When You're in Love

When you're in love you can do so many wonderful things. The sky is blue all the time and flowers seem brighter. Suddenly you have boundless energy and everything is so positive. People are friendlier and the world is such a great place.

Love is such a wonderful emotion but it doesn't change the things listed above. It only changes your perception of them. Love doesn't alter the colour of the sky or the brightness of the flowers. It doesn't change the people around you. But love might change people's reactions to you. If you have true love in your heart then you will make the world a better place by the kindness and compassion you show. Like Michael Jackson's song Man in the Mirror you can only make the world a better place if you're willing to change yourself.

I have so many great friends and we love each other to bits because we always look out for one another. But I am truly blessed to have found a man who adores me, who worships me and who wants to spend every single moment of his time with me. He always puts me first and understands that writing is one of my true loves. He encourages me and states he is so proud of me for following my ambitions. I am so lucky to have this man in my life because he makes me feel so overwhelmingly special and I always seem to have a spark to my writing when I feel loved.

So the most important thing for me to do this week is to make sure this amazing man knows exactly how I feel about him.

Keep Calm and Carry On.

Somewhere in the blur of excitement I published my second book last weekend. It really was a surreal moment as it felt like I had been waiting for this opportunity all my life. Okay, well, maybe not all my life but ever since I released my debut book I knew I wanted to write the sequel.

Back then it was a very daunting time. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I didn't know whether I would have any fans at all or whether everyone would simply hate my book from the word go. And fear is often the biggest enemy of any writer. But sometimes it is far better to make one seamless leap into complete oblivion than to spend forever more teetering on a nervous edge. And I am so glad I went ahead and published my first book as I wouldn't be where I am today.

I am still nervous about people's reaction to my latest baby, in a way perhaps even more nervous than I was before. Last year I was a completely unknown author but this year people have certain expectations. And it's sometimes difficult to dismiss these nerves as you worry that your new book won't be as good as everyone wants it to be.

But I think my final conclusion is one of happiness. I know in time there will probably be bad reviews but that's always the case with any book. What I'm hoping for the most is that all my fans will enjoy it and spread the news via word of mouth. And it the mean time I'll just keep calm and carry on writing my third book.

To Write You Must First Experience Life

The time has finally come when I can say my second book will be out very shortly. If all goes well I am hoping to release it over this weekend. During the past two weeks it would be fair to say my stomach has been on a rollercoaster, full of ups and downs, as I prepare to take the next step in my writing career.

In a weeks' time all my work on my second book will be over. Of course, I'll do the odd bit of promotion here and there but it's important for me to keep in mind that nothing sells more books than writing more material.

You may be wondering what my third book is going to be about. Until now I have managed to keep it under wraps as I wanted to make sure I had finalised the idea before hinting at the plot line. But now I can say that it will be a true work of fiction but based on an event which happened to me as a child.

Having a major brain trauma is a huge life changing event for anyone, no matter what their age. When people have injuries to other body parts they usually make a full recovery. But when these injuries occur in the brain or spine the long term consequences can be devastating. After all, the brain controls all bodily functions and when that is damaged other areas will be affected.

My book will be about a young woman in her late-twenties who has had a brain trauma. The timing of this event will be catastrophic as she has just established her high flying career as a doctor. The impact of her injury is so severe it forces her to take a look at her own life and reassess certain things. I suppose the main theme in this book will be about how I view my own life. It will force my character to be aware you can take nothing for granted, and in order to live life to the maximum, you must make the most of every opportunity.

5 Things Writers Can Learn From The Olympics

Although I am not interested in sport like other people are, I did watch the Commonwealth Games when they were in Melbourne and I have watched the London Olympics when I've had chance. But one thing that always strikes me about events like these is how much strength, determination and willpower athletes have. The Olympic Games is a huge event and we, as a country, have been preparing to host it for years. The athletes who are lucky enough to be a part of such a fantastic event must surely be the best of the best.

So here is a list of five things that writers can do, like athletes must do, to achieve success.

1. Practice every day. The athletes didn't suddenly wake up to find they could win gold without putting in the hard work that success requires. Although they may be blessed with a runner's body, they still have to train hard every day.
2. Winning takes an extreme amount of focus. Training hard requires complete focus and the athletes are not easily distracted by other events. They have the discipline that it takes to excel over other competitors by continually pushing themselves forward.
3. Be part of a team. Although writing is an individual career, writers need other professionals to help them succeed. Writers have what it takes to produce a quality piece of work but they cannot edit it without the help of a copyeditor.
4. Everyone needs fans. All athletes and artists need fans to help support and encourage them when times are tough. The supporters give the athlete/writer something to focus on when they're preparing to run a race or write a book.
5. Rise above jealousy. There will always be someone more successful than yourself. But it's important not to feel resentful over this person but instead to try and learn from their achievements. Jealousy is such a pointless emotion because there is nothing to be gained from it.