Saturday, February 25, 2017

February Book Buys?

Yep, I didn't so much as buy books, but get rid of them.

Jeez, that doesn't sound like me, does it? A book collector giving away books? Nope, it really doesn't. But fear not, I didn't just throw them in the direction of the first op-shop I encountered! No, I took them to a book exchange at Browns Plains so I could accumulate points to - yep you guessed it! - buy more books! 

So, there was method in my madness in doing that. 

Otherwise, I have been cleaning out the home office so I can find the floor, the Reading Chair and - hey, look at that - I found the magazine rack! Yeah, It's been a really great thing for me to do. But unlike that last time I cleaned out the books and other bits I did before, it's taking me longer. 

I don't mind. The longer it takes me, the better this room will look. The living room is taking me a long time too; but that's only because there's not that much space there and I have books down there too. 

So, I'm not buying books right now. Okay, people are giving me books, but I'm seriously looking at giving them away after about a week. So, how has your month been? Until my next post, happy reading!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

J.D Wiley Spotlight Sessions

I'm so pleased to introduce a new writer who I've discovered in another blogger's blog. His name is J.D Wiley and he's scored himself a wicked blog stance in his own right!

Recently, I wrote a Flash Fiction titled 'The Sounds of Silence' about the future of the computers, the world we're currently living and how our lives have turned out. And J.D Wiley asked in the comments if he could use the first 100 words or so as a tempter on his blog; then link it back to mine for the people on his blog to read mine. I said yes! And now, he's brought more traffic to my Flash Fiction blog than before.

The J.D. Wiley: Come for the Action, Stay for the Antics blog is an interesting site. I've only been here a few times to suss it out, but once I've read a few items on here, I found it's well worth staying for a good hour to see what else it here. I love how he's worked the pages and the articles available to us all.

I thought to thank J.D. Wiley here as this is where my writing and books take place. I hope to see him in My Reading List soon. Otherwise, take the time to read the tempter to 'The Sounds of Silence' and then follow the link to my Flash Fiction blog on his site. Until my next post, happy reading! 

Friday, February 10, 2017

This Weekend...

This weekend, in the disgusting heat of what us Australians have come to call 'The Hellmouth', I'm going to be hibernating in my office. Yes, I'm going to be cleaning out this very room in air-conditioned comfort - only resurfacing for bottles of water and toilet breaks.

I know that sounds like I'm hiding - and I am - but the temperature is going to hit over 40C (that's 104F for you guys in the States). In Queensland, where I live, we'll be able to use our air-conditioners. However in the southern states, like South Australia, they'll be having their power cut. I have no idea what they'll be doing to keep cool, but it would kill me if that happened - a whole weekend without electricity. 

Besides sorting through all my books and about 6 bags of junk, I'll also be writing on the computer and hopefully reading something. Otherwise, I'll be attending only one event this weekend - and that'll be on the cooler day of the weekend, Saturday, then I'll be back home in the air conditioning and hoping to cool off more next week.

So, what do you get up to when it heats up? Reading is a great option... but when it gets too hot to read? Do you write? Do you find a pool or seek out a library or a shopping centre? Until my next post, happy reading.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

It's Been A Busy Time

Over the last few weeks, I've been busily cleaning out the house - and working on Flash Fiction. I've also been looking at the security of my blogs (if you've been trying to comment and found a few road blocks, I'm sorry about that). 

I've had a stalker online on my Flash Fiction blog. He's a real prick of a person who doesn't give any real criticism, just tells me that I write drivel and shouldn't be writing at all. However, when I've challenged him to get off his duff and write something better, he doesn't. He'd rather dish out the crap than do better than somebody else; or leave them alone. So, upping the security was my best bet. 

This will be permanent. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but to keep him out, those measures are staying. 

Well, that's out of the way (I've been feeling a little guilty about that), I'm hoping to catch you all up on what I've been up to. 

I started another blog (yep, there's more blogs to read!). It's about my journey through my decluttering of my house. I thought that I write about enough on one of my blogs that I ought to make a blog out of it. It's called 'A Work In Progress' and you can find it on my complete profile. There's not much there right now, but it will be getting bigger over the next year or so.

Well over the last month, I haven't been buying books - yay! - that's a good thing! Instead, I've been just writing some flash fiction ideas that have been good and bad (some haven't really taken off but I uploaded them anyway for a laugh). Then, over the last week, my Mum has started doing out her large bookcase and I've scored some books! 

'The MacQuarie Dictionary' This may not seem like a huge deal, but my folks bought this book while I was in high school and it's a real tome! I have always wanted to take off with this book and learn new words - and man have I learned new words from it! I actually used this dictionary while I read 'Lord of the Rings' by JRR Tolkien when I was in my early 20's. There were so many words he used I had no idea of the meaning; but with this book there were three different meanings to the word 'fern'... so that's a positive to having a dictionary over 2 inches thick! I have had to tape it up as it's been used so much.

'The Perfect Journey' by David Dale. I'm not sure where this came from, or what it's about. But Mum and I thought it was weird by the description on the back. Then, we came across a couple of classics: 'I Sing the Body Electric' by Ray Bradbury; which I loaned to Mum and thought she had loaned to somebody else... but when we found it I was amazed and wanted it back! So here it is, back home again. Then we found 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer. Now, I've heard this one is fantastic, but have never read it. So, when I came across it, I thought Mum would love it. But she never got around to reading it; so into the bookcase (aka: tardis) it went, never to be seen again. Then, we found 'The Gun Seller' by Hugh Laurie (yes that one from 'House'). Now, I loaned my Dad this one, but he never read it - he didn't even pop the cover... so much for that. So, I brought it home to read it. I'm a huge fan of Hugh Laurie and hope to see what kind of writer he is. 

So, what have you been up to over the past few weeks. For me, it's been so busy and stinking hot, I'm just taking my time and doing things that make me happy, keep me cool and I'm slowly working on some artwork for myself and an exhibition next month. Otherwise, I'm still looking for a title for my time travel romance book... yeah, still no title for that. Until my next post, happy reading!