Treasure Every Moment

It’s been a sad week with the sudden passing of Heath Ledger and closer to home, my lovely godmother, Agnes Hoareau, slowly succumbing to cancer.

With everything, I hope you can understand and forgive me for the lack of blog entries.

This week has made me realize we should treasure every moment we have because we don’t know what’s around the corner. We may live to one hundred or we might die in the next minute. Tell your parents and siblings you love them, ring your friends and show how much you appreciate them being in your life. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you’re thinking “I should have…”

Okay enough of the doldrums…

The MRWG meeting last Sunday went well and lots of chocolates were eaten in celebration. We spoke about many things including long term goals for 2008 and beyond, and mini goals. Small steps lead to a big achievement. Our members have decided to make a goal for each meeting and try to achieve that goal by the next meeting date. I’m hoping this will work and by year’s end, the MRWG will have many more celebrations.

I’m also taking that attitude with my own life. Small steps lead to big and better things. It’s certainly going to be interesting the next few months.

Keep happy and healthy.
Elvina

I'm Alive (and somewhat kicking!)

Wow – five days have passed since my last post. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?

I’m back to work and in truth, it’s been hard. Three weeks of holiday have made me soft. I find myself worn out by the end of the day and the last thing I want to do after a day quoting staircase projects is to spend another few hours writing.

BUT I’m still writing focused even while not in revision mode.

I’m critiquing some fabulous first chapters for friends who’ll be entering the Harlequin Mills and Boon Instant Seduction competition.

The ‘to be read’ pile is slowly diminishing. Yay – free space for more books!

I’m jotting down notes for the pending revisions and the excitement level is slowly building – great motivation to actually start writing and to temporarily silence that dreaded (and evil) ‘internal editor’ that pours doubts onto a writer’s enthusiasm. Who says ‘why bother?’ and ‘who’ll want to read that drivel?’ But I’m trying not to listen to that bothersome pest.

And if that doesn’t work, meeting with a fabulous bunch of lovely, talented writers should blast away any doldrums. I’m Co-ordinator of the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild (MRWG) – http://www.melbournerwg.com/ - a wonderful romance group established in 1991 with around 30 members and continually growing.

We meet once a month and this Sunday is the January meeting. We celebrate our writing achievements with the best reward – chocolate – and in the past five years, we’ve had lots to celebrate. Several members are book, novella and short story published.

I’m sure 2008 will be another great year for the MRWG and its talented members.

Bye for now.
Elvina

Where did the time go?

Today is the last day of my holidays. Where did the time go?
I had plans of what I’d wanted to do but probably managed only a third. Oh, well. There’s always next weekend, or the one after that.

I did manage to reduce the extensive ‘to be read’ pile which included:
“Millionaire to the Rescue” by Ally Blake and
“A Woman to Belong To” by Fiona Lowe

Both wonderful stories by two great writers. Both books were out December 2007, but if you can find a copy, grab it. If not, both Ally and Fiona will have books out during 2008 that you shouldn’t miss.

I’ve started “Purchased for Pleasure” by my wonderful friend Nicola Marsh, and as usual, she has a hunky hero and a sizzling storyline. I can’t wait to finish it.

The next two to be read are “The Boss’s Christmas Baby” by Trish Morey and “The Ex Factor” by Anne Oliver. Both authors are extremely talented and their stories great, so I’m looking forward to their latest.

Apart from books, I did the usual shopping and sightseeing. My aunty and cousin from Seychelles (who I haven’t seen in 20 years) visited for six weeks, so it was fun rediscovering Melbourne with them. It’s amazing to share a person’s delight in something new, especially when you consider that thing standard and mundane.

I bought and watched the third series of Dr. Who – and thoroughly enjoyed drooling over the gorgeous David Tennant. And the storylines were fabulous too!

Also, courtesy of a wonderful friend, I’ve watched the Dr. Who Christmas episode “Voyage of the Damned” with Kylie Minogue. I’ve been truly spoilt.

Wow, reading back over the above, I have been busy. Maybe I need another holiday to recuperate.

Until next time.

HAPPY NEW 2008!

With the New Year comes new intentions and goals.

One - creation of this blog. Something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and never had the guts to do. Who wants to listen to me blabber on about nothing? Well, I’ve done it. And hopefully, I won’t go on and on and on…and bore everyone to tears.

Two - getting my domain name and updating my website. That entails me learning Frontpage (or something similar), so this goal might take a bit longer to complete.

Writing wise goals – there are a few. A few days of holiday time (watching DVDs and reading books…all in the name of research, of course) then I’m back into revision stage.

Silhouette Desire have requested revisions (again) on “The Tycoon’s Toughest Adversary,” so I want to get them done asap and back to Diana at the New York office.

Once that’s done, then it’s back to completing revisions on the follow up book “Take Me in Your Arms,” the partial of which is also with Diana at Silhouette Desire.

Then I have two other books to finish – “Needing You” and “Clause to Contentment.”

And if I have time between all that and selling staircases at Slattery & Acquroff Holdings – http://www.stairking.com.au/ - then I want to revise my paranormal single title “An Angel’s Embrace” and find a home for it.

It sounds like a lot, but hey, if you don’t aim high, you never know what you can achieve.

Other things I’d like to achieve during 2008 is better health through exercise and weight loss (doing well but always can lose more), listening to my body and taking time to relax (as if housework is anyone’s priority!) and enjoying life in general.

2007 taught me some harsh lessons – enjoy each and every day. You never know what’s around the corner, good or bad.

So that’s it for my first post. Hope boredom hasn’t set it. Speak to you soon!