_Hi All

Back to work this week, and it wasn't that it was hard getting up early (I did during the holidays anyway), but rather coping with the nearly 4 hour daily commute. The morning trip is fine, but the afternoon...I'm usually asleep by the time the bus reaches the Heysen Tunnels. Oh well, they're dark! Still, I'm catching up on some reading: just finished Dean Koontz's book "Cold Fire," about to start a James Ellroy then the new Dean Koontz. Thank you Mount Barker Library.

Writing news: A bit of a messy week. I didn't get nearly as much done as I'd planned which I always find frustrating. That's what work does to you - it interrupts your writing hours! What with that, the hot weather, and a stomach upset that won't shift doesn't actually endear onself to sitting down! Nothing for it but to Write it off (HA!) and catch up this coming week.

I've been working on a difficult chapter of "The Isthmus" while planning out my assignments for the AWM Online course. I've completed one of this week's assignments - one to go. The overall purpose of this course is to develop a book proposal that I can forward to publishers. And Penguin Australia are now taking submissions during the first week of the month! YESSSS! That's 3 publishers taking online submissions: Allen & Unwin, MacMillan, and now Penguin. Time to really move with my projects.

Thursday was AUSTRALIA DAY - Happy Australia Day Aussies - and I was glad of the break to catch up on a bit of work in the garden. The joy has been the arrival of the superb blue wrens, and yes, they're still around. Best of all last night - RAIN! A whole 3.8mm, and while that's laughable when compared with the deluges north up in Queensland and New South Wales at the moment, that's more than zero rainfall and a welcome relief for the plants. The usual winged suspects were at MtBS.

And now for a one hour break from writing to curl up and watch the rather delightful Neil Oliver and his "A History of Ancient Britain." Terrific stuff!

A short note this week; the photo is from the summit. Happy Writing.
Bo

_
Summer's back! Yes, it spent a week's holiday in Perth and it's back. We're having a week of pretty hot weather to remind us it's still January. And while the east coast has been wet, we haven't seen a drop of rain. Anyone know of a rain dance?

Writing news: I've finished the outlines for the next two Max Murdoch novels and I'm pretty excited. I've beefed up the content of the second novel and it's looking much improved than the earlier version. I outlined the ending for the third book ages ago - that hasn't changed, YESSSS! - and I've added a fun secondary plot which I'm enjoying.

On top of that, I've sent in my first "Activities" for the AWM Online "Pitching to Publishers" course, and naturally, I have some homework to do to improve them. Thanks, Tiana! And I can never keep away from "The Isthmus" for more than a couple of days; I'm plugging away at the "forensic" scene, and will consult with a colleague who's doing a medical degree for a couple of details (she doesn't know it yet!)

I've spent my Last Week of Freedom catching up with some wonderful friends, and walking as much as I can spare around the summit. Found a patch of monadenia (a feral orchid) and I've notified our Bush for Life co-ordinator about that "wonderful" (not) discovery. Great.

The butterfly numbers are depleting with the heat, sadly, and the bird numbers are down - hopefully they're moving closer to water. The astonishing bird news comes from the drive at the set of units where I live: a collared sparrowhawk snatching a ?? [bird, mouse - it squeaked] and flying off with it's lunch. This is while I'm standing talking to the neighbour...naturally the conversation was re-routed. And the wrens have been around in the cooler hours - now that's a joy!

That's my week. Back to work. Happy Writing.
Bo

A couple of moody fog (yes, fog) pics from the summit from 20 January 2012.

_Writing news: I've sent my two entries in to the CWA (UK) Debut Dagger competition (YESSSS!) - my earliest submission yet! This week, I'm expanding out the first draft of "The Isthmus," and in the last couple of days have added a few interesting "one liners," clues, and a delicious red herring (or red "Tommy Ruff" for Aussies)! And yesterday (7 Jan) I posted my report in to Arts SA re: the trip to Varuna.

A quieter week, and much cooler than the week before. Yes, we back to moaning, "Where's summer?" Looks like a couple of hot days for this week.

Writing news: YES I DID whittle down my synopses to under 300 words for both "The Fatal Span" and "The Isthmus." Can't believe I've done it! This week, I've been working on THE PITCH. For the two stories, I have a pitch each around the 30 word mark (can't quite get them under 25 words), a four sentence "elevator" pitch, a pitch under 200 words, and a longer conversational "conference" pitch.

This week, I revisit the outlines of the second and third books in the Max Murdoch series, and submit some Activities to the AWM Online "Pitching to Publishers" course. And I've spent this weekend working on "The Isthmus" manuscript. It's a fun story to write, and yes, I absolutely have plotted it out in advance. The last 2.5 chapters are already complete.

Last Wednesday, it was Happy 50th Birthday to Karen, and Tuesday, it's Happy Birthday to Kim (otherwise known as Kimeeeeeeeee) plus catch-up with some (crime) writing sleuths before (gasp, wheeze) work next week.

The usual feathered rabble have been clocking on at MtBS. The butterflies are (sadly) less prolific, but enough to still be a joy. What a year for them! The Superb Blue Wrens have been showing off their new broods (usually I never seen them), but the surprise of the week was the Brown Goshawk, who, after missing a rosella snack, perched onto a gum tree branch and posed while I did my best to ID it without binoculars and with my lousy eyesight. Fortunately, I have bird field guides (at home - too bloody heavy to carry on a walk). And I've had the delight of a "Ms Wren" in my front garden. That is hard to take. The Clogs are busy fighting in the bird-bath as I write this (4:34PM Sunday).

That's my week. Happy Writing.
Bo

A few pics from Mt Barker Summit (MtBS), one in fog and drizzle (not forecast, in fact, it was odd the way it came in from the SW), one of the north face, and one of a certain "blue" resident.

_Hi All

Just over a week in to the New Year, and South Australia has survived one of its hottest starts in over 100 years. Four days over 35C including two over 40C, it even rocketed up to 39C where I live in the eastern hills! Thankfully, no devastating fires (all credit to the Police and Fire crews) although there were two big blazes - one at Robe and a larger one near Wilmington. Rain last night - wonderful!

Writing news: I've sent my two entries in to the CWA (UK) Debut Dagger competition (YESSSS!) - my earliest submission yet! This week, I'm expanding out the first draft of "The Isthmus," and in the last couple of days have added a few interesting "one liners," clues, and a delicious red herring (or red "Tommy Ruff" for Aussies)! And yesterday (7 Jan) I posted my report in to Arts SA re: the trip to Varuna.

From tomorrow, I have a week to whittle down two synopses to under 300 words each (remember I said this) for an AWM Online course and a format/size suitable for a couple of publishers.

The week after, I revisit the outlines of the second and third books in the Max Murdoch series. Then it's back to work!

On Wednesday, I joined family and friends to bid farewell to a grand lady and dear friend who passed away just over a week ago. Rest in peace, Merle, and look after our feathered (and equine) friends until we meet again. (And I'll add the injured rosella to that list).

Today was tube-filling and planting seeds (part 2) with the delightful Nairne Green Thumbs group. I missed "part 1" (doing a writing course), so in rather windy conditions we somehow didn't make a mess nor did the seeds get blown to Murray Bridge. A great group of people, one more tube-filling session to go then we'll be planting later. Nairne sure needs it. Thanks to Trees for Life for the supplies, and to Cathy (and Rebecca) and the crew.

At MtBS, the heat has reduced the butterfly numbers, but some still remain near the old fire track. I walked it for the first time (not on a fire ban day) - an interesting track and a monumental climb back to the top. Suddenly, Mt Barker becomes rather large! Or I'm out of condition... Birds - not many: thornies, fantails, wrens, currawongs, spinebills, and two birds I still can't identify. One could be a pallid cuckoo - the wrens ignored me and really went for it. Yes, I did say WRENS.

And to finish off, some photos of Old Tailem Town (just north of Tailem Bend) - a lovely pioneer village that includes buildings transported there (eg the Woolsley Church), and a view from the old Fire Track at MtBS.

Now, back to writing...

Cheers
Bo
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