I've moved my rants...

...to over here. (www.findbonitahere.com)

Hope to see you over that way for more fun and blogging games.

BBxx

Annual check-in, yo!

Welcome to my annual check-in! Kind of seems that way at the moment with the frequency of the posts, huh?? Not sure where all the time goes.... Oh, wait... yes, I do - work, Leo and boring life stuff like cooking dinner, shopping, housework and sleep! 

There's been a million times where I've thought to myself, 'I totes need to blog about that!!' but like a lot of things in my life, it happens completely in my head and no where else. My head is a REALLY busy place.... and super fascinating!

But I know what you're mostly wondering about and that's the status of my world famous and much anticipated book!! 

Well, the truth of it is that after the renewed hiss and roar of my last post, things kinda fizzled out again! I did finish the edit and its currently sitting with my sister editor... who is a million times worse than me when it comes to getting things done. (Love you sis, but need I mention 'Top Shop' eyeliner! And mom is still waiting for the copy of your passport).  

So, making my MILLIONS as an author is still on the back burner to be honest... although I have submitted to the odd agent this year, and most recently Harlequin....So who knows, the big 'Hey, we'd love to print your book - it's AWESOME!' email might yet arrive.  

Man, it just makes me so sad to think that it might never get printed... but at least I know there was a few peeps (bless their cotton socks - you know who you are) that took the time to read it all and let me know that they loved it. And if it never gets printed, at least I know that it was read and loved by a small handful and not just me.

The other thing that I did and then seemed to lose my mojo (I'm just going to stick with the 'I'm a mom' excuse!) is create my own domain - findbonitahere.com! Isn't that cool!! But again, there's been a lot of activity in my head... but not so much where everyone else can access it. Which is such a shame... cause man on man - I LOVE WRITING!! And I love sharing it... so blogging is like, the perfect thing ever! But I find that when I do have a spare second, it's mostly huddled up and reading something or other. Ha ha. Quite funny if you think about it. 

But I suppose that 2016 is a bright and shiny new year... and might well be the year that I make it as a full time writer! 

Fake it till you make it, baby!    

Write, submit, repeat...

Well, hello there! How are things for you on this last day of November?? Can you believe that this time tomorrow, IT'S DECEMBER!!!! That's crazy town!! (Note to self: dig out #elfontheshelf)

Actually, it doesn't have to be December to be crazy town in my world... it already is all the time!! As in totes cray-cray. Now that I'm doing a lot more hours for World Travellers (you better still be reading those travel blogs, people!!), I seriously have no idea where the time goes. No one can ever fully understand how looking after a little person can suck the time (and sometimes the life!!) out of you until you have one to call your own... it's frecken exhausting being a mama. Particularly one that still breastfeeds. Four hours feels like a full night... I SHIT YOU NOT!!!! 

But, but, but... motherhood in all its glory (and there ARE good bits, like you know, the actual child - TOTALLY ADORBS!!!!) is not what I'm here to discuss today. I'm here to tell you that I've decided to get back onto the writing band wagon and try to get my first book published again. Or I'm going to publish the damned thing myself. I hate to think of all that blood, sweat and tears wasted... or more importantly, Elle, Daniel and J.T never seeing the light of day. I loved writing it, so surely someone else will love reading it too. Surely. Surely. Ok, so maybe it doesn't work that way but goddamit - I WANT MY FRECKEN BOOK PUBLISHED!!!!! 

Sooooo.... 

I've started sending it off to agents again. And am getting the 'no's' again. But I just keep repeating to myself that my writing is 'smart, snappy and fun to read' (that's what Danielle Chiotti told me and she totes knows her stuff). That's right - smart, snappy and fun to read! We need more of that in the world, and less of 'I'm going to slit my wrists 'cause that story was so frecken sad' (I'm looking at you, Jodi Picoult). I just can't read that stuff anymore... reading is too real for me, and I can't shake it off for days, weeks, aggeessss. I get into a fug and it sucks. So I don't do it anymore. I read light hearted and funny and happy ending. There's the occasional strife, a little, a tad, nothing major... but the end is good. And that's what I want. Happy. Lovely. Fuzzy-like. Something that's smart, snappy and fun to read. Fiona Walker and Sarra Manning, you do this for me. I love your work. Your stuff probs won't win no Booker prize, but it wins my Booker prize. And that's what I want to do; I want to be someone's booker prize. So, I'm just gonna do it.

Or maybe, Choc Lit will do it for me as I submitted my story to them... and choc-late has always come through for me before, so I don'y see why not this time. :)  

And for your personal enjoyment today, here's my back cover... 

Smart, snappy and fun to read. 
Write, submit, repeat. 

BBxx

Just like in every little girl’s dream, Elle Jones has been swept off her feet by a rich and handsome prince. Now if only his damned wedding ring would stop snagging on the corner of her ‘happily ever after’!

Elle has a very simple plan - open her dream shoe store and take London by storm. Her plan however does not include a chance meeting with soccer superstar and living god, Daniel Blake, that turns her world upside down. Not that anyone can really blame her; it isn’t everyday an ordinary girl gets to claim ‘People's Sexiest Man Alive’ for two years running as her own. Well, almost all her own since theoretically she’s sharing him with his wife.

Even after several near misses with the paparazzi, a few unexpected meetings with her lover’s wife, concerned friends trying to set her up, and the exhaustive planning for the launch of her new store, Elle is sure she has it all under control. Until a few too many drinks and a bad decision gets her arrested - in nothing other than some highly inappropriate underwear and ridiculously high heels - and the front page of every major newspaper.    

Now Elle has to decide if ‘almost all’ will ever be enough. 

It's the ordinary things...

So, yesterday afternoon, I left Mini Mr with his dad and took off to go to THE MOVIES!!

Yes. The actual movies. And it was glorious. 

There wasn't really that much on... I tried to get into 'Maleficent' (!!) as it was the first movie showing when I walked in but lucked out. So I opted for whatever was showing next...and it happened to be SEX TAPE! I agree, neither of these were mind-blowing choices. SEX TAPE got absolutely panned on Rotten Tomatoes, even with the audience score which does tend to be more lenient. And I can't stand The Jolie. I really can't. But I didn't care, man... I WAS AT THE MOVIES!!! I was taking what I could get. 

I purchased my frozen coke and popcorn (both small but actually not 'cause nothing is truly small in the world of fast food anymore - but that's another post) and I settled in. I tweeted. I sipped my coke. I ate my popcorn. I didn't call home.

The ordinary from way back when is no longer so ordinary. We've been on a break. But there I was again, more than a year later, doing ordinary. Nothing too flash or OTT... just me, myself and I enjoying an ordinary movie.

And it was frecken MARVELLOUS!!!!

Again, I agree. That movie won't be winning no Oscars. But I did have a giggle and the light hearted comedy, although mostly cliched and unbelievable - I mean, who exactly takes their kids to a bust into a porn server location? - was exactly what I needed. So thank you Cam and Jason. I really did love spending my free afternoon with you.

And yes, I really do need to try and add more of the old ordinary into my life as I create a new ordinary for me and my wee family.

Now, back to making wee sandwiches as we're off to a petting zoo today! Yay.

PS I hope you're keeping across my blogs over  at World Travellers... the latest one is about food and travel... combined! One of my favourite things. 

  

  

I'm blogging for World Travellers....

... and loving it! :)

Here's my latest one on why the Middle East should get a look'in for your next family getaway...

Book it. Book it now. Sounds awesome. 

I cry...

... every time I read this.
Such a wet blanket now that I'm a mom. It's true. I'd heard it happens. I'm a cliche.
I do, I do, a thousand times I do cherish every moment with my cuddlebug.

The never ending search....

"People confuse the source of their happiness. They become temporarily happy when they get a new car, or a new house, or a new marriage. And they think that they are suddenly happy because of this new thing in their life. In reality, they are happy because for a brief moment, they are without desire. But then soon another desire comes along. And the search continues."

Thank you Rebecca for that gem. So true. So true.