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Last Chance to WIN some goodies!
A big thank you to everyone who has participated in my special Mouthwatering May blog event!
Today is the last day, so if you want a chance to win one of the prizes below, read on…
Subscribe to the blog (on the side menu) so you can keep updated as to when new posts are published. Being a subscriber makes you eligible to be in the running for my competitions. Don’t worry, you can always unsubscribe after May if you’re just in it for some cool stuff, I won’t be offended, but of course I’m hoping you’ll enjoy the blog posts and stay on board!
For every ‘Mouthwatering May’ blog post you comment on, you’ll receive one entry into a random draw at the end of the month for one of the prizes. That’s one entry per post, not per comment, so you can’t go leaving a hundred comments on the one blog post – it won’t work! But if there are, say, 20 blog posts, and you leave a (valid) comment on each, then that’s 20 chances to win a prize. Some of the guest authors may choose to offer a prize too, but to enter you’d need to comment on their particular post.
Can you win a prize if you’re not from Australia?
Yes, as long as it’s not a prize containing food. Here’s some piccies of the goodies you could win:
There’s a beautiful Paris book-box containing Lindt Mint Intense and Raffaello choccies, plus some cute Paris sticky notes, there’s a copy of the book ‘Georgia’s Kitchen’, as well as a copy of the same book PLUS a gourmet bag of Cadbury Coco truffle chocolates! Is your mouth watering yet?
So before it’s too late, comment on any (or all) of the Mouthwatering May blog posts. Here’s the link to a listing of all of them. The listing only shows a few of the posts from May, so to see the rest, you’ll need to scroll further down the page where there’s a little button saying ‘Older Posts‘. Click on that to see the rest.
Good luck, and thanks for visiting! 🙂
Mouthwatering Moment… by Marilyn Brant
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE by Marilyn Brant…
Elizabeth caught Rob staring at her again across his mother’s dinner table. He was surprisingly silent amidst the family chaos. She, meanwhile, was left to answer questions galore from Camilla, Sammie and even an occasional triplet. Dishes clattered as roasted potatoes, manicotti, grilled carrots and tossed salad with crouton cubes were passed back and forth. Hunks of bread slathered in garlic butter were distributed to the crew. Wine or soft drinks were offered. Nobody dared refuse anything.
“None of that stinking low-carb stuff for us Gabinarris,” Rob’s brother Tony whispered to her with one eyebrow cocked. They all watched as Rob and Tony’s mom, Alessandra, heaped several spoonfuls of potatoes onto little Sammie’s plate.
Alessandra stopped abruptly, ladle in the air. “What happened to my music?” She looked accusingly around the table. “Roberto, was it you?” she said.
Rob shook his head, wide-eyed but with upturned lips, and his mother’s gaze fixed on Tony.
“Antonio?”
“Oh, all right. Yes, it was me.” Tony rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air.
His mother continued to glare at him.
“I’ll go put it back on,” Tony said.
“You do that, Antonio.” She set down her bowl and crossed her arms. “Fooling with my CD player,” she muttered until the strains of Madonna’s classic “Get Into the Groove” floated into the dining room. “Hmm. That’s better,” she said when Tony returned. And the clattering, clanking, chattiness and general chaos resumed again at the table.
Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth had managed to mostly relax. The children’s queries kept her occupied and Tony’s wife tossed encouraging smiles her way. She released a deep, pent-up breath. She’d almost done it. She’d nearly made it through the meal without saying or doing anything too embarrassing, thank goodness. In another half hour she’d be able to go home.
She glanced around the lively table. The triplets were making a game of poking holes in their bread. Sammie was still hiccupping. Camilla and her mother were giggling about something they’d seen in a Disney video. Rob and Tony were in the midst of a rousing debate over the previous NFC and AFC champs and the players who’d make the best draft picks for the fall season. Everyone grinned, talked, munched. She took a big bite of manicotti.
“So, Elizabeth,” the family matriarch said loudly, “don’t you think my son should get married soon?”
~*~
Marilyn’s favourite meal: Homemade lasagna (my Italian mother-in-law’s recipe) with soft garlic breadsticks and a fresh garden salad
Marilyn’s favourite drink: Sparkling white grape juice (non-alcoholic) or Lemon-Drop Martini (alcoholic)
Marilyn’s favourite indulgence: Sea-Salted Milk Chocolate-Covered Caramels (SO GOOD!)
Thanks for sharing your excerpt, Marilyn!
To find out more about Marilyn and her books visit her website.
Don’t forget to comment below and be in the running for some great prizes as part of my Mouthwatering May special event!
Special Guest Author Interview: Trisha Ashley
I’m thrilled to welcome author Trisha Ashley to the blog today as part of my Mouthwatering May special event.
1) Welcome Trisha! Can you tell us a little about your new book, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues?
It’s set in rural West Lancashire, like several of my recent books. I didn’t start out to write a series – they’re all stand-alone novels – but there’s some overlapping of places and characters. The village in Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is Sticklepond, where A Winter’s Tale and Chocolate Wishes also took place.
My heroine, Tansy, inherits a run-down shoe shop from her great-aunt and, when her life goes all Cinderella without a happy ending, she throws herself into recreating it as a bridal shoe emporium.
It is a huge success, which is a bit unfortunate for reclusive Shakespearian actor Ivo Hawksley, who has moved next door in search of some peace and quiet. Like Tansy, he has a few demons from his past to deal with – it’s all about coming to terms with what has happened in the past and how it has shaped you, so you can move on.
I suppose I’d describe my books as romantic comedy, though the humour arises from the characters themselves – I don’t try and write in a funny way, I just write.
2) You also have a book called Chocolate Wishes. What do you love about writing stories with a food theme?
The research, of course! The idea for the Chocolate Wishes of the title came about when I remembered making chocolate Easter eggs for my son when he was small and putting in a message from the Easter Bunny: I thought suddenly that fortune cookies would be so much nicer if they were made of chocolate…
Food is often a strong theme in my books because it can be comforting, exciting, reassuring, celebratory or simply an expression of love. I have no cookery training, it’s all just recipes I picked up along the way, or learned from my mother.
Other strong themes in my novels are gardening, especially roses and knot gardens, family (even if sometimes a little dysfunctional) and friendship, from which can grow all kinds of love.
3) How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a novel?
On average, I suppose about four months, though the ideas for the next book will have been fermenting gently on the backburner while I was finishing off the last one. I have twice written a first draft in a fortnight in an unstoppable outpouring, which was exhilarating even if a trifle exhausting.
4) You share recipes in your books. Do you have an all time favourite recipe?
The rich dark fruit cake recipe in Wedding Tiers: I use it for birthdays, book launches, Christmas… It’s easy and always works. The very worst that can happen is that the edges catch a little, or the fruit sinks to the bottom, but it will taste wonderful anyway.
5) If you could name three essential ingredients that make up a great novel, what would they be?
The obvious answer would be: a beginning, middle and an end. By that I mean that a book should immediately transport you to a different place and then take you on a journey through it, with stop-offs to see the sights and have a few adventures. If a reader writes and says that I have provided them with that escape hatch, that Alice-through-the-looking-glass experience, then there can be no finer compliment.
6) What do you love most about being an author?
I usually write in first person and I adore becoming someone else and slipping off into a different world. But when all the characters have taken on a life of their own and start having conversations in your head when you’re trying to go to sleep at night, that can be annoying. I know if I don’t put the light on and write it all down, I’ll have forgotten it by morning.
I also enjoy taking two very different people, building the chemistry between them and then finding a way to bring them together. There have often been traumas in their past lives that make this outcome difficult to achieve, but I find that challenge exciting.
But the bottom line is, to quote Stephen King (I do love his book called On Writing!), writing is the most fun you can have on your own!
7) Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
This may sound very obvious, but it has to be said: writers write, it’s in the nature of the job description. You write every day and feel guilty and bereft if you have finished a novel and not started on the next. So, don’t just think about it, do it. Get in the writing habit, if only for ten or fifteen minutes a day and then build on that. However busy you are, if you really want to write, you will find the time.
1) If you can’t get started at all, read Natalie Goldberg’s book, ‘Writing Down the Bones’.
2) Once you’ve got into the daily writing habit, then do read Stephen King’s book, ‘On Writing ‘ – he really tells it like it is.
3) Read my novel Happy Endings – the heroine, Tina Devino, is a novelist who also runs a manuscript critique service and there are letters to and from aspiring novelists throughout the book. You will learn a lot about what – and what not – to do!
4) Read a lot of recently published novels in the genre you are aiming at. Consider what length they are and what the readers of that kind of book expect from a novel.
5) You will know your main characters are three dimensional when they start having conversations with each other in your head.
But if you never get beyond chapter three don’t despair and give up, but try short stories instead: some of us are built to be sprinters and others for the marathon, you just have to find the writing form that suits you best.
*
Thank you so much Trisha for taking the time to visit the blog, you’ve given some valuable advice for aspiring authors, and your book cover is beautiful!
~ Trisha Ashley was born in St. Helens, Lancashire, and now lives in the beautiful surroundings of North Wales. She has written twelve romantic comedies and her last novel, The Magic of Christmas, was a Sunday Times bestseller. A Winter’s Tale and Wedding Tiers have been previously shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for romantic comedy. Every Woman for Herself was voted one of the top three romantic novels of the last fifty years.Visit Trisha’s website here, and twitter here.
…Remember, as part of the Mouthwatering May special event, you could win prizes simply by commenting below and on any of the posts during May. Be sure to subscribe to the blog too, to be eligible for prizes 🙂
Mouthwatering Moment… by Meredith Mileti (PLUS worldwide giveaway!!)
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from AFTERTASTE – A NOVEL IN FIVE COURSES by Meredith Mileti…
“Don’t move,” he says, getting up from the table and crossing the kitchen. He hefts a large cast iron pot from the oven. He lifts the lid, cups his hand, and wafts the steam upward toward his face. Even from across the room, the smell makes me want to swoon. Jake has made my favorite dish—his signature take on cassoulet, made with wild boar sausage braised in Barolo, cannellini beans, fennel and sweet red peppers. I can hear the hollow snap as he breaks the delicate crust of toasted bread, garlic and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. He fills a shallow bowl and places it reverently in front of me. “It’s not exactly summer fare, but I know it’s your favorite. I missed making it for you this winter. It actually works nicely with your pizza recipe, which has always been one of my favorites. We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” he says softly. “Go ahead, taste it.”
“Aren’t you going to join me?”
“Of course,” he says, raising his eyes to meet mine. I watch as he fills his plate, picks up a bottle of wine and two glasses, and joins me at the table. He pours us each a glass of red wine. “Well? He asks, his eyes focused, unblinking, on my face.
I spear a piece of meat, which yields easily to my fork, and raise it to my lips. I take a deep breath and close my eyes…The flavors are at once complex and earthy. I taste every ingredient: the thick, slightly gamy taste of the boar; the subtle undercurrent of the fennel, which, when braised, releases a delicate licorice perfume; the gentle creaminess of the beans; the smoky heat of the roasted peppers; the harmonious balance of the wine.
It tastes like love.
Meredith’s favorite meal/indulgence: I love mussels. Any time, any way. (I’ve even been known to eat them for breakfast!) My favorite preparations are either steamed in white wine and shallot butter, or grilled and tossed with basil breadcrumbs. Just add a warm, crusty baguette and a glass of chilled Sancerre and I am a happy, happy girl.
Thanks for sharing your Mouthwatering Moment, Meredith!
Visit Meredith online here, and on twitter here.
To WIN one of two copies of AFTERTASTE, please leave a comment below. This competition is open WORLDWIDE and will be drawn at the end of the month. Thanks for your generosity, Meredith! (All comments left by blog subscribers will also be put in the draw for a Mouthwatering May special prize).
How To Bake A Novel – a recipe of words
I got to thinking recently that writing a novel is a lot like cooking, so I thought I’d create a little recipe for all those writers out there…
How To Bake A Novel:
Preparation time: Varies, from months to years.
Serves: Potentially millions (if you’re lucky)
Equipment:
- One working computer, word processor, or large notepad and pen
- One committed writer
- *optional but highly recommended: truckloads of beverages and snacks
Ingredients:
- One main plot
- A handful of sub-plots
- One to a few main characters
- Several minor characters
- At least one setting, add more to taste
- One large cup of emotion
- A splash of humour
- A teaspoon of mystery (or more depending on genre of the recipe, er… novel)
- One or two cups of cold-pressed extra virgin (or not) organic dialogue
- One or two goals
- One heaped tablespoon of motivation
- Two cups of conflict
- One cup of resolution mixed with a happy ending (depending on genre)
- A sprinkling of hooks and cliffhangers
- *optional but highly recommended: a twist of sexual tension and a dollop of romance
Method:
1. Prepare by opening a new word document or a new page on your notepad, and give it a title, eg: ‘Best Novel Ever’, or ‘I’ll Think Of A Title Later’.
2. Write the opening sentence, or the last sentence, or any words you can think of so you can officially say, “I’ve started writing my novel.”
3. Consume beverages and snacks.
4. Introduce one main character, a goal, and splash in some conflict (save the rest for later).
5. Sprinkle a hook or cliffhanger at the end of chapter one to entice further devouring of the story.
6. Add some of the other characters and sub-plots, and stir in some emotion and mystery.
7. Consume more beverages and snacks.
8. Splash in some humour and keep drizzling in the organic dialogue throughout the whole baking/writing process.
9. Combine the motivation with some more of the conflict for a spicy mixture.
10. If adding the optional ingredient of sexual tension, squeeze a little in now.
11. Continue stirring the plot and the sub-plots together so they combine well, making sure to keep topping up the emotion.
12. Consume beverages and snacks.
13. Add in the remaining conflict, sexual tension, mystery, and hooks.
14. Finish by placing the cup of resolution and happy endings on top, and decorate with a dollop of romance.
15. Bake in a closed drawer or backed-up file on your computer, and leave completely alone for at least a couple of weeks, or more if you’ve forgotten to attend to necessary tasks such as showering, cleaning, feeding the family and pets, seeing real live people, checking the mail…etc.
16. Open the file and give it a taste test. Read through it and make any obvious changes and improvements, adding more of the ingredients as needed.
17. For best results, get a trusted friend to taste test it too.
18. Make further improvements.
19. Bake it for a little longer if necessary.
20. Pull bits of it apart and throw them out. But just in case, wrap them up and store them safely away for future reference.
21. Remove the excess words and overused ingredients.
22. Repeat steps 11 and 13.
23. Add extra sweetness to the dollop of romance if required.
24. Decorate and plate-up the finished piece with all the pizazz you can find.
25. Hand it over to a professional, who’ll probably get you to start over at step 20 again.
26. Repeat steps until it tastes just right, or a deadline forces you to serve it up.
27. Consume beverages and snacks to reward yourself for all the hard work.
28. Attend to the necessary tasks that you’ve once again neglected.
29. Smile politely at people who say, “The novel was great, I read it in one day. Hurry up and write the next one!”
30. Begin at step 1 all over again.
*Note: Results may vary between people. Recipe not suitable for freezing.
Thanks for reading! And remember, all comments left on blog posts during May will go into the draw for some tasty prizes! Click on the ‘mouthwatering may’ tag below to see all may blog posts, or click on the category on the right side menu. Also, make sure you subscribe to the blog to be eligible 😉
Sunday Lunch with… Rebecca Raisin
Today I’d like to welcome writer Rebecca Raisin to the new blog segment, Sunday Lunch!
1. Hi Rebecca, can you tell us about a happy memory from your life that revolved around food?
We’re serious foodies. A couple of years ago we decided to hold our own family Master chef. We picked a cuisine from a country of the host’s choice each month. Each couple had to prepare two dishes which were scored on taste, complexity and presentation. The competition was fierce as everyone vied for the coveted ‘Plat de jour’ perpetual trophy (see photo below). We decorated the tables, and even dressed in theme. There was a sea of colours at the Mexican Master chef, with everyone wearing sombreros, ponchos and fake moustaches. These long languid lunches began to seep slowly into the night, as we watched the kids play, only stopping occasionally to try the next dish. Word filtered down to friends about these all day feasts, and they’d call asking to be included in the next cook-off. It was an enjoyable summer of great food and trying something new, whether you were the one cooking it or tasting it for the first time. We really should start the culinary competition again…
2. Do you have any food-related rituals or routines in your household, such as a specific meal for certain days of the week?
I don’t plan any meals. We usually have an idea for a special dish on the weekend, something complicated or time consuming that we’ll try, but during the week anything goes. I’m a big fan of slow cooking. I like to prepare the meal early, put it in the oven and forget about it! I love winter for this very reason, and enjoy making Coq a vin and Beef bourguignon. Possibly I was French in a past life!
3. What is your favourite…
Drink: White wine, preferably from the Marlborough wine region
Indulgence: Dark chocolate
Meal: Peking duck
4. What’s the most revolting thing you’ve ever eaten?
We cooked a whole pink snapper, stuffed with herbs and butter on Christmas day, and somehow the conversation turned to the eye being a delicacy. I’m usually not adventurous with bizarre food, but I thought I’d try the eye, just in case I was missing out on something truly wonderful. It wasn’t wonderful, and in the end, I couldn’t do it, I had to spit it out in disgust! That was the first and last time I’ll try something ‘exotic’ no matter how many people rave about it!
5. Have you discovered any ingenious ways to hide vegetables in meals for children?
My twins are notoriously bad with vegetables. When they were younger I made frozen yoghurt ice creams and swirled pureed sweet potato and carrot through. Now we bake together and I try and make it a game; when we bake cupcakes I’ll grate carrot into the mix so we can have ‘orange’ cupcakes. Still….they seem to be on to me, and I have to think of other ways to hide them.
6. Is eating out at cafes and restaurants a regular part of your life? Do you have any favourite places you’d like to mention?
We don’t go out as much as we did pre-children, so when we do now we really look forward to it, and appreciate it more. We live in the Swan Valley in Western Australia and are spoilt for choice with all the wineries and restaurants here. My favourite is Sandalford wines. Their menu changes with the season and the food is magnificent, and the wine is great.
7. Do you eat while you write? Are there any particular foods or drinks you always have on hand while writing?
It depends what stage I’m up to in the story I’m writing. I was fumbling around with an outline last week, and found it tedious; I figured maybe a visit to patisserie would help. I hope this doesn’t become a habit!
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Joanne Harris, author of Chocolate. I love her magical style of writing. I’ve read all of her books and think she is wonderful. The way she entwines food and cooking into her stories, each so different, but beautifully written, inspires me. I like writing about cooking and everything it entails. You can explore so many paths with evocative scents, and memories that food brings into all of our lives, even if you don’t realise it. The comfort of it, the taste of it, what it reminds you of, the list is endless.
9. Which one of the following types of cooks are you?
- Cooking? What’s that?
- I cook only when I absolutely have to
- I’m an average cook, and stick to my regular meals
- I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own
- Next season of MasterChef – lookout!
I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own.
10. Do you have a favourite recipe you’d like to share?
Baked Chicken and chorizo. A Donna Hay recipe. I’ve used her exact ingredients, but I cook it a little differently.
I love this as an easy tasty meal if you’re having friends over and want to mingle instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Again, it’s my idea of a perfect meal, throw it all together and put it in the oven.
1.6 kg chicken pieces
2 chorizo cut into thick chunks
¾ cup of green olives
250 gram cherry tomatoes
8 sprigs oregano
1 lemon cut into wedges
12 garlic cloves whole, skin on
Paprika
Salt and Pepper
Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees. (The Donna Hay recipe is 220 degrees for 30-35 minutes, but I cook it on a lower temperature for longer)
Place the chicken, chorizo, olives, tomatoes, lemon wedges, garlic cloves, into a tray. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, add oregano, and shake paprika over the chicken. Place into the oven. Turn the chicken after 30 minutes. Leave for thirty minutes, then turn so the skin side is up, turn the oven up to 220 and wait for another 15 minutes to crisp up.
I find by cooking it on a lower temperature for longer the chicken falls of the bone, and is just so tasty for something so simple. Serve with salad.
~ About Rebecca:
I’m a mum of twin boys, who are nearly four. I’ve been writing for two years now, and am working on editing and rewriting my first novel, Mexican Kimono. I love writing short stories and have been published in various anthologies around Australia. Like any mum, I’m juggling finding time to write amidst everything else in my life, but the beauty is you can still think of your writing when you’re busy with other things. I have post it notes all over the place, with ideas, and hope one day to be a little more organised!
Find out more about Rebecca online here.
Thanks for being on the blog, Rebecca. It was a pleasure! 🙂
…Remember, leave a comment below & subscribe to go in the draw to win one of the Mouthwatering May prizes!
Welcome to MOUTHWATERING MAY! Guests galore, Food, Books, & Prizes!
It’s here – my first ever themed blog month: Mouthwatering May!!
As I said in my previous post, books and food are two of life’s greatest pleasures, so I decided to combine them (and besides, I had to come up with a word that goes well with May 😉 )
So what’s it all about? Well, there’ll be more blog posts than usual, but each will have something to do with food, food themed books, or something mouthwatering (like a romantic scene from a novel). There’ll be guest interviews, excerpts from novels, recipes, and prizes to win. Okay so I’m not giving away a kindle or a car or anything flash, just some nice little goodies that I know readers and writers will enjoy.
Over the coming month there’ll be:
* Mouthwatering Moments: brief excerpts from novels to give you a taste (pardon the pun) of what the book is like, and hopefully leave you wanting to read more!
* Guest interviews: I’ve secured some interviews with successful authors who just so happen to have food-themed books, stay tuned to find out who!
* Sunday Lunch interviews with both published and aspiring authors: sharing how food is a part of their life (apart from the obvious fact of staying alive, that is), and things like the ingredients that make up successful novels.
* Articles: I’ll throw in a couple of articles on writing craft, with food as a metaphor.
* Food-themed books: I’ll share some great books that have food as a theme, and no, I don’t mean cookbooks, but novels.
Do you want to win a prize?
Yes?
Well here’s how…
Subscribe to the blog (on the side menu) so you can keep updated as to when new posts are published. Being a subscriber makes you eligible to be in the running for my competitions. Don’t worry, you can always unsubscribe after May if you’re just in it for some cool stuff, I won’t be offended, but of course I’m hoping you’ll enjoy the blog posts and stay on board!
For every ‘Mouthwatering May’ blog post you comment on, you’ll receive one entry into a random draw at the end of the month for one of the prizes. That’s one entry per post, not per comment, so you can’t go leaving a hundred comments on the one blog post – it won’t work! But if there are, say, 20 blog posts, and you leave a (valid) comment on each, then that’s 20 chances to win a prize. Some of the guest authors may choose to offer a prize too, but to enter you’d need to comment on their particular post.
Can you win a prize if you’re not from Australia?
Yes, as long as it’s not a prize containing food. I’ll update the prizes at a later date, but for now, here’s some piccies of some of the goodies you could win:
There’s a beautiful Paris book-box containing Lindt Mint Intense and Raffaello choccies, plus some cute Paris sticky notes, there’s a copy of the book ‘Georgia’s Kitchen’, as well as a copy of the same book PLUS a gourmet bag of Cadbury Coco truffle chocolates! Is your mouth watering yet?
So let’s get started – the first special post will be tomorow (Wednesday 2nd) and will be a Mouthwatering Moment for you to devour, so remember to stop by and leave a comment. One of the prizes above could be yours!
🙂
Anita Heiss Answers Juliet’s Awkward Questions! Plus a giveaway!
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Photography: Amanda James
Today I’d like to welcome the lovely Anita Heiss to the blog!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Who Am I? the diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937. An historical novel about the stolen generations it is probably the most significant work I will ever do in my lifetime.
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
I’m cheerful!
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
My lawyer says I am not challenged by any of these.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Yes, I fell in love with Cash Branigan from Manhattan Dreaming. I remember sitting at my desk one day and bursting into tears because I realised he was my perfect match – strong, hot, capable, romantic, thoughtful, runs a restaurant in New York. What more could a girl like me possibly want?
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Yes, especially the sex scenes, they require a lot of acting out.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
I talk to myself all the time. In terms of my writing though, as I type I say the words out loud and then I read them back to listen for clunkiness.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Halle Berry or a younger Angela Bassett.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I’d be my own character Lauren Lucas from Manhattan Dreaming, because even with her flaws she was a great gal AND got to live in NYC for 12 months, eat a lot of cake, shop with the girls, go on dates and work at the fabulous National Museum of the American Indian.
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
For the last twenty years all I’ve had is books, paper, chocolate and booze. I’ll take a bloke to pass the time for the next 12 months!
Thanks for participating, Anita. Your answers gave me a laugh! You have been awarded Mega-Brave Author status on the braveometer!
Visit Anita’s website here.
*To WIN a copy of Anita’s book, MANHATTAN DREAMING, comment below and answer Anita’s question:
Q: ‘I’ve set books in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, New York and Paris. Where else should I set a book and why?’
*Competition open to Australian residents only, and will be drawn on Monday 30th April. Winner will be notified via email and must respond within one week or another winner will be chosen.
Fiona Palmer answers Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions!
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome Fiona Palmer to the blog! Not only is Fiona brave for answering these questions, she is also generous, as she is giving away a copy of her new book, THE ROAD HOME!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Hmm, I’d have to say the fourth book I’m writing as I’ve grown so much as a writer and I’ve learnt so much now, whereas my first book I was a complete novice. I look back at my first book and cringe with what I know now. LOL
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
I’d like to say cheerful, but there are days where that just doesn’t happen (I have kids!!) so I’d have to stick with punctual. I just hate being late. If someone says, meet me at 7, then I have to be there by that time, even a little early so I’m not leaving them waiting. My watch is my best friend. 🙂
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Well we can rule out the first one. I do like a bit of goss…(I work at the local post office, it’s practically the grapevine lol) But I’d have to go with klutz. But more a klutz in my mind. I can be totally gullible and sometimes just be on a whole other wave length. (I could blame having kids, but I was like this at high school. I have stories, one was ironing my face…I know I hear you all going WHAT, but it happened…and don’t get me started on the other things!)
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
It was Will from my first book. Who wouldn’t want the hunky wealthy next-door farmer? I always wanted to marry a farmer, until I realised the farm would come first LOL.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
No. Well in a way, it’s acted out in my head like a movie. I’ll be staring at a wall as I become lost in my head as the characters come alive and I watch them go about their business. Then I come to and realise my kids have been yelling at me for the last ten minutes! Kids+writing=hard work.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Again I do, but internally. I’m not a verbal person, I’d much prefer typing emails than phone calls. Just as well I don’t do it out loud because I think I’d scare a lot of people. And it’s a lot faster just letting my mind whizz through the words and ideas. Talking them would slow me down. (Oh and I also have this problem where my brain and mouth aren’t connected very well. I can think of something to say but it comes out my mouth different! It’s a curse.)
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
I’d have to say Sandra Bullock – Her character in Miss Congeniality is close (I’m a tomboy) and she played that so well, she’s not afraid to be a dork.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Elizabeth Bennet. Because I love her spirit and hey, she’s married to Mr Darcy and gets to live in a gorgeous old house.
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
Wow all of them together would be perfect. Okay just one. Hmm I’d have to say the books because then I could escape to all different places and not have to worry about running out of ideas!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Really I think I couldn’t do it, the pressure would be too much. Trying to figure out what would be the perfect most useful thing to say would fry my brain. Even now I’m thinking OMG what would I say!!
Thanks Fiona, you have been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the braveometer!
You can visit Fiona at her website, Facebook, and Twitter (@fiona_palmer)
*To be in the draw to WIN a copy of Fiona’s brand new book (released this week!). THE ROAD HOME, please comment below and answer the following question:
“What would YOU say to the world if you had everyone’s attention for two minutes?”
(Winner drawn Monday 26th March)
Sharing the LOVE… Win a Valentine’s Day Gift Bag!
Whether you celebrate this annual day of love or not, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share some love and run a competition. My first ever blog competition! And there’ll be more to come, so if you want to hear about upcoming competitions (as well as fascinating blog posts and author interviews of course ;)), just enter your email address into the subscription form on the right >>
Most people associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love, but I thought I’d do a blog post about things I love, and I’d love you to share with me the things you love too. In fact, if you do, you’ll be entered into the draw to win a goodie bag! (*AUS only, more details on the competition at the end of this post).
So here’s a ‘List Of Things I Love’.
Maybe you love some of them too, or maybe you don’t. Don’t you just love how we are all so different!
Now these aren’t in order or anything, they are simply a few examples of things I love…
Movies:
The Sound of Music (I know some parts are cheesy, but it has everything – romance, suspense, humour, drama, music!)
The Wizard of Oz (For writers, one of the best examples of Goal, Motivation, & Conflict)
Titanic (nothing like a big budget Hollywood Blockbuster!)
The Holiday (I love the story and the characters)
The Bourne Trilogy (Matt Damon. Fast paced action. Great plot. Matt Damon.)
Harry Potter (I just love the world JK Rowling created, and all the little details)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (anyone…anyone…?)
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (for those young women who’ve never heard of this dance flick, check it out to see a young Sarah J Parker & Helen Hunt!)
Books:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (I’m not usually one for ‘older’ books, but I couldn’t put this book down when I read it several years ago)
The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton (made me believe in the magic of books)
The Passion Test by Janet and Chris Attwood (this is non-fiction, and it has quite literally changed my life)
29 by Adena Halpern (funny, charming, well written, fast paced – everything I love in a novel)
Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor (one of the most unique stories I’ve read in the last few years)
(I could mention so many other books but it would be a very long blog post!)
Places:
NSW South Coast where I live! (There is a bit of everything here – beach, farms, nice cafes, boutique shops, mild weather, relaxed lifestyle)
Melbourne (the culture, the food, the shopping, and so much more compact and easier to find your way around than Sydney!)
Rainforests (I love the feeling of being completely surrounded by nature)
Department Stores (I also love the feeling of being completely surrounded by no nature whatsoever)
Bookstores (I also love being surrounded by books)
Food:
Although I’m a very healthy eater (given my health industry background), who can resist a melt-in-your-mouth piece of chocolate once in a while?!
Smoked salmon
Nectarines (yummiest fruit ever)
Chicken soup (made by yours truly 😉
Words:
Bliss
Dream
Inspire
(Don’t you just feel wonderful reading those words?)
TV Shows (past & present):
Friends (best sitcom EVER)
3rd Rock From The Sun (2nd best sitcom EVER)
Bewitched (Oh, how we’d all like to be Samantha!)
Packed To The Rafters (Best Aussie show)
24 (Great plots, twists, and edge of your seat action)
Prison Break (slightly unrealistic concept but heaps of fun, and um… nice, er… scenery 😉
Activities:
Writing (duh!)
Reading (double duh!)
Dancing
Drawing/painting
Watching movies
Staring at the ocean (I swear some of my ideas get washed in with the waves, so any time spent staring is purely for productivity)
What about you, what things do you love in life?
*Here is how to enter my competition to win this Valentine’s Day Gift Bag (Australia only):
1. Firstly, make sure you’re Australian, or have an Australian postal address. If you’re not sure, ask your parents 😉 …For my international friends (who are probably slamming their fist on the table yelling ‘It’s not fair!’), don’t despair, I promise I’ll run some international competitions on the blog too!
2. Secondly, make sure you’re subscribed to this blog. If not, enter your email address in the subscription form on the top right of this page (Don’t worry, I’m not a daily blogger so you won’t get bombarded with blog updates, and I’m not one of those people who tries to sell Viagra!). Done? Okay, next step…
3. Leave a comment below and tell me at least three things you love and why (use the categories I’ve listed to inspire you).
4. The winner will be drawn randomly from valid entries around 5:00pm Sydney time on Friday 17th February 2012, and notified via email and on this blog.
5. The gift bag contains a copy of ‘The Trouble With Valentine’s Day’ by Rachel Gibson, a Lancome maharani jewels ‘Juicy Tubes’ lip gloss, a Sanctum organic cedarwood and olive leaf soap, and a Sanctum organic Body Essentials pack containing body buff exfoliator, body balm, and hand/nail repair cream. So the winner will be able to have an in-home pamper treatment, slick on some juicy lip gloss, and curl up with a fun book!
What are you waiting for? Leave a comment, it could be you!
JULIET MADISON 