I can’t believe I forgot to share the postcards I designed to showcase my West Australian romances. Here they are! Cute, aren’t they? Plus last week I snuck into the stationery warehouse and bought a new gold pen. My signature looks awesome *says she, immodestly.

Also, I have to confess that for all my success with the mizuna and mustard spinach, the late planting of okra — and the ants! — has not been good. There are flower buds. There are also aphids.

Claire Boston has written a wonderful post on Fremantle, where the Romance Writers of Australia conference will be held in August. You can see that you HAVE to visit!

I bought a new handbag last week. This is a rare event in my life. I prefer to put everything in pockets. But with changes of glasses (sunglasses to normal ones), a mobile phone, purse, junk, keys, notebook, pen and sometimes a camera, I’ve run out of pockets. It was either grow enormously fat so that I could fit more pockets on my person, or succumb to handbag-itis. I succumbed.

Then I got the handbag home and opened it. Ew. It smelled like something had died in it. Actually, I think something did–the plastic they’d stuffed it with. However, I’m pleased to announce that leaving a small bowl of bicarb soda inside for a couple of days dealt with the smell.

Weird thing about the bag that the shop assistant told me as she rang it up was that it “protected” my purse. Not with vicious teeth and sirens, but apparently no one could walk past with some secret device and skim my credit card details. Hmm. Do I need a jeans pocket protector for the non-handbag days?

Anyways, I’m almost finished my Monday ramble. Hope you have a lovely week!

Though I wish the colours had come out truer. The clarity was amazing.

It’s times like these that I wish I could just teleport you all in to share the moment. Wouldn’t that be handy? A quick phone call – “You free for half an hour?” – then teleport in to share hot out of the oven chocolate muffins and coffee.

With Memories of Love coming out with Escape Publishing on 1 April I have been, not unnaturally, haunting their site. I could just send you over there to see what I’ve found, but I thought I’d share them here, too — the gorgeous covers for the other April releases. They look all intense and yet different, which promises great things for my reading future

and you need to go visiting with me because over at the Down Under Divas I’m talking about writing for non-traditional holidays, and giving you the chance to win a copy of my Australia Day romance, Mistaken Engagement, and (if you’re Aussie – sorry, it’s a postage thing) a chance to win a fab Australian art magnet.

Visit now!

I find a new year often encourages me to try a new challenge. This year, my Escape Publishing editor, Nas Dean, gave me the idea for a book trailer. Now, I’ve never attempted creating a book trailer or anything like it in my life, but once I started thinking on it, I knew I’d have to try. And here it is, “Freo Inspiration”. In it I share some of my favourite photos and talk about the town of Fremantle which is the setting both for my steampunk stories, The Bustlepunk Chronicles, and my latest contemporary romance, Drawing Closer.

Now all I have to do is get over the whole “do I really sound like that?” thing  The link will take you to the video on YouTube.

Freo Inspiration

There’s a Kindle Fire up for grabs, loaded with fantastic stories. Good luck! You’ll want the link at the bottom of this post to enter the contest.

I’m also giving away a digital copy of “Courting Trouble”, my second Bustlepunk Chronicle. Just leave a comment on this post.

Swan River Colony, Australia, 1895

All suffragette Esme Smith wants is respect. Her beau, American inventor Jed Reeve, may be more enlightened than most men, but lately his need to protect her is at odds with her need for independence. Esme begins to wonder if a modern woman can share her life with a man without losing some of herself.

With his courtship of Esme stalled, the last thing Jed needs is the pressure of saving the Prince of Wales. But when blueprints for a sonic destroyer fall into his hands, he uncovers an anarchist plot that could have deadly consequences.

While investigating the threats, Jed is determined to keep Esme out of harm’s way, despite her protests. But when the terrorists capture Jed and demand a priceless emerald in exchange for his life, it’s Esme who must draw on all her strength to save the day.

34,000 words

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Remember, for your chance to win “Courting Trouble”, leave a comment on this post. Giveaway open internationally.

For your chance to win the Kindle Fire, visit the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop. Link of participating blogs, here.