Reading Habits

Every reader has their own way of doing things with their books. I love to read late into the night - like most of us do - and I also love to read in my big comfy Reading Chair on a day when it's raining outside.

However, I found a list of 14 Secret Habits that readers do. Which ones do you do? For me, it's a good lot of this list. Until my next post, happy reading!

A Little Poetry

I've been writing poetry lately, and reading it as well. So, I thought to collect a few blogs some of you might be interested in here:

Tuesday Poem

Poems and Poetics

The two above are blogs where people have written their hearts and souls out on the screen for everyone to read, love and enjoy. And I've read a few of the poems before posting them here. They're lovely.

The next one is about how and why people write poetry. It goes into the intricacies of that particular way of expressing ourselves and gives us a better understanding of poets - from a few points of view. 

The Music In It 

I know I've done poetry blogs before, but just listing a tonne of them here... but this time, it's about quality, instead of quantity. I hope you've all enjoyed the few I've found here. Happy reading.

Writer's Group!

In a couple of weeks, my monthly writers' group starts up again! I can't wait! I love going to this group as it's keeps me on the ball with my work. 

It's the Logan City Writers' and I joined it after The Crew finished up at the end of last year. I hope to get my work in today - or tonight - and hope my peeps enjoy reading it. 

The book I'm getting them to look at is 'Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter' ... it's all still in the first draft and so does need a lot of work. However, when I have had people look at it, they love the idea, the story, of it. The main problem with this group is that there is only allowed 600 words and I have a full chapter to send; which usually keeps them reading to the very end (and so this is why I send the whole chapter so they know how it ends - as the chapter is really a story which is also a chapter in the life of Fry Nelson; complex way of writing, I know, but it works out in the end). 

So, what kind of writing have you been doing? And if you're reading anything new, what have you been getting your nose into? For me, it's needlepoint books to learn new stitches to make pin cushions - yeah, sounds boring, but it's really very challenging as it's all to do with counting and numbers; most certainly not my forte. Until my next post, happy reading!

Busily Reading and Writing

It's been a big time in the world for famous rockers passing away for us... I mean, David Bowie was a real shocker for us all. I grew up with his music and then Alan Rickman went and joined him the next day. And just today, we lost Glenn Frey from The Eagles. However, I've been busy writing poetry on David Bowie (check out my Flash Fiction blog, the poem is there).

And a few nights ago, when I couldn't sleep, I sat in my lovely big chair and got through about 20 pages of 'Star Wars Aftermath'... it felt good to just sit down and read for a bit and forget about the world outside. And what a great book to read. Besides, I wasn't feeling all that great as I had a bit of food poisoning (urgh... eggs where the chickens had eaten thistles... they tasted bitter).

Then, the next day, I started reading Margaret Olley's biography: 'Margaret Olley: Far From A Still Life' by Meg Stewart. I'm only about 20 pages into it and - even though I have found it's not all that well-written (smelt instead of smelled - but then I'm a grammar nazi) and there were a few words which were spelled differently due to generational differences - however it paints a great view of how her childhood was spent. I want to read the rest of it in one sitting. And this book is a massive book of 608 pages... this includes a detailed index and 4 lots of photographs.

I'm still writing 'Angel Wars' and the Flash Fiction has started up again through Chuck Wendig's 'Terrible Minds' blog - which is going to keep me busy as well. I've begun writing my own flash fiction too and posting it up there on my Flash Fiction Blog as well; along with my once a week stuff. This is a new thing, to keep my work original and up-to-date - to show I don't always need a prompt from somebody else.

Well, that's what I've been up lately, including some volunteer work, needpoint and decluttering my house. I got rid of 5 books from my collection (which I found really hard to do! But I'm proud of myself!). So do tell, what have you been up to over the last week? How has the passing of the David Bowie affected you? I know it absolutely shattered me as I loved his work in every way - when I first heard 'Let's Dance', I wanted a pair of red shoes, so I could dance in the serious moonlight... what? I was young and believed it all could happen; and it was the 80's.  Until my next post, happy reading!

The Top 100!

Blogs are blogs, right? Wrong. There's some great writing and book blogs out there; and now I've found a list of the top 100 book and writing blogs on Facebook.

The top 100  writing blogs is really something to sink your teeth into! Seeing I'm a writer, I thought to jump onto this link to see if 'Terrible Minds' is on there - and it made it to #15! Yay! I'm so happy it made it so high up on the list!

Well, I hope you enjoy perusing this list as much as I did. Until my next post, happy reading - and writing.

Summer Cold Recovery

Somehow, at some point over the last few weeks, I've caught a Summer Cold. Right now I've got a horrible foghorn type of cough and it's dreadfully catching in my throat. 

So, after going to the doctor, he told me to take it easy and relax... and that's exactly what I've been doing: relaxing in my Reading Chair getting my nose between the pages of 'Star Wars: Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig.
Now, I'm kinda thankful I watched the first three episodes of 'Star Wars' and did some Googling of who Wedge Antilles is... because at the beginning of the book, he sounded familiar, but until I watched the films, I didn't know he was a major part of the movies, one of Luke Skywalker's friends and well... if I say anymore I'll give away the plot! 
But, I've been sitting in my lovely big Reading Chair and just getting in and reading up big of that book with the air conditioner on, and loving how comfortable it is - how quiet this room is and how easily I could... just... nod... off to... sleep. 

Yeah, that chair is darned comfy!

Well, as the doctor has ordered me to do, I am taking it easy and doing some serious reading; and for once, I'm getting into my comfy chair doing it. So, where do you love to read while you're recovering from a cold? I've tried my bed, but the Reading Chair is most certainly the place for me! Until my next post, happy reading.

A New Year of My Reading List!

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you've had a wonderfully fun New Year filled with reading and books, bookstores and other book-related interests.

I have, and I'm looking forward to jumping in feet first this year and talking about just about anything to do with books and authors, publishing and reading.

As usual, there's no real plan to this, but I am planning on reading more - as last year was a real bust on the reading arena. However, I have found you guys aren't as into The Summer of Fun as you were a few years ago; so I'm going to ditch that next Christmas and just post as much as I can on whatever topics happen to be around.

I'm hoping to get in and interview more authors this year, as I didn't get around to interviewing any last year. And I hope to get in and work on getting some of my own works looked at being read and edited by a group I joined late last year - The Logan City Writers. They're a great bunch of people who are also into getting their work looked at as well.

So, onto you guys. 

Do tell! What have you been reading? I know some of you are writers and are publishing your works. Let us in on your deadlines and if you're allowed to tell us what you're publishing this year? Are you working on anything new? And if you are, tell us all about it? 

Me? I'm still working on 'The Angel Wars' - yes, my NaNoWriMo book I started last year. It's going well, and I'm hoping to answer the questions posed at the end of my 'Angel Love' book (the first one I wrote in 2014)... which I never really thought would take off, but it did.
I'm also hoping to get in and write more of my Flash Fiction stories - editing them a little and getting them to work better - and pulling the ones I like into my first book to see if I can get a quote from a local publishing house. Then, I'll apply for a grant to make it happen. I know a cover artist or two I've met and... well, I hope to get my butt out there into the Flash Fiction world - in ebook form as well as traditionally printed.

So, there are the plans for this year. How's your year looking so far? Until my next post, happy reading!