admiring the prose, until there may be a point three quarters in where I lose interest. But at least I've given that novel a decent read. Sometimes I'm still keen to know the ending and skip to …
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Author News Update – 6 April, 2025
Welcome to my second author update. Today's blog features several videos, some sad news about copyright theft, and a new interview. First off, I've been doing a couple of courses lately updating my manuscript submission skills. During that time I've met many writers still trying to land their first publishing deal. So I recorded a …
The best queer country festival!
Today's blog is not about books or writing. Instead, I want to share news about our time in Daylesford for the Chill Out Festival, a queer event in rural Victoria which has been running for twenty-eight years. We attended this year. It's one of several such festivals which follow the Sydney Mardi Gras in March, …
Author News Update – 24 February, 2025
This is something new I'll be doing from time to time. My social media is full of announcements, as is my newsletter, but I thought it was time to share the same news to my blog readers. The main purpose of today's update is to let you know that my novella, Winter Masquerade, is discounted …
Killing my darlings!
I have a conundrum. There's a lovely scene in a current work in progress which takes place at a Marriage Equality rally which actually took place during the 90s. Me and my husband were there, never believing for a minute this proposal would be even seriously considered in our lifetime. In this chapter, a former …
Book Review – Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
I could tell you the whole plot in one paragraph. Yet instead of a light tale stretched over the length of a novel, Revolutionary Road is a deep study of its characters. The story revolves around Frank and April Wheeler, a young married couple who believe they are more clever than they actually are. Frank …
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Books that changed me
There was a recent challenge on BlueSky. Over twenty days we had to post covers of books which stayed with us, or influenced us, without saying why. I completed the challenge then thought, why not blog about the reasons why. So, I've picked three from that list. 1. Tilda Is Visable by Jane Tara This …
When reviewers have sex issues.
Something odd happened. A review came out for The Midnight Man which complained about the graphic sexual content. I was confused as the opening chapter has the only sex scene. It's not a scene which titillates because its purpose is to show the reader how unhappy the main character is in his relationship. There are …
Are you sure your novel is ready?
A couple of books I've read lately inspired this blog. And what's interesting about their flaws is it made me reflect on advice I received when my first novel was published. This was way before self publishing was a thing. Back then the first thing I was told was to have my manuscript assessed. My …
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