Month: August 2015

My writing week #4

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“We can’t plan life. All we can do is be available for it.” – Lauryn Hill Go with the flow. That’s what I had to do last week when it came to writing. After getting my second wind on Monday and typing up loads of notes for my novel, a family situation meant writing had to be put on the back-burner for a couple of days just so I could catch up on sleep. Unfortunately, later in the week, a member of our extended family passed away. At times like these, when you are reminded of the frailty of life, comfort and support takes precedence. The experiences I had during the week opened the way for another short story, as yet untitled, which I’m hoping to submit to another competition. Setting aside the novel, I poured my effort into the short story yesterday afternoon. It’s set in a hospital waiting room – a strange inspiration, perhaps. The idea came to me about 2am when I was sitting in the emergency room with a loved one earlier …

Midweek Moment #4

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This week Louise and I decided to take our cameras outdoors. My photo is of a macrozamia leaf. I wanted to create a sense of movement and I think it worked. It reminds me of an Impressionist painting and I’m going to use it as my computer background for a while. Louise’s macro shot of a dryandra flower has opened her eyes to the intricate details and beautiful patterns of nature. She says its like she’s seeing nature for the first time. I know what she means – taking macro photos is my favourite form of photography because I’m a details person and I love what the macro lens reveals. *** Once a week, Louise (of Louise Allan: Life From the Attic) and I team up to share creative photos on our websites. It’s all part of our challenge to stretch ourselves creatively.

My Writing Week #3

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Profile building. As a freelance publicist, I tell my clients to work on this all the time. Now, as an emerging author, it’s my turn to do some profile building. Doing this as Write Note Reviews was one thing … putting myself out there, as Monique, that’s another. Step one was changing the Facebook page name a couple of weeks ago. Step two took up most of my writing time at the weekend. After much thought, I sat down and created a website as a writer, separate to the one I’ve built as a reviewer. Dithering over which theme I wanted took longer than I wanted, as did working out how to get all the widgets in the right place (I hope I’m not the only writer who talks to herself when working difficult things out). I have a one-track mind when it comes to things like this, so once I made the decision to create the site, it was pretty much all I did for the rest of the day and into the night. If you’re reading …

Wildflower walk

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About 20 minutes’ drive from my home, there is a nature reserve that’s bursting with wildflowers this time of the year. I didn’t find any spider orchids today, but that simply means I have to go back again in a week or two. Here are some of the flowers on offer … and a nice little surprise at the end. PS. Click on the images for a bigger version.

A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS

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In case you missed it, I’m spending time on my own writing, following my dream of becoming a published fiction author. I’m excited to share that my short story, “The Point of Love”, has been accepted into the Rocky Romance anthology being compiled by Serenity Press. It’s due out in November, so expect to see a cover reveal soon. I’m also working on a full length novel, but this will be contemporary fiction, rather than romance. It’s in its early stages … I’ve set up an author blog and I’d love for you to be part of the journey there. All you have to do is click here or visit moniquemulligan.com and you’ll get all my writing news, as well as poems and lots more photography. Once there, you can choose to follow the blog or subscribe via email. I hope to see you there. The Write Note Reviews site will continue, but will be dedicated to reviews, author insights and guest posts, rather than my own writing. In terms of reviews, I will have …

SUNDAY SHOUT OUT: RAKOFF, MOGGACH AND HAMMER

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Sunday Shout-Out aims to acknowledge books I’ve been sent by publishers that I am unable to review, due to time constraints arising from my own writing projects. Sunday Shout Out is a bookish meme hosted by Monique of Write Note Reviews. If you’re a book blogger and you want to join in, just: Share the title, author, blurb and image from a book (or more than one) you want to acknowledge Share the genre, price and link to the publisher so readers can follow up if they like the sound of the book Ping back to Write Note Reviews in your post. ♦♦♦ 1. A Fortunate Age by Joanna Rakoff, Bloomsbury, RRP $32.99AU A group of young graduates chase their dreams in the rapidly changing Brooklyn of the late 1990s, a compelling, deeply affecting story that captures a generation. Living in crumbling Brooklyn apartments, holding down jobs as actors and writers and eschewing the middle-class sensibilities of their parents, graduates of the prestigious Oberlin College, Lil, Beth, Sadie, Emily, Dave and Tal believe they can have it …

REVIEW: CLOSE YOUR EYES BY MICHAEL ROBOTHAM

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CLOSE YOUR EYES Author: Michael Robotham Hachette Australia RRP $29.99 Review: Monique Mulligan Michael Robotham’s latest thriller, Close Your Eyes, is a brilliant nail biter that’s up there with the best in the contemporary field. Robotham has established himself as one of Australia’s top crime writers, and with this new release, he’s not jumping down from that pedestal any time soon. Set in the UK, the story begins when a mother and her teenage daughter are found brutally murdered in their remote farmhouse. However, while the mother has been stabbed multiple times, the same level of violence was not used on the daughter, who has been left in a sleep-like position. In need of a profile of the killer, police call upon clinical psychologist O’Loughlin for help. At first, he’s reluctant – he has some personal issues to do with his family – but when a former student, Milo, who’s building a reputation as the ‘Mindhunter’ jeopardises the police inquiry, Joe feels he has little choice. Before long, he’s been sucked into the vortex of a complex case that includes sleazy sex games, multiple suspects, more …

PAN MACMILLAN RELEASES MORE ADULT COLOURING BOOKS

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Pan MacMillan Australia was kind enough to send me two colouring books recently, which has given me a great little collection for when I’m in need of time out from words. Inspiring Zendalas (RRP $16.99, out now) is illustrated by Julia Snedgrove, a Russian artist and illustrator. She draws on her travels across Russia, ornate Slavic artistry, and her native Ural Mountains, to produce intricate mandalas and beautifully detailed patterns. The book is filled with mystical circles to colour, some simpler than others. Some people may find the more detailed colouring books a bit intimidating – if so, this one may hit the spot. When I get the chance to doodle mandalas or zendalas, I start to feel more relaxed, especially when I let go of the need for the artworks to be perfect. Enchanting Gardens (RRP $16.99, out now) is illustrated by Nikollet Corley, a self-taught artist born and raised in Hungary. Like me, she finds the creativity to have  powerful therapeutic effect. Her Zen-inspired illustrations all have a floral basis. The nature-themed drawings range from simple …

Patchwork me

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Microscopic threads bind torn pieces of me; Stitching my soul, hemming in memories. New experiences appliqued over old.   This patchwork me frays when a snag pulls at the fabric of my self. And I have to gather the loose threads, and mend the tear (invisible to most) before it becomes a hole. © Monique Mulligan

HOW MUCH DO YOUR KIDS MISS YOU?

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Originally posted on Write Note Reviews:
This article first appeared in the Sound Telegraph as an instalment of my Balancing Act column. I thought I’d uploaded it … but it turns out I didn’t. I wrote it about four or five years ago and not a lot has changed. BACK in the day my kids used to worry when I wasn’t around. When I attended a university residential for three days, seven months pregnant with Monkey, I had to leave 20-month-old Bear behind. He was most put out. I cried at night, missing my little man, but when I got back he tried to give me the cold shoulder. It lasted about 30 seconds. When I went to put my bags away, he threw himself at me and followed me around the rest of the day, never letting me out his sight. Monkey was even more clingy. He was the one who would stick his arms and legs out when I tried to carry him to the car to go to pre-school, then arch his…