Hi everyone,
It is even more frosty down here at the moment which makes me wonder if Tasmania isn't experiencing the global warming everyone else is! The dog's bowl of water outside as well as the fountain were completely frozen and my car is white instead of black. I love the crisp beauty of a frosty morning as the sun is usually bright and the sky a brilliant blue. I don't however like the fact that our heat pump is still not working. It is supposed to be fixed on Thursday so here's hoping. I have just done some minor revisions on the book I was asked to write for the exciting new continuity Penhally Bay. I wrote book Seven which was a real challenge as I had to do a lot of research as my heroine is a forensic pathologist. The hero is a Chief Inspector so I had a lot of chats and emails and coffees with my police contacts to get all the details right.
This week I am back to working on a new medical which I am really enjoying. I love my hero Matt McNaught who is a man unable to move on from his past. My heroine Kellie Thorne has her work cut out for her but she is going to do her best to chip away at the armour around his heart.
On Saturday night we went to the National Heart Foundation Ball which is a great night out, lots of dancing and so on. The theme this year was Bollywood which meant I had to wrap myself in metres of gorgeous fabric, honestly I don't know how Indian women do it! I was terrified I was going to come undone on the dance floor!
My latest review is up on cataromance.com so if you are interested have a peek.
All the best for this week,
Cheers,
Melanie x

Hi gang,
Well yesterday was one of the coldest days in Hobart in years. There was a very thick frost and the roads were incredibly slippery. Lucky for me I had a home day. This is where I stay home ALL day and read and rest to recharge my batteries. I wish every woman could do it now and again but I realise that's practically impossible when you've got little ones to take care of. It's funny though as even though I know I need the time out I still feel guilty. Crazy, huh? Anyway, today is bright and cold and a perfect day to get back in the writing saddle. I read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes yesterday which is a fabulous read. She is one of my favourite mainstream authors as she is so wonderful at creating various states of cognitive dissonance for readers.
I hope you all have a fabulous week and thanks to all of you who contacted me this week.
All the best,
Melanie xx

Hi everyone,
It was the Queen's Birthday long weekend just gone past which meant we went to our beach house and chilled out. Yes, quite literally actually as the weather has been and still is really cold. We had the log fire going however and I did some writing which I was happy about, although I did feel a little bit tempted to curl up near the fire instead a few times! I allowed myself to do so once I'd reached a certain point in the novel I was working on so that felt good. We had a seal just outside our house ( in the water I mean) and he was there for twelve hours flipping and turning, we assumed he was feeding as he didn't appear to be injured or ensnared in a net or anything. It humpback whale season now which means they are on their migration period to the warmer waters of Queensland and often stop in at Great Oyster Bay( which our beach house overlooks) and have a rest. My husband was out fishing this time last year and saw a pod of them but I was back at the house working on a deadline and missed out. I have been keeping my eyes peeled this time but they are probably a bit further out.
I am going to Government House this week for a reception which will be fun, although to tell you the truth I'm not keen on going out much in winter. I love being inside where it's warm and cosy but I guess I'll drag myself out this time!
Hope you all have a great week,
Çheers,
Melanie x

Hi folks,
I had a fun weekend flying to Melbourne for the night on Friday just so we could road test a new lounge our interior decorator had found for us. As it turned out we chose another more comfortable one but it was nice to have a night away. We did some shopping and had a lovely lunch with a Hobart friend who is often in Melbourne for business. The only problem was Polly misses me so much when I'm away. I've only been away from her two nights the whole time we've had her so she frets a bit even though my son was here to mind her and Pippi. This morning as I drove out for my swim she sat at the gate and cried. I felt terrible and had a rough time in the pool thinking about her. It's like being a young mum all over again!
On the writing front I am working on a Presents/Modern I wrote about a month ago and now it's rewrite, rework and reshape time. It can cause a few sleepless nights I can tell you!
Hope you have a good week wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
Cheers,
Melanie x