I’m so glad I didn’t have to make the impossible choice. Hats off to Kylie for captivating our imaginations before we’ve even had the opportunity to read the first book!

And here’s Kylie again to announce the winners!!

Hi, everyone, thanks for dropping around. You made it so difficult to choose a winner, I decided to let the fur balls help out!

I grabbed Splat, threw all the names on the ground and let her choose/sniff one.

She sniffed one then batted two. One ended up under her, the other she chased across the floor, and I followed hoping to save it before she ate it… So, with her recommending three, the results are as follows:

*the sniffed name was Sandy, she wins the ARC

* the one Splat sat on was Peta

*the one I saved from being eaten was Gabriella

Peta & Gabriella have some book cover magnets heading their way – I’ve a few spare prizes set aside and because there was some great answers offered I thought I’d offer a couple of smaller prizes

Send your details to me at kyliegriffin71@optusnet.com.au and your prizes will head your way!

Yay, a day off, party time! Lamb, beers, prawns, sleep in. How are you spending it?

The funny thing is I know more people who’ll be working on Australia Day than people who’ll be having a day off.  So that got me thinking. What does it actually mean to us? Cheap lamb, as Woolworths and Coles battle it out for our hard earned dollars? Time to spend with family and friends? A day to contemplate the state of our wonderful diverse country?

Release day is almost upon you! Congratulations, Kylie, it’s a wonderful achievement.

Hi, Helene, and thank you – it’s a VERY exciting time at the moment. After nearly 15 months (from contract offer to shelf), I’m finding it hard to believe Release Day is just around the corner! J

Looking back at the process what’s been the most difficult aspect of taking your manuscript from infancy to bookshelf?

Oh, that’s a good question. I had to mull this one over a while but I think the most difficult part of VENGEANCE BORN’s evolution has been the waiting. Originally it was seeing the manuscript do well in contests, receiving requests from agents and editors, going through a mountain of rejections, until it finally found the “right” editor (Leis Pederson, who was the final judge in the WHRWA Emily contest) and then the time it took from contract to release date.

But the up side is I had plenty to keep me occupied in that time period – more writing,  more contests, more submitting, and once I sold, the whole process of getting three books ready for publication. A lot of juggling! LOL

The best bit has been seeing it go through the publishing process – I love the whole big revisions, copy edits, galleys, blurb & cover process. It’s a team effort and one I really enjoyed.

How many name changes did Vengeance Born go through or did you keep your working title? If you didn’t what was it’s working title?

Only one change. Originally it was called Bloodborn, but with several Berkley releases coming out around the same time as my book with “blood” in the title, we decided to change it. It took a couple of weeks of playing around with words to come up with the new title.

I love VENGEANCE BORN because it highlights a major theme that threads it way through the book – it adds another layer of meaning to Annika and Kalan’s story.

Pseudonyms are something that I constantly toy with. A last name beginning with ‘Y’ relegates me to bottom right shelf in every book story…. Why did you decided to go with a pen name and how did you choose Griffin?

This is a question I get asked a lot – especially from the children in my class and their parents. J

I went with Griffin for three reasons: a) it’s my great grandmother’s maiden name (from the paternal family tree) and I’m big on keeping it in the family!

b) like you, my given name would be closer to the bottom of the bookstore shelf, whereas G tends to be more central or at eye level for any prospective reader,

and c) Griffin suits the paranormal genre to a T!

Most authors I know have a pet and, if they’re anything like me, our furry friends serve as unofficial muses. (Mind you, I’d be very surprised if Zeus ever answered any of my questions…) Who keeps you company while you write? Do they ever provide eureka moments?

I have three fur-kids of the feline persuasion – Splat,  Pandamonium, and Furball. All take turns at keeping me company as I write during the day.

They even like to ‘help out’ by tromping across the keyboard – I strongly suspect though that they’re trying totell me the food dish is empty or that it’s time to let them go outside!

No Eureka moments yet, just lots of shedding fur,  rubbing of chins on the corner of the screen and trying to lap sit (three cats on one lap doesn’t always work though!).

Oh, and I recently added a gryphon statue to my desk – the official author mascot and overseer of my work space (and a convenient place for the cats to get a cheek rub from his beak, although I don’t think Gryph appreciates them doing that!).

I know you had a stellar career on the RWA contest circuit and consider the RWA to have been pivotal in publishing success, but it takes more than that. When did you decide to get serious about writing and pursue it as a career? Was there a catalyst?

Wow, another great question. Truly, rul-ey serious about writing? This is a long-winded, two-parter answer, Helene, so I’ll save part 2 for your next question.

Part 1 – The wonderful Debbie Macomber was definitely a catalyst for my wanting to make writing a career. I heard her speak at a Romance Writers of Australia conference and she talked about goal setting – it was a huge “a-ha”moment for me.

Up until then I’d been serious but not career orientated about my writing. I was drifting and not actually setting tangible goals. I was waiting for “something to happen”, not “making it happen” myself. There’s a huge difference between the two.

So, goal setting became a habit. And I set short and long term goals. Once I did this, I began reaping the results. I also spent a heap of time researching agents and publishing house/editors.

The biggest decision after goal setting though was to take time out from my teaching job. I love it but, for anyone who knows teaching or a teacher, the workload can be rather time consuming, not to mention a time-suck (physically & creatively).

One of my long term goals (5 years in the planning) was to take a 12 month sabbatical from my the job in 2010. During this year, I worked my butt off using almost all of my spare time entering specific writing contests to get in front of certain editors, I had a submissions process of sending work out to agents, I built up a network of contacts and continued to learn the craft of writing taking courses and reading a heap of how to books.

Having taken that decision how did you go about making it reality?

Part 2 – As I went into my 2010 sabbatical, the previous five years of work and effort – timing, events, goals reached – seemed to just click at the right moment.

2010 was the year I entered a handful of USA contests. Two of the most significant events included winning the paranormal section in the RWA Golden Heart contest and placing first in the WHRWA Emily contest for the paranormal section as well as “Best of the Best” (all first placed mss in each section were read and ranked).

The Emily put my work in front of Leis Pederson from Berkley as the prize for winning “Best of the Best”. She critiqued a partial, requested the full and in October Leis made an offer for the manuscript and eventually become my editor J).

As 2010 came to a close I’d just signed a 3-book contract with Berkley. I was due to go back to full-time teaching but decided to take another 12 months off to get my head around the publishing process. It’s been a great year being able to focus entirely on writing!

In 2012 I’m returning to teaching, but only part time. It was a tough decision to make, (financially but I’m in a situation where I can make it work). Also some wise words from a friend helped me decide to go for it. She said “You don’t want to spend the next 20 years regretting not having followed your passion. If it works out then all well and good, if not at least you’ve given it a go.”

How long has that journey been?

From the day I first submitted a manuscript to an editor – 17 years.

But I really don’t count the first 7 years of that process as I knew absolutely nothing about the publishing industry or the craft of writing and just waded my way through it blindly – I was so green and made every mistake in the book. Very cringe worthy when I think back on those years.

It wasn’t until I discovered the Romance Writers of Australia in 2001 that I began to learn and understood what was involved. So, while the apprenticeship has been a long one,  I count it as a journey of many unfinished manuscripts, eight full manuscripts and10 years! J

No blog is complete without advice. What’s the most memorable advice you’ve been given?

There’s been a lot given over the years. Hmm, let’s see…I think I might have to stretch this question out a bit and share advice that resonated with me over a number of stages during my journey…

Pre-publishing advice – “You can’t edit a blank page.” I can’t recall who this comes from but it’s oh so true! If you can’t write the book then you have nothing to submit.

On getting THE CALL/an agent – “Do your research! Don’t jump with the first offer. And DON’T be afraid to say no.” This applies when negotiating a contract or finding an agent.

Post-contract advice – “BISFOK.” Again, no idea who mentioned this but it stands for bum-in-seat, fingers-on-keyboard.

Couple it with, “Meet your deadline.” (Yvonne Lindsay)

During one of her workshops at an RWNZ conference several years ago, Yvonne talked about being published and how you should always meet your contractual deadlines, no excuses. Being reliable and consistent earns you huge brownie points. It’s something I’ve never forgotten.

What’s next for you?

Other than promoting VENGEANCE BORN? J Well, this process begins again shortly with ALLIANCE FORGED, the second book in this series (coming out in July). It’s very exciting to see two of my books being released so close together!

I’m also going through the editing process for Bk#3 in this series (it’s due out in January 2013). And depending on celestial planets aligning, I hope to have news of a new contract shortly – fingers crossed.

While I’m waiting for all this to pan out I think I’ll get on with writing the first in a science fiction romance series I started back in 2010 just before I sold VENGEANCE BORN to Berkley.

Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog, Helene! It’s been a hoot and I loved answering your questions.

It’s been lovely having you here today, Kylie. Our journeys have been very similar!!

To celebrate the release of Kylie’s debut novel she’s giving away an ARC of Vengeance Born. She foolishly left me in charge of the question Because I’m a helpful soul I thought I’d ask for suggestion for the title of her third book! Kylie can choose so do your best. What do you think it should be? We’ d love to hear your suggestions.

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service organizations in her local community.

Contact: kyliegriffin71@optusnet.com

Website: http://www.kyliegriffin.com

Blog: www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylie-Griffin-paranormal-romance/152760788151938

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KylieGriffin1

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882841.Kylie_Griffin

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/Kylie_Griffin-author

VENGEANCE BORN blurb

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born…

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy.

With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…

My husband has always maintained he’s allergic to children, but his actions belie that claim. Like most good men he’s only slightly removed from adolescence himself and loves nothing more than playing practical jokes and generally running amok. (If he’d tried letting their air mattress down one more time I think they would have taken serious action against him…)

Jack, though only sixteen, is slightly taller than his uncle and weighs a touch more as he’s a rising athletics star, but in so many other ways they are amazingly similar. GW’s hair may have softened to silver, but he too was a carrot top as a child (indeed when we married!). They walk with the same little wiggle and they looked frighteningly similar dancing to Beyonce on Wii… GW’s accent is always broader when he’s back amongst other Mancurians so they sound the same. Although they’ve spent very little time together, many of their small mannerisms are similar - genetics have a lot to answer for!

Probably one of the most enduring memories for me will be GW and Jack cooking dinner. Being thoroughly modern British guys, the iPad, with Jamie Oliver’s Basic Risotto Recipe, was propped on the counter for guidance:-)

A couple of lads in the kitchen cooking up a storm is always going to make my heart melt. That they produced a delicious risotto was a bonus. Even more special was hearing last night that Jack cook risotto for dinner for his Mum over the weekend. Champion!!

The hero in my current WIP is a good cook. Art imitating life perhaps? Is the ability to cook a prerequisite hero quality for you?

And Jamie Oliver’s Basic Risotto Recipe was their inspiration.

]]> http://www.heleneyoung.com/2012/01/hero-material/feed/ 27 http://www.heleneyoung.com/2012/01/a-stella-read/ http://www.heleneyoung.com/2012/01/a-stella-read/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:12:34 +0000 Helene http://www.heleneyoung.com/?p=4597 This year my To Be Read pile is already topping out at fifteen books and that’s before they’ve even been released. The first cab off the rank for 2012 is Lisa Heidke’s new book, STELLA MAKES GOOD. Lisa’s stopped by today for a chat. Enjoy!

Lisa, congratulations! With the release of STELLA you now have four books on the shelf, which is a wonderful achievement. When you wrote your first book where did you see your writing career heading?

When I wrote my first book I was just hoping I’d have another idea that could stretch for 85,000 words. It’s a bit daunting finishing one manuscript and then asking yourself, where to from here?

I would like to think I’ll continue coming up with plot lines that people will be interested in reading.

Lol, Lisa, I don’t doubt that you will and I look forward to reading more from you. What has been a memorable high point of your writing career so far?

Definitely seeing my first book, Lucy Springer Gets Even, in bookshops. It was a thrill I’ll never forget.

Now when I go in to Dymocks and see my four books lined up, I wish I could travel back in time ten years and tell my younger self to relax, enjoy the moment and keep writing.

Contrast that with a low point – if you’ve had any, of course!

My low points coincide with bouts of low-esteem when I truly believe I won’t be able to come up with an idea big enough to sustain an entire book. Then there are the times when I’m about 40,000 into a new novel and I’ll stare at the computer and think to myself, ‘What happens next? Where can I take this story?’ If I’m not feeling confident, I tend to panic.

Another inevitable low point is when I get a review that’s less than stunning. It doesn’t happen too often but when it does, it’s heartbreaking for a couple of days. I just have to accept that not everyone is going to love my books or my writing style.

I suspect low self esteem and writing go hand-in-hand… It’s the curse that keeps us going even as it stops our fingers typing in mid-sentence…

Each book has explored a different theme and can I say they have got a little more edgy with each subsequent story. Stella’s story delves into sex parties. (I can’t wait to read it J)How hard was it to convince your publisher that the story would resonate with your readers?  What compromises did you have to make, if any?

My publisher didn’t have a problem with me writing about the repercussions of a night out at a sex party but…she didn’t want the party mentioned on the back cover blurb for fear of turning readers off. However, those readers are going to come across it quickly (Page 16). The book goes for over 300 pages.

What else? A couple of my sex scenes had to be pulled back a little but in the main, I was given a free rein to explore the darker side of suburban life!

Good to hear your publisher was completely supportive of your writing.

Your stories have been categorized as ‘Chicklit.’ How do you feel about that tag? Where do you see your books fitting? I see them more as stories for women, by a woman and dealing with women’s issues, but I guess the publishing industry likes to be able to pigeon-hole books into genres.

My publisher prefers to call my writing ‘contemporary women’s fiction’ and I guess it is. As you say, Helene, I write stories for women, dealing with women’s issues. My stories have moved on from Chick-lit which I tend to think of as focusing on women in their 20’s searching for their place in the world.

I write mostly about women in their 30’s triumphing over adversity – be it career slumps, marital infidelity and breakdown, stress with teenagers, aging parents…stumbling upon suburban sex parties…

I really don’t mind what people call my books as long as they read and enjoy them.

And enjoy them they will!! I know there has been spirited debate in the last six months about the place of women writers and ‘women’s fiction’ in the literary world and whether women writers achieve the recognition they should. I think unfortunately the stats speak for themselves so how do you think that bias carries over into contemporary fiction?

An interesting question would be why do we even have to call it ‘women’s fiction’? Do we call Nick Earls books ‘men’s fiction’? I don’t think we do. Occasionally, it’s called lad-lit, but generally his books are just called fiction and he gets a lot of print reviews and media coverage, mostly positive. Would he get as much attention if his name was Nicola Earls?

Maybe publishers don’t pigeon hole male writers because there’s perceived to be less of it written…or it’s classified as action or adventure …or just fiction but never men’s fiction or romance…Not many men would say to their friends, ‘hey I read a great romance last night.

Maybe it’s all about marketing, but there doesn’t seem to be an existing stigma against a book about a guy trying to deal with a messy breakup, career struggles etc as there is against a book about a woman dealing with the same issues. So, yes, I definitely believe there is a bias in contemporary fiction.

I know several women crime writers who use their initials rather than their names so that the perceived bias is lessened. The Australian Women Writers Reading Challenge has been set up in an attempt to broaden the profile of women writers. I’ve already discovered new writers and I’m looking forward to reading more. (The challenge also has a group on Goodreads which is very active.)

Lisa, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your writing career to date?

Probably the best piece of advice I was given was by Peter Bishop, who was the Creative Director at Varuna for a number of years. He told me to keep writing. He said finish the first draft of one manuscript, put it away for three months and start working on a new one straight away. He said that it took most ‘overnight successes’ ten years to get published and that I should aim for that because by then I’d have at least a couple of manuscripts to submit to publishers.

It took me almost eight years of writing before I got a contract with Allen & Unwin and by that stage I had three manuscripts to show them – all of which have subsequently been published.

Peter Bishop gave me similar advice and he was spot on.

What’s next for you?

Excellent question…remember my earlier answer about the fear of not being able to come up with a new idea? That’s where I’m at right now. I’m tossing a few ideas around, but so far a plot line that I’m confident about sustaining has alluded me! EEK!

Ha, I’m sure there are plenty of ideas bubbling around in your head, Lisa, and every one of them is sustainable! Enjoy the release of STELLA MAKES GOOD and thanks for dropping by for a chat.

Lisa Heidke writes contemporary women’s fiction. Lucy Springer Gets Even (Allen & Unwin, 2009), her first book, was quickly followed by What Kate Did Next (2010). Claudia’s Big Break, was published in January 2011 and in February, was listed in the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the Top Ten Australian Best Sellers.

Lisa’s fourth novel, Stella Does Good, has just been released in January 2012.

You can find out more about Lisa and read her sporadic weekly blog, at www.lisaheidke.com

You can also follow her on Twitter @lisaheidke or  on FB at lisaheidke

Can mother-of-two, Stella forge a new life for herself after the end of her marriage? A funny and insightful novel about love, friendship and the quest for happiness. Stella Sparks is on good terms with her ex-husband, Terry, despite the fact he left her for another woman. Stella’s philosophical – the marriage had run it’s course, they remain friends and the well-being of their kids is central to both of them.

Stella’s life takes a distinctly upward turn when she meets a handsome, apparently single – no ring, anyway – father at her son’s school speech night. For Carly and Jesse, however, the search for happiness and fulfilment proves more elusive…
With a healthy dose of humour and romance Stella Makes Good is about the games we play, the secrets we keep, the unpredictable nature of life and the importance of female friendship.

Stella’s two closest friends, Carly and Jesse, envy her togetherness and wish they could emulate it. Jesse’s husband, Steve, is a control freak who’s driving her crazy, but she has two small children and can’t see a way out. Carly, meanwhile, suspects her husband is having an affair and isn’t sure what to do about it.

And if you need more to convince you, here’s a little teaser!!

I knew as soon as I turned down the line which one it would be. Goddess was going to make me smile whether I wanted to or not! Her chosen tool was a lime green ‘kermit car’ that would have done Miss Piggy proud (and I may in fact have looked like the muppet at that point…). Even the attendant who checked me out of the boom gate commented on my shy retiring car.

By the time I arrived at Mum’s the world was already a better place. I’d been singing along to Christmas carols in heavy traffic in a cartoon car in Brisbane. What’s not to love about that!

We decided we’d go out to lunch and Mum suggested the local nursery. My heart sank. I’d envisaged something a little more swish than the tiny nursery up the road and round the corner, but hey, this was her Christmas treat.  I bundled her into the car.

And drove round the corner. There were no parks to be found and couple of grumpy drivers didn’t make backing out onto the street any easier. You’d think they would have seen the humour in the car, if not my driving…

Finally we made it inside, my smile was starting to slip again. It was like walking into the tardis. From the outside it was tiny. Inside it opened up and out and the noise was wonderful. It seemed to be full of mothers and daughters, with the odd token male. All ages, all generations and all celebrating Christmas. It was light and airy and cheerful and that couldn’t have been more appropriate as Mum had received some sad news in the early morning.

Her sister, Aunty Nonie, had passed away. She’d reached the grand old age of ninety-five, but sadly had been locked in her memories with advanced Alzheimers for several years. She was Mum’s oldest sister in a family of seven children.

Mum is now the last one standing. Over lunch we talked about growing up in her large family where she was the middle child and obscurity was her lot. She told me again about the work she’d done in the Second World War in the WAAF. I wish I’d been recording it for my nieces to hear one day when they are old enough to appreciate what their Grandmother did as a young woman.

We ended up browsing through the plants before we left. Sat on her walker, clutching the gorgeous orchid, waiting for me to collect her Mum looked for all the world like a smiling garden gnome.

Despite the sad news it was a lovely way to celebrate Christmas and I hope we have many more with Mum yet to come. The only thing missing was my sister, but she phoned from France so she was part of the day too!

Please welcome debut Carina Press author Rachael Johns who’s novel ONE PERFECT NIGHT is about to hit the shelves!

So Rachael, to blog or not to blog… What was the tipping point for you? When did you decide you were going to become a regular blogger?

I had to actually go back and look at my first blog post to work out the answer to this question because I really couldn’t remember what made me decide to start writing a blog and unfortunately I must have had a blog before the current one that I can’t even remember (see how organised I am), because the first post I ever wrote was about choosing a pseudonym and changing to my new blog. But I think there were a few reasons I started. One, I wanted to get an online presence, so that when I sold a novel, I’d already have a place where I was known. Two, I loved reading a number of blogs and commenting and I wanted in on the fun. Three, I wanted to document my writing journey. My blog is mostly about the highs and lows of writing and my experiences writing my books, going to conferences and reading.

I think you’ve achieved all three of those, Rach! (I should have asked a question about pseudonyms since so many writers use them – maybe another blog topic!) How did you go about setting up your blog?

I looked at both WordPress and Blogger and at the time, decided I liked Blogger better. Now I’m not so sure and am seriously thinking of switching my blog and website to WordPress hosting soon. It’s easy to set up a free blog and I think if you’re just beginning writing or don’t have a contract yet, it’s a nice in-between before organising a website. Having a blog gives you a web presence. All you do is go to www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com and follow the sign-up links to create a new blog.

I use WordPress and for the most part it’s easy. Unfortunately from time to time it defeats me and I have to call on the techs…)

You have some wonderful ideas. How do you decide what topic you’re going to blog about? Having decided the topic what sort of research do you do?

Thank you, I’m not sure I agree, but thanks. J I’m continually looking out for and thinking about things that would make good blog posts. I have a little notebook near my computer where I write down possible blog post ideas. Often while hanging the washing, I’ll think of something – it’s often a problem or opinion I have about writing or something to do with writing. I don’t do a lot of research for my blog posts, rather put forward my thoughts and opinion on something and try to get a discussion going by asking other people to comment and share their ideas.

One of my favourite blog posts was my post about Second Hand Bookshops – it turned into a bit of a debate on whether they were good or bad things for writers. The post is here if you’d like to read it: http://rachaeljohns.blogspot.com/2011/10/truth-about-second-hand-bookshops.html The best thing about this post is that I was enlightened by the commenters about other ways to look at Second Hand bookshops, which I’d previously been adamantly against. It’s always good to get comments from both readers and writers to get both sides of a debate as well.

I have a regular spot called “Theory on Thursday.” This started because I love craft books but don’t actually usually read much of them. I wanted to know what craft books other people couldn’t live without, so I started by inviting friends on the blog to talk about their favourite writing craft books. From there, the segment has grown – I’ve had guests I met on Twitter and Facebook as well and the topic isn’t limited to craft books, although it’s still about the theory side of writing.

The post on second-hand book stores is fascinating. I’ve always been a believer in the ‘any reader is a good reader’ adage but I can see other angles as well.

How do you measure your blogs effectiveness or appeal?

I LOVE it when readers comment – this always gives me such a thrill (similar to getting a letter in the post) – and this tells me people are reading the blog. However, I also use StatCounter (www.statcounter.com) which tracks visits to my site and lets me see how many people pop by. This number is always a LOT bigger than the people who actually leave comments, so that’s very reassuring.

I must admit to once wondering if blogs, Twitter, etc were affective avenues for increasing readership and promoting a book, but now I strongly believe they do. I had Shona Husk (www.shonahusk.com) as a guest for Theory on Thursday a while back and then a lady on Twitter told me she’d bought Shona’s book because of her guest post. This woman hadn’t even left a comment on the actual blog.

I’m always fascinated by what blogs generate comments. Sometimes the most innocuous rushed post gets swamped then something I labour over for hours has a large number of visitors but only my loyal stalwarts comment. Wonderful to hear your blogs work through the twitter connection as well!

How much time do you spend preparing a blog?

That depends on how long it is. I type and think quickly, so the blog posts I write myself often don’t take longer than five to ten minutes. The ones that take the longest are actually the guest posts, because then I have to take quite a bit of time formatting and placing the photos, etc in good spots.

Social media is almost an integral part of a writer’s life in the twenty-first century. I know you’re active on Face Book, twitter as well as maintaining your blog. How do you prioritise?

I’m very erratic in all three places unfortunately. Bob Mayer said at the recent RWAus conference that for a blog to be affective you really need to update at LEAST once a week but three times was better. I aim to follow Bob’s three-times-a-week rule but often only succeed at twice. As for Facebook and Twitter – I’ve learnt to treat them a bit like a party. Don’t stress too much about keeping up but go in when I can (once or twice a day) and see what’s happening. While I there, I respond to what I can. I also make sure to check my mentions at least once a day and always respond when someone has Tweeted me. And I used Tweetdeck lists to make sure I don’t miss anything important from good friends or editors.

I find I can do things like write a blog post and check-in on Twitter and Facebook when my surroundings are NOT conducive to writing. So I squeeze these things in odd moments and try and use my longer chunks of free time (LOL) for actual book writing.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given about blogging or advice you’d like to share?

Aside from Bob’s three-times-a-week rule, I’d say the best thing I’ve ever been told is to try to get the readers to interact by asking them questions at the end of a blog post. And I’m also VERY careful to reply to blog comments. Nothing annoys me more than authors who blog and don’t respond to their reader comments. It’s a pet hate of mine J

Now, following her own question rule, Rachael has a question for Helene’s readers:

I visit a fair few blogs on a regular basis. I have my favourites but would love to hear what blogs YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT???

Thanks so much for having me Helene. I LOVE your blog and your books J

And thanks for being such a wonderful guest, Rachael! Congrats on your new release and can’t wait to read it!!

ONE PERFECT NIGHT:

Peppa Grant’s fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she’s also heard that he’s aloof and distant.Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company’s annual party…but he’s also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family’s holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron’s only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

Author Bio

Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7, a chronic arachnophobic, a supermarket owner by day and a writer by night. She rarely sleeps. Rachael received The Call from Angela James telling her Carina wanted to publish her book on April Fools Day and, when she told her friends, half of them wondered if it was a big joke. Luckily it wasn’t. As an active member of Romance Writers of Australia, Rachael has finaled and placed in a number of romance writing contests. Each success is uplifting and publication is her dream but even if none of this happened, she’d still write. It’s a much better option than ironing, which she refuses to partake in. Ever.

Find Rachael at

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Johns/260103224001776

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/RachaelJohns @RachaelJohns

Blog:  http://www.rachaeljohns.blogspot.com/

Website: www.rachaeljohns.com

In three hours I’ll touch down in the velvety heat of North Queensland. The humidity will squeeze my lungs and raise a sheen on my arms and face. My fellow travelers will be discarding their layers of clothes and I’ll embrace the warmth. Places, faces, the integral traces of the tropics welcome me back. My shoulders will lower and I’ll truly relax. The anticipation of seeing GW and Zeus again keeps me sane through even the toughest week.

In two weeks we’re heading to the UK (but don’t tell anyone incase the weather gods or volcano goddesses find a way to disrupt our plans for a third time…). Right now there’s a spring in my husband’s step that isn’t always obvious at this time of year as the courts overflow with Christmas angst. His smile is a little wider, his laugh a little louder and his touch a little more tender.

It struck me that he’s no different to me. He’s going home. Maybe he says he’d never live in the UK again. Frequently he says the weather’s disgusting (in his inimitable Manchester accent) and yes he’s been known to complain it’s too cold there. But it was his home for thirty years and his family still live there. No wonder GW is excited. This Christmas he’ll have us all in the one place. (Except for Zeus who’ll be guarding the Christmas tree and amusing his house-sitter!)

So what does Christmas hold for you? Do you have several homes scattered across Australia or the globe? Is the joy in the journey or the destination?

Two unrelated posts on Face book and a friend’s blog made me pause this morning and contemplate how some stories become part of our ordinary world.

Kylie Griffin posted this you-tube video on her web page.

It seems the group responsible ‘Improve Everywhere‘ has been doing this sort of staged scene since 2001. Very funny seeing people around them more or less accept this as plausible. Of course Princess Leia and Storm Troopers may ride the NY subway on a daily basis for all I know

My niece posted a link to The Guardian in the UK (I’m a little behind as this story is over a year old..) Apparently Durham University announced in 2010 that it would be running a course as part of an Education Degree which examined the Harry Potter books and their reflection/impact on society. I had instant images of Quiddich competitions and Golden Snitches floating down the hallowed halls of Durham.

How wonderful that stories, told with so much imagination, have become accepted as plausible, believable and everyday comfortable. How many children today practice their spells, imagine their broomsticks will fly, and talk to paintings hoping to catch a glimpse of the Grey Lady? (None, I hope, go pushing trolleys into brick walls in UK train stations…)

Was there a story that captivated you? One that never quite left you alone and still, in quiet moments, you secretly believe is real?

Today is hubbie’s birthday and in a couple of hours I’m heading to Sydney gearing up for a simulator check tomorrow. Unfortunately I’ve been absent for a few of his birthdays over the years with work commitments. (I’m missed a couple of my own as well, sitting in hotel rooms wishing I was somewhere else…) He’s now in countdown mode to ‘retirement’ at his next birthday so I’ll make sure I’m around for that one!!

Yesterday we celebrated early with lunch at Palm Cove. The Coral Sea shimmered in bright sunlight and a warm breeze reminded us summer is most definitely here. We spent a lovely lazy afternoon chatting, relaxing and enjoying being together. Sometimes the most beautiful of days are the simple ones.

Happy birthday, GW, wish I was home with you and Zeus. (And I hope you’ve worked the iPad out by the time I get home on Friday )