*Informal Photography by Sue Tanian

About me

Oh, surely you don’t want to know about me!! I’m just an ordinary working girl with a husband, two kids, one dog, one snake and a few cows in the paddock…?

Ok, then, I’ll try. And don’t worry about the snake … I’ll get to that later!!

A few years ago my friend Sherree said I should write a book (she only suggested this after I had complained at not having come across a really good read for some time)…anyway, I told her that I had been wanting to write a romance novel for some time - but had never made the time. She told me that when I got home to sit down at the computer and just do it. Being the good friend that I am!! lol I did as I was told.

For any of you budding writers out there, I have a little piece of advice - ‘A book starts with the first word, then the first sentence and the first paragraph’. Your writing will not begin if you don’t sit down and start the darn thing. Don’t think - Do!!

Anyway, once I started, I just couldn’t stop, the story poured out. Half way through the manuscript I nervously gave it to my friend Sharon. I felt like I was exposing myself having someone read my work for the first time. She read it, told me off for keeping her awake until 2am because she couldn’t put it down and simply said “keep going”!

When I finished the job I knew I needed serious help to edit it. Bring in the cavalry!! My Mum (who is a wonderful poet and author) and her talented friend Lynda (another fabulous writer), set to work on it. In the end I decided to get Lynda to edit the whole lot. What a lady - boy it was a tough job!! I learnt so much from her over the next few months.

Then another breakthrough occurred. It was suggested I join Romance Writers of Australia (RWA)….romance who? Eureka!! I’d struck gold. I learned so much getting involved with this organisation, entering the competitions and surfing all the information and links on their wonderful web site.

My story was improving with age as I applied what I’d learnt to the manuscript, and after handing it over to more friends to read (thankyou Carol and Janine), the valuable feedback gave it the polish. But it still wasn’t quite ready.

Here comes Suz!! My writing friend Suz showed me how to put the final dazzle on it and guess what….well of course you already know - it’s getting published!! And that’s about all there is to this tale.

Oh, yeah, the snake. Lucy is the latest addition to our family. A beautiful Brisbane Python, she lives quite happily in her habitat in my teenage son’s bedroom. Don’t worry, by the time she’s 4 meters long he’ll have moved out - I hope!!

I’m rather fond of the dog!!

Read about my writers journey here.

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