Chat about whatever you like: the weather, good stuff, bad stuff, family or pets! Showing 6,201-6,250 of 26,036

[Margaret]

I guess we all know what it's like to have trouble. Look after yourself, Amber.:)

[Margaret]

Brenda wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Has anyone looked at Jeanette's review of my second book, 'A Taste of Life and Love in Australia'? I found it this morning.:) She has covered some new points very nicely."

Can you..."

Thanks, Brenda, I'll do it now.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Margaret, it's certainly a great review:)

[Mark]

Amber wrote: "Thanks Brenda... The surgeon said that it will be more difficult to fall pregnant now because I have only one tube, and the risk of another ectopic is higher than normal as I've already had one. Ev..."
This is pretty horrifying. You really should see a counsellor, and take care of yourself. (Also, I don't know if legal redress for injurious misdiagnosis is possible in Australia, but if it had happened here, I'd certainly advise you to see an attorney.) Be well!

[Margaret]

Brenda wrote: "Thanks Margaret, it's certainly a great review:)"

Thanks, Brenda! Jeanette saw its good points.:)

[Amber]

Mark wrote: "Amber wrote: "Thanks Brenda... The surgeon said that it will be more difficult to fall pregnant now because I have only one tube, and the risk of another ectopic is higher than normal as I've alrea..."

Thanks Mark. I'm recovering slowly, and things are getting better slower than that...but I have awesome people around me, and everyone's been so understanding and PATIENT. In that respect I've been lucky.

[Janine]

Hi all,

Just wanted to know your thoughts. I have a Kobo ereader and am thinking of upgrading to the Kobo Vox. Has anyone else got one or at least played with it and what do you think?

also anyone else read Fifty Shades of Grey??

Janine

[Mark]

"50 Shads of Grey?" Why is everybody so obsessed with monochromatic fish? Baffles me completely.

[Margaret]

Haven't read it, Janine. It simply isn't my genre, though some of my friends are talking about it.
I wouldn't mind equaling its sales performance....:)

[Mark]

Margaret wrote: "Haven't read it, Janine. It simply isn't my genre, though some of my friends are talking about it.
I wouldn't mind equaling its sales performance....:)"

Margaret - I think you would mind, if you had to write pernicious dreck to do it. "50 Shades," by all accounts, is sort of the antithesis of your work.

[Margaret]

I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew that.:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Janine wrote: "Hi all,

Just wanted to know your thoughts. I have a Kobo ereader and am thinking of upgrading to the Kobo Vox. Has anyone else got one or at least played with it and what do you think?

also anyone else read Fifty Shades of Grey??..."

The writing is atrocious by all accounts! Even the author admitted it, someone told me!!

Also Janine, this thread may help you... http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

[[deleted user]]

Thank you so much for your review Brenda.... your a gem eh!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Faye]

Brenda wrote: "Janine wrote: "Hi all,

Just wanted to know your thoughts. I have a Kobo ereader and am thinking of upgrading to the Kobo Vox. Has anyone else got one or at least played with it and what do you thi..."

Brenda, I am trying to finish "Fifty Shades" close to the end but not close enough. Will let you know when I finish. Must say I am finding the terrible writing very difficult to cope with. Faye

[Margaret]

David wrote: "Thank you so much for your review Brenda.... your a gem eh!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

Congratulations, David! It's a lovely review!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

David wrote: "Thank you so much for your review Brenda.... your a gem eh!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

You're welcome Dave! It's the truth, after all!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Woohoo!!! I've just finished my 100th book for the year!!!!!


Click Here to Get More Images @ MyNiceProfile.com

[Margaret]

Brenda wrote: "Woohoo!!! I've just finished my 100th book for the year!!!!!



Click Here to Get More Images @ MyNiceProfile.com"

Congratulations, Brenda!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Margaret:)

[Michael]

Nice work Brenda, I'm catching up ;P

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Haha!! Thanks guys! Wonder how many I'll get read for the year now? Certainly over the 120 I set myself, I'd say:)

[Margaret]

Brenda wrote: "Haha!! Thanks guys! Wonder how many I'll get read for the year now? Certainly over the 120 I set myself, I'd say:)"

What is your record, Brenda?

[Michael]

According to her stats, 134 books in 2011

[Mark]

Brenda wrote: "Woohoo!!! I've just finished my 100th book for the year!!!!!



Click Here to Get More Images @ MyNiceProfile.com"

Congratulations, Brenda! (Also love the animated gif !) "Reply" and "flag" shouldn't be placed so close together for those of us with tiny screens. I almost inadvertently flagged your comment! :(

[★ Jess]

God job Brenda! I'll be lucky to crack 30 this year I think.
Year eleven is the worst.

[Mish]

Woohoo Brenda! Congratulations. I think you could read easily over 150 books this year :D

[Janine]

Faye wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Janine wrote: "Hi all,

Just wanted to know your thoughts. I have a Kobo ereader and am thinking of upgrading to the Kobo Vox. Has anyone else got one or at least played with it and ..."

I bought all three 50 Shades of Grey, not really knowing what they were all about but because everyone was telling me how great they were. I thought it was just ok, bit too rauchy for my taste but did enjoy the underlying story of Christians childhood. Don't think I will be reading them again any time soon!

[Margaret]

Michael wrote: "According to her stats, 134 books in 2011"
Colossal! Maybe this is the year to eclipse even that!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Hey, thanks everyone:):) I'll do my best to beat 134 but I think I'll do that! I might even aim for 150 Mish;)

[Tracey]

Amber wrote: "Mark wrote: "Amber wrote: "Thanks Brenda... The surgeon said that it will be more difficult to fall pregnant now because I have only one tube, and the risk of another ectopic is higher than normal ..."

Amber my heart goes out to you xx I'll be praying for a speedy and complete mental and emotional healing in addition to a positive physical outcome. I can't even imagine how difficult this must be for you but I'm very glad to know you have plenty of loved ones around to support you through this - you also have plenty of online friends who love and care for you as well :)

Trace

[Tracey]

I've had a bit of a roller-coaster week so far. Downer was discovering I've still got some internal bleeding and a lot of swelling on my lower back from my fall of a few weeks ago. Doc gave me a cortisone injection but as I'm sure many of you will know they're almost as painful as the problem they're supposed to fix.

On a more positive note sales continue to do well, if more slowly. Had coffee with Bill, my minister, this morning and had a wonderful time catching up. Also got my first assessment of the semester back from Uni and received 98%, which I'm super proud of! Also just started reading a great new novel, an advance copy, called Angel's Kiss by Lynne Stevie. A very gripping read so I highly recommend you keep your eyes open for its' release.

Cheers,
Trace

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Sorry to hear that bad news Tracey :( Hope you'll be better soon. I hope the cortisone works for you too. My husband has had cortisone injections, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!!

Fabulous results from your first assessment...congratulations!! No wonder you're chuffed!!

[Tracey]

Thanks Brenda :)

I do apologize also, sometimes I feel like all I do is whinge here and unload about the bad stuff when in reality my life overall is filled with blessings so I don't mean to come across like some depressed donkey all the time :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Haha!! I can't visualize a 'depressed donkey' Trace!!! You don't do that...and the chat thread is to vent/chat/talk about whatever you want...so don't apologize:)

[Amber]

Tracey wrote: "I've had a bit of a roller-coaster week so far. Downer was discovering I've still got some internal bleeding and a lot of swelling on my lower back from my fall of a few weeks ago. Doc gave me a c..."

Thank you for the lovely offers of support Tracey. Hope you recover soon - from your injury and the cure!! Take care - and also congratulations on your first assessment score!! That's great news :)

[Tracey]

Thanks Brenda - it's nice to know I can 'vent' here :)

Thank you also Amber for your well wishes and congratulations. Take care of yourself ok :)

[Margaret]

It's okay, Tracey: we all have our ups and downs. It usually helps to talk.:)

[[deleted user]]

Wish me luck....performing/reading at the Cairns show tomorrow between 9.00am & 10.00am at the Heritage stage.....(-:

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

That will be awesome David! I hope the weather stays kind for you:)

[Mark]

Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew that.:)"
I well know. I'm not sure if the author of "50 Shades of Execrable" actually detested his work (certainly to be contemned even more vigorously if he didn't), but it does all put me in mind of a "great" best-seller of the sixties: "Naked Came the Stranger," by Penelope Ashe (who didn't exist, but was played on television by someone's secretary). The book was the joint work product of twelve fairly well-known authors of the time, who felt inadequately compensated for their more cerebral efforts, and decided to give the public what it wanted: a salacious, smutty illiterate novel "utterly devoid of literary merit," in which any least manifestation of intelligence or literacy would be "rigorously blue-pencilled" by the editor (one of the twelve, each of whom wrote exactly one chapter). Of course, it immediately shot to the top of the best-seller charts, and when, a year later, the scam was revealed, it became even more popular!

[Mark]

Hi, Tracey,
Many felicitations on your extraordinary assessment! I hope it's a harbinger, also, of much happier developments on the medical front. Take care.

[Margaret]

Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew that.:)"
I well know. I'm not sure if the..."
That's a very depressing assessment of the tastes of the popular mass reading market, Mark, but I'm sorry to say that others I know share your opinion. For some obscure (to me) reason, certain trash sells. It begs the question, why does the public prefer to read what takes neither intelligence nor education to produce, and what tends to stamp the author as uncouth?

[Mark]

Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew that.:)"
I well know. I'm no..."
It sells, I think, because most people don't read very well, can't appreciate anything better, and are drawn in only by what they find erotically stimulating and/or by adrenaline-charged thrillers without "too many words." Sad... but true. I don't actually think people are inherently stupid, but (at least in the States) the combination of a culture of antagonism to intelligence, worship of ignorance, and a deliberately dumbed-down system of public education that stultifies practically everybody has given rise to literary tastes suitable to lower primates. Marmosets, possibly.

[Margaret]

Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew that.:)"
I w..."

Your depressing impression of society suggests that standards have dropped over the years.
Growing up, I formed the idea that education and decency were to be admired. Since I was, then, a child, my ideas were largely formulated by the ideals of my parents, other close relatives, and teachers. Given this, society's aspirations may not have been mirrored by them.

[Mark]

Michael wrote: "I look at it in a different way. The Fifty Shades series has brought millions of new people into reading in a similar way as the Harry Potter series got kids reading wich for me at the end of the d..."
Hi, Michael,
The Harry Potter series was well-written, intelligent, informed by the erudition and humaneness of the author, and so (in my mind, and I agree with you) a completely positive thing. "50 Shades" is inhumane, unintelligent, really badly written, and worse, it didn't have to be, because I don't think the author is stupid. So, you may be right that it caused some people to read a few bad novels they wouldn't otherwise have done, but I think those people would have been better served (and better entertained) by reading Rowling's novels (or Tracey's; hers are entertaining and clever, and they don't pander). That said, I do think your ability to see things in a positive light is refreshing, even if we cheerfully disagree. :)

[Mark]

Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess you already knew..."
I grew up in the US of the fifties, and "standards" (which were terrible then) have definitely dropped. To be clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with erotic novels of all sorts, even if I don't read them. There are some good ones. "50 Shades" isn't one.

[Margaret]

Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Mark wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I take your point, Mark!
I'd rather remain obscure than make a mint by having to compose stuff I detested.:) But I guess..."

I read a comment that the reader wants the two weeks of her life back, that she spent reading it.:)

[AusLit]

FOR SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE CHARLAINE HARRIS/TRUE BLOOD FANS

Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels turned into the TV show True Blood, will be in Sydney on Sat July 28 and in Melbourne on Sun July 29.

Charlaine will be joined by Sam Trammell, who plays Sam Merlotte in True Blood.

I have a double pass for the full day Sydney event and the full day Melbourne event up for grabs.

Entry is quick, easy and free. Details at www.auslit.net/competitions

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

AusLit, can you add this to the NSW and VIC threads too, more advertising:)

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

Also if you make a new post in the Giveaway thread, that would probably help too:)

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

[Tracey]

Thanks for the nice endorsement Mark. I know that the only thing I've ever wanted to do in my life is tell stories that people would enjoy. I don't aspire to be Shakespeare but I do aspire to continually improve my craft and that each new book be better than the last. However I will not sell my soul and write something that's currently popular just to sell books. I write the stories I enjoy that I hope others will also enjoy.

On another note, another high for me - I received a 94% on my New Testament Greek assessment. Grades so far have been excellent, now I just have to work hard to keep them there :)