Family Reunion

I find that even though our family is close, we don’t often get to see each other as much as we should. With family members scattered from one side of the country to the other, and Esperance being slightly ‘out of the way’, it sometimes makes getting together very difficult. This Easter was a lovely…

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Waiting, waiting …

I’m waiting for the phone to ring. My stomach’s churning, my finger nails bitten to the quick and still it’s silent. Taunting me! Then the shrill tone cut through the air and even though I’m expecting the call I jump like a startled rabbit and my stomach plunges to the floor! It’s my first interview!…

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Happy Easter

Here we at Easter already – where has this year flown? I was trying to take a photo of these eggs to help wish you all a happy Easter, but Rocket was intrigued by the smell and wouldn’t get out of the way! So from Rocket and the rest of the McDonald crew, we wish…

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Only in the bush…

We get a mail delivery twice a week. It’s a pain when you get a phone call on a day, saying something really important is in town, (like parts for the tractor, a new piece of machinery or… a box of books!) and there’s another week to go until you can pick it up! That’s…

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The good, the bad and the ugly!

Some days I have great days with my writing. Everything flows easily, the story unfolds perfectly… and then there are the days when nothing works and my sentences look like they’ve been constructed by a six-year-old, not someone who loves to write. Today is one of those days. See the red scrawls? They indicates that…

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Slave Labour in the garden

Every so often the garden gets the better of me. In fact, it’s always got the better of me – I’m the worlds worst gardener! I love beautiful gardens and always wanted a huge one with lots of lawn and flowers. I’ve got one, but it seems to grow more weeds than flowers and the…

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In the Pink

Aren’t mates great? Bemoaning the fact I was struggling with parts of my second novel, one of my mates actually listened to me (!) and sent through a survival pack that included this wonderful pink boa pen! I can’t wait to start editing with it to see if it will tickle my nose… or wake…

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Ahhh!

Now it’s time to sit and do some writing! The Community Fair is over, things are quietly tonking along on the farm and I think I’ve found the bottom of my washing and ironing basket! (For this week at least!) So, the writing… yes, but there’s still office work to do, cooking to fill the…

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Cake Competitions

There seems to be great competition between kids when it comes to their birthday cakes! Now, this is fine if you’re like my friend Gill and is a brilliant cook, decorator and everything else that goes on in the kitchen! If you’re like me and struggle to get a cake to rise, let alone make…

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Early bird reading offer for Red Dust

This has just come through from Allen and Unwin’s eNewsletter. Here’s a chance to read Red Dust before it’s published. I hope Red Dust intrigues you enough to feel like entering. All you have to do is sign up for the Allen and Unwin’s eNewsletter and follow the instructions below. We want your book reviews!…

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Excitement in the Mail

I had a great surprise and shock when I went to the mail box today! There was a package from Siobhan, my editor. Opening it up there lay three reading copies of Red Dust, wrapped in bubble plastic. I had no idea Siobhan had sent them until this morning, and when I saw them, I…

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And the rain keeps falling…

What odd weather we’re having. On Monday the mercury hit 48 degrees, even though the official reading was 45. What’s a few degrees when it gets that hot though?! After sweltering throughout the day, at about 5pm, it was still 40, so I loaded up the kids and headed to the beach. A cool change…

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Christmas by the sea

On a trip to one of local beaches recently, we laughed at this Christmas tree that had been transplanted from the roadside to the beach. Stuck in a huge hole on the beach, decorated beautifully and complete with a filleting table underneath, we’re pretty sure that ‘John’s Filleting’ and the rest of his campers had…

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Happy New Year!

2009 already! Where are all the years flying to? My mum used to tell me that I was wishing my life away — ‘I wish my birthday would come, I can’t wait for Christmas!’ and now here the new year is already! I really hope that the New Year brings all your hopes and wishes…

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Idyllic

Well the storm’s passed and we thought rather than wallowing in self pity, the beach was a better option! You wouldn’t even known it has rained today, although there was some nasty damage around the shire. Tonight it’s still, calm and peaceful. We might even be lucky enough to catch a fish!

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The Red Dust Setting

Going ‘back home’ is always great fun. I miss the huge trees and deep creek lines that cris-cross the countryside, the red dirt and funny purply coloured roads that I was thought were normal until I left the mid-north of SA!   In April, Rochelle, Hayden and I were excited to be heading home for…

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Red Dust

Here are the cover notes for my first novel — Red Dust Adam Sinclair died in an horrific plane accident leaving behind his wife, Gemma, a 10,000ha station and a secret. Gemma is the sole beneficiary of the station and decides to disregard Adam’s final words that he is in trouble and she should sell…

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