Hi there everyone,
Well I am back from my trip to Roma in Queensland where the weather was hot and dry each day. Like a great deal of other parts of Australia they are enduring a horrendous drought so it was quite heartbreaking to talk to cattle farmers who are using their life savings to feed their breeding stock. On a lighter note, it was a real thrill to be around such wonderfully friendly country folk who were excited to have an author in their midst. I was busily signing books at all the dinners I attended for my husband's conference and at one point he was left sitting at a table all by himself as everyone had flocked over to where I had moved to talk to someone! I had a fabulous time doing research as well as some great writing time in the airconditioned motel suite. I had a couple of wonderful swims in the outdoor Olypmic pool-wait for it.....All By Myself!!!! What a thrill that was!
Hope everyone is well and reading up a storm inbetween preparing for the countdown to Christmas. I am definitely going to get started on my cake and pudding this week except my WIP is going so well I am a bit reluctant to leave it. I love my new hero and heroine so much!
Love and hugs
Melaniexx

Hi everyone,
I am off to outback Queensland this week so some time in the future expect to see a medical romance set in Roma. My husband is lecturing at a trauma course so I get to go along and do research. It's a great chance to see parts of the country I haven't seen before. I have done a huge tour of the outback previously but I've never been to Roma so it will be great to have a new setting to explore. That's one of the best things about being a writer-you can take your work with you wherever you go. Also, it's fabulous meeting different people who constantly inspire me.
When I get back I am going to start making my Christmas cake and pudding. I love the smell of the pudding boiling for hours. I haven't even thought about cards and presents yet. I used to be so organised before I started writing!
Love to all,
Melanie x

Hi everyone,
I heard from my editor in London that my last two UK releases The Secret Baby Bargain and A Doctor Beyond Compare were the third best selling romance novels in the UK. Yippee! Thanks to all my fans in the UK! I have a close friend over in London just now and I wondered if she had been buying up all my books. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that people are looking forward to my next book. Thank you all so much.
I'm off to Melbourne this week to see about my troublesome foot. I may even have to have more surgery. Arrrrggghhh! I haven't run since August and I'm really missing it. I can barely walk more than 40 minutes which is a nuisance for me and my dog! And even more tragic-I can't wear HEELS!!!! I can't possibly go to all the parties leading up to Christmas in trainers now can I?
Hope you are all well and enjoying whatever you are reading right now. Maybe it's one of mine!
Love to all,
Melaniex

Hi everyone,
Well I did it! I finished my nineteenth manuscript on the weekend. Actually I have written about forty in total but most of those are still on my old lap-top and will not see the light of day. I meant ninetenth contracted manuscript. Phew! Am I making you exhausted just thinking about it? Yeah, well I feel a bit that way myself. The novel I just finished has a revenge theme and it was quite possibly the most difficult book I have ever written. I am still not sure why. I loved both the characters Massimo Androletti ( gorgeous Italian!) and beautiful (but with hidden tragic past) Nikki Ferliani. Anyway it is now time to stew on the book, I usually leave it a month (depending on time restraints and deadlines) and then go back and have a read through in one sitting. It is amazing how helpful that is. I think a lot of writers send things off too quickly and when it is rejected it is such a shame as with a little more work most plots can be tweaked to produce a good story.
Hope everyone had a good weekend. We had our eldest son home from Sydney and I was all geared up to cook him his favourite meal on Friday night when he announced HE WAS COOKING DINNER!!!!! Yippeee! I haven't failed as a mother-he actually can cook!
Love to all,
Melaniexxx

Hi to you all,
Well I am sitting looking over my garden ( my office is upstairs) and the walnut tree is loaded with catkins and baby leaves. The roses are just about to bloom and the air is crisp in the morning but by lunchtime it's warm. Well it has been for the last few days but this could change! So many people complain about our climate in Tasmania but I love the capricious nature of it. It's full of surprises!
My husband and I and our little dog went to our beach house on the weekend where I did very little work as the sun was shining and I lay out on the deck with a stack of books instead. But hey, that's work for me, right?!!!
Hope you have a great week. I'm up to chapter seven of a Modern so things are starting to get exciting.
Love to you all,
Melanie x