Category Archives: Life

This time next week…

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Christmas will be all over. Wrapping paper will be in the bin, food stored in the fridge, bellies full, kids with broken toys after screaming around the house with them.

But here I am, taking one day at a time, and still trying to work out which half of the week I’m in.

Because I work part time, I’m finding it hard to keep dates in my head, unless I’m at work. All I know is that today (as I’m writing this) is the 21 December and it’s Sunday. I’m pretty sure tomorrow is Monday, and I work tomorrow, but instead of starting at 1pm, I’m starting at 9:30 am and working until 2:30pm, because we’re helping out another ward, which have no staff for the next two weeks, so our morning admin is going to work up there for the three days before Christmas.

In the meantime, I’m still trying to work out how many days there are until Christmas, and I’m pretty sure it’s not two weeks, like my brain is trying to tell me…lol.

But I hope you all have a merry Christmas and will see you all next week, sometime, before New Year…hopefully!

The year ahead

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The days are ticking down to the inevitable, a time when plans are made, changed, remade, ideas are brought to fruition, then die before the day is out.

Yes, I’m talking about New Years eve. What are you goals for the year?

I have a few in mind this year, not all writing orientated, which makes a change. Normally I don’t make personal resolutions because I know that New Years isn’t the right time to make such things, because tomorrow is another day for a procrastinator, and I often decide to make a goal and start on the track to achieving it straight away.

This year, I’ve started eating healthier, but making Japanese meals when I cook three nights a week, and having smaller portions when my partner or son cook the other four nights.

I got a new job, part time, working 20 hours a week and earning good money from it too. It feels good knowing that I have an income while I wait for my books to start selling.

I learnt Maori at a conversational level, and I love to learn, but what I want to study next could mean a few years not writing, which isn’t really an option for me right now. I will put that on hold for a bit, and see how things progress. I have enjoyed not studying for the last half of the year, the first time in a long time that I haven’t been filling my brain with information. But my job does a good job of doing that, so I’m not really missing out.

I’ve also been going to the gym since pole was cancelled. I could go to another pole studio, but that would mean driving an hour two and from Nelson to do that…and that isn’t economical for me. So instead, I go to the gym three times a week, do a bootcamp once a week, and walk the other three days.

Next year, I will start to see results of my gym going. I have a personal trainer that I’m working with, and I want to lose some weight with it. i think with the regime I’m on now, I should start seeing some results soon enough.

Writing-wise – you all know how I went this year. I’ve been pleased with progress, but getting a new job has kind of put a dampener on things, along with going to the gym, but I think I have a workable solution, which is what I’m all about.

I plan on having a blog post before New Years with my writing goals I’ve achieved this year, and a one the following week with my goals for 2026, so keep an eye out for those.

Finding Balance at the End of the Year

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November is quickly slipping away, and I generally don’t do much writing in December and January because, you know, family events and summer and stuff.

So how do you find a balance between being creative and ‘the silly season’?

I’m not much of a Christmas person, though I have to admit that in the last couple of years, I have actually hummed a Christmas Carol or two. But I haven’t broken out into a full on rendition of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer yet. When that happens, you know that hell has probably frozen over. I’m not a Grinch. For years Christmas was a period of pain for me because of the toxic relationship I was in, and all the directions I was being pushed and pulled in. All I wanted to do was go bush for three weeks and come back when it was all over.

But slowly, I have been starting to actually get into the spirit of Christmas, although it has to be in December, because October is not CHRISTMAS! Even my bootcamp instructor gets into the swing of things with Christmas carols blasting as we’re sweating and swearing. And it normally includes a Christmas ensemble, complete with Christmas socks. I haven’t gone down that road yet. Please shoot me if I ever do.

But being a creative, I need to be doing something to keep my mental state above the median strip. I need to be able to have some outlet in which my brain can get the endorphins (or whatever it is that I’m supposed to be getting) and keep me in a positive mood.

Often it is doing something like paper crafting, card making, or something similar. I have a book that needs to be edited by 7th January (WHAT WAS I THINKING!) so that will take up some time. Of course, there is also my gardening, which brings me joy and happiness. (My roses are looking AMAZING!)

This yearChristmas is looking different too, because I’m working Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but doing the dayshift hours instead of the afternoon shift hours (double time and a day in lieu). I’ll be working through the holidays, so that means that some writing will be done over that time.

And catching up with family, because my family are important to me, and it will be lovely to see them and spend time with them over the holiday period. We have plans for the three days I have off over the holiday period and head over to Wineborough to catch up with Mum and head through to Pictown and see Dad.

I always try and plan to have lots of positives going on around Christmas, and I think that has really helped me to get over the funk that it used to bring. It’s not a period I wish to escape from anymore, now it’s a time when I get to be with and enjoy time with my family.

And Now for a little Venting

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I had high expectations for Carols Christmas. I’d hoped that the fact I was donating money to charity would help with sales. Except they haven’t.

It’s not the first time I’ve had my expectations blown out of the water. All of my books have done worse than I thought they would. I think Second-Hand Daughter is a slight exception, but not by much.

I wonder if I’m writing boring shit, or stuff that people don’t want to read. I know that I have fans who like my work, and I deeply appreciate all of you.

But this time, I wanted to raise money for Breast Cancer New Zealand, because it is one of the charities I support (the other one being Daffodil Day at the end of August).

As of 19 October, I’ve raised $16 to be donated to Breast Cancer New Zealand. I wasn’t expecting to donate hundreds of dollars, but I had a goal of $50 – I’m not even half way there.

I realise that things are tough financially for a lot of people at the moment, but sometimes I really wonder whether writing is worth the pain that I constantly put myself through, but then I have way too many ideas going through my head to not write. I just don’t have enough time or energy to write everything I think about. (I do make notes of these ideas.)

Thank you for listening to me carry on. I just needed to get that off my chest. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

RIP Diane Keaton

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Today, I learnt a sad fact of life. Everyone dies. Even those that you love and respect, and aspire to be like.

Today, 12 November 2025, Diane Keaton died. Self-titled as ‘the kooky actress’ she won a lot of accolades and awards for her roles over the years, whether they were serious or comedic. She wasn’t a comedian, she just managed to make things funny, by stating it as fact, or through her timing.

She had a tomboyish clothing style and favoured wearing vintage men’s clothing and often wore hats and different coloured lenses in her glasses. Whether this was because she liked the look or not I can’t find out. But I love yellow lenses which brings light into your eyes when it’s dark out.

The first movie I really saw Ms Keaton in was the First Wives Club – with Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn who are also favourite actresses. She plays someone who was really loved her husband and didn’t believe that he really wanted a divorce. She really seemed to have her head buried in the sand, but once she realised it was for real, she really came into her own.

In Something’s Got to Give she co-starred with Jack Nicholson, and Keanu Reeves. She wasn’t so ditzy in this movie, which was about forgiveness and discovering one’s own joys in life.

I especially loved her in The Book Club, and it’s sequel – really showed her quirky style and insecure nature.

I watched her being interviewed by Ellen and it was hard to say if she was playing a role on the show, or if she actually is like that in real life. She seemed nervous, anxious and high energy all at the same time. She laughed freely, and seemed embarrassed by simple questions. It made me really relate to her.

She never married, but had relationships with many of her co-stars. She adopted children on her own, and she seemed content to be on her own.

I shall miss her refreshing style, someone who had nervous anticipation and yet managed to always look on the bright side of life.

Being a Girly Girl

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I’ve always been one to get into shorts and jeans rather than skirts and dresses. Don’t get me wrong, I love to dress us and feel like a girl, but I tend to be a bit tomboyish.

But since I’ve finished up gardening, and started my new job, I’ve discovered my love for all things girly all over again, and now I’m wearing dresses and skirts, and even started to wear makeup!

I didn’t expect this to be a positive of working in doors. The main reason for working indoors was that it was warmer in winter, and also it would be easier on my body. But actually getting to wear dresses and skirts, and lovely blouses and getting out of my trousers and shorts has been quite refreshing.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my trousers and shorts, because I don’t like being cold, but where I work is climate controlled, the temperature needs to be at a certain temperature, so as long as I have warm gear going into and out of the office, I can wear skirts and dresses to my little hearts content.

And I’ve started getting my nails done again. I love having long nails, and while I was gardening, it just wasn’t feasible to have them, dirt got under them, they would look chipped and ratty in no time at all, but now, because I’m only typing at the most, I can have the elegant nails.

And I’m wearing mascara! and Eyeliner! I don’t tend to put makeup on unless I was going out for the evening, but I’ve even been experimenting with tinted moisturiser and eyeliner!

It’s nice to be in touch with my more feminine side for a change. So I’ll continue to buy nice dresses and makeup and keep my feminine side happy.

Finding New and Inspiring Things To Do.

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I joined a gym, not long after I started my new job, and it was a little hit and miss to start with, but I got into a program, and had a personal trainer (who also runs the bootcamp that I go to) and started to really get into it.

On discussion with my personal trainer, I decided to up the ante a little and now I am in a three day a week program. It isn’t about building muscle, because that isn’t what I want to do, at this stage. Instead we are doing some corrective work, and then some muscle work to help.

Corrective work is because we discovered I have hyperextension. I always knew I was a little kookie with weird elbow angles, and knees that want to go backwards, so I’m doing exercises to help strengthen those muscles to prevent injuries from happening. I’m also doing exercises for my Archille’s that I slightly ruptured in December last year.

As a result, my mental health has improved, and my brain is just buzzing with ideas, which keep flowing, and I can’t keep up! I have a notebook with story ideas that I might have to get a ghost writer to finish for me!

Overall, I’m really enjoying the gym visits. It helps with my mental health, and I listen to podcasts while I’m exercising. I’m starting to get into a rhythm of attending three day a week, and settling into a routine of writing, editing and gym visits as well as my work schedule.

Living Your Best Life

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It has been obvious to me lately that we need to be living our best lives.

So what does that look like for me?
Living my best life is being with those I love, doing the things I love, and not taking things for granted.

Stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new isn’t something that I do often, but when I do, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to try something new. I always yearn to do the things I love, and I’m slowly getting back into doing those things again.

Writing is something that I’m passionate about, and as long as I can write, I will continue to do so. But recently I’ve decided to go back to writing the slightly off the wall books that I’ve always wanted to write, like fantasy and science fiction. Why? Because that is where I really enjoyed the story telling and developing a whole new world (worldbuilding). To a degree I get to do that with Tuivale and my Men in Kilts series, but it doesn’t have that fantasy aspect that takes the story to the next level, adding elements that are otherworldly, or just out of this realm of possibility.

I will continue to write contemporary romance and Womens Fiction, because I still have a lot of what if questions that need answering, but I have a need to express my inner weirdo to get it out of my head and onto paper.

Celebrations

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My son has just turned 21, which is always a big celebration, no matter where the in the world you live. But do we celebrate other things, like Book Birthdays?

I am probably one of the worst of celebrating. Christmas was never my thing, but I’ve always made a celebration of other people’s birthdays. I like to make people feel special. I’m up for celebrating anything, whether it is finally getting IT to finally do something we asked them to do 6 weeks ago at work, or a friend finally managing to get their wardrobe cleaned out.

But one thing I don’t do enough, is celebrate my own successes. I mean, I’m not raking in the money yet, which would be cause for a celebration, but I don’t really celebrate the release of a new book. By the time I’ve got a book released, I’ve read it over a hundred times and I’m ready to move onto the new and shiny project – which I think every writer can relate to. I’m excited that I’ve released a new book out into the world, but I struggle to really make the release something to celebrate.

And then book anniversary’s. I know what year a book was published, but until recently, didn’t keep track of the month it was published, so while Cursed Love was released eleven years ago, I can’t remember what month I released it. (And eleven years ago, my son was ten!)

When I finish a book, I don’t tend to celebrate, because I’m ready to move onto the next project and start the new shiny idea that is glowing (and growing) in my brain.

A friend of mine, who is a life coach, tells me that we need to celebrate those small achievements, the moments when we have done what we set out to do. We need to remind ourselves that celebration is normal in everyday life, and we should celebrate, and uplift and encourage others to celebrate too.

So I intend to start celebrating a bit more vocally about my books. I’ll tell people more about them, celebrate the topic I’ve chosen to write, I’ll spend time creating posts that celebrate what I’ve achieved, and help others celebrate their wins in life too. Because publishing a book is a win, in a world with AI bots churning out books by the day, any little writer knows that to write, edit, drip blood sweat and tears over a book, and then release it, is worth the celebration.

On the up and up

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A couple of weeks ago I wrote how I was suffering with the weather and down moods. I have since turned a corner, and now my mental health is improving.

And the reason for this, I believe, is catching up with a friend and talking about writing. It was as simple as that. We hadn’t been able to catch up over the previous few weeks because of weather related issues, or kids, but last Friday, we managed to catch up and mostly, we talked. We talked about writing, but we also talked about how we felt guilty because while we’d both been affected by the floods, we still had our homes and our properties survived unscathed, unlike a lot of our friends, and as a result, we have survivors guilt. Because we didn’t get the damage as bad as it could have been we felt guilty for feeling pleased that it hadn’t affected us.

We spoke about the trauma we both suffered having to evacuate and not knowing what we would be going back to, how the kindness of people we barely knew made it easier to cope. How we both emotionally broke down after it had all passed over because we were trying to be strong for our kids.

And then we talked about the power of writing, how cathartic it had been to write about our sadness and pain in various stories we’d written, and how it was our ‘therapy’, and how we felt so much better, mental health-wise, when we were able to find time to write.

I only spent two hours with Serena, but in that time, we found a companionship that went deeper than our writing friendship. We both had similar experiences and experienced the same emotions about the same things. And it was nice to know that someone knew how I felt.

It wasn’t until Sunday I realised just how uplifted I felt. How much lighter and brighter the world seemed. I was relieved that I’d finally turned the corner, because I wasn’t looking forward to spending another two or three weeks in that melancholy state, because even I don’t like myself when I’m in that kind of mood.

But sometimes, just spending time with someone who has a similar interest to you, can be all you need to was someone to shine a light so you come out the other side of the darkness, and realise that it was only a tunnel you were travelling through, and not a journey to the middle of the earth.