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I was excited to spot two lizards on the mottled grey trunk of a tall gum tree. In the bright afternoon sunshine, their profiles stood a little darker than the lumpy bark.“There. Don’t you see?” I pointed them out to my lizard-obsessed eight-year-old grandson.“I can’t see them.”Odd. He had a knack for spotting a lizard, […]

If you discount the current wild winds and occasional rain, we’ve had a stunning summer so far – long, hot, glorious days to enjoy while relaxing with a book and a cool drink, or to chill-out with friends. I’ve certainly done those, and I hope you’ve been able to as well.Early in January, I was

One of the challenges of being a writer is the difficulty of simply sitting and enjoying the moment. The body begins to relax while the brain goes off into wild directions creating a million different ‘what if’ scenarios. Sitting with friends on 90 Mile Beach a few months ago I enjoy the sunshine, good company,

It’s called a letterbox for a reason While waiting for Book One; Doorway of Death, to return from a professional edit andcritique, I took feedback I’d received from a beta-reader and further developed one ofthe characters. Professor Peter Blackwell hails from the University of Oxford, a placeI am not familiar with. He required more research. I’ve since

Fakalofa lahi atu, and warm greetings everyone. I recently enjoyed a break in the Big Smoke to spend time with my family. After all the excitement of publishing Doorway of Death some relaxation was in order. Holding the first copy in my hands was an incredible buzz after so many years of labour, however encouraging

All through winter a vibrantly-plumed kingfisher has visited our garden almost daily. Most mornings he sits on the bean-frame, plunging to catch an unwary insect before returning to his perch to gulp it down. Ever-vigilant, his bright eyes scan the garden; he doesn’t miss a thing. Once or twice he was accompanied by another kingfisher,

 I love to sew, particularly hand-sewing. Each stitch becomes a memory of that moment in time. I can look at something my hands have created and recall what was happening when it was made. Perhaps it was a conversation, a peaceful moment or a television programme.  My writing can be like that also. Each word

One of my superpowers is being able to see something in a shop that I am really attracted to, and not buy it. Then I get home and am filled with regrets. Of course, when I return, the special object has been purchased by a more discriminating shopper. Am I the only one who does this? This happened recently when