🌷IRELAND: CROM CASTLE SERENITY PRESS WRITERS RETREAT 2019🌷

August and September were jam packed and filled with very productive days. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting with the staff from Frankston Headspace and their Youth Reference Group. After a Q and A, we did a fun photo shoot, all set for me to advertise that $5 from each book sale of Thirteen and Underwater, will go back to support the great work done by Headspace. Along with a fab feature from the Mornington Essence!

I had a bit too much fun celebrating my amazing nephews 21st brithday, and decided to fall over my own feet, and break both my wrists, right before my Author talk with the VACL Young Mums at Chisholm TAFE in Frankston. Luckily, that didn’t stop us all from having some amazing conversations regarding youth well being, self care and social topics that make a huge impact on our young mothers, raising children today, whilst gaining an education.

The day after my chat to the recillient young mums, I embarked on a three day conference in Maidstone, meeting and greeting some gorgeous women who work their goals into dreams, to support their family’s, at the 2019 10 year anniversary of the AusMumpreneur Awards. I had such an amazing time absorbing some marvellous information in between cocktail parties, lunches and a gala dinner where the awards were announced. I had the absolute delight seeing some beautiful friends of mine take an award home, and I feel blessed to have been a part of such a great conference, with the gift of connecting with beautiful souls. And, blessed to have celebrated my birthday with my twin.

Returning home to my 3 men, I continued on with the rewrite of The Given, that I have been working on the better part of the year, in between launching Thirteen and Underwater, and celebrating my eldest son, navigate 9 weeks of a successful course, Tools of The Trade, ran by the amazingly generous, SALVOCARE.

Once The Given was complete, I felt such a sense of absolute joy. Sheer celebration, that finally, after all this time of wanting to put the book right, as it should have been 5 years ago, I sent it off to my publisher, the delightful and powerfully intuitive Karen McDermott, who sent it to a proofreader. That proofreader, was none other than the gorgeous, talented, multi award winning Author, Carolyn Wren!

Not only did Carolyn educate me as a writer, she also fell in love with the world of The Given and its characters, that she wrote a spectacular endorsement, which I will be forever grateful. 🙏🏽 Another amazing connection, through beautiful Karen. So, a brilliant endorsement and finally, confirming the new cover, we are all set, to launch the brand new, revised The Given, in beautiful Ireland, and the historical, Crom Castle, in Two weeks!!

I cannot believe that I am going! Don’t know how it happened, but my darling husband heard me talking of Ireland, knew of the writers retreat, hosted by Serenity Press in Northern Ireland, and simply said, ‘You should go!’ And so am I, with twin I tow!

Not only have I booked a date, with Gutter Press Book store in Dublin, for a meet and greet and a chat about Thriteen and Underwater, I am speaking at a High Tea Author event at the castle itself! Mind blowing for a little country mouse, from Glenormiston South! Another high for me, is I will have the chance to connect with, Inspire, which I believe is similar to our, Australia’s, Beyond Blue, to converse about mental health as sadly, the suicide rate in Northern Ireland for its youth, is the highest it has ever been. I am gifting them with some copies of Thirteen and Underwater too, to help their foundation, support the youth of Ireland. I feel so, so blessed to do such a small thing, that could in fact, impact someone, to do amazing things.

I’ve never travelled without my family. Yes, sure, the occasional girls weekend, but a real big break, like 2 weeks away, on the other side of the world! I am certainly looking forward to it, no doubt! My twin and I have needed some real quality time since the passing of our beloved Mother 2.5 yrs ago…But I do have some ‘Mama’ guilt of my own brewing. I know in my soul, both my boys will be fine with my gorgeous Jade, their father, but, with my youngest having some issues feeling lost in life at the moment, grips me with guilt, that I won’t be there to put my arms around him, if he needs his Mum…

He said to me, as only a serious 15 yr old boy could, as we stood for an hour up on Oliver’s Hill in the sunshine yesterday; the waves soothingly crashing below us on the rocks, as wrens and gulls called above us. ‘Mum, I wish I could have lived back in the 80’s, like the Goonies. Life looked simpler then. This world is so unappealing, and I worry about the future,’

15 years old Ladies and Gentlemen. My son. And those deep thoughts only vanish in the company and laughter of his best friend Emily, or his Inglewood cousins. So, at this stage, I am both,,,,excited as all Hell to be going to Ireland with my sister..,,and as guilty as all Hell, to be leaving my son/s, if they should need me. Thank you Arch Angel Rapheal, for getting me there safely and back…and for sealing Zane in a bubble of happiness!

Four days after I safely return, 🕊🙏🏽😉, I have the Turning pages Author Event in Mornington to look forward to and then with a day’s break, a 2 day event where I am so excited to raise $$$ for Headspace, at the Mornington Writers Festival held in the Functions By the Bay in Frankston! Looking forward to both events. Once the extremely busy month of October ends….I cannot tell you how very excited I will be, as I have the opportunity to return home, to Glenormiston South/Terang, to celebrate a gorgeous couples engagement. Haven’t been back since my appendix decided to delicately tear, gently oozing toxins into my body for 48 hours, causing me to almost fade from this realm! Oh the adventures of life never end!!

And although broken wrists mean no gardening….I have enjoyed copious amount of tea, walking amongst my overgrown, lush Forrest, dreaming of how, once my bones have knitted back together,,,,I can create a fabulous Christmas garden, for family and friends to enjoy closer to the jolly season. 🌺