Hi everyone,
I hope you all had a great Christmas. Ours was spoilt a bit...well a lot really by our darling Pippi becoming terribly ill. She first developed epilepsy and once we got that more or less under control she developed a patch of pneumonia on her lungs. She is improving now but it was such a worry and to some degree still is as we don't know what caused the onset of fits. It could be a brain tumour or a stroke.
On another note I have just discovered what the comments section is at the foot of my blog. I am such a dunce! So sorry to those who in the past have posted a comment. No wonder there are zero comments now! I promise I will check regularly and respond to any comments any of you post. I know most of you email me through my website contact me page but if you would like to do it via the comments part that is probably easier for you. Never a day goes by that I don't learn something new.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2009 is a fabulous year for you. I am going to write some fabulous books as I have some great ideas floating around already. Thanks for all the encouraging emails over the festive season. Big wave to Laura who emailed me the other day.
All the best,
Melanie x

Hi everyone,
Well it is only a few sleeps till Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful family time at this festive season no matter what your beliefs. It is such a lovely time to celebrate being a family, and reflecting on the year that has passed. I am not one for making New Year's resolutions as I find that they barely last longer than January. The best thing is to make goals that are both long and short tell, that way you can keep aiming for something even if you slip up occasionally as we all do.
Like a lot of mothers and wives out there I will be run off my feet stuffing a turkey and so on but I love the traditional aspects of the season, even though in Australia it seems rather strange to be having a hot roast meal in the middle of summer! Not that we have had much of a summer so far. The sun is out today however which is lovely so it looks good for the week ahead.
All the best to you all and thank you for all your support and keen readership-I truly appreciate every one of you for taking the time to read my books.
All the best,
Melanie xx

Hi everyone,
I am ashamed to say I haven't finished my Christmas shopping yet. It's disgraceful for someone like me who is always so punctual and super-organised. I just want to write just now, trawling around crowded shops doesn't appeal at all. Also, we had quite a scare with our Pippi. She is now nine years old so it's to be expected she will occasionally be feeling her age but the other morning she had a massive fit. It was so frightening. She evidently has epilepsy as a result of a minor stroke. She is far too overweight due to her finishing up the cat food all the time so she is on strict diet. She is on some medication and is much better but I was in tears for days worrying we might lose her. She is so devoted to the kitten I just couldn't bear the thought of not having her around to lick him. We've had to turn off the flashing Christmas lights on the tree as that can be a trigger. It's a small price to pay, right?
Hope you are enjoying the festive season wherever you are.
All the best,
Melanie x

Hi everyone,
If anyone out there has finished their Christmas shopping I am in total admiration of you. I used to be one of those people who had the cards out before anyone else and the presents all wrapped under the tree. That was in BWFT-before writing full time. I am not by nature a procrastinator but other priorities seem to be taking up my time right now. It is a constant juggle to be a good mum, a good daughter, a good wife and a good friend let alone a good writer! But hey, I'm preaching to the choir, right? We all have the same pressures at this time of year, even those who don't officially celebrate Christmas. In Australia it is summer so there are holidays and end of year get-togethers which add to the pressure. I have decided I need to split myself into about four people at this time of year so I can do all the things I need to do without stressing out completely.
The thing or things that keep me sane however are my gorgeous pets. Mattias is growing all the time and is so cute. So full of energy too! I have scratches on my hands from tickling him. Serves me right.
Have a lovely week.
Melanie x

Hi everyone,
Well the secret is out. I had a big birthday to celebrate on Sunday and we had a huge party on Saturday night. It was an amazing evening and I have never felt so loved surrounded by family and friends. My husband and sons had made an amazing PowerPoint of my life and it was so moving everyone was mopping up tears! Life is so short and it is so important to celebrate the milestones if you can.
I hope you like the photos.
To all my US readers Wedded and Bedded for Revenge is out NOW!
Big hugs,
Melanie x