//50 Shades of Chocolate: After her father’s sudden fatal heart attack, Claire Preen left the 9-5 grind, switched her business suits for chef whites and became a trained and successful chocolatier. She founded Blue Mountain Chocolate Co., with stores in the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley, NSW, and last year released her recipe book… Read More
{Conversations} Three things I have been thinking about lately
Source: piccsy.com via Lamis on Pinterest I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. And a lot less writing, which is strange because for most writers, writing is a by-product of thinking. So today I decided – in the spirit of de-stressing – to pour out the contents of my thoughts into a blog… Read More
{Film Review} Snitch
//On your marks, get set, chase: Snitch, starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in a suspense-driven movie about an ordinary father who infiltrates a dangerous drug cartel to save his teenage son from the prison sentence handed to him in an unforgiving state bent on eradicating the powers of the drug trade. //What’s the story? When naive… Read More
{my first book journey} Part III: the copy edit and the editorial calendar
In March this year, I wrote about what I’d learnt from finishing the structural edit for my forth-coming novel. I had previously blogged about what a structural edit actually was but now, with the structural edit behind me, some much-needed relief is starting to settle in. As my friend and fellow author Gabrielle Tozer said, “People think… Read More
{Beauty} Benefit Fake Up: A crease-control hydrating concealer
//On your marks, get set, chase: Hydrating cover-up in snazzy packaging from the wonderful people at Benefit Cosmetics. //What’s the story? A couple of weeks ago, Benefit Cosmetics launched their latest concealer and I am in love with it. Available in three shades, including light, medium and deep, the concealer claims to hide dark circles without caking into… Read More
{Gift Guide} 7 Easy last minute buys to gift your mum this Mother’s Day
Still haven’t bought a Mother’s Day present? Fear not! There’s still the opportunity to buy something snazzy without roaming the shops. All selections below are available from big-name stores that are easy to access (seriously, who doesn’t know where there’s a MYER or an Aldi?) or can be purchased from the comfort of your desk… Read More
{Wordsmith Interview} Jessica Shirvington, Author
Jessica Shirvington and I share the same agent, the same YA publisher at Harper Collins, and a taste for YA that we acquired in our twenties. I didn’t know any of this however, until I read her great novel Between the Lives ($20, Harper Collins), and approached her for an interview. Shirvington is also the… Read More
{Style Stakeout} The 3-way Autumn dress (aka the dress that sold out before I was able to blog about it)
The other day, whilst sitting at home and writing trying to write, I heeded my desire to procrastinate and hopped on to the ASOS website in the hunt for a midi skirt. I found this dress, which looked really pretty, so of course, I bought it. It arrived last night, and although I was not… Read More
{Life Snapshot} What made my life bigger, prettier & tastier last week
Last week I wrote the first few thousands words in four months. It was a great comfort after the debilitating writer’s block that had left me freaking out every time I stared at my computer screen or contemplated my impending September deadline. Plus, it gave me the confidence to get up off the couch where… Read More
{Bookshelf} Jessica Shirvington’s Between the Lives
//On your marks, get set, chase: Between the Lives ($19.99, Harper Collins), the latest YA fiction title by Jessica Shirvington, Australian author, mum and wife to former Olympic Sprinter Matt Shirvington. //What’s the story? For as long as she can remember, 17 year old Sabine has been living two very different lives. Each day she… Read More
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