Suzanne Bowditch's Blog, page 22

Research, research, and research again!

I have a stack of books, in all shapes and sizes,bought or borrowed, that are piling up on my book shelf. It is positively groaning with the weight of knowledge that it holds.

As you can see, my book writing has led me to the Great War of 1914-1918, otherwise known as World War 1. To give this period of  time the respect and justice that it deserves, I have to read as much as possible. I am learning more and more each day, from the bald historical facts, to the thousands of stories by the soldier’s themselves, written by countless authors then and now.

So I have taken a photo of one book that has so far been a Bible for my research. It tells of the very first day of the Battle of the Somme in quite easy to read terms. I am currently devouring every page, so that my next book reads as authentically as possible.

The book will be called The Tourmaline Bracelet, and is the last book (sad face) of A Celtic Trilogy. I aiming (optimistically!) for a release date later this year. ☺

The Broadwater

With the relentless heat still filling our senses day and night, most people have taken to the water.

Every water sport is covered, from languid fishing, kayaking, speed boating, jet skiing and wind surfing. The traffic gets pretty intense, and its not better on the shore, with families rubbing shoulders with the pelicans and seagulls. 

We were content to sit and watch the buzz around us.

Haiku:Hibiscus

Blowing in the breeze,

Mimicking yellow sunshine,

Mother Nature’s gift.

#hibiscus #Australiannativeflower #GoldCoast #Australia

Coomera Lake

Over last weekend we took our dog up to Coomera Lake. Its a 15 min drive in the car, but worth the trip; its breathtaking. The weather has been so hot and muggy, well over 40 degrees, so we were glad to have a cold lunch and head up and enjoy the lake breezes.

The lake is not particularly large, and can easily be walked or jogged (its perimeter is around 4 kms) and is a favorite spot with families, dog walkers and fisherman. Its a popular spot for rowing,canoeing and kayaking and sailing, although it was quiet when we got there; just a few families.pitching a tent and kicking a ball around.

We walked along the water’s edge as Billy our fox terrier likes to paddle and it cools him down. We passed a couple of fishermen and some very nosy seagulls and interestingly, a couple of crabbing baskets that I hadn’t noticed there before.

A lovely afternoon.☺

5 qualities of a brilliant story

Great tips here for writers

Short Story: Lunch

[image error]Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast

From her vantage point on the balcony of the restaurant she watched as the surfers chased the foamy surf. The midday sun beat down fiercely, endless white sands stretching out towards clear blue sea and skies. They looked like seals, determined to catch that elusive big wave. It was their life long mission, their reason for existing.

‘Is this seat taken?’ a voice spoke as a woman in a brightly patterned dress smiled down at her. Chelsea nodded; yes, taking in a whiff of gardenias from her perfume. She placed her bag on the empty chair and sighed with annoyance. Where was he? His tardiness was starting to annoy her.

She looked around the restaurant. It was starting to fill as the lunchtime rush rapidly approached. It was such a popular spot, built on a rocky outcrop on the shoreline, right next to Elephant Rock. Tourists and locals alike flocked to munch on succulent prawns washed down with light beer and a fabulous view.

Today was no exception.

Sipping her stilled water, her thoughts turned to her absent companion: Luke. They had known each other since high school, losing touch after graduation. Then she had bumped into him at a party, an informal school reunion. They’d barely spoken to each other over the Bunsen burners and dusty literature books, but ten years later things were different. They both loved the beach, fishing and boating on the water, late night classic movies and discovering new restaurants dotted along the coast.

It had been an exciting twelve months.

That’s why the last few weeks had been a bit of a mystery. Luke had started to look detached whilst on their dates, as if he wanted to be somewhere else. He barely listened to her and was constantly late, that was when he bothered to show up at all. There were always feeble excuses; car wouldn’t start, or the traffic was fierce on the highway. Just the other night he told her that his boss had wanted him to fetch supplies in the city, but she sensed that it was not the whole truth.

What was going on?

Someone burst into laughter at the table behind her. She turned her head slightly, glancing at a young family eating lunch with an older couple. Chelsea felt a pull at her heart strings, remembering her own idyllic childhood on the farm in New South Wales. She had chosen to live here, hadn’t she? It was not just because Luke had taken a position as manager of the construction firm? She loved her job in the kindergarten, and her surroundings were breathtaking. A seed of insecurity formed in her mind, a cloud hanging over her, spoiling the perfection of the afternoon. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and animated whilst she felt dark and broody, and alone.

She glanced at her watch. Luke was now a full half an hour late. Maybe this was her cue…did he want to finish with her?

Just then a voice shouted up from the beach. A figure stood by the sandy shore, and she recognised Luke’s muscular physique. He seemed to be knee deep in the water, the waves splashing over him as he waved his arms around frantically and pointed upwards.

The girl on the next table cried out, looking out at the blue horizon.

‘Look up at the plane in the sky. That’s so romantic!’

Chelsea tried to focus on what Luke was trying to say. The waves crashed onto the rocks behind him, making his words distorted. He was smiling, waving, pointing at the sky.

She grinned with delight, clapping her hands over her mouth as she read the banner. Luke ran up the restaurant steps towards her, as the families looked on. The aircraft droned past, trailing the banner behind it, flapping in the sea breezes.

Chelsea – I love you. Will you marry me? – Luke XXX

 

 

BookFace

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Printed books v s E books – I know what I prefer.

According to The Huffington Post, (taken from The National Book Review, Oct, 2016) ebook sales are declining, while the printed book sales are steady.

In response to this, here’s 5 valid reasons why we should keep encouraging printed books and keeping this industry alive amongst so much technology.

5 Mistakes Authors Make on Social Media

Great tips here about the minefield that is marketing a book

Haiku: Beach life

Cruising the surf, follow

the wind. Where does it take me?

Blue water beckons.

Three figs cafe Currumbin

Temperatures have reached epic proportions on the Gold Coast. People are rushing down to the beaches along the coast, trying to find some relief from the heat.

We decided to head more inland, to the Currumbin Rock Pools. A big mistake. Every man and his dog (literally!) had decided to use the pools. People jostled in the shallow waters, drinking beer and jumping off the ledges above. Dogs played ‘fetch’ with their owners, splashing and running across the rocky ledges, while a gang of youths blasted hip hop music and lolled around in brightly coloured towels.

We drove on…..and found a sweet eco friendly cafe which served delicious coffees and sticky date puddings with ice cream.

Lovely. ☺☕