Friday, July 11, 2014

Could the daughters of Downton Abbey cope?

Imagine the daughters of Downton Abbey losing their home, their parents, their wealth, their status, their friends.
This is what happens to the characters in my historical novel, Kitty McKenzie.
Kitty has lost everything, and as the eldest daughter, she has to now provide and care for her younger siblings, a task she has no experience or knowledge of how to do. From a life of privilege she is faced with all kinds of adversities to overcome.
How will she manage to cope with these new challenges when the only decisions she used to make was what dress she needed to wear and what book to read after dinner?
How was she to create a home for them all, and an income?
She never realised that buried deep inside her was an inner strength that would come to the fore and allow her to manage, even prosper, in an alien world of the working class.

Could Mary or Edith from Downton Abbey have coped so well? I'd like to think they would.




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Introducing Julie Anne Geddes

Hello Julie Anne!
Welcome to Aussie Authors at Work.
Congratulations on the release of your book Acts of Love - A Thousand Ways to Sustain Love. We look forward to hearing about you and your book.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A Morning's Moment of Serenity.

From Ridgetop Hideaway's Photo Gallery
After attending the inaugural Grass Roots Writers' Gathering I was inspired to write this short poem. The weekend was terrific. Spending time with other writers, sharing their ideas, enthusiasm and support proved a resounding success.
Coffs Harbour Writers Group is going to carry the baton and try to emulate Dorrigo Writers' Group's wonderful weekend next year.

It was wonderful to spend time with Wendy Laharnar, who I have been friends with for so many years 'online'. She travelled vast distances to be there and give of her time, experience and knowledge. Her first face to face workshop proved hugely successful and popular.

Overall... the weekend was inspiring.

A morning’s moment of serenity

Sitting in the centre of a cloud.

Rain falling

Slowly, softly, serenely soaking the scene

Greens fade to grey.

Visibility closes in.

A fox stops. Looks toward the sound of my intrusion.

I am in his domain.

He pauses, ears pricked, tail still. 

Sniffs, meanders across the rain soaked paddock

Sedate steps.

Scents rise from my coffee and toast overpowering the subtle offerings of sodden foliage.

Wind whispers a chorus behind the lilting lines of Phill’s laconic lyrics.

Languid smoke lingering from last night’s fire merges with cloud. 
A brief snatch of scent curls through the air.

Coffee cools. Time passes.

Packed ready to leave these few minutes allow a moment to reflect the whirlwind weekend.

Experiences etched into memory.
Words written, absorbed, shared and kept secret.
Relationships created, nurtured, renewed.
Knowledge imparted, gained, diffused.

Generous spirits. Like minded, passionate, positive, purposeful.

Support offered, received. 

Acceptance.

The rain sets in, insistent.

It is time to return to life, normalcy.


Home beckons. 

Empty pages wait.