Cumquat Books Is No More

I went out today to drop into a bookstore I had gone to over a year ago; and meant to drop into this year; only to find that Cumquat Books is no longer. Isn't it sad when a bookstore closes down? Especially when it's an independent one? I think so.

I found out from the owner of a lovely Vintage Clothing store that the lady, Anne Visona, retired from the bookstore business last year. She wasn't going broke, and there wasn't any problems with the store. She just felt it was too much for her. Well, I'm sad to hear about this.

However, the lady at the clothing store told me about another bookstore - if I was interested in it. I said yes immediately, and she gave me a bookmark of The Mount Gravatt Bookstore over near the Mount Gravatt College on Cavendish Road. Well, I thanked her very much and jumped in the car, grabbed the GPS and punched in the address... but the darned thing had never heard of the streets I wanted it to take me to. 
Well, I pulled out the refedex, found the street and kind of knew my way there. I got onto the freeway, took the wrong exit, found my way back to where I was supposed to go and needed to pull over to see how much further I needed to go - as I had found the Mount Gravatt College. So, I pulled into Carmel Street, and what do you know, I saw Little Cavendish Road - the very street which was attached to Carrara Street, which was where the bookstore was situated!

Who needs GPS! I followed my nose!

Well, this bookstore was in a little strips of unsuspecting shops; and what a shop it is! So, I parked the car in the car park, locked it up and walked along the footpath in the cool, quiet shade of the shops, finding this wonderful treasure of a store in the least-expected place in the world! And this place is lovely! It's well-set out, air-conditioned and isn't just a second-hand bookshop, but also a book exchange. I love these places because you can swap over your entire library of books for others instead of buying brand new. What a great store to have in the quiet suburban streets of Mount Gravatt... and it's got a great selection of everything too. I'm definitely coming back here! They don't have an official website, but I found this site which is just as good. So, if you're in the area, drop into the Mount Gravatt Bookstore, it's got some great books instore - and if you can't find what you want, just ask Cindy, and she'll be able to help you. Until my next post, happy reading!

May Be Finished, But Continuing On

NaNoWriMo may have finished last month with a lot of people completing their 50,000 words successfully. 

Um... I wasn't one of them, but I tried! Yeah, I got around 10,000 words done and then had to pack it in because I was typing chapters with just one hand due to one of my hands being unable to type.

But at least I was getting in and giving it a go.

Anyway, for all of those who didn't get to finish the first draft of their book, are you still plugging away at it? Has it held you long enough to keep on finishing it? Mine has. And it's good that I've begun it as it's a good book too. It's a continuation of my 'Angel Love' book and I'm hoping to get it finished up over the New Year or so - well, before school starts anyway.

So, do tell, if you've done NaNoWriMo, have you either finished your book (and what you're going to do with it next) or if you haven't; are you going to continue on with it? And if not, why not? Until my next post, happy reading.

Typo Stores

Today I went out to Wesfield Garden City to search out my last Christmas present.

Yay! 

Yes, I'm early in finishing - as usual - and it was a Gloria Jeans Christmas mug - as usual. And that was all I was going to buy. I was hoping to leave the shopping centre with just one thing.

However, I stopped by a place called 'Typo' where you could by all kinds of lovely things from decorations, letters that lit up, mugs, bags, art supplies, notebooks of all sizes, types, colours and with photos on the front and back. They have retro-style cushions and old typewriters (which don't work, they're just decoration) and sell portable turntables which don't have any cords (which is strange in itself). But this place is just filled with all kinds of wonderful and joyous things to keep you looking for hours on end!

And I did more than look... I did what I promised myself I'd never do! I bought something from there and hoped I could use it. Well, okay, it was a notebook, so I knew I'd use it. Anyway, if you want to see what this place has to offer, just go here and you can see it. Otherwise, I'll put their link on the side bar and you can look at it at your pleasure. Until my next post, happy reading.

Writer's Group Christmas Party

Yesterday, I went out into the cooler wet day of Logan City to my last writer's group at the Loganholme Library. Seeing it was for Christmas, I took along some cake and we sat down and enjoyed some lovely food while discussing the writings of other writers in the group.

Three or four writers had emailed their work to everyone and we all had a go at reading the 6 pages. Even though I had only done my readings two days previous, everyone knew I hadn't had a good month; so it was forgiven at my lateness.

I enjoy reading other people's work as it lets me into other worlds, styles and emotions of how their stories move. Sometimes I'm reading something which is halfway through and there's not much in the way of explanation of how things are going, the plot or who is who, but most times, I can pick up on it all; which is good. 

We had a newer writer who wrote a first draft yesterday. It had a time-traveling train in it, which everyone loved and picked up on straight away, and characters which really needed a lot of fleshing out. However, when we got back to the train, she told us that it wasn't in the entire story, just in the first part. However, we found it made a profound impression on us and encouraged her to keep in there - to use it like the Tardis or the Delorian - and she thought it sounded good. Then, we started sprouting things from 'Back to the Future', quoting Doc Emmett Brown and Marty McFly ... it was funny! We had a few Great Scotts flying around, a 'This is deep' and somebody said something about a 'Flux Capacitor'; and we all got in and cracked more jokes about time travel, ate some more food and - before we knew it - it was time to pack up and leave! 

Yep, this was it for my writers group. This means I'll be hiding away in my cave to write more, read more (hopefully) and enjoy getting into the art and writing worlds. Until my next post, happy reading.

Page by Page

While I was recovering at Brunswick Heads, I had a lot of ideas for my markets run through my head. It was helpful that Mum took me to junk shops to see what things could be helpful there too... yep, good, old Mum and her suggestions were great. I'm going to use some of them too.

Well, I had another idea to work with as well. I bought a book to start writing in each day. No, it's not a journal/diary. This is a book where I write about something about each day on only one page. There's no 'Dear Diary' no signing off - like I said it's not a diary - it's going to be a year-long story of day-to-day life. 

And I'm not sure how it's going to work out. It could be boring an sleep-inducing, it could be exciting and fun, it could be full of philosophical thoughts and deep meanings... or just a book filled with page after page of crap.

I'll let you all know in a year... and see how it goes, okay? Until my next post, happy reading.

On The Mend and Still Writing

Well, it's been two days since I arrived home and I've still got the stitches in my arms and hand. But I'm going well. I'm still writing and reading and doing all the usual stuff I'd do as a writer, but my right hand is getting crabby faster due to the overuse of it; and the stitches not being used to being used.

I didn't get to 50,000 words on my NaNoWriMo this past month, but that doesn't matter. I got up to around the 10,000 word mark, and that means I won in my own way - I was writing with one hand and I got in and did my best this year... and that's all that matters, right?

I read 'Revival' by Stephen King... and that was a wonderful thing to get done. Now, I'm able to get in and read something else over Christmas too. If you'd like to know how that book turned out, just read the review below and then race out and buy the book! You'll love its absolutely creepy ending... I did, kinda, sorta... *shudders at the thought of it*... well, you know how it is with SK.

Now, I've got my nose into 'Star Wars Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig... a great writer I've become interested in for a few years now. I've been writing on his blog - well, through his blog - 'Terrible Minds' with my Flash Fiction for 2 years now and have become a regular on there. I either creep people right out or make them cry and laugh... either way, I'm getting really good at writing Flash Fiction; and I'm hoping to publish the work over the next few years.

Speaking of writing, I got an idea while I was down the coast. It's hard to explain it. I bought a book of blank paper and what I'm going to do is do one page of writing per day in long-hand. When the end of the year comes due, I'll have a book written. It will be either a success of what I've written or a book of writing that isn't good at all. I'll see how I go.

And because I forgot to write about the November Book Buys, here it is now... I scored some lovely books over the past month. They were great. Early in the month, I bought 'House on the Hill' by Estelle Pinney - a great friend of mine who I used to sing with in the Southern Cross Singers when I was a member of a choir - for a few dollars. This book was almost brand new and I sent it to France at a Christmas present for an ornament exchange... just to cheer up my exchange buddy; who lives near the boarder of Italy. I also got 'Full House' by Maeve Binchy too - it's not a thick book, unlike her others - but it's a nice little book to read over the holiday period. And then, I scored 'Such a Long Journey' by Rohinton Minstry also at my Craft Group. All three books were bought on 2nd, November... not a bad score if you ask me.
Then, at Craft Group again, I found three more books which were great. There was 'Fools Rush In' - Book One by Janice Thompson and 'Swinging on a Star' - Book Two by Janice Thompson. Then, there was 'Facing the Light' by Adele Geras. The first two books (which were the first of a series) were of Wedding Books... so I thought to give them a try; seeing I don't read many women's fictions. Anyway, that's all there is for last month's book buys. Until my next post, happy reading!

What Are You Reading?

It's almost here; silly season, Christmas! The time we all put up with our family, give expensive presents after maxing out the credit card on not only those things, but also food and decorations and lights.

But this time of year is also for reading. I love catching up on those great faves of mine - clearing off a few from my Mt To Be Read... yes, that gargantuan pile of books collected over the year that i have been meaning to read, well, i try to get in and read as many of them as possible at this time of year.

i do it now before i don't get the time to during the year because life gets in the way while you're busy making other plans - so John Lennon was right about that, right?

so far this season, I've knocked over 'Revival' by Stephen King. i had the book already half-read, and i read the other half in just 2 days! i'm currently 170 pages into 'Night World - Vol 1' by J.L Smith and have read 40 pages of 'Star Wars Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig. i can't wait to get more reading done soon. so, what have you been reading - and are planning to read - during this season of Christmas? 

'Revival' by Stephen King

Jamie Morton was born in Maine way back in simpler times, when everyone went to church every Sunday. All the neighbours knew each other, knew what each and every child got up to and when there was gossip, the adults knew if it was true or not.

Then, Pastor Charles Jacobs started working in their small church. He was young, married to a beautiful woman and had a baby boy. He was also just what the town needed, in the way of spiritual guidance.

The parents loved his sermons.

The children loved his wife, Patsy.

Everyone adored his son, who tagged along with anyone who would let him play with them.

The Pastor and Jamie forged a close bond when Jamie was just a child, where the pastor showed him things that could be done with electricity - something which was unusual for a man of such strong faith. But, Jamie had the same fascination; which became stronger when his brother, Conrad, lost his voice and the Pastor used something experimental on him once and it came back!

Then disaster struck when Patsy and their young son were killed in a freak car accident. Pastor Jacobs went off the rails and delivered a sermon that nobody in that small community would ever forget; long after he had left.

However, during Jamie's life in the drug-filled music industry, he stumbled upon Pastor Jacobs again and again - however, he was no longer a Pastor. He was a travelling  miracle-working - harnessing electricity to cure people of all kinds of things.

But then, Jamie was cured from a Heroine addiction by Charles Jacobs; and it wasn't long afterwards he noticed that with the cure, came some dreadful after-affects. It all started to make him wonder if it was worth it ... then people he knew - people he'd seen cured at these gatherings of Charles' - were starting to flip out. Jamie started to conduct his own investigation.

What he discovered wasn't good.

Plugging Away, One-handed...

man, if it's not one thing, i's another... right?

after my car, my Mum was in hospital with bad blood pressure. then, a dear family friend passed away, and we had his funeral to go to. the very next day, i was in hospital.

i went in to all the sun cancers off my arms and hands. that was on Thursday.

now, it's saturday, and i'm typing with just one hand; but it hasn't stopped me from working on NaNoWriMo over the last few days, and i have typedup around 700 words - with one hand - this morning to keep up with my numbers. however, this first year of NaNoWriMo has helped me start my next book - 'The Angel Wars' - and it's been  failure as well because i didn't finish it at the word count i had hoped to have - i only reached around 7,000 words, but it's better than i thought i'd get.

i am reading though! 

YAY! 

i've gotten my nose into 'Revival' by Stephen King. just yesterday, i think i read around 20 or so pages of it - today, i'm hoping to read more. 

if you'd like to find out what's been going on with me, check out 'my book-crazy life' blog, and you can keep up with it all. until my next post, happy reading.

NaNoWriMo ..Not Going Well.

I thought this writing activity would be fun and I'd be able to get in and write my novel quickly.

But then life got involved - as it does - and car thieves got involved too. No, my car didn't stolen, it got broken into; while it was in my driveway and I was at home.

Little grots!

Now, I feel very unsafe and my writing mojo is gone. I haven't reached the word count I had planned to and I'm struggling with every word - and I'm depressed about this.

There's a hatred I have about thieves; such lowlives who can't be bothered to think about what they do to other people's property, to how they make us feel when they stuff with our gear.

I hate feeling like this - and want to know when it'll go away.

Just today, I got back into writing a little of my NaNoWriMo novel, but there just wasn't enough mojo working to get a flow in the words to make it catch... and I barely have 7,000 words. We're all supposed to be halfway through (that's 25,000 words) but I'm not.

I've failed this first year... I think I'll work on this book over Christmas and just not pressure myself. This first attempt at this NaNoWriMo has been a bust. There's always next year. Until my next post, happy reading.

Craft Group Book Buys

I seem to be buying books at my craft group some weeks; as people bring ones in from cleaning out their houses and their family's houses - which is good because we all could do with a bit of swapping around.

Anyway, I found two tables filled to the brim with books and grabbed three off them in the end:

'Fools Rush In - Book One' by Janice Thompson
'Swinging On A Star - Book Two' by Janice Thompson
'Facing The Light' by Adele Geras

There were many more books there but quite a few were about child abuse and abusive backgrounds. Personally, I don't know how people can read books about other people's pain like that. I know it seems good to get it out on paper, but to print it up and sell it to the public is just reliving it - but that's just my opinion of course.

Well, I'll have to find a space in my library for these ones. Until my next post, happy reading!

NaNoWriMo! Are You Doing It?

Hey, are you doing NaNoWriMo - alright, I'll speak English... it's shortened from National Novel Writing Month? I've decided to take it on this month and see how it goes.

So far, I've written half a chapter and put it up on the dashboard to keep my word count and found I only have done 1,098 words out of the 5,000 I was supposed to do in a day. Well, I guess I write less than I expected; but then not everyone has the muse hanging around for them every day for hours on end.

There have been people on the site you sign up to who have been doing this since it started and they have won it, enjoyed it and are jumping back 'into the pool again' to do it all again. 

So, my question to you guys and gals is this: have you ever done NaNoWriMo? Were you successful? Did you have fun writing you novel in a month, or did you feel so stressed out that you felt dreadful? Me? I'm looking forward to getting back into my writing as I have a great idea... I just hope it works. Until my next post, happy reading - and writing.