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My Never-Give-Up Tree

While we are on the subject of trees (given my previous post took you on a little tour of Calingarry Crossing’s autumn stunners) I thought I’d share with you a special tree, found  little closer to home.

I call it the never-give-up tree and if you look closely you will see why.

Whenever I start telling myself I’ve had enough, I’m wasting my time, I’ll never achieve what I want, I take a walk to my special tree and I am reminded that no matter how tough it gets, if you fight back, stay strong and positive, you will keep growing.

(Take a closer look and you’ll see this little tree was chopped down years ago. But it re-sprouted from the cut-off trunk and is now a little wonder. I love it.)

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Autumn in Calingarry Crossing

I’ve heard it said that autumn is like a second spring, with every leaf a flower.

A fitting description for Calingarry Crossing’s celebration of colour this autumn past, spectacular foliage blurred against a canvas washed green – hills and plains alike.

It is also said that one person’s loss is another person’s gain, and Calingarry Crossing was on the receiving end of unprecedented rainfall, the run-off from flood waters further north. The devastating 2010/11 summer storm season that flooded Australia’s eastern states brought new life to so many inland areas.

As we take a short drive, we can see Calingarry Crossing’s creeks and dams are now full, and while flood victims further north/east are still putting their lives back together, the folk in Calingarry are breathing again…”and don’t it smell sweet!”

Autumn Leaves is the title of Part 3 in House For All Seasons, in which Amber leaves her A-lister lifestyle and her husband. Amber no longer knows what’s real in her life and hopes returning to Calingarry Crossing will help her find redemption and a fresh start.

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Research! – Tough challenge but…

What is it about writers? We all seem to love a challenge.

I’ve just joined a group of fellow authors in the RWA 50ks in 30 days write-fest. The idea is to glue your bum to the seat and pound out as many words as possible. (50,000 ideally!)

It can totally work for some people. Both my small towns, big hearts novels (House For All Seasons and The Simmering Season) started out in similar challenges.

Okay – yes it’s June so…yes, technically I should be working on those 50 thousand words for my next novel, but I do tend to procrastinate a bit at the start. (Another trait we writers seem to share.)

Since I’m writing about challenges, I thought I’d share a recent writing challenge of another kind.

Looking for inspiration for my novel (in which the town of Calingarry Crossing holds a fair day) I went to my local country show and challenged myself to eat everything I could find on a stick!

Things have changed since I did the whole Easter Show thing as a kid and…well…luckily for me the junk food on a stick options were limited. Sadly, not even fairy floss comes on a stick anymore. Am I that old?

Okay…with my fair day research consumed…ahh…I mean done, it’s back to those 50 thousand words I’m supposed to have done by end June. (After I make myself something to eat. I just made myself drool LOL – yum!)