I met an old friend at London’s Royal Academy the other day … a friend who caused a million dollar controversy in Australia when I was still at school. I remember it so well. The ‘friend’ I am referring to is Jackson Pollock’s iconic painting – Blue Poles. Painted in 1952, it was purchased by…
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks looked away in my editing cave… putting final touches on the next book before it goes out into the world. Editing is both a technical and emotional process…. Here’s the emotional…
We all have them – the ‘one day’ house. Go on… confess. I bet you have one too. ‘One day – when I win the lottery….’ or ‘One day when I am fabulously rich…’ It’s otherwise known as the dream house. I think I started designing the house of my dreams when I was about…
I thought it was time to post another of my semi irregular lists of books I’ve been reading. I’ve been sticking with comfort reads a bit of late.. so there are some old favourites here… The Gilded Fan – Christina Courtenay (paperback) I am a big fan of Christina Courtenay’s Japanese historical books. They are…
Can you imagine writing with the world’s biggest-selling novelist? Taking his ideas and turning them into chapters – and then… gasp… he looks at those chapters and criticises them. He tells you exactly what you got right and wrong. My knees shake at the very thought, but that’s what working with James Patterson is all…
Ok –authordom isn’t a real word, but bear with me. I think it should be. According to the Oxford dictionary, dom is a suffix which denotes a state or condition (freedom); rank or status (earldom); a domain (kingdom) or a class of people (officialdom). That’s us – isn’t it?
A balcony, a sunset, a sea view and a glass of wine – no, not a romantic weekend away (I wish) – it was the 25th Annual Romance Writers of Australia conference. This had the theme Ain’t Love Grand, and was held in the lovely city of Adelaide. This is the second time I have…
Graffiti isn’t what it used to be – well not in my old home town at least. I was totally entranced last week revisiting the streets and alleys I knew when I was a teenager, and seeing how they have been transformed into an amazing outdoor art gallery. A couple of years ago, someone came…
I am back in Australia this week, and discovered that had forgotten the stars, and potato scallops and bush lemons. Travelling is great. I get to experience new people and places and cultures. New sights and sounds and tastes. But there is something about the place where you grew up that never leaves you. You…
