Suzanne Perazzini

My Fashion Blog was Hacked

2011-09-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

My fashion blog, Preloved Fashion was hacked so I have closed it down and started another fresh one called Fabulous Fashion Forever. This is for the woman who has no intention of letting herself go once she leaves her twenties but who means to stay stylish all her life.
Below are a few of the women we should aspire to:

Michelle Pfeiffer

Diana Ross

Cybill Shepherd

Jane Fonda

New Blog

2011-05-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been in here for ages but I have started another blog about preloved fashion.

As a trained fashion designer, I want to pass on my knowledge to others out there who have a low clothing budget but a passionate desire to look fashionable and stylish. The majority of my own wardrobe comes from buying off second-hand sites on the web. When I am tired of them, I sell them on. This means that I can change my wardrobe often for minimal cost. I want to show how to put disparate pieces together and create a look that is unique.

I've included here a photo of one of the things I will be doing on the blog - putting outfits together.

This is the link to Preloved Fashion.

Great Review

2010-10-26T22:30:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn. This book has been e-published for quite a while now and a website recently reviewed it without my knowing. My publisher sent me the link.

Miranda from Joyfully Reviewed had this to say:

"Suzanne Perazzini created a unique world in Crash into Darkness. Amber and Jaden have an immediate connection that neither is sure what to do about. It was almost like going to see an action movie. I felt as if I was right in the middle of the action. Just when you think you have it all figured out boom another surprise. The great thing about it to me was it didn’t feel like too much. I wasn’t sitting here thinking ‘yeah right, that’s not plausible’. Crash into Darkness has an amazing ending that I was not expecting, I so love when that happens. Crash into Darkness was an action-packed thrill ride that I found thoroughly enjoyable."

For the full review, please click here.

To buy it, please click here.

New Look Blog

2010-07-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

I just created a blog for my boss and realized that there are all sorts of new options with Blogspot now that certainly didn't exist when I started this blog. It was quite exciting trying all the different possibilities and then I settled on something appropriate to a writer while keeping it calm and serene.

Our New Zealand Romance Writers conference is only a few weeks away and I am really looking forward to it. We have great guests including Christopher Vogler, Laura Bradford, Alex Logan from Grand Central Publishing, Stephanie Laurens, Dianne Moggy from Harlequin and Jane Porter. We couldn't have a better line up and it will be a fabulous three days.

No Writing Today

2010-05-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

I can't write today, something has crashed on my computer

and the mouse is missing.

Movie Reviews

2010-03-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

Shutter Island
I saw this a few weeks ago and it still sticks with me but mainly because I was annoyed at the ending. I know others loved the ending and it certainly was a nuanced ending and you had to listen to every word to understand exactly what happened, but I didn't want that ending and that's that.
Leonardo di Caprio was amazing as always in this dark and compelling story. It was definitely worth watching but pay attention to get the most out of the story.

Boy
This is a New Zealand film written, directed and acted in by Taika Cohen, one of New Zealand's great talents. If you get a chance to see this, do so. It is funny, hilarious at times, and very poignant. It has wonderful acting and tells a simple story in a great setting. This is the story of a New Zealand Maori family but it could be a story happening in any part of the world.

Law Abiding Citizen
This is brutal so if you don't like too much blood and gore, then stay away. It's well acted and pulls you through at a fast enough pace but I was worried about how to reconcile the man the main character was to who he became. They throw in a kind of an explanation but it seemed a little gratuitous. Not a must see.

Remember Me
If you want to see this movie, don't, I repeat DON'T go on the internet to see any reviews until afterwards. Just take my word for that or it will be spoilt. I get what the writer was trying to say but many haven't. They thought it was just a love story and it's not. It has a much wider message. The young actors did a good job with a sometimes cliched script. Worth seeing.

Mao's Last Dancer
I loved this but then I am a dancer from way back. The dance scenes were amazing and the main actor, who is first and foremost a dancer, was superb. This is based on a true story and a real person who is still living, so that made it even more fascinating. If you love dance, true life stories and drama then see this.

Uplifting

2010-03-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

It's well worth listening to this man, Anis Mojgani read a poem called Shake the Dust.

Just for a laugh

2010-02-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

I loved these church related bloopers I found here on Kristin Nelson's blog:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

I've just realized that I haven't blogged since November, which is ridiculous so I'm dropping in to wish you all a fulfilling year. We have had a great summer here in New Zealand so far and Christmas day in particular was splendid. The family (17 of us) had Xmas lunch at a long table under the trees in my sister's garden. It was delightful.

I am changing jobs at the end of the month and couldn't be happier about it. Time for a change.

I have watched quite a few movies over the Christmas break and Avatar stands out for being different and for surprising me that I actually like it. It's a classic story with a cliched feel but I didn't care about that because it was a visual feast.

I have started a new Young Adult manuscript and that will keep me out of trouble for a few months.

May this decade bring innovation, excitement, success and peace to all of you.

My Sister's Keeper

2009-11-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I went to see My Sister's Keeper. I was nervous about it because I had read the book and loved it. It is usually a mistake to read the book first because a movie can seldom do justice to the intricacies and nuances of the written word. However, I was pleasantly surprised this time. Much of the powerful emotion was conveyed by the actors who did an excellent job. I had really only thought of Cameron Diaz as a lightweight comedic actor until now but she proved me wrong in this movie.
There is, however, one major difference between the book and the movie and that is the end. They are not just a little different but completely, radically different. The movie ending is all Hollywood, nice and simple, but Jodi Picoult puts a great, unexpected twist to the book which creates a very poignant circle back to the beginning and gives the whole story a tragic completeness . This point is lost in the movie. I will say no more so as not to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it and, if you haven't read the book, the ending will be fine. All in all, I'd say a job well done but take your tissues.

Cute Little House

2009-11-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

I picked up this tiny, wee, cute house while scouting around the internet. It is unidentified but must belong to some person with simple needs.

Unusual Architecture

2009-11-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

I love this idea of having 360 degree garden access. Not sure about the lack of curtains but it depends on the location and privacy aspect. This was designed by Tezuka Archit ects.

Unusual Interior

2009-11-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

This a rendering of a communal space in 1 Hotel Washington DC designed by these architects. Talk about bringing the outside in. Lots of watering to do but what a serene environment in which to relax.

Ocean Dome

2009-10-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by this manmade beach on Kyushu Island, Japan. It's actually not far from the Pacific Ocean but obviously everyone prefers a crowded inside beach. This is the world’s largest indoor water park with a retractable roof. The air temperature is always kept around 30º C and the water temperature is kept at around 28º C. How 's that for improving on Nature?

Houseboat Design

2009-10-26T02:40:00.001-07:00

This undulating houseboat design byRobert Oshatz evokes the dynamic movement of the river water on which it floats.

Unusual Interiors

2009-10-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

My son is studying to be an architect after having watched his parents renovate nine houses in his lifetime so I thought I would do a series of unusual interiors and houses for a while.

Above is a photo of the Blue Frog restaurant in Mumbai which has the seating inset yet tiered so that everyone has clear view of the centre stage. This was designed by Chris Lee and Kapil Gupta of Series Architects.

Time for Miracles by Adam Lambert

2009-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

This song, Time for Miracles sung by Adam Lambert for the new movie 2012 is amazing, especially the last section. He can certainly sing.

Quote - Junot Diaz

2009-10-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

This quote is so perfect for writers that I had to post it here. Thank you to Kameron Hurley. I found it on her blog here.

"In my view a writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, because everything she does is golden. In my view a writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign... of promise, you keep writing anyway."-Junot Diaz

Movies I've seen recently

2009-10-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have seen a whole bunch of movies recently. Too many to go into in depth so I will write a line or two about each, and you can decide which to watch.
1) Coco Avant Chanel - an intriguing story of her life before she was famous. We often take people for granted as being who they are as we know them and don't think of where they come from. This is a sharp reminder that dedication and passion mixed with a knob of talent win the day every time. What a great young actress Audrey Tautou is.
2) Cherie - A delightful look at the houses and fashions of the time. This is a surprisingly heart-wrenching love story between a young man and an older woman.

3) Young Victoria - Again, a great insight into the times with all the pomp and ceremony of being a part of the royal family. Victoria was a strong, wilful personality if the film is to be believed.

4) 500 Days of Summer - Great leads in a love story which isn't one, as it says at the beginning of the film. Seems light and fluffy on the surface but actually makes you think about the belief systems that we have and how they affect our relationships. There is some character growth by the end of the movie, which is always good to see.

5) Ugly Truth - Umm, not sure I would recommend this unless you want a romantic comedy without a lot of substance. It pretends there is, but I wasn't so sure.

6) The Taking of Pelham 123 - Fantastic actors - can't take away from that, and the story kept me glued to my seat but not loving some of the direction and out of focus, swooping filming that was supposed to indicate urgency and speed but just left me feeling nauseous.

7) Funny People - Yuck! Why do comedians think incessant talk about genitals and copulation is funny?

8) District 9 - Now we're talking. Very disorienting at the beginning but settles into a disturbing take on prejudice. It falters towards the end when Hollywood cinema takes over with the great heroic gesture, but overall great movie making. Not everyone will like this but I would recommend it so you can decide for yourselves.

9) Inglourious Basterds - I usually avoid World War I and II movies like the plague. They upset me too much, but I do make some exceptions and I always knew this would be one. As expected from Tarantino, there is graphic violence, but it is a great story of the revenge of a strong female character, which never wavers into melodrama. This is a must see.

10) Fame - I was so looking forward to this movie because I loved the first one way back in 1980. Well, if you're thinking of going to see it, don't bother. I have never been so disappointed by a movie. There were too many characters with no growth even though it spans several years. A couple of good dance and song scenes didn't make it worth the money. Stay away.

The last thing I want to say is that I have fallen in love with Rupert Friend. I have included his photo here. He has such great bone structure. He was in both Cherie and Young Victoria - that's how I "met" him. He has funny hair in both of them but ignore that and look at his face - perfection. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

I'm a R*by Award Winner!!

2009-08-22T23:06:00.001-07:00

I have finally got around to blogging about my winning the R*by Award for Beneath the Surface in the Romantic Elements category at the Romance Writers of Australia conference last week. My other entry, Crash into Darkness, came second. As you probably know, both those books are e-pubbed and yet they won over all the other print published books so I am very proud of myself.

Not only did I not think I would win, I hadn't been told that the winner had to give a speech. I managed to splutter out something but I was in a daze for some time.

Here at the left is my award. It is very beautiful but was difficult to photograph.

The winners of the other three categories are:
Short and sexy: Trish Morey
Short and Sweet: Marion Lennox
Long Romance: Anne Gracie

I had a fantastic time at the conference over there last weekend and have just got home from the New Zealand Romance Writers conference here in Auckland this weekend. I am exhausted but happy at what I have learned and all the people I have met or caught up with.
Time to write, write, write to meet my commitments.

Peru - Machu Picchu

2009-08-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't blogged before about Peru because I have been sick with the flu and I'm not going to write much today either for I have two writing conferences coming up on the next two weekends and I must prepare pitches for them etc.
However, I thought I would post one photo of my son, Dario, on top of a mountain he climbed with Machu Picchu in the background. Machu Picchu is even more amazing than expected. It was raining the day we were there - the only day it did rain on the trip - but it was still mind-blowing as it sat amongst the clouds with incredible steep mountains all about. This was taken the day before with brilliant sunshine. We woke the next morning to heavy rain. Can't win them all.
I will post more photos and tell you more when the conferences are over.

Movie Review - Transformers

2009-06-28T01:45:00.000-07:00

I got deceived into watching this dreadful movie by the news that the box office sales had broken all records. I wish I had followed my instincts and stayed away.
This movie had no depth, no layers, no character arcs. The stakes were the destruction or not of the world. I didn't give a damn. I didn't give a damn if the hero lived or died. I didn't give a damn if the eye-candy heroine, who spent most of the movie running around trying to look scared, lived or died. I didn't care if the hero's freaky parents lived or died, and what they were doing being air-dropped into Egypt defies logic.
The machines were gigantic, and the humans were tiny with their tiny guns and tiny bullets yet they still won. I had to suspend belief so far it hurt.
The action scenes were ridiculous. It was impossible to know what was happening, and when machines fought machines, it was a junkyard tangle of monumental proportions. One was indistinguishable from the other. The relentlessness of the action scenes, and the confusion that reigned made me bored and sleepy while fire and brimstone reigned upon the Egyptian desert. Slow motion scenes of beautiful girl and heroic guy outrunning explosions were classics in their awfulness.
The only slight relief from the pain were a couple of comic situations and one or two good lines. But they could fill about three minutes in all. I considered leaving but I had paid my money and refused to conceded defeat. The best part might be in the last few minutes. It wasn't.

Travel Pages Live

2009-06-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Finally my travel pages on my website are up and running. We had some problems with getting all the images to show but my clever husband figured out the problem and now you can see photos from some of the many countries I have visited. You can click on any of them to make them bigger. They span many years so you will see me from 18 years old until now. A bit spooky to see so many decades all in a few clicks.

Good News - Ruby Awards

2009-05-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

I have had some splendid news. Back in February I entered two of my published books, Crash into Darkness and Beneath the Surface, into the Romance Writers of Australia Ruby Awards for published books. Both books have finalled in the Romantic Elements category. The other two finalists, Maggie Alderson and Bronwyn Parry, are very stiff competition.
The winners will be announced at the RW of Australia conference in August so an extra trip this year is looming - across the Tasman Sea to Brisbane.
The photo above is an example of the award and I reckon that could look pretty fine on my study desk.
This is the link to information on the awards: Romance Writers of Australia

Five Points to Share

2009-05-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

1) Writing:
Since the beginning of the year, I have written 8 manuscripts all to page 50 and then my self-confidence dips and I give up to start another. I am now on manuscript 9 and I am at page 125. So three cheers for me. I seem to have broken my own particular kind of writer's block. Mind you, I never stopped writing - I just couldn't get past page 50. I think all the other manuscipts are valid stories and I will return to them but for now I must focus and finish this one. I am aiming at the Juno line which is right up my alley - strong female leads. I have discovered with "Crash into Darkness", my third published book, that I can write paranormal - also an essential element in Juno books. The reason I am blogging less is so I can actually find some time to write. With a family and a full time job, it is a constant struggle and something had to give. That was my web presence. Until I get print published, that will continue to be the case.
2) Inspiration:
We all need inspiration not just as writers but in order to put one foot in front of the other and I have found that in this season's American Idol. I have always watched it and enjoyed it, but this year is different. These kids are so damned talented and no one has picked them up before. How could someone like Adam Lambert, who has been on the music scene for some time, never have been noticed? He has the extreme talent of Elvis, or David Bowie or Sting or ... you get the idea. He is good looking, charismatic, humble and, man, can he sing! He is a true born artist and there are not that many in this world. So how could he be ignored despite the fact that he was putting himself out there?
You might ask how that inspires me. Well, it does. I now get my confidence from his story. I am the undiscovered talent that will one day be picked up if I try long enough. Don't laugh at me. This is what works for me, or, at least, is working at the moment. I can't wait for the final.

3) Work:

The inspiration from number two is also what gets me through the work day. I have reached a point in my job where there are no longer any challenges and I am so bored sometimes I want to evaporate. I hate being cooped up in a cubicle all day, where I can't see the sky. I have only done this kind of office work for two years now. Before, I was a teacher and I could return to it, but it doesn't pay as well as this job, and it is so hard to go backwards in financial terms. I am thinking of retraining, but that would mean time without an income stream, and my husband would take a dim view of that. I feel trapped, as I know many other people do. I have always found in life that there is a solution out there, but this time it is very slow in coming to me. I'll let you know if a bolt of brilliance hits me with the answer.
4) Travel:

Meanwhile I have something to look forward to. In July, my son and I are going to Peru. I will finally see Machu Pichu - a long time dream of mine, as you will know if you follow my blog. I am slightly worried about the altitude sickness that hits many at that height but since the mountain won't come to me, I must go to it. I'll blog about my experience when I get back.

5) Star Trek:

Another place I find inspiration for my writing and for life is movies. Yesterday, I saw Star Trek and loved it. I think almost everyone will enjoy this film, but for those of us brought up with the first TVseries, this is a must see. We know all the characters and learn how they all got together to be on the SS Enterprise. It is a wild ride from beginning to end. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me sigh and it made me sit on the edge of my seat all the way through. This has great growth of character for the leads. The one female lead perhaps a little less but she is tough and compassionate and not really the focus so I will let that pass. And all the actors they chose are so believable as the younger versions of themselves. I was right there with them all the way. Go see it, even if you are not a Trekkie.

In Bruges

2009-03-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

I saw this on DVD last night and am sorry I didn't see it in the cinema because Bruges is so beautiful. A friend told me they didn't like it so I didn't go. Stupid me! It's one of the best films I've seen in a long time.
All the actors were amazing and who knew that Colin Farrell could show such a range of emotions with the flinch of a facial muscle. The one liners were sharp, witty, numerous and superb. In fact the whole movie was a one liner.
This is the darkest comedy I have ever seen but the screenplay, the directing, the acting lift it to the top ranks of moviemaking. Watch for the symbolism everywhere, especially in the art gallery and at the end.
Remember it is dark and every second word is a swear word but listen hard and you will be totally amazed at how ingenious the script is. Brilliant!

Back Home

2009-03-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

I'm back and can hardly believe that my holiday in Las Vegas is all over. Time passes so quickly.

The photo on the left is me in the Venetian Hotel. The hotels in Vegas are incredible. They are ornate, themed and immense. We spent most of our time lost trying to find the way out to the street.

The photo below is of my sister, Margot, (on the left) and my friend, Genevieve at Disneyland, where we stayed on our last day in the USA.

I came home to find out that I have been chosen as a ParaNormal Romance Reviewer "Top Pick" for February 2009 with my book, Crash into Darkness. This is the permalink to the feature. I am honored to be in the company of Christine Feehan and other great writers.
Anyway, it is time to get out of holiday mode and back into work mode. Life can be very sad.

Las Vegas

2009-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I have been very slack lately and though I have been writing, I have not been blogging. I am dropping in to tell you my latest news. I am off to Las Vegas on 6th March for the Epicon conference. I will only attend the Awards Banquet on Saturday night because I am a finalist in the EPPIE Awards. Las Vegas is too exciting to be cooped up in a room all day, so instead my sister, my friend and I will be enjoying the sights including a flight to the Grand Canyon and of course we will be taking in a show - Cher. Should be spectacular. We'll also spend a night and a day in LA so I can go to Disneyland for the third time. Can't wait - I am just like a kid at a fun fair. Will be away six days, then back home to work and reality.

5 Latest Reads

2009-01-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

These are the last 5 books I have read, ending with the one I am currently reading.

1) Dead Lagoon by Michael Dibdin

If you like your detective stories raw, layered and enigmatic, this series about the detective Aurelio Zen is for you. He works with the Criminalpol in Rome but for this story is transferred temporarily to Venice at his own request. Michael Dibdin lived in Italy for 4 years and his descriptions of Venice ring authentic as he weaves his way through the streets and palazzi of the City. As most of you know, I lived in Italy for nine years and have been to Venice numerous times but I learned a lot from his descriptions of the politics and multi layers of this dying city. This book is gritty and dark just like the protagonist. You feel like you have been drawn into another world that you would never normally have a chance to experience.

2) The Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

A completely different story to the previous one. This is a light histrorical which takes you on a fast, easy ride. I don't read a lot of this genre but won this at a conference so decided to give it a go. I read it all the way to the end, which doesn't happen with a lot of similar books so that says a lot for Quinn's story telling skills. It's not a book that will stay with me long, unlike Dibdin's, but I imagine that's not its purpose.

3) Mercy by Jodi Picoult

On the whole I love Jodi Picoult - she is one of my favorite writers. However, this one, which was first published in 2002, didn't hold my attention like the others. Picoult usually chooses a topical subject and fictionalises it . In this case, it is mercy killing. A man kills his terminally ill wife. The moral standpoints taken by various people on such issues are central to her books, and that's one of the interesting facets of her writing. Her books are usually fast paced with twists and turns you don't see coming. However, this one had no twists and was a little pedestrain. So I was disappointed. My favorite of hers is still My Sister's keeper though Second Glance is a pretty close second.

4) Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Yes, it has taken me a while to get around to reading this, but I saw it in a bookshop last week and grabbed it. I was drawn in immediately from the first words, and it kept me all the way through with just a couple of slow patches of insight into minor characters that I felt was a little unnecessary and didn't further the story any. Also, there was only one attempt to give any of the villain's back story and I thought that was a little light for it didn't really give any explanation for his actions. However, each of the main character's are drawn well and their personal ways of dealing with the tragedy are diverse and thought-provoking.

5) Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is the book I am currently reading so I can't give a full account of my feelings about it, but so far, she has captured me with her lyricism, her pain and her candidness. I am still in the section on Rome and, despite a few bad translations from Italian into English, she has captured the atmosphere of Rome and the Romans well. She was only there for four months so it will always be a superficial view but she has an ability to get to the nitty gritty of what she observes and to describe it in a delightful way. Stereotypes do creep in, but it isn't worrying me too much. Her joy for life, despite her own personal darkness, shines through and carries you along with her through the good and the bad. I hope the rest is as good.

New Website

2009-01-01T02:34:00.000-08:00

I'm excited because my son has designed me a new website - completely new and I think it looks great. Please have a look and let me know what you think: Suzanne Perazzini Website

Try it on Firefox. It fits better than on Explorer.

Quote

2008-12-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

Clare Scott posted this quote on the NZ Romance Writers Loop today and I thought it was timely enough to post it here as well, so thanks Clare.
How about using it as a blanket New Year's resolution?

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much." - Jim Rohn

Twilight

2008-12-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

I saw the movie, Twilight, yesterday and I liked it. I haven't read the book, which I think is crucial, so I came to it fresh with no expectations. I saw the flaws and I'm not here to speak about them. If I like a movie overall, I ignore the negatives.
I'm not a vampire story lover though I've read a few and I must say I liked Anita Blake's early books. But I loved the atmosphere in Twilight. I even enjoyed the long drawn out close ups of the characters' faces. I thought the vampire family were unique and fascinating, each one different from the other. The baseball game was such fun.
I will now read the book because I can imagine the depths and layers and subplots that will be in the book to flesh out the story.
I know this movie has many detractors but I am not one of them. Go and see it and let me know what you think.

5 Favorite Heroines

2008-12-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

So here are the 5 ladies who I most often visualize for my heroines. My heroines are tough, but with a vulnerability which comes from a painful past. These actresses often portray similar roles.

1) Jennifer Garner

She is the quintessential tough heroine with the soft center. Think of Alias and Elektra.

2) Jodi Foster

Many of her roles are those of the ordinary woman who finds herself in an extraordinary postion. Think of Panic Room and The Brave One.

3) Kate Beckinsale

She has a gentle, beautiful face but think of the two Underworld movies - tough and invincible.

4) Jennifer Connelly

She has dreamy eyes that express depth and vulnerability but she is tough at the core. Think of The Day the Earth Stood Still and Blood Diamond.

5) Linda Hamilton

Think of the Terminator movies, especially the second. Who can dispute that she was one of the toughest heroines yet.

There are of course many others, and I'm sure I will use them in the future to create variety, but for now these are my five.

By the way I have my three book covers over on Book Cover Lovers: http://bookcoverlovers.blogspot.com/

5 Favorite Heroes

2008-12-10T23:48:00.000-08:00

Each book I start to write, I need to visualize my hero and heroine before I can proceed.

Here are 5 actors who help me with that process:

1) Who can resist this man now we have seen him perform in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace? James Bond fans may have been upset at the choice of Daniel Craig as their new hero but they soon changed their tune when they saw him emerge from the sea, tanned, buff and serious. I recently set a book in Egypt and he was my man. And he performed real well, thank you.

2) Colin farrell is for when I need a younger hero, a man who has secrets as dark as he appears. He is my character in my current manuscript set in Santa Fe, USA, and he has a very dark secret.

3) No one could leave Hugh Jackson off this list. I have never seen him look bad even when he sprouts ears and other bits. Not a lot more to say, but I am looking forward to seeing him in his new film, Australia, as soon as it reaches New Zealand's shores.

4) Pierce Brosnan continues to look good despite the passing years. He was my favorite Bond until Daniel came along. I have used him before but I can't remember in which story. I guess I've written that many.

5) Viggo Mortensen is Lord of the Rings. Each story, each movie has to have a handsome hero and Lord of the Rings has two - Viggo and Orlando Bloom. Now I would have included Orlando but he's just a little too baby-faced still. Give him a few years and some tough living and he will turn out fine but until then I'll take Viggo. Those eyes hold mysteries and secrets that I would like to investigate, hoping to never know the truth.

In my next post, I will show you my heroines.

Meanwhile, which heroes do you visualize while writing?

Another Great review

2008-12-07T21:18:00.001-08:00

Coffee Time Romance has just given me a great review for Crash into Darkness. This is the last section:

"No matter what the subject, Suzanne Perazzini masters every detail. Her ability to draw the reader into each and every scene is exemplary. The crashing waves, howling wind, and cold dark fear are such a tangible force, you will actually shiver in dread. Her characters are just as remarkable. You can feel their fear, and their struggle to control the demons inside. Recommending this book as well as Ms. Perazzini’s other work is a real pleasure, and I am thrilled to do so."

LototyReviewer for Coffee Time Romance

Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Here is the full review: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Crashintodarkness.html

The Five Things I want for Christmas

2008-12-05T00:45:00.000-08:00

Erica Orloff blogged about her Christmas list and I thought I would do the same. But nothing altruistic here. This list is largely materialistic and just for me.

1) A pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. This is something I will probably never get because I am too sensible to spend that amount of money on a pair of shoes, but this is my wish list and I want these shoes on it.

2) A louis XIV chair. My home is furnished with a mixture of modern and antique. I see one of these chairs in my study near my ultra-modern glass desk. I love the contrast of styles and materials.

3) My own personal masseuse who is on call at least 16 hours a day. My shoulders and back hold my tension and emotions so an undoer of my knots readily at hand would be dreamy.

4) An Alpha Smart Neo. They are so light to carry around. I have a laptop, but they get rather heavy if carried too far, and then I need that masseuse to give my shoulders a rub. And none of that pesky constant editing because you can't see much of what you have written. Ideal.

5) The ideal bra. I seek the perfect bra but it seems to be an impossibility. I want a bra that does its leverage job without effort, that looks perfect under a thin t-shirt, that's not too tight and doesn't dig in anywhere, and that is beautiful to look at. I enter lingerie shops and see all those gorgeous, lacy numbers but under a smooth top all you see are lumps and bumps. Who wears them?

There you go - my five. Give me one of yours. Don't make it practical and it must be materialistic.

EPPIE Finalist

2008-12-02T21:52:00.001-08:00

I needed good news and I got it.

I am a finalist in the EPPIE Awards in the action/adventure category for my first published book, Beneath the Surface. The finalists are announced in March next year at the EPIC conference in Las Vegas. I need a travelling companion and I will be on my way. Anyone else out there going to the conference?

My other good news is yet another great review from Cocktail Reviews for Crash into Darkness. I got a score of 6 glasses of champagne out of a total of 5 possible glasses or a full bottle of champagne.

This was the last sentence: This exceptional tale really pulled me in and didn’t let go. I saw everything as though on a movie screen. Most impressive!

My 5 Favorite Temples

2008-11-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

If you follow my blog, you will know that I have a passion for ancient churches, temple and ruins. I have already blogged about the temples in Egypt but I thought I would put my favorite ruins in the world all together in one place.

1) Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
I took this photo at sunrise and what a magical way it was to start our tour of this fantastic building. It's hard to imagine that until not long ago, this complex of many temples was buried in the jungle, its existence only known to the locals of the area. I recommend a visit now before the rapidly increasing tourist numbers create the circus that surround most of the more beautiful, ancient buildings of the world.

2) Abu Simbel in Egypt.
Abu Simbel consists of two temples on the shores of Lake Nassar, which were lifted and moved back onto dry land when the area was flooded due to the construction of the Aswan Dam. I won't write about the history of them again as I have done so elsewhere on this blog. Suffice it to say that they are a sight for sore eyes, isolated away from any main centre as they are and perched on the side of the lake in the middle of the desert.

3) Knossos in Crete, Greece.
I visited this site many, many years ago and so have no digital photos of it. This one is from Wikipedia.
Knossos, built between 1700 and1400BC, was the centre of Minoan civilization. Its ruins were only discovered in 1878 and have now been made much more tourist-friendly. But back when I saw it, its raw state struck a cord with me and so it remains among my favorite ruins.

4) The Roman Forum in Rome.
I have visited this site several times but there's always something more to see. This was the civil centre of Roman life back in Roman times. I love visualizing how it was back then when these buildings were intact. Imagine the hustle and bustle, so different from out main centers, and yet basically the same - just a bunch of human beings going about everyday life.

5) Machu Picchu in Peru.
Okay, so I'm cheating. I have yet to visit Machu Picchu but I just know it will be one of my favorites so here it is. I can't imagine the tireless ingenuity involved in building a small city up so high in the mountains. Built in 1460, it was used only for 100 years before it was abandoned during the Spaniard conquest. One day I will get there.

My Clever Son

2008-11-21T19:45:00.001-08:00

This is another proud mother moment. As part of the same project as the model Skateboard Park blogged about not long ago, Dario had to design a double page magazine layout with the theme of skateboarding. He wrote about the skateboarder and human being extraordinaire, Bam Margera. Above is the double page layout. Click on it to get a better view, though it is not nearly as clear as the original form. Sorry about that.

Murder on the Mountain

2008-11-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of times I have mentioned the website Authors Promoting Authors, which is purely for the promotion of books which are not published by the larger publishers. Today I would like to promote one of their more eye-catching books, Murder on the Mountain, by Maddie James. Look at that glorious cover.

A Ladies of Legend Novel...In the two long years since her Tennessee state trooper husband's murder, Kate Carpenter thinks she's coped with his death, although everyone in Legend, Tennessee keeps telling her she hasn't. She can't see what the problem is, really.She has her parents, and her best friend Patti Jo, and her students.
What else could a twenty-nine year old woman need?
A man, Patti Jo keeps telling her.
A thought that Kara quickly puts aside.
All is fine until one hot August afternoon when Trooper Mike Lehman invades her classroom, and her life. When she can't get out of working with the trooper, assigned to teach drug abuse prevention classes, she bites the bullet and tells herself it's for the good of her students.
Inside, she's fighting demons she hasn't fought in a while.
Sent to Kate's classroom on a investigation, Mike uses his drug prevention training as his cover.
His mission, however, is to find out what Kate knows, if anything, about Rob Carpenter’s supposed death. Recent reports indicate he is alive and that he faked his death because of his involvement in a drug-running operation.
Mike's task is to expose Carpenter, and if she's involved, Kate.
And he’ll stop at nothing, to get the answers he wants.Buy Murder on the Mountain Visit Maddie James' Website

Crash into Darkness

2008-11-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, another release! Crash into Darkness has been released today at Wild Child Publishing.

The cover was also designed by me but the background is one of my clever son's paintings. I added the words, the woman and the ship.

The internationally famous author, Nalini Singh, read mybook and had this to say about it:
"A darkly compelling story--Suzanne Perazzini takes us on an emotional, action-filled journey into a unique new world."

Blurb for Crash into Darkness

Amber has no reason to leave the daily turmoil of life aboard a prison ship, created to house those with the violent Cleaven gene. Though now rehabilitated, she has chosen to stay and counsel the inmates who struggle to come to terms with their imprisonment. Possessing extraordinary gifts - an ability to assess situations with perfect clarity and to feel the emotions of others - her skills are in great demand in the volatile environment of the ship.
Jaden, also rehabilitated and with the special gift of mind reading, ploughs the seas on board the boat that delivers supplies and prisoners to and from the ship.
Amber and Jaden are thrown together when the prisoners rebel and an explosion breaches the hull of the ship during a storm. Together they battle the elements, a new, cold-eyed prisoner who has Amber in his sights and their traumatic pasts which sent them to the ship in the first place.

If you are interested, you can buy the book here.

Work of Art - Skate Park

2008-11-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

This is a post from a proud mother. As part of my son, Dario's, final design project in his final year at school, he designed and created a skatepark model. This measures approximately four feet by three feet. It is made from wood with metal trims, and the detail, as you can see from the photos, is intricate. He had his last day at school today and now he must study for his final exams. Next year he will study architecture at college.

Award Received

2008-11-01T13:23:00.001-07:00

Nature Shows and Dreams has awarded me with the I Love Your Blog Award! Thank you, so much. Now it's my turn to pass it on to blogs I enjoy visiting. Here are the rules: 1) Add the logo of the award to your blog 2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you 3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs 4) Add links to those blogs on your blog 5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

These are some of my favorite blogs.

1) Raine Weaver has been a writing friend for years now. She is always there for me in the good and the bad. One day she will be a big star and I can say I knew her back when she was a struggling starlet. I enjoy her blog for her sharp intelligence and insightful outlook on current events and the writing world.

2) Erica Orloff is a well-published, successful writer, whose life is chaotic, creative and full of love. Every day she blogs about a different subject that gets you thinking. How she comes up with an idea a day, I don't know but that's Erica. She has a very loyal group of commenters who add to the enjoyment of my daily visit to her blog.

3)Tina-Sue is a fellow writer, whose book No Shadows Left Behind is currently on the shelves. She is a generous, quirky lady whose blog is always worth reading. She also runs Authors Promoting Authors where writers with small publishers or epublishers can promote their books. She runs this out of the kindness of her heart.

4) Heather Dugan is a writer and photographer, whose photos blow me away. She loves the great outdoors and hikes often through glorious landscapes with her lovely family, snapping photos as she goes. We are privileged that she shares them with us.

5) Tanya from Kenya lives in a glorious spot in the wilderness of Kenya. On her blog, she shares amazing stories of her life in this fascinating place and posts wonderful photos of the wildlife, which wanders about outside and often inside her house.

6) Jill Shalvis has an amazing, natural sense of humor. I visit her blog every day without fail and would miss it if she failed to blog. She is a well-established writer but blogs mainly about her life up in the mountains, where encounters with bears are a daily event. This is one blog you shouldn't miss.

7) Kameron Hurley has a blog which draws you in for her fierceness, her determination and her 'never-say-die' attitude. Her first book will be out shortly. Visit her blog and buy it when the time comes because her writing is powerful and beautiful. I also love the photos of women and quotes by women all the way down the side of her blog. Worth visiting just for those.

Brideshead Revisited and Venice

2008-10-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

As you know, I go to the movies every Saturday morning. Today I saw Brideshead Revisited and loved it. The atmosphere of extravagance and beauty was soul-restoring. The story is rich, poignant and ultimately heartbreaking but a great testiment to the effects of blind belief, the battle of religion versus atheism, the entitled versus the unentitled, the strong versus the weak.

But most of all I loved the scenes set in Venice. I have visited there many times and always, always love it. My husband and I wander about imagining our life if we moved back to Italy and maybe to Venice in particular. We pick out an apartment (from the outside) we would like to live in and then work out how we would live. Our son is starting college next year so our main responsibilities towards him are over (bitter sweet as it is). The financial responsibility continues of course but the actual child-rearing is over. We have done our job and now we have to hope we have done it well and he can do the rest by himself. So perhaps soon we can start to think about ourselves again. Is Venice in our future?

A birthday

2008-10-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

The little girl, in the photo has a mother, two great grandmothers, two grandmothers, five great aunts. She does have a father (and a great one at that), one grandfather and an uncle but that’s nine female influences to the three male ones. How will this influence her? The females are, without exception, strong, assertive, successful women. The chances of her growing up the same are high.
Her birthday party happened today, which called for a family reunion, and she spent her time mainly in the arms of a woman who absolutely adored her. She was blissfully happy, totally alert, the centre of attention and accepted it as her right. Without a doubt she will grow up confident, independent, a leader and a thinker. You could see that today. She thought her way through the party, drinking in every nuance, every shadow and every word.

You know the woman who enters a room and all turn to look at her?

Please meet my great-niece, Sofia –one year old today.

Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Great Review

2008-10-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've just received a great review for my second book, Rough Justice, from Coffee Time Romance.

The last sentence says: Ms. Perazzini is an extremely talented writer, giving life to the thrill seeker in all of us. I am so excited to have read this, and eagerly encourage you to purchase this fantastic book.

To say I am a happy girl is an understatement.

If you want to read the rest of the review, this is the link:http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Roughjustice.html

If I knew the future...

2008-10-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

Over at Jennifer Jackson's Blog, she proposed the question: If you could see the future and knew you would never be published (or published again), would you continue writing?
I only read about half of the, at that moment in time, 74 comments and at least 90% said they would write anyway. However, I think I would be a part of the minority and stop writing.
I am not defined by my writing. It is not my heart and soul to the degree that without it, I would feel empty or bereft. I am a creative person. That defines me, certainly, and without a creative outlet, I would feel unfulfilled. But many ways of expressing oneself creatively exist. I ran my own business as a fashion designer (I trained while living in Italy) for a decade before selling it. I renovated homes for ourselves, family, acquaintances and aquaintances of aquaintances for many, many years. Writing is another step in my life and I am determined to be successful because I think I am good enough to be published and I would love to earn a living (even if not large) from this profession. But if I knew this would never happen, then I would turn in a different direction. Life's too short and there's too much to do to waste time fiddling with words that are just for me. For many of you, that will mean I am not a true writer, but then is the teacher who becomes a pianist not a true teacher? She was while that was her calling but who says we have only one path in life? I know for a fact that I have many and if writing is not to be one, then I will move on. Why torture oneself?

Blogging Elsewhere

2008-09-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

For all of Monday I am blogging here:http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/
Because of the time difference, I will only manage three posts throughout the day. I have just posted the first and it's about my journey to publication. Well, not all of it - I don't want to depress anyone - but the succulent points that make up the whole.
Thanks so much to Anna for this opportunity.

Saving Tampa by Jo Webnar

2008-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is another great book that has been posted to Authors Promoting Authors: http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/

Saving Tampa

For as long as she could remember, Rachel Cunningham feared and hated her psychic ability. When a strange man accidentally touches her, she sees the death of thousands. Rachel knows the FBI won't believe her, but she has to try. Lives are at stake.Special agent Arrons dismisses her information as a publicity stunt, yet his conscience nags him. When Rachel identifies an Al Qaida cell leader, Arrons puts his career at risk and issues an alert.Together they race against time to prevent a terrorist attack. Will the terrorists' threat succeed, or will Rachel and Arrons find the solution in time to Save Tampa?

To buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jo+Webnar

For Jo's website: http://www.jowebnar.com/

Excerpt from Rough Justice

2008-09-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have been advised by a dear writing friend to post an excerpt from my latest book so here goes:

At the airport, the army roamed everywhere. The trepidation and confusion were palpable. People rushed about, seeking tickets to leave the country, dragging hastily packed belongings. Logan pushed his way through the crowd and directed me to a medical centre where my arm was cleaned and bandaged, and my other injuries checked. He then consigned me to an airport assistant who was to see me safely on board the next plane.
“I have to leave you now. I think I’ll pack up the centre and get out too. It’ll take a couple of days to tie up loose ends, but I want you gone first so I can concentrate on the job.”
His worried face gazed down at me and I felt a sudden vacuum at the thought of leaving him. We had spent less than two days together, but the bond forged by our shared experience was not so easily broken.
His warm hand reached out and his fingers closed around my chin. “Niki, you did well. You’ve got grit.”
“You did well too.” I smiled, but my eyes were heavy with unshed tears.
He leaned forward and kissed me – gently and quickly, his lips brushing mine, then pulled back. But I wasn’t leaving him like that – it wasn’t enough. I put my hand behind his head and brought his face back down and this time, his mouth closed over mine, forcing my lips apart and I could feel his passion glide down through my chest and sink into my pelvis, where it flooded my nerve endings and set my skin alight. I pulled away gasping.
“Wow. Nice.” I pushed my hair back off my forehead and grinned. “Can we do that again sometime?”
Logan smiled and brushed his own hair off his forehead. “I guess we’d better. I know where to find you.” He turned and I watched with a dull ache of longing inside as he disappeared into the crowd.

Once again, this is where you can buy my book: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=226

It's already out

2008-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Actually, Rough Justice is already available on the Red Rose Publishing website and also at Mobi Pocket. According to the website, it was released 11th September and I didn't even know.
Anyway, here are the links if you wish to purshase it: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=226
or http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/AuthorDetails.asp?AuthorID=64659

This is the blurb:
When Niki's partner, Logan, is kidnapped by poachers in Zambia, she tumbles into the sordid underbelly of a world where survival reigns and animals are sacrificed for financial gain. In order to rescue her man, she will fight all the way to the top and be stunned by what she finds there.

Thanks for your continued support.

New Release

2008-09-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

I have just received the news that my novel, Rough Justice, will be released by Red Rose Publishing on the 25th September 2008. This is a contemporary action/adventure with a romantic thread. I will tell you more about it on the release date.
Meanwhile you can see it here: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=226

Cindy Jack's New Book

2008-09-08T23:44:00.001-07:00

Cindy Jacks has a great new book out today. You will find it here:http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=133&zenid=70a03e5fdb67bd0f0e7d868c34ee651a

If any designer could create a pair of high heels with the power to change a woman's life, Beth Levine would top that list. Join the Red Shoes as they travel through five decades, appearing in each owner's life at the time she faces a personal crossroads. Though the heels appear as inactive bystanders in the dramas that unfold, Taking Off: The Red Shoe Collection, just might leave you saying, "It must be the shoes...."

For an excerpt:http://www.freyasbower.com/excerpts/redshoes.html

For Cindy's Website: http://cindyjacks.com/default.aspx

5 Favorite Cities

2008-09-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I think I blogged about my favorite places but I haven't actually done my favorite cities. This is very personal because I am not a city lover as I don't like crowds. Therefore my criteria is very different from those who love bustlings cities, bright lights and shopping, which, by the way, I do not enjoy at all. Strange, I know. I will display them in descending order to my number one city.

No.5: Prague, Czech Republic.

I saw this city a couple of years ago and was entranced by its atmosphere, its castle and in particular by its gothic cathedral, St. Vitus, but then again I can't pass a gothic anything without swooning.
No. 4: Ljubjiana, Slovenia.

I mentioned this city a couple of posts ago - about the prison hostel. This city is ancient but also open and clean with the requisite river through the middle lined by cafe and restaurants, oozing with flowers and aromas to die for.

No. 3: Bath, England.

Most English cities and towns have great character attached to them. Bath attracted me in particular for its sense of history, its beauty and the fact that Jane Austen lived here.No. 2: Edinburgh, Scotland.

I've probably mentioned before how much I love Scotland. When I first arrived by plane in Edinburgh, I was immediately captured by the small, identical houses lining the streets - so different from how we live in New Zealand. The centre is charming with its castle and lovely park. I was probably influenced by the sunny days we had there for I have heard it can be rather grim. However, to me it was everything a city should be - small enough to walk around easily, open and spacious, full of glorious gothic churches and of course a castle right in the centre. No 1: Rome, Italy

You already know this is my favorite city because I have told you so a few times. It is so rich in history and art that I walk around in a daze at the beauty of the place. It is a city that vibrates with life and atmosphere and can't help but entrance anyone who visits.

My Study

2008-09-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see my study. This is where I spend most of time when not at work. I have decorated it to my taste with heaps of bunches of flowers, real and otherwise and my desk is littered with souvenirs from my travels around the world.

A Night in Prison

2008-08-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Once on my travels, I spent a night in prison. Mind you, I could come and go as I pleased.

A couple of years ago, while visiting family in Italy, Adriano and I took a road trip through Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. For those who are a little behind on the political turmoils that keep fragmenting countries, Slovenia is one of the countries (in the north west) that the old Yugoslavia broke up into. We visited the capital, Ljubljana, and stayed in an old prison, now called Hostel Celica. It is now a funky, young hostel but even though no longer young or funky, I couldn't resist it.

Each of the original cells has been uniquely decorated by different artists without any structural changes to the tiny cells. Much imagination was necessary to furnish them adequately and often beds are hoisted up high as was the case in our cell. Steep ladders led up on either side of the double bed which filled almost all of the upper cell area. The photo with the strange contraption that seems to be the ceiling is actually the underneath of the round double bed where we slept. I have also included a couple of other cells so you can see how different each one is.

The communal rooms were bright and fun. A band played for most of the night and it was impossible to sleep because of the noise the hostel guests were making so one night was enough but I would so have loved to see the other cells. By the way, everything was spotless and the communal bathrooms were excellent.

On our way out of Slovenia, we passed through the Julian Alps which border Italy. Spectacular. See the photos.

I'm not sure why I decided to post about this but I have just read a book about a woman who is unjustly imprisoned so maybe that's what triggered the memory.

Anyway, the hostel is worth a visit but don't expect to sleep. If you wish to find out more, this is their website. http://www.hostelcelica.com/en/index.html

RWNZ Conference

2008-08-23T16:06:00.001-07:00

I have been very remiss in not blogging about our New Zealand Romance Writer's conference, which happened last weekend.
Our conference is tiny compared to the American one with around 120 attendees. The beauty of this is lots of possibilities to talk to the guest speakers as they mingle with us during the breaks and meals.

We were very lucky to have Margie Lawson (that's her in the photo) as our major guest speaker and she did a splendid job of inspiring us on to greater heights with many tips on how to lift our writing to the next level. I attended a published writers workshop of hers and as there were only five or six of us, we were able to all have a very informative chat with her.

Jenny Hutton came over from Mills & Boon and was very generous with her advice. When I pitched to her, she discussed my manuscript for the new Young Adult line at length and seemed genuinely interested in it. I have already sent off the partial she requested. By the way, soon we'll be able to submit to Mills & Boon by email. They already have a link for it but it doesn't work yet. It can't come soon enough.

Editor Cindy Hwang from Berkley was also there and more than willing to give us copious amounts of information about the publishing world and what was hot and what was not. Paranormals and Historicals are both hot but Historical paranormals are not. Odd, but there you are. Chicklit is dead but rename it Women's Fiction and you're in. Young adult is becoming a hard sell. A few make it really big but then there's an enormous gap down to those who make very little money from them. Their Young Adult line is on hiatus at the moment. I pitched a mystery series to her and have emailed her a requested partial and other story ideas for the series.

We also had representatives from Samhain and Wild Rose Publishing, who filled us in on the epublishing world.

Our annual conference is such a great opportunity to catch up with other writers and to get a regular dose of inspiration. Can't wait for the next one.

Authors Promoting Authors

2008-08-20T22:44:00.001-07:00

A great new website has been created where authors of smaller presses can get some publicity. If you wish to be a part of this great opportunity go to the website:http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/
The rules are that once your book has been posted, then you post the previous book on your own blog.
Beneath the Surface is now featured on the Authors Promoting Authors blog and here is the previous featured author - R.K. Smith with her book Learning the Rules.

Karen is beautiful and smart, but doesn’t understand some things others take for granted, such as many of the intricacies of communication.She reads self-help books, hoping to find the ‘rules’, as she calls them. In a college night school Creative Writing course her only friend takes her to, she produces several children’s stories about problem solving, thoroughly impressing the teacher with her knowledge and insight.He has already been bemused by her beauty, and has realized her apparent naivety results in total honesty with no pretence. In turn, she values his patience, understanding, encouragement and generally kind ways.Connection results.However, their son Alex focuses on her limitations, not her strengths, and finds growing up frustrating and embarrassing to the point of humiliation. When a crisis brings him back into her life as an adult, the passage of time and his adult perspective trigger a reversal of those negative views. As well, he develops insight into his own chequered relationships when he discovers her stories.A simple and seemingly naïve suggestion from her proves to be the basis for a new life.
Here is the link for buying her book: http://www.ingoldsbybooks.com/
and here is her Blog: http://musingsfromingoldsby.blogspot.com/

Indecisive

2008-08-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so I said I was back on track, but I'm allowed to change track, aren't I? I've put aside the thriller and have decided to return for a visit to Harlequin. Intrigue is the closest line to what I write but has a little more romance than I am used to. However, I'm sure I can adapt. What I have realised is that even though Harlequin/Silhouette say they want different and fresh, they actually don't. They might want new voices but the guidelines are too strict for any innovation. A while back I wrote an Intrigue and received a personalised rejection saying that my story was too dark and that no one would want to read a story set on a prison ship. That manuscript is my second book to be picked up by Wild Child Publishing so someone wanted to read it. What they actually meant was that no Harlequin Intrigue readers would want to read a story set on a prison ship. And there's the crunch.We are writing for their loyal readers. We are not trying to establish a new set of readers. Therefore it makes perfect sense that we follow their guidelines to the letter. And I will. At least I'll try. And that's the reason I am returning to H/S. Because they have an established readership and the author's promotional input is minimal. What bliss to be able to concentrate my time on writing and not the rest.
At the moment I am trying to decide whether to set the story in Cambodia or Egypt. I have my characters. Now I need an Intrigue for them to get tied up in. And I must remember the romance...

Five alternative professions

2008-08-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

If I had the possibility of starting again with the knowledge of life I had now, what profession would I choose for myself? These are my first five choices.
1) Helicopter pilot
I have always loved flying, even the long flights to Italy from New Zealand - approx. 30 hours. When I was a teenager, my parents owned a business which sought out schools of fish by helicopter so the fishermen could zero in on them. My mother has her pilot's licence. My uncle had flown, commercially and otherwise, all his life. One of my first boyfriends was a pilot and took me up in all sorts of planes including an open Tiger Moth and looped loops. So I guess flying permeated a great deal of my early years and left me with a longing to fly. My second book coming out later this year has a heroine who flies helicopters, so I can live vicariously through her. Will I ever get my pilot's licence? Probably not.

2) Game Ranger - in Africa somewhere.
I have been captivated by the parts of Africa I have visited and the animals running free are a marvel to behold. The idea of poachers drives me crazy so if I were a ranger, I could contribute towards keeping the animals alive. I would be constantly out in open spaces - heaven.

3) Travel Journalist.
I was once one of three finalists in a National competition for a new Travel Writer and had a great opportunity to pursue this avenue of writing but, at the time, a Silhouette editor was very interested in my Bombshells and had assured me she wanted me as a Bombshell writer so I concentrated on that for two years, writing five Bombshells before she told me my books were bigger than Bombshells and I should get them published mainstream. In other words after all that writing and waiting, she rejected them all. And the momentum of my win in travel writing was completely lost and no one knew who I was any more. By the way, the book that has just been released by Wild Child Publishing http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/content/view/459/221/ ,Beneath the Surface, was the very first Bombshell I wrote. Travel writing is such a tremendously hard field to break into without credentials that it would be easier to win lotto but what a great excuse to travel the world.

4) Archeologist
Hard work, yes. Frustrating work, yes. Even tedious work, yes. But oh what joy when you strike something. That feeling of accomplishment is what we all crave whether we know it or not. And that feeling is what most of us don't have in our day jobs. We go to work and we come home and repeat it all the next day without significantly achieving anything concrete and that feels like failure - day after day. But if you had an aim, if you knew that in the end, there would be a reward, even though you didn't know when, then it would be all worth it. That's why I would want to be an archeologist. To have a carrot dangling in front of me with the viable hope of reaching it.
5) Forest Ranger
OK, so this is similar to the second choice but this would be in among trees and totally immersed in nature. Solitude with only trees and critters to talk to. What peace - no one to answer back, no bitching, no office politics. Yes, give me animals and trees over most humans any day.

So, I have noticed a theme here with my professions - being outdoors in nature, whether flying over it, walking or travelling through it or digging in it. Strange that all my professions so far have been indoors - Fashion Designer, Teacher, Personal Assistant, Design and Marketing Manager etc. So what does that mean? Any ideas? Because I sure don't have the answer to that question.

Breaking the Rules

2008-07-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

About twenty years ago my sister told me about a book she said she couldn't forget. I looked for it in book shops and libraries on and off for years but never found it. Eventually I forgot about it. Then two weeks ago I went to dinner at a friend's home and she told me to read this book she had just finished. It was the same book - Perfume by Patrick Suskind. I took it, grateful that I had eventually found it.

Well, I've finished it and I'm confused. This book breaks so many of the rules that we are constantly told to follow and yet it is a big enough hit to be made into a film.

First of all, the hero is despicable, odious, completely unsympathetic. Aren't we told to make sure that our characters are likeable, that they invoke sympathy, that even if they are off the tracks, that they have redeemable features that make us want to follow their character growth until they reach a point where we can like them. This chap has no redeeming features and certainly, if his character develops at all - and that is debatable - it's only to become even more horrendous. So why do we follow his story? I suppose because he has this incredible gift and it is the development of that gift that we are fascinated by and which makes us turn each page.

Secondly, we are continually told to 'show, don't tell'. This book 'tells' us the story virtually from the beginning to the end. There is one short section of dialogue and this is written up as in a play with the character's name written, followed by a colon and then his words. The rest is all hearsay - he did this and then said that and then he did this. If we do that in our stories, we are instantly rejected just as we would be for the first point. So why does he get away with it? Certainly it was first published over 20 years ago when the expectations of storytelling were different but it is still popular today.

The other fact I found strange about this book was that while reading the book, I found it difficult to put down and yet when I did manage to, I had little desire to go back to it. Can you see why this book has confused me so much?

Back on Track

2008-07-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for all the advice on my new website. I think I have made all the adjustments but let me know if I have forgotten something.

Well, the news today is that I am back on track. Since finishing my graveyard story, which is doing the rounds, I haven't written anything at all - and that's months now. It's not good to be resting that long or maybe it is. I have been going backwards and forwards through some stories I have part written and then abandoned and have finally found the one I have an urge to complete. This is a story I had almost forgotten even though I started it only last year. It is a complicated suspense thriller and I can't remember why I abandoned it at 37 pages. A confused brain, probably.

The interesting point is that on analysis I find I can't finish stories that I know all the details and ending to. It would be too boring to write what I know. I am definitely a seat-of-my pants writer and so need the mystery ahead of me to keep me writing. In this thriller I know who is the baddie, why the trouble is happening, but I have no idea how I will get my characters to a satisfactory end or who will be killed along the way. Keep it exciting and I keep writing.

The photos are my characters - Space Cowboys meets Dark Side of the Sun.

My New Website

2008-07-14T01:47:00.001-07:00

I worked all Sunday on creating a new sleeker website. I'd love you to go have a look and let me know what you think. Any criticism will be taken into consideration and duly implemented if it fits my vision.
http://www.suzanneperazzini.com/

The Five things I am the Most Grateful for

2008-07-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm going to exclude the obvious, being family, friends and health. You can take those for granted. I'm talking about the small things that might mean nothing to others but are important to me.

1) Every evening, when I get home from work, I feed the cat, get changed and prepare my rum and diet coke with three crackers topped by smoked salmon. I then take it all to my study to check my blogs and write before preparing dinner at 7.30pm. This is a special wind down time by myself - only the cat can interrupt me. When I'm having a hard day, I really look forward to this moment of my day.

2) After dinner I go back to my study to write but these days it's rather chilly in New Zealand - imagine wearing long-johns and thermals to work under my business clothes because the office is so cold. So I dream of how my electric blanket is warming up my bed. Now, I like to stay up late and keep working while the house is quiet so going to bed is not a priority but that electric blanket calls to me all evening. When the weather warms up, I actually go through withdrawal symptoms when I have to eventually turn it off. I don't do drugs, I don't smoke or drink coffee but I have withdrawal problems with an electric blanket. Go figure.

3) Having a good book on the go is essential in my life. When I finish a book, I must have another lined up or I feel bereft until I find a new one. It's like a close friend that I can return to when necessary. I don't have a lot of reading time in my day and I never read for long stretches at a time but just knowing that book is waiting for me makes my life worth living.The one in the photo is perhaps one of my favorites of all time. Even though I wasn't keen on Jodi Picoult's latest book, Change of Heart, I have loved all her others. Any suggestions of 'must read' books?

4) Movies. You have heard me go on about movies before and how they are my weekend passion. Well, give me a bad week and I long for the weekend so I can go lose myself in the wonderland of someone else's fantasy, diet coke and choc-top icecream in hand. The day after tomorrow I'm off to see Hancock - got to see what that twist is all about. Thank goodness no one has yet dropped a spoiler about it unlike that in Wanted, which I am dying to see when it arrives.

5) The sun in winter is such bliss that it should be canned. We have had sunshine for a few days here while the temperatures have been so chilly I have had to wear the above-mentioned bulky underwear. So the feeling of the sun on any bare skin available is a joyous pleasure and of course there is that essential vitamin D that you can't get any other way except through a pill. Unfortunately I just saw the weather forecast and it's going to be yucky again.Enjoy it, you guys in the northern hemisphere, it'll be back here soon enough.

Another book to be published.

2008-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Wild Child Publishing has accepted to publish another of my books, Crash into Darkness. I wrote this not too long ago thinking of Harlequin's Intrigue line. However, they said it was too dark for them. I'm glad it has found a home.
I created the image of my cover tonight but it is, of course, not the cover they will use - unless they let me design it. Click on the image and you will be able to see it better. Three books accepted now and counting.

Great Review for Beneath the Surface

2008-07-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

I've received a great review with the top possible score at: http://cocktailreviews.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/beneath-the-surface-wild-child-publishing/

This is the last line of the review: "Beneath The Surface has it all. Voice, plots, emotions, imagery, and high-calibre penmanship. I applaud Ms. Perrazini. She is one very talented lady."

I'm over the moon and finally excited about the whole process. It's amazing what a little positive reinforcement does for you.

I also have some other good news but I will keep that to myself for a few days.

Writing Inspiration

2008-06-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

For some time I have not been inspired to write a new story.

I have just had a book published, another bought for publication. I have had three requests for more work from query letters (a full & two partials) and yet I feel uninspired. You would think I would be jubilant after writing and submitting for 6 years. So why do I feel like this? If this had all happened 6, even 5, even 4, perhaps even 3 years ago, I think I would have been over the moon. I guess the knock-backs do take their toll. I feel excited about very little these days. Perhaps it is a defense mechanism against the hurt but unfortunately it also dampens the joy. This has worried me for some time but then the other day my son got an excellence for an important school project he had worked really hard on and I was elated. I felt joy. So I can feel excited for others, just not for my own successes. That will have to do for the moment.

I have had a rough ride workwise recently - an office bitch in one job and unsupportive bosses in the next. Then it occurred to me today that I have to take those experiences in all their nuances good and bad and use them in a story. It is fully formed in my head - funny, sad, shocking and ultimately inspiring - a journey through adversity to a place of strength. Now I must actually write it. By the way, the photo represents my mind recently.

The Real Estate Industry

2008-06-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

I work as Design and Marketing manager for a real estate firm and we are hurting badly. The market has stagnated and sales have all but dried up. This could adjust itself quite quickly or it might drag on for a few years. No one can see into that crystal ball.
My firm, as many others, have had to make a few decisions to ensure survival and these have not been popular. We have lost both our General Manager, (see lady with flowers in the photo - that's me on the left) a wonderful Russian immigrant, who it has been a pleasure to know and also our IT manager. He has since travelled to Australia and fortunately has found a great job there.
Fingers crossed there are no more redundancies.

For Sale - Zambezi Fishing Lodge

2008-06-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I would blog about something completely different - my uncle's fishing lodge and game farm on the Zambezi River in Zambia. He has created a paradise on earth but now ill health necessitates a change of plan and he has decided to sell it.

We visited there a few years ago and loved it. The lodge is built on a hill overlooking the Zambezi River and is situated on a privately owned Game Ranch which is fully fenced.
It is called Tiger Mile Lodge because of the Tiger fish that inhabit the river in that area. The property is 3100 + hectares (7660 acres) in size with approximately 30 kms of game fencing (2.5 metre tall with 17 strands of 2.24 mm high tensile fencing wire), including 5 kms of Zambezi River frontage.

If anyone is interested in any more information on this property, please let me know in the comments or you could go to my website http://www.suzanneperazzini.com/ and contact me directly on my email.

Beneath the Surface is released!!

2008-06-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

The day has arrived - my book, Beneath the Surface, has been released at Wild Child Publishing. Hallelujah. http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/

Blurb for Beneath the Surface
Jo has the darkest of secrets in her past, which drives her to seek out the most traumatic of hotspots in the world as a war correspondent so she never has the time to confront what she did. A fellow reporter, Craig, accompanies her into war-torn Sergavia to recover rolls of film from a dead colleague and along the way Jo finds love and a reason to go back to the beginning so she can move forward.

Extract from Beneath the Surface
Branko’s eyes, unseeing, gazed up to the heaven I hoped he had gone to. What freakin’ heaven, for God’s sake? Who was I fooling? Out of the black sky, a wave of hopelessness thundered over me. For an instant a cavity opened and closed, but I had seen inside, and that image of empty loneliness scratched at my sanity.
I fell forward onto my knees by his side and touched an unblemished cheek. It was cold. This was the face Ana loved. I felt her sorrow, and tears threatened. I brushed his hair into place and rubbed at the dirt on that cheek. I had seen more death than most people see in a century of life, but this was Branko. He had a name. I had talked to him. I had liked him.
I heaved my pack onto my back, snatched up the rifle, checked the magazine and put the safety on. There was nothing I could do for Branko, but I could help save his family—if I could get to them before they reached the pass.
I turned around and faced the mountains. That was where I was going. Up there into the snow.

Roman Forum

2008-06-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

I have decided to blog more often but with much shorter posts. These are photos of the Roman Forum in Rome. This area was the centre of city life in ancient Rome. That's me and my husband in the first photo. The two with blue sky are from Wikipedia. It rained most of the way through the Forum and I liked their blue sky better than our grey one.

Walking through this place transports you to another time and the ruins take shape and become undamaged buildings in your imagination. Isn't Rome amazing?

Five Great Italian Locations

2008-06-10T01:52:00.000-07:00

This is a post of photos of our last trip to Italy to see the family. I couldn't bring myself to choose my five favourite locations as I have so many.

1) That's me in front of the Colosseum in what is definitely my favourite city in the world - Rome.

2) This is the view from The Republic of San Marino, a tiny country, which is completely surrounded by Italy.

3) My son's girlfriend in the fabulous city of Venice. A more romantic city you can't find anywhere. They all travelled there while I was in Egypt so I missed it this time round. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4) The Duomo in Milan is the most fantastic cathedral in the world - at least that's my opinion. I have a passion for churches and cathedrals and have seen many all round the world but this is my favourite.

5) My husband's family all live in or near Rimini on the Adriatic coast south of Venice. Here are found wide, white sandy beaches which attract tourists from all over Europe in the summer. This photo of my son and his girlfriend was taken on a windy spring day during an amazing kite festival.

My Book Cover & Publication Date

2008-06-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all of you who gave your opinions on my book cover for Rough Justice. Taking into account all your answers, I sent away the first three covers and received an answer the next day that they liked all three with a preference for No. 1 but that I could choose. So I have chosen:

Yes, it's No.1. I was conflicted between No. 1 and No. 2 but in the end I went with my gut - I think No. 1 is more atmospheric and that I would pick it up in a book store before the others.

I have also received my release date for my other book, Beneath the Surface - June 17th. It's so close and I haven't updated my website yet. Aahh!

Your Favourite from the Five

2008-05-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

As I have told you, I am able to design my own book cover for "Rough Justice" and I have been busy doing just that.

This time I am going to ask for your favourite of my five drafts instead of this being about my favourites. Please let me know which you prefer.

First, here is a short blurb to help you understand my designs:

When Niki’s partner, Logan, is kidnapped by poachers in Zambia, she tumbles into the sordid underbelly of a world where survival reigns and animals are sacrificed for financial gain. In order to rescue her man, she will fight all the way to the top and be stunned by what she finds there.

Okay, here goes.

No1. --------------------------------------No. 2

No.3 ---------------------------------------No. 4

No.5

My Five Least Favourite Aspects of Egypt

2008-05-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

1) The Heat
Oven blasted waves of stiffling heat. I swear to you, any time after 8am, the air is like being slow-roasted. If there's a wind, then the oven has the fan on. Stay in the oven too long and you need to be basted. One pours liquid down the throat as fast as possible to counter the outpouring of perspiration but it's impossible to win the battle. We got close to 60 degrees centigrade in the sun. I looked at a chart on the internet and that's around 140 degrees centigrade.

2) The Hassling
These guys in the boat came alongside our cruise boat and wanted us to buy their wares. They stayed with us for almost an hour, hassling everyone to death. At first it was amusing, then it became heavy-handed when they started to lay a guilt trip on us about our wealth versus ours. This is, unfortunately, a scene which is repeated wherever you go in Egypt. The government has tried in various ways to stop this hassling of tourists, but, as far as I could see, unsuccessfully. How many times does a tourist have to explain, as they leave, that they haven't bought something because of the constant nagging and pressure to buy? We called walking through the markets, 'running the gauntlet'. At Abu Simbel temples, the stall holders were monitored by tourist police, who wouldn't let them hassle us, so instead, they talked non-stop about how we could buy in their stalls because they wouldn't hassle us. There was no way to shut them up. Unfortunately, many of us bought few things because of this problem. It really does wear you down, especially in the heat.
3) The Tummy Bug
I call it the Tummy Bug, capitalized, because it seems everyone has a brushing acquaintance with it. Most of us didn't get it until the last few days, including me and we got it to varying degrees. Fortunately, my dose was small but did the excellent job of cleansing me out and losing the few kilos I had gained due to the over-abundance of food we were offered. Of course, it was probably the food that was the culprit, coupled together with the heat which multiplied the natural bacteria in our stomachs to an unhealthy level.
4) The Dirt on the Train
Couldn't find an appropriate photo. Not the sand and earth kind of dirt - that's fine. But the 'couldn't be bothered cleaning' dirt is what is upsetting. I have travelled far and wide and I accept different levels of hygiene according to the country and the environment and don't even think about it. In fact, that's the point - I have never thought about dirt before when travelling. But when the first class train is comfortable and spacious but filthy because it hasn't ever been cleaned, then I start to actually see it and I question why it has to be like that. Unemployment is high in Egypt and they generally employ three men to do the job of one so that they have jobs. So, what happened to the cleaners in the trains?
5) There is no number five - couldn't think of one. So I guess the positives win - big time, actually. The negatives pale into non-existence beside the beauty and glory of this country. Except the heat, that is.

My Five Favourite Aspects of Egypt

2008-05-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

1) The Temples
Perhaps I have already mentioned my passion for temples, LOL so there's no need to say much else but they certainly are a great drawcard for Egypt.

2) The Egyptian people
I never felt threatened in Egypt even while walking along a street at dusk by myself. They were friendly, sometimes over-friendly in their efforts to sell you something, but I'll talk about that in my next post.
I also saw no beggars though I might have been lucky. Many people wanted money from me but they were always willing to give something in return even if it was only to show you a good photo angle.

3) The ancient Way of Life
Especially in the countryside, people live unsophisticated lives similar to those of 4,000 years ago. They cut the crops by hand, wash their dishes with dried grass, use donkeys, camels and horses for transport etc. In the second picture a man is preparing breakfast for workers with a simple cart and hot element. The men sitting on the ground are eating his delicious cuisine.
One of our group asked why they didn't use machinery and more advanced methods. Our guide explained that the culture wouldn't allow that to happen because it would put people out of work and looking after the family and neighbours is paramount. They all help each other out, working for each other, to make sure that no one wants for anything essential.

4) The Nile
This is the longest though not the biggest river in the world and is the life blood of Egypt. The majority of the population lives along its banks. It buzzes with the activities of life and was never far from our sight throughout our ten days in Egypt. Apparently, below the Aswan Dam, the water is so pure that you can drink straight from the river - so our guide said, but we didn't test his words. I love seeing such powerful forces of nature just as much as I enjoy the man-made marvels of the world like the temples.

5) The History
Egypt is all history from the pyramids just outside Cairo to the temples to the Valley of the Kings, (see photo beside the Shinx) where you can find the most amazing tombs decorated with vibrant colours. It's easy to get immersed in another time when life was full of beauty and danger, when the people were ingenious, proud, fierce and believed deeply in a complex, unifying culture. As a New Zealander with our short history, such places amaze and thrill me.

Another Contract for a Book

2008-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

A short note to let you know that Red Rose Publishing has offered me a contract for a book, Rough Justice, that I wrote some time ago. I can even design the book cover, which is exciting. I'm expecting edits to come some time soon. Thank goodness I have finished those for Beneath the Surface - at least I think it's not coming back my way again. I still don't have a firm date on that one's release yet. I will keep you informed.

My 5 Favourite Egyptian Temples

2008-05-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am back from my holiday to Italy and Egypt and have recovered enough from the two-day journey home to post a little about my wanderings.

When in Egypt, one sees many incredible temples and risks the widespread disease of temple fatigue. I, however, was not inflicted by this common ailment and will continue to search the world for the most unique and awe-inspiring temples. Egypt has the second largest temple in the world after Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which I saw last year. I will have to research the third largest and head there next.

Meanwhile, I will start with the second largest and my favourite Egyptian temple:

1) Temple of Amun at Karnak

This temple was immense, atmospheric and beautiful. Definitely my favourite. It was started around 2000 BC and was still being added to in 100 BC by Cleopatra. This temple can be seen in various movies as it typifies an Egyptian temple.

2) Abu Simbel

Cut into the rock face, this enormous structure was raised 61meters to save it from the flooding by the artificial lake , Lake Nassar, created by the Aswan High Dam. The 20 meter high statues represent RamsesII, known as the great builder. He ruled Egypt from 1290 - 1224 BC. Next to it is the smaller temple built for his favourite wife, Nefertari.

More amazing than this surprisingly intact temple with its clear drawings and beautiful colours, was the four-year process which saw the temple saved from the encroaching waters. Many nations came together to save this truly precious piece of ancient history.

Reaching this temple required a three-hour bus trip from Aswan in a convoy with a military escort. These stretches of bleak desert are the ideal spots for terrorist attacks. No one has forgotten the 1997 attack at my next temple.

3) Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

This amazing temple is built up against a cliff face out in the desert - a hot, sandy desert which saps your energy and causes copious outpourings of liquid from the body. There's no need for a toilet because it's virtually impossible to replace the fluids fast enough to counter the perspiration. Did you know you can perspire from your eyelids? While I was there, Egypt was gripped by a heat wave and we often reached temperatures in the mid to high 50's (centigrade.) This is the temple where terrorists killed 48 tourists in 1997. When chased by the locals, they then killed themselves. I kept a keen eye out over the cliffs for any untoward movements in our direction.

4) Temple of Kom Ombo

We stopped at this temple on the banks of the Nile while cruising between Luxor and Aswan. It was in a particularly picturesque setting and worth the risk of a heat stroke. This temple is dedicated to two gods, Horus and Sobek. Sobek, the crocodile god, was much needed in this spot as the river here was noted for crocodiles until early this century.

5) Philae Temple

This temple was also saved from the raised level of the river caused by the Aswan Dam. It now sits on an island in the Nile. The deeply etched carvings and drawings on the walls and ceilings of all these temples depict the life and death journey of the Pharoahs. Only the high priests and the Pharoahs were allowed into the inner sanctum of these temples and I often wondered at the egoism involved in such a decision. Like all religious buildings present and past, they represent man's desperate need to believe in life after death - the need to conquer the fear of death.

Raine Weaver's new book

2008-04-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning my family and I fly to Italy for three weeks with a side trip to Egypt. I will do my best to post something of my adventures over there but no promises.

Meanwhile I have some news I want to share concerning a good friend and fellow writer, Raine Weaver.

She has just had a new book, The Last Man on Earth, released by Samhain Publishing. I read this some time ago and loved it. Raine has a special ability to create unique characters and place them in an atmospheric setting which pulls you in and keeps your attention until the last word.
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/the-last-man-on-earth

This is NOT a test…
Iris Foley and Russell Carr are old friends who share everything. As they indulge in a marathon viewing of old, campy horror films on a stormy Halloween night, they are suddenly faced with the very real possibility that something has happened to the outside world.
Just as the last gasp of the Emergency Broadcast System issues a dire warning, they are plunged into isolation and darkness. Naturally, they decide to do what any frightened, civic-minded young couple would do.
They decide to have sex.
Now if only old fears, a surprise adversary, and the Apocalypse wouldn’t keep getting in their way…

Go to Samhain Publishing where you can buy this book. You will not be disappointed!

My Five Favourite Books

2008-04-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to confine myself to books I have read in the last five years or so. Otherwise Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Lorna Doone etc. would sweep away all the others. I have chosen the first five to pop into my head otherwise it would have become a battle to decide. I read all the time so had hundred and hundred to chose from and had to narrow it down. As well as many memorable books, I have read many forgettable ones to. Anyway, here we go with the first five I thought of.

1) My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. This author is my favourite so she was the obvious first choice and though I love all her books, her best for me is undoubtedly My Sister's Keeper. Her books are subtle, emotional, deeply-felt reads which linger in your mind for a long time after finishing them. She has a new one out and I can't wait to leave on holiday next week because I will buy it at the airport and read it on the plane.

2) Chocolat by Joanne Harris. This book is loved by many and certainly by me. It is a magical, lush, feel-good book with gentle paranormal elements to lift it out of the ordinary. I've had enough of vampires, fairies and werewolves to do me for a lifetime but I love paranormal at this level - ghosts, telepathy, strange going-ons. I recently read the sequel to Chocolat but wasn't as impressed though it was still a good read. It had a pervading sense of malevolence which tipped the balance away from the essence of Chocolat. I have also read nearly all her other books and love them but none more so than Chocolat.

3) Moonshine by Victoria Clayton. My sister lent me this book and I was enraptured from the start. She is a wonderful writer who pulled me into the world of an old house in need of restoration and a cast of quirky, lovable characters. An unexpected love story is icing on the cake. I am reading another of hers now and though it hasn't captured me quite as well so far, I love her style of writing.

4) Chloe by Freya North. A friend put me onto this author and I will be forever grateful to her. She has a fresh, easy-to-read style that pulls you through the book at the rate of knots. Again I have read nearly all of her books and loved them all but this, the first, remains my favourite. It takes Chloe on a journey of exploration around the British Isles and we discover with her magical places and people as she searches for a purpose to her life.

1) Deep South by Nevada Barr. I have read many of her books and had great difficulty choosing my favourite because I love them all. But this one has a haunting, powerful feel with a scene near the end that will stay with me forever. Her main character (a woman) is a National Park Ranger and each novel is a mystery story set in a different National Park. So, apart from great writing and a complex main character, the parks come to life in a way that no geographical book could describe.

Five Paranormal Experiences

2008-03-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

1) Once while walking down a nearly deserted shopping street in Turin, Italy, (the shops were shut) the skies opened and the mother of all storms let go. I was cowered against a wall, trying to stay out of the rain when my eye was caught by a shoe shop on the other side of the street. Feeling rather bored and sure the storm wouldn't pass in a hurry, I decided to brave the downpour and rush to the other side of the road so that I could at least look at the shoes in the window. I had just reached the other side when I heard a mighty crack behind me. I turned and saw that the electric cable I had been leaning against had been struck by lightning and was on fire. I would surely have been killed but for those shoes. Now that's not so paranormal but I do believe in little voices urging you to take a certain path and not another. I think that little voice was on my side that day.

2) One night many years ago, I dreamed of a multi-storied building which had no front, as if some super being had sliced it off with a sharp knife. I could see inside all the apartments like inside a doll's house. Just another nightmare? Not so. The next morning the main photo in the national newspaper was of a building in Argentina (if my memory serves me right) that had lost its front in a gas explosion. You could see right inside the apartments - exactly as in my dream. Eeek!!

3) When Dario was about three, I left him at playcentre for a few hours while I went for a part-time job interview. I was sitting deep in conversation with my future employer when I had a disturbing vision of a figure covered in a black sheet leaping out and Dario bursting into tears in fright. Out of necessity, I put it aside and continued with the interview then went to pick up Dario. The playcentre teacher wanted to apologize to me because they had taken the children to see a local theatre group and when a figure covered in a black sheet leapt out on the stage, Dario had burst into tears and had been very upset. We narrowed down the time and I had had the vision at almost exactly the moment it had happened. Go figure!

4) The next two experiences concern my father , who died less that two years ago. That's a distant cousin with him in the photo.
When my father was very ill, he was living with me and my family, but the time came when I needed a break and we went on an eight-day cruise around the Pacific. He went to stay with my sister. One day, we were on this splendid semi-deserted beach in Vanuatu when I started having difficulty breathing. The others were all swimming so I walked up to the toilet block and could hardly get there for the pain in my chest. I returned to the beach and sat and waited for my family to finish swimming and tried to analyse what was wrong. Anyway we caught the bus back to the ship and I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry them but resolved to go straight to the doctor when I got back. Once on board I was starting to feel better so went to the cabin to change first. When we got to the door, the phone was ringing. It was my sister telling me that Dad had died a few hours before because his lungs had filled with fluid and he had stopped breathing. I asked what time he had died but it was an hour before I had suffered the same symptoms as he would have had while dying. Then I realized with shock that there was an hour's time difference between New Zealand and Vanuatu. I had actually felt him die while far away on a tropical beach.

5) Once back in New Zealand, I was so upset that I asked my husband and son to empty my father's bedroom and even remove all the furniture before I went upstairs. He had been sleeping in the room that used to be my husband's study so all the original furniture was put back in.
While alive, each morning, my father would put the radio on at about 7am and lie in bed listening to it. A few days after returning, I was downstairs getting breakfast when I heard a radio come on and I went upstairs to see where it was coming from. I approached the study where I could hear the sound and opened the door. The computer was on and the radio was playing through it. I immediately went to ask Adriano why he has turned the computer on but he and Dario were both asleep. This happened several times and Adriano (who believes nothing but what can be proved scientifically) searched for an explanation to it. He eventually decided that the next door neighbours had some kind of electrical signal that was activating the computer. Even if this weird explanation were true, why would the radio play and why exactly at 7am? Anyway, we had to get on with life and I tried to ignore this phenomena. But one morning I was downstairs again in the morning when I heard loud banging and crashing upstairs as if someone was moving piles of books about. I automatically thought it was Adriano in his study moving books but when I went upstairs, he was asleep in bed and didn't know what I was talking about when I woke him up. So I thought the time had come to acknowledge Dad's attempts to contact me and I went into the room and told him I knew it was him and that it was time for him to move on. And he did. We had no more unusual occurrences at 7 in the morning.

Five Creatures that have Bitten Me

2008-03-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

1) When I was living in Italy, I had riding lessons to improve my skills and one day a horse which was riderless felt pangs of jealousy towards the horse I was riding, feeling left out, and went to take a nasty bite of his rump but misjudged and took a mouthful of my thigh instead. And I do mean the whole thigh inside his mouth. He clamped down and dragged backwards with his teeth. My leg was not a pretty sight afterwards and for days I had to crawl about because if I tried to stand, blood would rush into the injury and I would almost faint with the pain. Going to the toilet was excrutiating and I would have given anything for a hole in the ground. The whole upper leg area swelled up to double its size and turned every colour of the rainbow. I realized later that I should have gone to the hospital but was in too much pain to even think straight. I still to this day, twenty-five years later, have a lump on my thigh the size of a grapefruit.

2) Also while I was in Italy, I was bitten by a dog. Despite having been born and bred on a farm, it has been the one and only time this has happened. I love dogs and they generally love me. But this day, I was walking through someone's property with friends when I felt a sudden pain in my ankle. I looked down in shock and there was a dog running hell for leather in the other direction. A fly-by-nighter. Bite and run. Completely weird. It wasn't a serious bite but surprised the hell out of me for the sneakiness.

3) Yes, a vervet monkey. My uncle in Zambia had a pet monkey, Blossom. Tragically she has since died. Anyway, this monkey had been with my uncle since shortly after birth and was obsessively jealous of any female who came within five meters of him. As far as Blossom was concerned, he was her mate and in the wild every other female would be warned off. And that's what she did to me as soon as I stepped foot on their property in Zambia. I was walking around the garden with my aunt when what felt like a ton of bricks hit me from behind. She sank her teeth (fortunately her main fangs had been removed) into my upper arm and then ran off. Again a major swelling with brilliant colours. It hurt like hell, by the way. The rest of my stay there, I carried a big stick around and a tentative relationship of mutual respect developed. My uncle and aunt were devastated when she became sick and died. I shed a few tears myself.

4) When Dario was two years old, he bit me. (He's about 10 in this photo.) Accidentally, of course. I handed him a bite of sandwich and he chomped down with great energy - unfortunately right on my knuckle. The doctor said it was probably broken but there was no point in x-raying it because there's nothing they do with broken fingers anyway. We laugh about it now but it was a bit inconvenient at the time.

5) Ha! Fooled you! There is no fifth. But I still have a few years to live so I will keep you informed.

Five things you didn't know about me.

2008-03-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Tinasue to make this list so here goes:

1) When I was 18, I spent a year teaching at a High School in the Fiji Islands on Volunteer Service Abroad, which is the equivalent to the US Peace Corps. I had an incredible, harrowing, inspiring year but would probably not want to repeat it. That's me in the photo in Fiji.

2) I sometimes dream at night of tables laden with cakes, which I am unable for various reasons to reach. Very frustrating. I have dreamt this all my life. Yes, I have a sweet tooth but am now at an age when I can no longer eat a cake without my weight increasing by at least 10 kilos so they are taboo. Certain elements of life are very sad.

3) I hate conflict - will avoid it like the devil, but if you get in my face I will fight back like a lioness protecting her young. This is my space, my life and keep your sordid hands off it. Touch me or my family and I change character. There are certain things which are sacred. Stay away.

4) I do arm exercises with weights almost every night and though my muscles are strong, the surrounding flesh is still less than desirable. What's that all about? By the way that is not me in the photo.

5) I studied ballet from 4 years old until I was 17. I also ran my own ballet school while still at high school. That was the first of many teaching jobs that I have had throughout my life. At different times I have had jobs teaching, Math, English, Art, Fashion Design and Ballet as well as homeschooling my son for many years.

Five Reasons for wanting to be a Writer

2008-03-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

These five reasons are taking for granted that I love writing. These are in no particular order.

1) No office politics. Hallelujah! I have just changed jobs because of a snake in the grass, who, by the way, got forced out before my last day. So there was some justice for us all. I now love my work as Marketing and Design Manager but office politics are rife once again. I try to stay below the radar but sometimes it hits you on the nose while you're looking the other way. I won't miss working outside the home.

2) I can live to my own timetable, taking into account my family's needs, of course. I am a reasonably earlier riser, though that was not always the case, but I also love going to bed late. I guess the solution to that is to have an afternoon nap, which is impossible at work. LOL. Being able to do errands at whim instead of all blocked together on Saturday would also be a great breath of freedom. I am disciplined enough to get a block of writing done every day so that doesn't worry me. I can mix with people in the weekends. I can't see any downside.

3) I could live anywhere in the world. If I earned enough (yes, I know, but I'm allowed to dream on this blog), then husband could leave his job and follow me, along with our son. Where would we live? Probably 6 months in Italy, close to Adriano's family, and 6 months here in New Zealand close to mine.

4) The ability to travel at will to anywhere without having to ask permission from the boss. This is still considering my husband is no longer working. And more importantly, we would be able to wake up in the morning, look out the window, see the sun and go out for the day on our launch. The problem at the moment is the launch needs a crew of four but we could change it to a smaller one for more frequent trips. We so seldom get out on it because come the weekend, either it's raining or even if it's fine, the winds are too strong.

5) I would have better control over my diet and exercise regime. At work I try to go for a walk at lunchtime but it's now only half an hour and by the time I've eaten and got my walking shoes on, it's hardly worth going out. And who wants to work after a hard day's work.? I know a lot of people do but not me.

At work, food is eaten on the fly and not good for the digestion so I tend to eat very little during the day and then eat the bulk of my day's food at night, which is not ideal. I could have complete control over both these things if I were working to my own rhythm.

This all seems a long way off but a girl can dream, can't she?

The Last Five Movies I've seen

2008-03-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

1) Saw Jumper yesterday and was not particularly impressed. The concept was great but the execution left much to be desired. The main characters didn't grab me though Samuel Jackson did a satisfactory job as the villain.
I kept thinking about the movie while watching it instead of being sucked into the story to a place where nothing else exists. I was aware I needed to go to the toilet and I was aware I had eaten too many M&Ms. I wouldn't really recommend this one.

2) Last week I saw PS I Love You and this is quite a different story. It was great. I had been reluctant to go to this one because I knew he died early on but I'm so glad I did. Hilary Swank, of course, is a wonderful actress and so believable. Take a box of tissues because you will cry almost all the way through but it's worth the tears. It's powerful, full of strong characters, sucks you in emotionally and the story lingers long after you've left the cinema.

3) I have mentioned already that I saw The Bucket List a couple of weeks ago. Well worth seeing though a little cliched and the dialogue could have been sharper. But what great actors. Worth seeing just for them and they do visit some amazing places in the world. I love a story about people getting out there and living life to the fullest no matter how much time is left.

4) Saw Juno a while ago. Yes, I enjoyed it but didn't rave about it like many others. I felt the actress was too pretty to be convincing as the weird girl though I'm not saying that being pretty excludes being weird. I just would have liked her to look a little quirky too. Some of the offbeat scenes, which were obviously supposed to show us how different she was, like sitting in the armchair outside the boyfriend's house (see photo), for me were cliched and forced. For a pregnant teenager, she showed very little real distress until she actually gave birth and even that was glossed over. I felt her decision making was over simplified and made the whole process of getting pregnant and finding a solution to such a massive problem appear offhand and of no great consequence. I know others will disagree but I didn't feel her at all. I felt the Jennifer Garner character much more though, even there, that marriage split didn't ring true because there was no background to the reason for it - even though we got the reason. Again over-simplified.

5) Recently I saw 27 Dresses. A light comedy but thoroughly enjoyable. Of course it had the usual gimmicks to create the laughs but the main characters swept me along with them on this crazy ride. And the dresses were great - the costume designer must have had such fun with them. There was never any doubt as to the ending but then comedies seldom have any twists or turns . So, all in all, a pleasant afternoon out.

My Book Cover

2008-03-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

Here's the cover of my book, Beneath the Surface. It's my first book cover and I'm so pleased that they read the form I filled in very carefully. This actually looks like my story.

I am expecting some revisions soon then I imagine I will be given a release date. Meanwhile I am writing, writing, writing. I have plenty more books already written and still to be written.

My Bucket List

2008-02-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Having seen the movie, The Bucket List, here for your reading pleasure is mine. In other words, a list of things I want to accomplish, see or do before I kick the bucket. If you wanted to share yours as well, I wouldn't say no. Here goes in no particular order:

1) Skydiving has always lingered in the outskirts off my mind as an activity that has to be experienced at least once and probably only once. In tandem with the greatest expert in the country, of course.

2) All right, let's get the obvious one out of the way. Being print published is clearly high on the list. No need to be a best selling author - at this stage it would just be enough to have someone other than my dear cps recognize my work for the fabulous writing it is. Yes, of course it's fabulous - it's just that not too many have recognized that fact yet.

3) I have several travel related desires but none more than seeing Machu Picchu in Peru. The reason I haven't got there yet is that we have this obligation to return to Italy to see husband's side of the family on a fairly regular basis and Peru is not en route. Every time we go back to Italy, we (or often just I) take a side trip to somewhere new but usually enroute or in Europe. This year in April, it's Egypt, just for me. Agatha's Christie's Murder on the Nile has inspired all sorts of drapey, cool clothes to be packed for the cruise part but I guess at the end of the day, it will just be cargo trousers and t-shirts. Much more practical on donkeys and camels.

4) This one is a little strange but I've always wondered what it would be like to have an out-of-body experience. Floating about above everyone else, invisible, seems the ultimate in voyerism. But that wouldn't be the central aim of the journey. I used to dream of flying and it was other-worldly, but life and responsibilities crushed the flying dreams right out of me and I would love just one more time to experience that sensation.

5) To talk to my father once more before his illness and death, without that tragic cloud of knowing death is near, which makes one incapable of saying what one wants to. The day to day effort of surviving the unsurvivable renders one incompetent in the area of expressing one's true feelings. Maybe I'll achieve this in another dimension but certainly not in this lifetime, so I'm not sure if this should be on the bucket list but I'm the boss and it's staying.

My 5 Favourite Rainy Day Activities

2008-02-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

Today, in Auckland, New Zealand, we have a storm howling outside, whipping up the waves, bending the trees and causing its own special kind of havoc. It's the weekend so all outdoor activities have to be replaced by indoor ones. Not that I mind this because a sunny day induces all sorts of guilt if I don't get out there and enjoy it despite my itching to keep writing or reading.

Going backwards towards my favourite, let's go:

5) Planning the next holiday. The photo is the three of us on a beach in Korea a couple of years ago.
I have recently been planning our next holiday in July back to see family in Italy with a side trip to Russia but believe it or not there were no plane seats available because of it being the school holidays here and obviously somewhere else as well because I have been able to book for the April school holidays. So complete change of plan - we are going in April with a side trip to Egypt because Russia would still be too cold while Egypt should be quite pleasantly warm. As you get older, the question of air and water temperature becomes more important. The only problem is that my chosen Intrepid tour (I love Intrepid because they go off the beaten track) expects us to sleep on the deck of a felucca. I have done that several times through my life (not on a felucca) and not thought twice about it but there was no mention of mattresses and that's a worry. In the Okavango Delta in Botswana, we slept on the thinnest mattresses you can image straight on the ground and I had painful pressure bruises for days after. Not good. This needs a little more thought.

4) Surfing my favourite blogs. I get up early each morning before going to work just so I can squeeze in a little blog surfing but a rainy weekend is the perfect excuse to catch up on all my bookmarked ones. Sometimes I feel quite panicky if I get too far behind and I see lots of new blogs and yet I feel deprived if one of them has failed to blog for a while. Go figure.

3) Reading. As a writer, this is not surprising and I would feel as if there were a gaping hole in my life if I didn't have at least one book on the go at any one time. My current one is the book in the photo - the story of how one man single-handedly solved a centuries old mathematical problem. My last book was quite different -Jodi Picoult's The Pact. I love her work. It's so understated, so full of subtle emotional punch and so inciteful.

2) Writing. Of course. If I go a day without writing, I feel quite dissatisfied with myself. Since the current story is swirling around inside my head, it is quite painful not to get it out there on paper so I can move on. The story never leaves me while I'm writing it and so becomes a driving force through each day. It gives a pleasant structure to my life outside of family and work.

1) The Movies. I love, love, love going to the movies. Every Saturday, I go rain or shine and will even see a mediocre movie to have the experience of going to the cinema, buying my popcorn and diet coke, settling into my seat and letting myself get carried away into another world. Today's movie choice is The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson. It was either that or PS. I Love You but I can see that one next week. In fact I must go right now or I will miss the shorts, which help me choose my future viewings.

The Five Most Beautiful Spots on Earth

2008-02-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

According to me, of course, and I have only visited 40 of the 200 or so countries. I do wish they would stop dividing countries up, though. My son said I have to start at number 5 and end up at number 1 with my first choice so here goes.

5. The Scottish Highlands. I loved Scotland - rain and all. My mother is a Macdonald and so their blood runs thick through my veins. I felt at home there with its dramatic history of deprivation and the eerie folklore of the land. The atmosphere was laden with mystery and I felt overwhelmed by its beauty. Visit it some time and see if you agree.

4. The Yasawa Islands in Fiji. I lived and taught in Fiji for a year on Volunteer Service Abroad when I was eighteen and fell in love with Fiji. I spent one school holiday on Yasawa-I-Rara, the northern-most island of the Yasawa Islands before any businessman had decided it had the potential to make him a heap of money in the form of an exclusive resort. Unfortunately this influx of tourism is killing the beautiful, multi-coloured coral as luxury boats cruise the waters, polluting the seas. But there are still many unspoilt areas in Fiji if you know where to go.

3) The Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia. Yes, there's a photo of it below as well. This ancient complex of temples, which is visually, artistically and architecturally breathtaking, was at its power between the 9th and 12th centuries. It was rediscovered hidden in dense jungle in 1860 by Henri Mouhot. The first Tomb Raider movie was partially filmed here and a more haunting place you would have difficulty finding.

2) My uncle's fishing and hunting lodge on the Zambezi River in Zambia. Yes, I've mentioned this before too and I could have chosen a different place but this is truly number two in my mind. Eight hour's four-wheel-vehicle driving from the main road, this paradise on earth is truly isolated. Overlooking the mighty Zambezi River, it has views straight across into the wilderness of Zimbabwe. I've mentioned the brilliant red sunsets and sunrises before but they are inextricably wound up in my mind with this place. Visit in winter when the heat is not too overwhelming and most creepy crawlies are hibernating.

1) Rome. As you can probably guess from my choices above, I am not a city lover and yet Rome is my number one choice. I have seen it several times and each time, it takes my breath away. Every corner you turn has another magnificent monument to the artistry and creativeness as well as tenacity of man. Each building has a history and glory that makes you want to touch and smell and absorb its essence. Staying in Rome transports you to another time when life was very, very different from today and yet when man essentially was just the same. Our need for beauty has never wained.

The Five scariest Things I've Experienced

2008-02-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

1) I was sitting beside my father's hospital bed after he had had a major life-threatening operation when my husband appeared at the door looking ashen. He told me Dario (our fifteen-year-old son) was down in the Emergency Department. My heart stopped. He had flown off his mountain bike after hitting soft sand and had landed on his head and shoulder, knocking himself out. He had mild concussion and a shoulder bone badly broken in two places, which required a metal bar to hold it together. What amazed me was that when he came round, he insisted on pushing his bike out of the forest for twenty minutes to civilisation. One tough little buggar.

2) Many years ago, a male friend and I were driving the narrow, metal country roads of New Zealand alongside a river, arguing heatedly. We approached a corner at speed and misjudged the its sharpness. The dark green MGT sportscar flew off the road straight towards a sheer drop into the river. I felt terror and then the strangest thing - complete calm. I was going to die and that was that. There was nothing I could do about it. I closed my eyes and relaxed - a rag doll going to its fate. The tires screamed and we came to a halt. I opened my eyes to see the drop inches in front of the car. A foot more and our fate would have been sealed. That was thirty years ago and I still remember that sensation of calm acceptance.

3) The day I took my beloved father to the hospital to have tests to see why he had difficulty swallowing. An hour later we had the diagnosis - cancer. Enough said. Sadly he is no longer with us.

4) The day my son (four years old) disappeared. I searched the house and garden, calling his name, becoming rapidly more and more agitated. Any mother will understand the sheer panic that takes over your body. He had never left the grounds before and it took a while before I went out onto the road. Way in the distance, up at the busy main road I saw him turn the corner and start to stroll towards me. A weight the size of Africa lifted off my heart. The funny thing was that I gave him his first lecture on stranger-danger and a couple of days later he wanted to know if that bad man was still outside our house. You never know how a kid is interpreting your words.

5) One day while living in Turin, Italy, I was sheltering from a sudden heavy thunderstorm against a wall in a narrow shopping street in the centre of town, when I saw an interesting shoe shop on the opposite side of the road. It was pelting down but I was bored where I was so I made the decision to run helter-skelter across the road. Completely drenched, I had only just arrived when I heard an explosion behind me. I turned to see great sheets of lightning erupting from a power cable which was snaking down the wall exactly where I had been standing. It had been hit by lightning. I can still shake at the memory of that close call.

5 Weirdest Sights I saw in Southern Africa

2008-02-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

1) In Chobe Park in Botswana, a male baboon ran across the road in front of our vehicle pursuing a fleeing female baboon. He grabbed her, copulated with her with the speed of the shifty and ran off, leaving his bewildered victim sitting in the middle of the road. The crime was so swift that many in the van missed it.

2) On the way to Kruger Park in South Africa, in the middle of absolutely nowhere with no houses in sight, we saw two small children standing on the side of the road. One was dressed in a bright blue track suit and the other in red track suit. They didn't seem in the least distressed, just completely alone.

3) The toilet we were expected to use in Zambia. My uncle was in the process of constructing a fishing lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River. The position was glorious and overwhelmingly beautiful so the toilet was constructed to take advantage of the view. It was a three-sided, thatched palace with a toilet of sorts perched over the deepest and smelliest hole I had ever seen. If you timed your longest sitting of the day at sunset or sunrise, you were privileged to Paradise on Earth as the brilliant red sky turned the river to rose wine. The only problem was the passing traffic of hippos, crocodiles and fishermen.

4) In South Africa, not far from the Botswana border, we saw a woman strolling across a vast field with a wooden hippo balanced on her head. Most people ignored it but I couldn't help but wonder as to the purpose of her stroll and the role of the hippo.

5) The toilet (yes, there is a slight theme here) we were expected to use on an island in the Okavango Delta. It was a hole in the ground with some wickedly devised wooden construction laid on top to prevent animals from falling inside. But what about us falling inside as we manoeuvred our feet into position for accurate aim? This toilet was about thirty meters from camp in the middle of a path which led out into the wilderness. We wondered if the lions and hyenas simply knew it was our toilet and didn't approach out of respect?

Blogging

2008-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

I'd love to know where and how this blogging kick started. It's sure big in the writing world as a method of keeping in touch in what can be a lonely profession and also as a splendid way of marketing one's books.

So far I'm loving it but I have had several comments about how many blogs fade out, the postings coming further and further apart and then dying. I can see the problem many bloggers face - few or no comments. That doesn't mean no one goes to their blogs, but it feels like it. That makes it just one more lonely activity with no feedback. However, there are several blogs out there that get considerable traffic. They are consistent with their postings and always interesting. For example, my dear friend, Nancy's blog: http://natureshows.blogspot.com/ But there are other bloggers out there that I have stumbled upon by accident and they are just as interesting but getting no comments. What makes the difference? Any ideas?

Writing Award

2008-02-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

I have been awarded A ROAR FOR POWERFUL WORDS by Nature Shows and Dreams.
Thanks Nancy so much for your kind words. Now I must let you know about the three things I feel make a powerful writer:

1) Toughness. The meek might inherit the earth but they would not survive this business. The ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself off is imperative.
2) A passion for understanding the human condition. Curiosity as to the motivation behind people's actions is crucial to creating believable characters with layers.
3) A need for solitude. Writing creativity grows inside solitude, whether in the shower, on the beach or in one's study. For some that means absolute silence. For others, music. For a few, television as background noise. But writing while someone is demanding your attention doesn't work.

Now I'll name my five recipients for this award. This award originates from The Shameless Lions Writing Circle.

My choices for passing this award on are:

1) Tawna Fenske: a determined, dedicated writer who has weathered serious ups and downs with dignity. A former Bombshell writer who suffered from their closure, she is now on a new adventure with her latest manuscript about a woman undertaker!!
2)Erica Orloff: Erica captured my imagination with her Bombshell novel, Urban Legend. She actually had me reading a Vampire story and they are just not my thing. This versatile writer creates stories from her heart. Go see her blog and meet an extraordinary woman.
3) Linda Brundage: A great writer who must continue on her path to publication. She has the skill, as seen by many agent requests, and the ability to follow through despite all else. You go girl and show them.
4) JJ Loch: I decided I had to give you a second award - for your loving nature, genuine pleasure in other's successes and wonderful, sensitive, pure writing. Love you, girl.
5) Raine Weaver: One of the most talented writers I have read in a long while. She is deep, quirky and intelligent. A special lady who deserves all the success in the world.

You can read the rules for the award here .

Loved doing this.

Suzanne

Settings

2008-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Photo: Me & hubby in front of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

I travel a lot. Love it. Approximately forty countries so far and climbing. Travelling makes me feel a part of the world and not just of New Zealand. There's nothing like travelling to stop you whining about your own country. It puts many of your own petty issues into perspective.
It is also a great source of inspiration for storytelling. A story needs a setting and, at least for me, it becomes monotonous to always use your own city or country. For some, this is their comfort zone and their inspiration - to describe their homeland in all its colour and nuances. But I prefer to take my characters out into the world. They usually start off at home in New Zealand then take off for one of the countries I have visited. I seldom use settings I haven't seen with my own eyes but it can happen and then the research is exhausting. Get a detail wrong and someone will know - after all someone lives there. It's a very tough call to describe a city or rural setting if you haven't touched the surfaces, smelled the aromas, heard the sounds of the place.
When I travel, I, of course, take photos to cover the visual aspect, but then also make copious notes of the impressions of the place on the other senses. You think you will remember when you get back home but our visual sense is the strongest and it can dominate and blur the memory of the others. Take notes, keep a diary, record your impressions - whatever works for you - but don't rely on memory. That is my humble advice.

It's a national holiday in New Zealand so I'm off out into a brilliantly sunny day to make the most of this weather.

Suzanne

WELCOME

2008-02-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

This is my very first post in blogland.
Last week I had an offer from Wild Child Publishing to buy one of my manuscripts and I couldn't be more pleased to get one of my stories out there. It's been a long winding road paved with the support of good friends - Nancy, Vanessa, Tawna and Linda. Thanks so much to you all.

I have been submitting and being rejected for about six years and now am more than ready for the next stage. I know from some of the above friends who have been down this path that this could be even more winding and treacherous. When one starts writing, it is with the sunshine dream of leaving the day job and spending one's working hours in a sweet smelling, music filled study, surrounded by one's special, lucky objects. With the passing of the years, the dream turns yellow with age and drops off the page to leave reality - that this is damned hard work and only those who are truly tough and passionate about this game survive. Well, guys, I'm tough and I'm here to stay.