October & November 2012 - No I'm Not Dead

Oops! I've done it again. I got half way through November and still hadn't posted for October so I thought I'd do October and November together.  And I know it's only the 3rd of December but if I didn't pull my finger out and write something, I knew I wouldn't be updating until the New Year.

I am happy to say that much of the reason why I haven't been posting here is because I've been writing my other stuff. If I don't get it down when it is screaming inside my head it gets lost and it's been very noisy of late. Recently I gave myself a deadline to have something that I was happy with ready for a date I'd set to catch up with a good friend so she could take a look. I had already shown her an outline and this time I wanted to show her more of the actual story. It ended up a few scenes that will end up somewhere in the middle of the story, since then I've been working on what happens before and after.

It was an extremely nerve wracking experience, I have an awful habit of down playing and rubbishing my own work (ie pointing out all the faults I see) so to avoid this as much as possible I ducked out of the house while she read to pick up our pizza.

Her response was very positive and she's the kind of friend who doesn't bullshit to save your feelings so hers is an opinion I trust. And this initial response has spurred me on, I am trying to write a bit each day. Some days, of course it's not possible. Things are getting crazy with all the end of year commitments but writing is a nice escape.

I've done a lot of reading and tv / movie watching as well. Forgive my super brief reviews.

Films

Rock of Ages: I seriously didn't expect this to be a musical. The trailer intrigued me but I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise so was conflicted. At the end of the day, I liked it even with Tom in it. There was enough humour in it to keep me going.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: I decided the kids really needed to see one of Mummy's favourite movies and happily they liked it (though some of it flew over their heads, not a bad thing). Now when the kids argue I tell them to "Be Excellent To Each Other" hehe. Daggy Mum jokes are my specialty

Think like a man: i think that's what it's called, the fact that I can't be bothered checking might give you an idea of how much this movie meant to me. It was pretty boring, the funny bits were not funny enough. Meh

Puberty Blues: The 1980's film adaptation of the Australian teen novel. This year a tv adaptation was released here in Australia as well and both are great. Well worth a watch. Hubby surprised me when he told me that this movie had been one of his favourites back in the day.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: having read the book, I was keen to see the film and see how they would adapt it and I liked what they did. The movie was fast paced and didn't get bogged down as much as the book.

 The Campaign: very entertaining veg out comedy :)

Cosmopolis: at 10 minutes in, I was like WTF??? Hubby insisted we give it a bit more time but we were still WTF??? so we fast forwarded a bit to see if it improved any and the answer was no sadly, it did not.  we never finished it :(

Brave: love a good kids movie and Merida is a gutsy character :)

Hotel Transylvania: for the kids again but I liked the humour... "Scream cheese" still tickles me :)

Magic Mike: what can I say? I had to re-watch, this time with Hubby. He actually didn't mind it either :)

TV
Breaking Bad Season 1 & 2: why didn't I start watching this earlier???

Puberty Blues: a great nostalgia trip back to the late 70's / early 80's. The fashion, decor and language is fascinating.

Revenge Season 2: not quite as captivating as season 1, I'm hoping it gets better.

Supernatural Season 1: again why is it only now that I'm discovering this show???

The Walking Dead Season 3: OMG I hate the Governor!

American Horror Story Seasons 1 & 2: this show is fascinating! at first it scared the bejeezus out of me then I got acclimatised and Wow!


Reading
Reflected in You by Sylvia Day: follow up to Bared to you. I am addicted to this story!

Rapture by Lauren Kate: the final installment of the Fallen series and frankly I was a bit disappointed. The characters were lacking in their emotion and the whole adventure / mission was predictable. There was very little suspense. Everything was tied up in a neat bow at the end but what annoyed me most was they had an awesome antagonist character, who I really liked and expected to play a major role in the series after the first book and expected to find out more of his story and he didn't end up doing much at all.

Delilah's Diary by Jasinda Wilder: a little bit of fluff to read, it ended abruptly with a lot of questions unanswered but then I found out that there are more parts to the series. not sure if I will bother to continue with the series yet.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick: a lot of this installment of the hush hush series felt like more of the same of the first book. it only got slightly more interesting at the end. enough for me to continue...

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick: book 3 in the hush hush series,  this was a lot better. I can't stand it when we are not given much insight into the male lead character ( mainly because the story is told from the female lead's perspective) and it was good to get to know Patch a bit better. I've invested enough time in this series to see it through to the end so onto  Finale...

And that's about it, I hope I haven't lost the few readers I once had... forgive me. Take care and if I don't "see" you before Christmas, hope you have a good one. Sending you lots of warm fuzzies x x x

current fave

My Gun - The Rubens

September 2012

October 2nd and it appears I have my metaphorical shit together early (by my standards) LOL

It's school holidays here and I am grabbing a rare quiet moment when the kids are playing in their rooms. Should I be worried that they're so quiet? hmmm...

Ok so September has been full on, I've been to  school assemblies, a sports carnival, the state final for the Wakakirri competition (storytelling through dance for school children), kiddy birthday parties, a work sundowner for Hubby (man those guys know how to party!) adult birthday dinners and football (Aussie rules & Rugby league) grand final BBQs ( sadly neither of Hubby's teams won).

I weeded my garden almost single-handedly, Hubby did one area but I did the rest over a period of weeks and I've planted a few (hopefully water hardy) plants.

Hubby's Nan came to visit which was bittersweet,  it is always lovely to see her and unfortunately we don't have the opportunity to see her often as she lives interstate but she is 87 and we are never quite sure if when we see her, it will be the last time. Nan herself, treated this visit a bit differently, like it was her last and it was hard to say goodbye.

So it has been just a bit mental! I think I was looking forward to this lot of school hols far more than the kids, if only for the fact that I didn't have to get out of bed so damned early! The downfall unfortunately is that there is very little "me" time to be had during the day but I am resolved to sneak in a little here and there hehe

We also made a huge decsion (for us) and booked flights for a family holiday in Bali next year. For Perth residents, Bali is a relatively close and cheap overseas holiday option. It worked out cheaper than flying interstate to visit my parents and we really REALLY need a decent break away where the trip is not spent visiting. I don't know about you but visiting family with all the issues and baggage that comes along with it is not considered a true holiday in my book.

Bali provides a holiday where we and the kids can all enjoy something.  I have been hesitant for a long time about Bali due to the bombings in 2002 that targeted tourists and the last time I was there (1998) it was very different to what I hear it is now from people who go regularly. Hubby went on a boys trip there this year for 4 nights and gave it the thumbs up. He knows how paranoid and fussy I can be and still thinks it's a great idea.

I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have something like this to look forward to :) :) :)

My big bit of excitement re: me time was that I really got stuck into my writing, I have been alternating between tweaking my outline and writing scenes that I see clearly in my head. I had a close friend read what I had of my outline early in the month (or was it late August???). She gave me a lot of encouragement and food for thought. Since then as new ideas have come and storyline flaws have become apparent, I have modified the outline. It is still evolving but I like where it's heading :)

And I've managed to sneak in a few movies etc so here's what I've been watching / reading...

Films

The Avengers
I was a bit worried that it would be all  action and nothing else but it was really cool. I loved the snippets of humour they worked into it. The Hulk was great :)

Men In Black 3
No disappointments here, the story was really great. Very funny, double thumbs up :)

Dark Shadows
I was so disappointed with this movie, even the funny bits weren't that funny especially since they had all been shown in the trailer. I honestly thought I would like it because of the Johnny Depp / Tim Burton combo but I didn't :(

Snow White and the Huntsman
Kristen Stewart starring as Snow White held me back from watching this for so long and my instinct was right. I hated her in it, I really did. Don't get me wrong she wasn't the only thing wrong with this film, the ending left a lot to be desired in the way on lack of action, suspense and wrapping it up in a good old fashioned happy ending. I did like Chris Hemsworth's character though and do concede that in this particular version of the tale he was too old to end up with Snow White but this film seriously fizzled at the end. :/

The Lucky One
I finally got around to watching this film as well and sadly it left me a bit meh, just like the novel. I did like Zac Efron in it (love a man with big blue eyes and long lashes) but the lead characters just weren't very engaging. :/


TV

Doctor Who
He's back and I love him. Man those weeping angels scare the bejeebus out of me!

Sons of Anarchy Season 5
whoa! so far this season has me watching (or rather peeking) through my hands. it has been so brutal yet I can't help but keep watching.


Reading

Power (Book 4 in Souls Savers) by Kristie Cook
I have really been looking forward to reading this  :)
I've left the honeymoon period with this series now (not a bad thing!). At the beginning of this series it was all about the love story for me and I was unable to put the book down. Now the story has matured; in some ways Alexis and Tristan's relationship is like any married couple which is cool and makes them very relatable and now the storyline focuses more on their adventure. So the story is still working for me, it's keeping me interested by branching out and developing other characters but also by painting a vivid picture of a world that I can picture as being 'real'.  Throw in a twist or two in the plot and I'm still hooked :)

And that's it peeps, hope you're all well x

a random thought

I forgot to mention this in my last post...

I saw this Maroon 5 music video last month and it made me think of Beautiful Disaster (see my July post)... minus the baby and if Adam Levine was younger he'd make a great Travis

thoughts?

anyone?
...
anyone?
...

August 2012

Crap! Sorry I've done it again. August was crazy busy and emotionally up and down. I don't really have the energy or inclination to go into the down bits, they are things that are being worked on so that's a good thing. Nothing like facing a few home truths but everyone needs a good kick up the arse every now and then I guess.

I got to do a few fun things. I took my girls to the play adaptation of The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson. A few years ago I took Miss 7 (then about 4 or 5 I think) to see The Gruffalo and it was fantastic. This follow up story was just as good. Not sure who enjoyed it more, me or the kids. It was a real treat to see their faces light up as they watched.

Hubby had a two day conference in Freo (Fremantle) with all hotel accommodation and meals included for the both of us.  It was a fabulous break for me (especially as we were upgraded to a Spa Suite) and I indulged in a little shopping, reading and a lot of writing! Oh to have that much time on my hands more often. It got me really excited about my story again (things got a little slow for a while). My goal is to work on this everyday.

Films

Conan the Barbarian
this was rather blood thirsty and over the top but Jason Momoa is very easy on the eye. Not sure if that balances things out but there you go ;)

Battleship
was very disappointed to see Alexander Skarsgard die so early on and the story line was pretty naff. Rihanna's one liners were truly awful. If I had my time over I wouldn't bother.

The Hunger Games
Now that's it's on DVD I had to watch it again and introduce it to Hubby. Still love it :)

Goon
I quite enjoyed this (in between wincing at the violence) Sean Leonard Scott played a very likable character.

21 Jump Street
my crush on Channing Tatum continues! This was hilarious!

TV

Misfits Season 1, 2 & 3
British Supernatural TV show, seriously check it out! Love the accents and the attitude.

Mrs Browns Boys Series 1
another UK show, for the most part it was crap. it's humour is an acquired taste but there are some rare very witty one liners that had me laughing. My inlaws think it is hilarious :?

Suits Season 1
this will keep me happy until Sons of Anarchy and Dexter start

Grimm Season 2
the story improves :)


Reading

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
I read this because the title is AWESOME! and I saw the trailer to the film and instantly wanted to see it, however the book wasn't quite as I'd imagined it. Having said that though, it is quite an interesting read (especially when you know very little of the history of Abraham Lincoln like me, they don't teach that in Aussie schools)
I haven't managed to see the movie yet but I do wonder how closely it follows the book.

What Happens in Vegas by Sylvia Day
this is a quickie from the author of Bared to You and even though it is a very short story, it is written so well that you get to know the characters, which impressed me. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

Sorry I've rushed this post but thanks heaps for popping by x o x o

July 2012

Hi *waves madly*
So sorry I'm late in posting. No excuses, I'm a slacker

Things are going pretty well on the job front, it is physically demanding but not overly difficult and the staff are just lovely. I'm enjoying getting paid (who wouldn't LOL) and after so long being a SAHM, it is awesome being able to talk to a wider circle of people. Introvert I might be but I'm not a complete hermit! I love how the girls from the front counter breeze in and out of the back office and pick up conversations where they left off. It is all great fun :)

You would have seen my photos of the Lady Gaga concert in my previous post (I hope ;)
I went with my BFF and we had a blast. It was fun to dress up, I thought reasonably conservatively considering where we were going and was a little surprised to find the majority of people didn't make any sort of effort. Ho hum, it didn't matter, we still had a fabulous time and bonded with the girls either side of us in the stands. The show itself was spectacular, the warm up act (Lady Starship) not so much.

Hubby and I treated ourselves with a weekend away and went to the Good Food & Wine Show with a bunch of friends. It has become something of a tradition to go to this show and stay in the CBD at Miss Maud's Swedish Hotel. We all meet for dinner after the show and brekkie the next morning. At the show itself, we don't tend to bother with the celebrity chefs, though I was a teensy bit excited to see Ainsley Harriott on the big screen and we turned down free tickets to see Adriano Zumbo (famous in Australia for his desserts, in particular macarons). There were too many wines to sample and not enough time! My fave of the day was the Wirra Wirra Churchblock. We noticed that a lot of the staff on the stalls were not local eg an Irish Whisky stall had a girl with an Irish accent and my BFF and I were a little naughty in teasing a young Frenchman at the Macaron stand. His way of pronouncing 'azelnut tickled our drunken fancy a little too much.

Hubby and I decided to stay an extra night away as it's been forever since we had any sort of holiday and spent the day strolling around the city and relaxing in our room, me reading while Hubby caught up on his beloved rugby. It has really helped to recharge the batteries.

The kids have been *interesting*... I know that sounds awful but we are experiencing a difficult phase with Miss 3 right now... the "I am almost 4 but too young to go to kindy but really need the stimulation only kindy can offer" phase. I remember Miss 7 going through it at that age too but our Miss 3 has upped the ante. She's like Miss 7 on steroids. Ignoring the tantrums is no longer possible and nor is it working so I am trying the new tact of distracting her by giving her something positive to do, like a little chore. It helps to an extent but when I'm tired we tend to fall into our old ways and the tantrums arc up again :( Funnily enough when I tell the carers at daycare about her antics, they report she is the perfect angel when she's there so I guess she saves all the fun for me and Hubby.

Miss 7 has had a slight health issue for the past 6 moths or so. Nothing super serious, but it was growing worse and worse so we went to the docs to see if we can get some help. And these past couple of weeks have really improved things. She's quite an emotional kid at the best of times but this issue has caused her a lot of embarrassment and it's a relief to get a handle on things. I am lucky she is quite open to talking about her body with me. It makes my job a lot easier.

The Dinosaur Petting Zoo was in town for the school holidays at the WA Museum. I decided to take Miss 7, I knew it would be too much for Miss 3 so we went on a day she was at daycare. I thought it would be nice to have a girls day out with her and I wanted to see the show as much (if not more) as her. It was a small version of the Walking With Dinosaurs concept, showing only Australian dinosaurs and was incredibly interesting and funny. The host started by getting kids up to tell dinosaur jokes, telling parents it's good to start off with laughs because he could guarantee there would be a few tears by the end. And there were! It was very easy to forget the dinosaurs were puppets as we cringed and ducked in our seats, trying to not look like dinner for the carnivore, Australovenator.

July turned out to be surprisingly full of me time too! The busier I got, the more determined I was to stop and take time out. I can't say that my house is spotless as a result but I can live with that ;)

Films

Lockout
Starring Aussie Guy Pearce looking pretty darn good! I remember crushing on him 20+ years ago when he was in Aussie soap, Neighbours LOL. The movie itself wasn't overly special, some of the opening scene's CGI were terrible and they gave Guy way too many cheesy wise crack lines but I didn't hate it either.

Jack and Jill
I'm not a huge fan of Adam Sandler so I'm not entirely sure why I watched this. It was cheesy but it did have some nice sentiments and Al Pacino made a hilarious stalker

Wanderlust
it had it's funny moments but it was very predictable. Meh!

John Carter
not as good as I hoped it to be. I kept looking at the watchdog creature and thinking giant cane toad LOL

Magic Mike
WOOT! went with my BFF after dropping the kids at school (along with many other Mum's doing the same hehe) and what a funny film! I loved that they brought so much humour into the script. The dancing was fab too of course. Have a crush on Channing Tatum now eep!

TV
Grimm Season 1
finally it got interesting towards the end of the season

The Walking Dead Season 2
gah! talk about leaving you with a cliffhanger! creeps me out but I have to watch!

Lost Girl Season 2
cheesy but I don't mind a little cheese. It's good to fill in a little time when no one else is home.

Awkward Season 2
Hubby asked why on Earth I would watch "a teen show" but I love teen shows like this. the whole teen angst thing still resonates with  me and this show has it's funny side too.

True Blood Season 5
Just when I think it can't get any sillier, it does. They've got too many different storylines running all at once, making it confusing and not allowing enough time for any one story to develop. It's frustrating... then they show Alcide naked and I think, ah well I'll be watching next week.

The River
not sure what to make of this show, the storylines creeped me out but it became a little predictable. I read that it hadn't been renewed for a second season and I'm not entirely surprised. Overall it was OK

Reading

Bared To You by Sylvia Day
the name of this novel popped up in my facebook sidebar and I was looking for something to follow Fifty Shades so I decided to check it out. And I'm glad I did! It is so much better than Fifty Shades, not everything about the story is perfect but it is a well written, page turner of a book.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
again I heard about this via Facebook, this time via a FB friend. I have been on a romance reading run  and this sounded like what I would like. It was refreshing actually after Fifty Shades and Bared To You to read something without the graphic sex but still be filled with emotionally charged scenes. It was the bittersweet moments that really got to me. I hear a follow up book will be released next year that will be told from the male lead perspective which could be very interesting.

I've done a little writing this month, working on an outline mostly but I've had a scene playing out in my head for ages that I needed to get down too. It's really helped getting things moving, though I have a long long way to go.



Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate the visit
Sending you lots of warm fuzzies x o x o x

Gaga

I went with my bestie

 didn't want to stand out by looking ordinary

It was incredible!

June 2012

Hiya,

well I'm still buzzing from my first week of working. It's given me a real boost and one that I desperately needed.

I'm so happy things are coming together, finally.

And I've managed to get a lot of time in for myself this month, ok so my house looks a little neglected . Meh! it doesn't worry me. I was out a lot more than usual this month getting to interviews etc then this past week I was working and there are only so many hours in the day and I am not prepared to use every spare moment I have on housework.

The housework will get done when it gets done. We have clean clothes and dinner on the table so all is not completely lost.

Another thing that took up a LOT of my spare time was reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. I thought about writing a separate post to review it but I'm not sure I'll get there. So here's my thoughts....

I first started by looking up the book(s) on Wikipedia, just to get an idea of what it was all about. It was enough to make me want to read it and make up my own mind on it. Reviews I'd read made it obvious that readers either loved it or hated it and after reading it myself I can see why.

So when I started the book (early June) I wasn't in a particularly "good" place myself. Feeling very vulnerable and near depressed. The beginnings of the story took me back to remember my past relationships and how confused I often felt. It was an unsettling feeling to have all this "stuff" bubble up again. Don't get me wrong, this is stuff I have dealt with and moved on from but being in the frame of mind I was at the time, the memory of the confusion and hurt I felt at the time still stung.

Anyway, after I had recognised what was wrong and focused on taking better care of myself, I found that the Fifty Shades story was also changing and was developing into quite a page turner. So the vague parallel to my life stopped very early on, still it was a weird way to start a book.

Now there is an awful lot of sex in this book and the story does re-hash a lot of stuff but I viewed it as this was the nature of Ana & Christian's relationship. They argued so much about the same things over and over again but eventually (thankfully) their relationship evolved and they moved forward.

I didn't like everything about the books, the writing style among other things didn't appeal to me but that's a matter of personal taste I guess. Reading about love is what drew me in to begin with, the complexities of the relationship and pace of the story is what kept me going and I am always pleased to find not only a happy ending but also see the characters grow and develop. The sex of course didn't hurt either hehe ;)

So all in all I did like the series but I can appreciate why many people wouldn't.

Now onto what else I got up to...
Films

Faster
this was an odd and fast paced film about revenge, it wasn't great but it wasn't awful and had some quite funny moments.

Chronicle
what a bizarre movie! it was an interesting concept but the ending wasn't very satisfying.

Wrath of the Titans
I liked the first one better, this was terribly cheesy and I hate to say it but Sam Worthington's strong Australian accent was over the top, out of place and almost embarrassing.

A Few Best Men
I didn't realise this was an Australian movie until I started watching. It had it's funny moments but it was cliche'd and felt like it was following a formula... like there's a rule of thumb to follow when making an Aussie movie that will appeal to the overseas market. Disappointing really.
TV

The Vampire Diaries Season 3: completed
this really grew on me by the end. My heart was melting a teensy bit for Damon and his heartbreak.

Game of Thrones Season 2: completed
Overall I thought this season felt a bit disjointed, lots happened but it didn't flow well. I still enjoyed it but wanted / expected more. Mind you I am hanging out for Season 3, the last scene with the white walkers had me jumping up and down wanting more.

True Blood Season 5
Weird start to the season, am crossing my fingers it improves

Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency
Based on the books of Douglas Adams, I quite liked this quirky show. Dirk Gently is such a loveable twat.

Revenge
I jumped on the Revenge wagon a little late, not really taking much notice when it was on tv. I decided to see if it appealed to me by checking out just the first episode and I was hooked, so watched the entire series in the space of a week. Now I can't wait for the next season!

The Walking Dead Season 2
Hubby and I started this season ages ago but only got as far as the first two episodes, don't really know what happened but we finally got back on track and finished. It has lead to many in depth discussions with Hubby about the zombie rules LOL. And what a crazy ending! Can't wait for Season 3!

After watching so much fun stuff that's now finished and having to wait for the next installments all I can say is bring on Sons of Anarchy & Dexter!

Reading
as you know....

Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker & Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

Hope you've all been well, talk again soon x x x

what a week!

it's been one of those weeks where you feel like you've been put through the wringer, at least this one ends on a happy note

so last week I excitedly posted that I had got the job *YAY*

just needed an official start date (one would think at this point it would be safe to start counting chickens right?)

Yeah well...

I hadn't heard any more by Monday lunchtime this week so decided to call my recruitment agency to put an end to my anxiety.

Sadly the centre that I was being posted at had decided to re-shuffle their existing staff and didn't need me anymore.

*CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!*

but my contact at the agency pressed the issue and found another local centre that needed someone. Not quite the same position, though I am doing the same thing to start with. But it's something when there realistically could have been nothing at the end of this rainbow.

So I started on Wednesday...

When I arrived, the manager wasn't entirely sure why I was there.

What the? Oh crap not again!?!

But I told her what I knew and she was still happy to have me start.

I've worked 3 days this week and when I arrived for my shift today, the manager told me that she was very impressed with my performance so far and how much I've picked up in 2 days (by day 2 she had me serving customers for limited things)

It's been great. The staff are so lovely and fun. I think I am going to love it there.

Yay me :)

I got it!

Yay! I got a confirmation phone call this afternoon, the position is MINE!!!

It's a couple of afternoons per week to start, with the potential to do more later on and develop more skills.

OH&S dictates that I must wear some very attractive steel cap boots and high visibility vest, I will be quite the glamour puss LOL

This is very exciting *squee!!!*

a snippet...

so today I went to a medical exam for a job! And the doc said I passed :)
and I know they've called my references...

Still not quite willing to say yes I have the position but will let you know when they contact me :)

Exciting things...

are afoot!

More details as they come to hand :)

May 2012

Hi,

I'm running a bit late, sorry. I got snowed under with all the stuff happening around here and well.. this is what's been going on

I always knew May was going to be a busy month. A close friend of mine had some major surgery and I have been helping her with whatever I could whether it was picking a few groceries up for her at the shops or doing the school drop offs and pick ups or taking her out when she got cabin fever.

I've loved being able to help and I know she would do the same for me in a heartbeat.

Also a couple of weeks ago my youngest brother moved over here from interstate because he got a fly in / fly out job at a mine. I'm so happy for him as these jobs are hard to get into (a case of who you know to get your foot in the door) and I love having him live close by.

He is my baby brother (13 years my junior) and he's moving out of home for the first time. It's massive for him as he's really very shy and quiet. And I have been trying to make his move as easy and stress free as possible for him, I just can't help myself so there may have been a bit of over the top sisterly love.

Add in helping my inlaws move house and my volunteering at school to help with costumes for a performance in July. I can't machine sew but I can do basic hand sewing and I know my way around a hot glue gun. And there really aren't many parents helping out when you consider there are 100 students in the production so how could I say no... especially when Miss 7 pipes up when her music teacher asks who's mum can sew???

So it's been busy! I've tried to keep up with the housework but only the bare basics have been done regularly. Now my home feels cluttered and chaotic and not a place where I can find the peace I am craving.

This past couple of weeks I've had a cold flu thing that's lingered on my chest. I've spent a lot of time worrying that it will travel and I'll end up with pneumonia like last year so I am pumping myself full of Vitamin C. It has slowed the bug but I'm struggling to be rid of it completely and I am so over it!

It's left me tired and feeling very low and like I've spread myself too thinly but I've not been able to stop and get myself right again. I've also been having a few self esteem issues... weight gain and the lack of success with my job hunting has taken it's toll.

This past week I've been on the verge of tears a lot, short tempered and craving solitude. Trouble is I'm just not getting it. I started to worry that this could be the beginnings of depression which terrifies me. I've tried to talk about it but I really feel that I'm not being heard by those around me. The Aussie "she'll be right mate" attitude makes it really difficult to be taken seriously... even by loved ones. It's just not a subject that's easy to talk about.

But I do have one friend who speaks very openly about her experiences with mental illness on her blog and she has helped me enormously in the last day or so. Her counsel has put my mind at ease and I think I am just exhausted and stressed rather than depressed.

That means in order to get out of this slump, more me time is needed. Stat! And as you'll see by the miserable number of reviews below... I didn't get much this month :(

Onwards and upwards I guess. I'm glad I've been able to recognise whats going on before it's gotten too bad but this is the worst it's been for a long long time.

Ok so not much to tell in the way of watching and reading but here goes...

Films

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief
this was on tv one night and the only reason I watched was because I love Greek mythology so I was curious to see what it would be like. I haven't read the book but the film came across as a bit lame and cheesy. It was ok but a bit childish :/

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
I loved this one! Love Robert Downey Jr. Love Jude Law. Love the clever way they tell the story. Love love love! Definitely as good as the first film.


Reading

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
I read this purely because I saw the trailer to the movie (of the same name) and wanted to read the book first. The premise of the story really intrigued me and I confess seeing a very grown up, well muscled Zac Efron didn't hurt either LOL. Sadly the book I found was quite slow and for the most part unremarkable and I was disappointed.
The film looks far more passionate and god I hope it's better! We shall see...

Thanks for being here, I hope I have more happy things to tell you next time x o x o

coming soon...

May has come and gone and I owe you a decent blog post...

This weekend is crazy busy with my wee one's dance comps then I can stop running for a mo' (at least I hope I can)

I'm aiming to be back here on Monday, thanks for your patience

See you then x x x

well... didn't get that one either

didn't make the cut for the interview :(

but I was grateful that they were kind enough to send a personal email letting me know the outcome.

back to the drawing board

frayed around the edges

Hi
I've had a dreadful week and needed to vent, so here I am.

Lots of little things are niggling at me but yesterday I received a real blow to my confidence that I really didn't need.

You see I applied for (yet) another job... I think it's one that I'd do really well in. After a busy day where I was interrupted a few times whilst trying to complete the application and write my letter etc, I finally finished at 9:30 at night.

I was totally blown away when I got a call the next afternoon from the company. I guess it was kind of a preliminary interview to clarify whether all aspects of the job would suit me and whether they should invest any further time in me.

From my perspective I think it went well. They wanted to be sure that although it was a part time position, they could count on me to be able to attend 4 weeks of full time training in June. Not a problem I told them, I already have childcare arrangements and a very supportive family. We ended the call on a positive note  and I was told the next step would be further contact by phone or email and my excitement was massive.

The next day I asked my MIL if she was free to fill in the childcare gaps if I was selected for the job. Sure no problem she said.

So that was a week and a half ago. The position is still being advertised and my application online is listed as "pending" That to me says I'm still in with a chance.

Well yesterday MIL tells me in June she's heading interstate for a week. I panicked a little and asked what about the commitment she made me.

To be honest I think she'd forgotten but her response hurt like hell.

Instead of acknowledging she'd forgotten, she went on the attack and said "Well its been so long and you hadn't said anything so I thought you wouldn't get it", then she backtracked and said " Well you asked me but I didn't know it was in June" ( and I know I was very specific about the date when I first mentioned it to her)

I was crushed, I can't tell her what to do obviously but I had asked for a commitment from her and she assured me she was available to help. If I am successful I know there are other avenues I can pursue to get the kids sorted out but she is the one always telling me, "don't spend more money on childcare, I'm here"

But what she said about "not getting the job anyway" has stuck with me. I would dearly love to get it (or a formal interview at least) to prove her wrong but for now I must wait. I followed a friends suggestion and emailed the company (I was too scared to phone) asking for a progress update of my application.

It's all I can do for now.

Cross your fingers for me

what I'm learning while I'm writing

It's been quite a while since I sat down properly to work on my writing. The more I think about the storyline the more complex it becomes and I haven't felt like I could do it justice if I did little bits at a time but I'm not getting the opportunity to spend the amount of time I'd like to in any one innings so the first thing I've "learned" is that I'm just going to have to do what I can, when I can.

Secondly, the phrase "write what you know" ... I don't think I understood the meaning of that because I thought I didn't know anything but in fact I can see now I know an awful lot. And writing about that sort of thing or incorporating it into a story is what (hopefully) makes it believable.  I'm definitely not writing an autobiography but places I've been and people I know or at least elements of them are popping up.

It's kinda exciting :)

April 2012

Hi!

Phew! Hectic April has ended! My mum flew home this morning, school has been back since last Thursday and my house looks like a bomb hit it. Time to re-group and set things straight again. It is nice to return to our routine despite the early morning starts.

So school hols kept me busy... for Easter we did the family thing with egg hunts and egg & spoon races and lots of yummy food. A family we're very good friends with (and now consider "family") joined in the fun. It was just lovely and I didn't overdose on chocolate (what's wrong with me???) We still have lots of chocolate left, I have been rationing it out to the kids and they're enjoying getting a treat most days so it's all good.

Miss 7 had dance competitions in the middle of the holidays; she does troupes for modern and tap. It's our (I say "our" instead of "her" because I put in just as much effort behind the scenes as she does on stage) first time in competition and her troupe came first in both their categories. They danced beautifully and I must admit to having tears in my eyes when I watched.

I also took Miss 7 to see Mary Poppins on stage. At the time of buying the tickets I thought Miss 3 would be too young but the closer the time came, the more interest she showed in seeing it. I felt terrible so I think next time a big show comes to town (I think Annie will be next!) I will get cheaper tickets and take them both.
Mary Poppins was wonderful, everything about it was "practically perfect in every way" and the real treat for me was to see the wonder in Miss 7's eyes. She truly believed the magic on stage... when Bert walks up the wall and on the ceiling and when Mary fixes the broken cupboards and table in the kitchen. At the end of the show when Mary flew out over the audience, she realised she was suspended on wires but I think still thought it was pretty cool (I don't think she drew the same conclusion for Bert's ceiling antics though)

I also celebrated my 14th Wedding anniversary this month, Hubby and I had both planned to cook the other a nice breakfast (me thinking he was off to work that day) so we had lots of goodies to eat and he surprised me and took the day off work so we could hang out together. My mum-inlaw took the kids for the night and though we didn't go anywhere especially exciting, it was just nice to spend the time in each other's company. We were together 8 years before we started our family and as much as we love our beautiful girls, we both miss not having as much time together as we used to.

Now onto my "me time"

Films

Fright Night (2011)
what a crap movie! but this is why I watched...

for the smile alone and then...

Oh My! he took his shirt off ;)

TV

Game of Thrones Season 2
Oh I am so happy this is back on. I haven't read the second book in the series yet but the show is captivating so far. The more I watch, the more I like Tyrion Lannister. Peter Dingle who plays Tyrion is amazing!

Being Human Series 4 (UK)
I had my reservations about this series as they killed off my favourite, Mitchell at the end of the last series and I'd read that they'd killed off George and Nina early in this series. Still I have given it a chance and the story has taken an interesting turn and the vampire and werewolf "replacements" Hal & Tom are very likable.

The Vampire Diaries Season 3
Not sure why I continue to watch this... maybe it's the eye candy factor. It's an easy watch and as close as I'll come to watching the soaps I guess. I've only watched the first 6 episodes but you know? I quite like seeing Stefan as a bad guy. Elena gives me the sh!ts though, she always has.


Reading

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

OMG! The Hunger Games series is amazing. I loved each book and the story was so compelling that half way through the last book, Mockingjay, I had to just sit and read until I was finished and let the household run itself (well not quite, Hubby was home hehe)
Like most series that I've read and loved, I was left feeling a bit lost and sad when I finally finished. But at the same time I was very happy and satisfied with the ending and kept thinking what awesome movies are to come.


Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate
this is described as Book 3.5 of the Fallen series and is kind of a side story (or stories) to the main story in the series. I read it because I have enjoyed the previous 3 books and hoped that this might give insight into other characters  which it did to a certain extent but I was a little disappointed. It came across as a bit cheesy and the character's story I was most interested in (Cam) was only very briefly touched upon. I can only hope that he is featured more in the final book of the series.

Her Dark Fairy by Ella Vines
This is a very short story. It started off quite interesting and had the promise of quite a complex storyline but then suddenly the girl met her fairy stalker, slept with him and the end! If it was meant to be an erotic short story, it failed. Using the word "stalk" in anatomical descriptions (as in "his stalk") makes me want to laugh out loud rather than titillate me.


Ooh I've run out of time! Thanks for stopping by. Talk again soon x

blink and you might miss me *zooms past*

trust me to make the promise of more regular posts and find myself not able to keep it (yet).  To my regular visitors I am so sorry :(

We are on the tail end of school holidays here which turned out to be incredibly busy (but also fun for the most part) and I am hoping all will return to normal so that I might be able to blog a bit more often.

Think of me this week, I have my mother visiting from the Eastern states  which is always a source of mega-stress for me. This time she's not even staying with me but I doubt I will stress less because of it.

More later....
Thanks for popping by :)

Just quickly...

popping in and out today to tell you I saw that the company that I had an interview with a few weeks back is advertising for one of the stores I registered my interest in. I don't know whether this position is being re-advertised or if a new one has become available.

The big difference in the ad was that it stated that "Flexibility over a 7 day period is essential."

This is what has stopped me from re-applying as I am not that flexible, simply because I have a life and other people in it and would have to move heaven and earth to organise baby sitters etc to be available.

And it occurred to me...

1. It's kind of unfair to ask a person to be available full-time but only offer them part-time work

2. maybe because I wasn't available 7 days a week was why I missed out the first time (but in saying that I did state I was available 4 full days per week including weekends which I thought was quite reasonable)

In any case I feel a bit more justified about not applying again and a bit better about possibly knowing why they didn't pick me in the first place.... I have a big problem with beating myself up about having to know WHY you see LOL

so now I'm satisfied... for the time being

Onto topics unrelated...

Happy Easter everyone!!!

March 2012

Hi!

Well it is nice to say that I have gotten back on my horse since my last post. I'm not feeling quite so hurt and have applied for a couple of interesting things. It's a step in the right direction I guess though no one is beating down my door offering me my dream job just yet.

Still the point is I feel a bit better :)

March has been exhausting, the stress of my interview (both before and after) left me sleepless then my poor little Miss 3 had a nasty bug and I was up and down each night for a week with her fevers and coughing. Thankfully she's on the mend now.

I got really wound up and snarky ( my dear Hubby wasn't helping matters, I needed a shoulder and wasn't getting the support... I love him to bits but sometimes he doesn't have a flipping clue...grrrr) and I finally blew my stack... made my point and stomped off to bed... things improved after that.

I could still do with a bit more sleep though, the weather is changing here and there's lots of viruses etc going around and I'm paranoid that I'll catch something and end up with pneumonia like last year... it feels like I'm fighting off something right now so I've stocked up on Vitamin C and what not.

Hardly exciting news, sorry.

What was exciting though was that I became an Auntie for the second time! My little nephew was born just over a week ago, he was in a rush to enter the world and was born on the floor of my brother's garage... my brother had to deliver him (with emergency services talking him through it on the phone). Both my sis-inlaw and the little guy are ok thankfully :)

I've only been to visit once because of my little one being ill but I'm hoping we'll be right to visit again soon. He is a sweet little cherub :)

My housework has fallen by the wayside with all that's been going on at home and if I'm completely honest I just could not be arsed when I had a spare moment so some me time has been had... hurrah!


Films

The Adventures of Tintin

I was not a great lover of the Tintin comics as a kid but knew enough to recognise the characters in the movie and I was curious to see what it was like. Sadly the movie itself didn't grab me at all.

Breaking Dawn

*sigh* my friend has a great saying "Dead cat on the road" and I reckon it's an accurate representation of how I feel about the whole Twilight franchise; I don't want to look but I find that I can't help myself. The nicest thing I can say about this movie was that (from what I can remember) it was true to the book. It was boring (just like the first half of the book). I do not have high hopes for the second part but I will watch it all the same. Meh meh meh

Friends With Benefits

Now this movie I liked! :)
It is lovely and funny and romantic and was just great! Justin Timberlake is fab (as is Mila Kunis)  who knew  he could be so funny? if you haven't already, go watch it!


Reading

Dark Matter Heart by Nathan Wrann

a teen vampire story but not what I expected. It was great! (not that I expected it not to be) it was straight forward and frank and logical. There was mystery and action... a little romance but told from a guy's perspective so not flowery and sickly. It ends on a clanger and it was hard not to move straight onto the next book in the series but I definitely will continue with the story.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Truthfully I had not heard about this book until the movie hype started up. I read a bit about it on wiki to see if it would appeal to me and hell yeah! it sounded great. Then I saw a preview of the movie and thought yep! gotta read the book before I see the movie.

And I loved it! What a brilliant story. I love the characters and the whole premise (even though the thought of it being possible is abhorrent to me). I developed a soft spot for Peeta, not that I'm buying into the whole Team Gale and Team Peeta thing, based on the first book alone. I've since started Catching Fire, the second in the series and am getting to know Gale a bit better now so I reserve the right to change my mind hehe,  but Peeta is so sweet, how can you not feel for him?

I also watched The Hunger Games film last week and again LOVED IT!!!! Absolutely loved everything about it... with the exception of the use of shaky camera scenes. Those scenes were not easy on the eyes and I don't think they did much to enhance the story. I was on the edge of my seat for much of the film and was nearly jumping out of my skin at some points, even though I knew what was coming next. I would love to watch it again but I might wait for the dvd.

I am looking forward to seeing the next film now :)

So that's my blurb for the month, I am going to try to post more often... hopefully.
Until then take care  xo xo xo

*le sigh*

It's been an interesting, crazy, mixture of emotions couple of weeks

I had been planning a quick up date mid month post because I had some exciting news

A couple of weeks ago by chance I met up with a lady who had been Miss 7's day care teacher when she was about 3. It was a sad day when she'd left the centre as all the children loved her and I was rather impressed that she'd remembered me and Miss 7. She is no longer in the child care industry and now manages a store which sells a popular brand of cosmetics (I won't say what here but my face book buds would know ;)

Anyhoo, I plucked up the courage to ask if she had any part time work available. She did as it happened but the hours were a lot more than I can do in a week... bummer! BUT she knew there was a casual position opening up in another store (and one that is closer to my home).

COOL!

She asked if I'd bring in my resume and I got all dressed up and took it in the next day. My little heart full of hope that this might be THE job I was looking for. The lady loved my resume and cover letter and said she'd pass it on to the new store manager (who she would be training)

AWESOME!

Then I waited a little... not knowing what else to do and within the week I got an email from the company HR department inviting me to a group interview the following week.

My heart kinda sank a little... I am not really a stand out in the crowd kind of person but still it was a chance and further than any of my other applications have taken me so far. So I phoned the lady to thank her for putting my name forward and asked her what I might expect at the interview.

She was more than happy to fill me in and I was more comfortable with what to possibly expect having some knowledge behind me. So I studied up on the company and gave a lot of thought as to how I could answer possible questions.

The day of the interview came and I was crapping myself (figuratively speaking). The interview was an exhausting 2 hour session where  I and about 14 other women effectively competed against each other. Everyone sized each other up right from the get go, many were asking others which store they had applied for to find who they were in direct competition with. We did all sorts of different exercises where the 2 interviewers observed how we interacted with each other. It was very difficult to be noticed but I tried though I could not bring myself to act out of character. There were opportunities for everyone to perform but there were some BIG personalities overpowering the room. At times I thought that they were even sabotaging other interviewees efforts which made me a bit cross and I hope the managers could see it too. But then again some people have asked me whether I thought they were planted in the interview to see how real applicants would deal with them. Who knows honestly but if that's the case it's a shitty way of doing things.

I was glad it was all over and while I didn't feel like I'd aced it, I didn't feel like I'd botched it either. Hubby had said to me to remain true to myself as pretending to be someone I'm not would end up back firing if I got the job  because I wouldn't be able to keep up the pretense. He's a smart boy, my Hubby and I knew he was right. I was proud to be secure in the knowledge that I was the real me in there.

So I left knowing that applicants would find out within the week the outcome, a phone call if successful, an email if not.

I got an email today unfortunately.

Right now I'm feeling gutted. Rejection always stings and I am a renowned cry baby. To my detriment I take things to heart. Knowing why I wasn't successful would help (though it might hurt too) so I replied to my rejection email asking for feedback for the sake of self improvement. To be honest I am doubtful they will reply.

So there you go, a tale of woe in the world of Shish

I've had lots of lovely encouraging words from friends saying that something better must be around the corner for me but right now I can't quite picture it. My heart that was so full of hope a week ago feels quite bruised at the moment, I'm going to have to take a moment before I get back on my horse.

Thanks for listening, next time will be a much more positive post I promise x

Technorati Hook Up

a long time ago I signed up with technorati to increase my blog exposure and then promptly forgot all about it. Today I looked it up and saw that I really needed to update it and as part of that process I have to place a code within one of my posts...

XD22Y2MTPYEQ  like so

I'm not at all sure if I'm doing this right :/

February 2012

Hi Beautiful People :)

February has been a bit weird time wise. It's been a busy month that has flown by and January feels like 6 months ago!

So I'm back into the kid's school & dancing routine. Miss 3 is now at the stage where she is ready for Kindergarten but not old enough (she's due to start Feb next year) so I've tried to add extra activities into the weekly mix for her.

She now does one morning a week at a playgroup at Miss 7's school and thinks she's the bees knees because she "goes to school" too. It's great that she loves it, totally awesome... the downside is it's not so fun for me. It's truly just not me, I'm not the type of girl who needs to meet with other mums and effectively compare our children while they play. I already know my kids are awesome! I just cringe when I see these overpowering personalities altogether in the same room, all trying to out do each other. I found myself having some very uncharitable thoughts *ooh er!* But still I will take Miss 3 "to school", she loves it and I think enjoys having me hanging out with her.

LOL Seems I always have something to have a whinge about hey?

So what else?
Well some big news is that Lady Gaga is coming here in July and I managed to get tickets! I am going with a good friend, both our hubbys had the same look of horror and comment when we told them (separately) that we were going. "I don't have to go do I?" Funny boys LOL
Now we have to come up with something to wear... obviously it wouldn't do to turn up dressed "normal", so we're thinking hard... any suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated :)
Valentines Day is not a huge event in our house, Hubby wrote a sweet note on my whiteboard before he went to work in the morning and we had a nice family dinner with all the trimmings that night. Oh and Hubby also cooked me a lovely breakfast on the Sunday before in honour of Valentines Day. Hubby can be very romantic when he wants to be but likes to do so on his own terms rather than on the day where you supposedly have to be and I reckon fair enough.

Every day we have some special little moment and that's far more important I think.

I had a Remedial Massage as well. This time with a new therapist and he was great. I have incredibly flat feet and have had no end of trouble recently and it affects my posture so I went with the hopes he could help out. With the one treatment I could feel an improvement but I felt and he agreed that more was needed so I plan to go more often. Luckily we can claim a portion of the fees on our insurance, it all helps! Must remind myself to sit up straight too, I am such a sloucher!

I have really got stuck into doing more creative writing. I have had many sleepless nights this month, blame that on the heat, the full moon, PMT... you name it! And then one night the premise that's been tumbling about my brain for ages finally took on a more tangible form... would it sound tacky if I said it came to me in a dream? LOL well it kinda did I guess.... no matter... it gave me enough to really plough into the story line. It's just carried on from there and it's making me really happy :)

I am still job hunting, the odd position pops up that sounds interesting and worth applying for. I have tried various styles of cover letters, dependant on who the job is with. I find it so hard writing letters that effectively say "pick me! pick me!"  it just goes against my nature I guess but you must be in it to win it... I will keep at it

Films

The Three Musketeers (2011)
This was very easy to watch, not fabulous but not awful either. The costumes etc are great! and I liked seeing Orlando Bloom play a very entertaining villain

Real Steel
I didn't have high expectations for this film and so wasn't overly disappointed or surprised at how cheesy and predictable it was. Having said that, the special effects were great. I wasn't keen on Hugh Jackman though, he just didn't seem to be able pull off the rough deadbeat dad character or the accent very well.

2 movies the kids love that been on high rotation here are...

Hairspray (2007) the version with John Travolta playing Mrs Turnblad. I find myself stopping to watch a bit as I pass through the room. I love Christopher Walken, he is so funny
and

Puss In Boots or as Miss 3 insists... "Cat in Boots", I have not sat down and watched this film from beginning to end yet but it's been played so often I reckon I have seen most scenes. I'm not sure that kids get a lot of the humour in movies like this but it is pretty funny in places and if Miss 3 is anything to go by there must be something good to keep her going back to watch it again and again.


TV

Grimm
love a good supernatural themed show and this is pretty interesting

Smash
love this show! it's like Glee for grown ups. I'm seeing Jack Davenport in a completely new (and attractive) light... love the salt and pepper hair!

Eternal Law
this UK show is an interesting look at angels on earth, here they are lawyers... there are both good and bad (fallen) ones. I can't say it's captivating me but it's not bad... the angel theme is what's keeping me watching.

Reading

Her Dark Angel by Felicity Heaton
This is a short easy read. I liked the premise and how it was written from both the main characters perspectives and the sex scenes are sizzling!
But I was hoping for more, the story had enormous potential to expand and develop both the characters and their adventures.  I was left wanting to know what happened next...         There are other books in the series but from what I understand they are unrelated stories. Still I think it might be worth reading some more by this author

And that's me again for another month, it looks as though I've been getting a few more direct hits regularly here which is awesome. Thanks for stopping by and please don't hesitate to comment and say hi.

Talk to you again soon x o x o

Devotion Competition Winner!

Well my competition deadline has ended and I have had only one comment entry so I guess Tracy (fsu4tg) you are the winner!!!

Could you please send me an email at shishyboo(at)gmail(dot)com and I will put you in touch with Kristie to claim your e-copy of Devotion!

Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to pop in and say hello :)

Book Review: Devotion (Book 3 of Soul Savers Series) by Kristie Cook

Hi! Thanks for stopping by :)

I was super excited to be offered the opportunity to be one of the first people to read Devotion by Kristie Cook and review it as part of her Devotion Blog Tour

The blurb on the back of the book:

With powerful abilities gained from the Ang’dora and Tristan back by her side, Alexis thinks she’s ready for the next challenge— protecting her son from what appears to be the inevitable. But she has so much to learn about her powers, her new world and the people in it. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface, including the Amadis.

Power-hungry politicians comprise the council and make impossible demands. A traitor lurks among them all, inciting trouble that could destroy the Amadis and, ultimately, humanity. The Daemoni wreak havoc in the human world, with the ultimatum that they’ll continue attacking innocents until Alexis and Tristan are expelled from the Amadis’ protection. The couple’s own society begins to shut them out. But that’s not all.

Someone’s keeping a secret. A big one. Faith and hope in Alexis and Tristan will be restored if she can uncover the truth in time.

But the search for answers leads only to the discovery of more betrayals by those closest to Alexis. Her devotion is put to the test—devotion to her husband, to her family, to her people and to her beliefs—leaving her to question whom she’s fighting for and why she should even bother. But if she won’t fight . . . who will?

Needless to say I'm a huge fan of the Soul Savers series, it's not often you find a series that captures your imagination so completely. I fell head over heels for the main characters, Tristan and Alexis in the first book of the series, Promise and that was it for me... I was hooked. I have laughed and cried along with them ever since.

What I have found incredibly wonderful about Devotion (and the series in general) is that what started off as what I thought would be purely a love story, has evolved into an exhilarating adventure as well. In Devotion... sh!t gets real! Like really  real!  There's intrigue, betrayal, love and loss. This story has it all and I am loving it!

So if you're new to Kristie's work and love a good paranormal story, I can not recommend the Soul Savers series highly enough. Personally I recommend starting with Promise & Purpose, then take a history lesson with the prequel, Genesis and then dive into Devotion. This series gets better with every book!

Need more convincing? Perhaps the trailer to Promise will be the additional tidbit to entice you ;)

If you're up to date with your Soul Savers reading then you will not be disappointed with Devotion! I loved Promise & Purpose but the story development in Devotion is FANTASTIC!!!!! I can not wait to see where this story is going :)

 

Kristie has generously offered an e-book of Devotion as a prize for my followers! So if you would like to be in the draw for this prize, please comment on this post by Feb 25 2012 and I will draw a winner at random :) :) :)
PS: make sure you are contactable by email please

Where can you purchase Devotion?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kristie-Cook/e/B0046KG8R4

B&N.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/kristie-cook

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kristiecook

Signed paperbacks: http://www.readourwrites.com/shop/

Connect with Kristie Cook:

Email: kristie@kristiecook.com

Author's Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com

Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth

Tumbler: http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/kristiecook

Google+: https://plus.google.com/102746226001674797330/posts

January 2012

Hi!
hope you're all doing great. Wish I could say the same for myself, it's still hot and I'm battling a tummy bug which is always a fun topic of conversation. However this is not what I'm here for and it's not all bad because our air conditioning was replaced yesterday and I can see just how sad our old system had become. The cool in my home now is simply bliss and I have to confess that I have become very spoilt very quickly.

So January is a special month (to me) because it's my birthday month! I've always loved celebrating my birthday, big or small, party or not, it doesn't matter as long as I've got my boy and babies with me, I'm happy.

This year saw me turning 38, which I'm quite happy to admit. Hubby spoilt me with a netbook and all the bits and bobs to go with it. He took the day off work and we went out to lunch and then continued to celebrate over the weekend, spending a night in the city with another couple we're friends with. My friend's birthday is 3 days before mine so what better excuse to hit the town!?!

The plan was to go to Deville's Pad, a quirky over 25's theme club , Hubby had taken me there once before and I loved it. But then we discovered the hotel we were booked into had a little place underneath called The Hula Bula Bar which is a tiki themed bar and seemed to be owned by the same people as Deville's Pad so we checked out both.

Long story short and many, many cocktails later we had an awesome time. It's not often we get to do grown up things like this so we made the most of it :)

What else have I been up to? Well, not that this is a "fun" thing or "me" time but I resolved to start Miss 3 on the road to toilet training... before anyone judges me, yeah I know I started way, way, WAY later than many parents might. But I was determined to wait until I knew she was ready, I tried too early for Miss 7 (just before her 3rd birthday) and it was a long and arduous 12 months of mopping up messes. At one point I thought I'd be sending her to Kindergarten in a pull-up nappy (diaper for o/seas readers).

To my utter surprise and delight Miss 3 has clicked straight away and though we have the odd accident, for the most part she gets herself to the loo. PHEW!!!! is all I can say.

Other than that, nothing huge has been going on in January... the birthday fling was quite enough LOL.

I did my best to keep up my goal of indulging in reading and catching up on movies etc, didn't get to watch as much as I would have liked but I'm certain my eyes would be square if I had!

But this is what I did get to see...

Films

Glee 3D Concert Movie: while I got this with Miss 7 in mind (her being the singing & dancing kind of kid she is) I did want to see this myself because if I'm completely honest... I am a Gleek at heart. To begin with I was a tad disappointed with the sound quality of the live concert scenes but as we watched it over and over again, it became less of an issue. Part of the format was to follow 3 fans and hear their stories of how Glee has inspired them and that was interesting. I waited for Miss 7 to question me about what did being gay mean and geared myself with a few answers but it didn't happen and I noticed the more she played the dvd, the more she flicked through the talking bits to get to the songs. Ah well, we'll have that chat later I guess.

Ghost:  did I just admit to that out loud? yeah I did. it was on tv one night and I don't know... I just kinda sat down and then Hubby sat down and we had to see it through to the end. Gawd it's corny and the special effects are crap as is the acting for that matter but we watched it. No harm done ;)

Horrible Bosses: this wasn't a bad movie actually... slow to start, it got better as it went and by the end we were laughing out loud.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (the Swedish 2009 version):
again it happened to be on tv one night and I'd always meant to watch it after reading the books and really wanted to see it before I went to see the English version, so it was good timing. I really thought it was quite good but perhaps a little disjointed. I found it hard work to be constantly reading the subtitles and was glad that I'd read the book. Hubby hadn't, so I was explaining bits here and there for him. And I would have liked them to develop the characters a bit more but all in all it was good.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
if I were to have a movie pick of the month, this would have to be it. I had not heard of the Canadian metal band Anvil until this documentary was on tv one night and I didn't really intend to watch but it was a compelling story. These guys, who have inspired so many other bands who have gone onto become HUGE, never really "made it" in that sense themselves but the founding members kept their hope alive and did everything in their power to keep working towards their dream. By the end I had tears in my eyes and was on the edge of my seat with all my fingers and toes crossed in the hopes that the film came to the conclusion the band were hoping for... it's really worth seeing whether you're a metal fan or not.

TV

Sherlock Series 2: what is it about Benedict Cumberbatch!?! OMG those cheekbones!!! I seriously love this show and am sad that there's only 3 installments in each series but it is so cleverly written and entertaining that I'll forgive them... Can Not Wait for series 3!!!

doctor who+david+tennant pics on Sodahead

Doctor Who marathon: the ABC is running all the modern series (2005 to present) back to back 5 nights a week at the moment. It's been fun re-watching and we've made a discovery... Miss 3 is a "Whovian"... it all came about because she's devil for not going to bed the same time as Miss 7. We're wrestling with the "to nap in the day or not" dilemma; if she doesn't nap, she is a mean and spiteful little banshee come 3 pm, if she does then she won't want to go to bed at night until 8:30pm. It became easier to let her nap then stay up but then the dilemma was do we allow her to watch Doctor Who? I realise that it's not the most suitable thing for children to watch but the selfish side of me didn't want to miss out as well so I caved and let her sit up with me, at first she wasn't keen so I'd send her off to bed (or try to) and then one night she heard the theme music of the show and came scooting out all set to watch... a Whovian is born I guess.

I do remember as a child (though not quite as young as Miss 3) that I would sit with my brothers and be scared witless watching Doctor Who but not being able to look away. I guess that's how it is for my wee one too except she watches it with her Mum and holds her hand. Now she is demanding to watch it, I don't hear the end of it in the evenings until it is on... and the questions! OMG! try explaining regeneration to a 3 year old! But still, it's a bit cool that we have this in common :)

Alcatraz: the premise is quite intriguing so I'm keen to see more but I am desperately hoping it doesn't degenerate into a confusing mish mash like LOST did (seeing as the same people made it)

Kids TV: Horrible Histories & Big Babies
OK so being the summer school holidays, there's been a lot of the kids channel on and these 2 shows tickled me. Both are so very clever...

Horrible Histories World War II Girls Song


Uploaded by jamie932 on Jun 23, 2010

Big Babies...


Uploaded by bhkahului on Aug 30, 2010

Reading

I've kept on with Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb but then I got the amazing opportunity to read an eARC of
Devotion by Kristie Cook so swapped over for a bit.

I will be doing a separate post to review Devotion as part of Kristie's blog tour which is scheduled for Feb 15!

Getting back to Royal Assassin... I'm only a third of the way into it but last night I read the loveliest passage where the main character Fitz makes love for the first time to his long time love, Molly. It was so tender and beautiful without describing barely anything physical that it took my breath away. Oh to be able to write like that! Needless to say I am even more enamoured by the story.

So I guess that's about enough for one night... see you back here on Feb 15 if not before x o x o

Hot! Hot! Hot!

hey there! I'm here for a brief whinge... (my monthly update is in the works and will be posted next week)

So, here in Perth, we are in the midst of a heatwave... the past 4 days have been 40 degrees Celsius or above (that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit in old money) and tomorrow the weather bureau is promising 42 degrees!!!

Oh Joy!  I don't do hot nor humid and it has been both.

Normally, our air con would be cranked up and we would be able to cope however it decided to curl up it's toes and die on us.

Talk about impeccable frickin' timing!!!

To be fair, the system was old... we guess at least 15 years... and the guy we called out to take a look and see if it could be revived told us we were lucky that it lasted that long. Small consolation though :/

So now we're having to have it replaced as they don't make compressors for our model any more :(
that's going to make the bank balance hurt but we can't not have it... not with the kids

My poor little Miss 3 became heat stressed and very ill even though we were doing everything we could to keep the kids cool, which was super scary. We've packed up and moved in with Nan & Pop and their air con to ride this  horrendous weather out until the new system can be installed.  Luckily, they have a big house so it's not too bad but to be honest now is not the time to be fussy. Cool is cool!

So that's my dummy spit for the day.

Hope you're faring better Take Care ;)

Update: a 42 degree day and a stomach virus do not go well together :(

the little shish that could...

back in October I wrote briefly about looking for employment and unfortunately I didn't get any nibbles from the resumes I had put about.

Disappointing but a tiny part of me was kinda relieved because I knew it was such a busy time of year. That's not to say that I couldn't have fitted a small part time job into the mix as well and made it work.

But what also disappointed me was seeing who the stores were hiring instead of someone like me... school leavers who had little to no idea about customer service. It's a big slap in the confidence department when you know how much experience you have in that area and you are still over looked. I realise that much of the attraction to hiring leavers is that they don't have to be paid as much... but still, more often than not you get what you pay for.

So that's my grumble.

But I am still looking, applying when something suitable pops up and looking some more.

My confidence levels have plummeted even further since October and I am realising that if I don't keep at it I might never do it :/

So I think I can... I think I can... I think I can... choo choo!!!

Kristie Cook: Teaser Tuesday - Cover Reveal!

It's just beautiful! I will surely pop! before I get to read this book :)

please click on Kristie's link below to see it

Kristie Cook: Teaser Tuesday - Cover Reveal!: Hi, my lovelies! Long time no blog, I know, I know. As I warned, I took a break for the holidays and then extended it so I could wrap up Dev...

Genesis by Kristie Cook

You might recall in the past few months me raving about some fab new books I had recently discovered and devoured... Promise & Purpose (Books 1 & 2 of The Soul Savers series) by author, Kristie Cook

And then since I couldn't get enough, I went onto read Genesis which is a prequel to The Soul Savers series. I mentioned I was about to start reading.. but it's only just dawned on me that I forgot to review it in my December post! (I'm losing track of where I'm posting reviews as I write them on Goodreads and Amazon as well)

Eeep!!!!  How could I!?!

Because I loved it! doh! doh! doh!

I don't like to include too many spoilers in reviews because I think part of the fun of reading is discovering the story for yourself so I'll be brief...

As I said before, it's a prequel to The Soul Savers series, taking you back to the origins of the Amadis. It provides a detailed backstory which helps you better understand the new life / society Alexis (in Promise & Purpose) is entering.

On the flip side, it's a great story all on it's own. Lots of action, love & loss. It's got all the elements and I really enjoyed reading it.

Having said that, I am glad that I had read Promise & Purpose prior to Genesis. Falling in love with Alexis & Tristan first made me hungry to find out more, so Genesis fell into place perfectly for me.

I can't recommend this series enough if you enjoy a good paranormal read!

Now before I go, I wanted to mention the exciting offer / giveaway author, Kristie Cook has on at the moment!

copy & pasted from her email...

Most of you should have already received the rest of this back in December. If not, cyberspace ate it and I apologize for its gluttony — it must have thought my email was a Christmas treat. If you did get it and you want to be entered to win a Kindle Fire, please review the rules. I've received lots of emails showing interest, but I have not received very many with actual links to reviews. Note: If I don't get links from you for reviews for Promise and Purpose, you will NOT BE ENTERED for the giveaway, even if you do a review of Devotion. Also, each link is an entry, so you want to send me as many as you have!


A rundown of the rules:


Post a review of Promise (#1) on your blog (or Facebook review page) and at least one other site (Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc.) by Jan. 15, 2012, and email me the links. I will send you Purpose (#2) ebook for FREE if you don't already have it. (If you don't already have Promise, let me know ASAP and I'll send the ebook to you FREE.)


Post a review of Purpose on your blog and at least one other site by Jan. 31, 2012, and email me the links, then I will send you an eARC of Devotion (will be ready on or before Jan. 15) along with a date between Feb. 1 and Feb. 24 to post your review for the tour. (If you request a specific date, just let me know what it is.)


Each review you post and email me the link to earns an entry for the Kindle Fire drawing. So if you post a review for all three books on your blog, on Amazon and on Goodreads, that's nine entries (3 books x 3 sites=9). Just be sure to send me the links!


You can earn extra entries by posting a review for Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, the Devotion cover reveal and/or a Waiting On Wednesday (or similar meme) for Devotion. Again, just be sure to send me the links!


I'll do the random drawing and will announce the winner of the Kindle Fire on Feb. 29 (because that's a lucky day, right?). Open internationally.


I am very happy to provide an ebook giveaway for your followers to go along with the Devotion review. You can handle that however you'd like (comments, form, etc.) and just send me the winner's email address when your giveaway is over.


For those who have posted reviews to Promise and Purpose in the past: I love you! Oh, and you get entries for those! Any review dated before Jan. 15, 2012, for Promise and before Jan. 31, 2012, for Purpose counts. Just email me the links.


Remember: You MUST email me the links to your reviews to gain your entries. Also, I MUST have your links to Promise and Purpose reviews for you to be entered at all. This is the only way I can track all entries and be fair to everyone participating. Email to: kristie(at)kristiecook(dot)com.


Feel free to pass this on to any blogging friends you think might be interested. The Kindle Fire will arrive unregistered, so if you already have an ereader and you don't want it, you can always give it away to a friend, family member, soldier or as a prize on your own blog.


Thank you so much for your support! Let me know if you have any questions.


Kristie Cook