Dinner with friends

Sometimes we let our lives get so busy that we skim our friendships with others. I’m shockingly guilty of this and tend to withdraw very much into myself, staying home, writing. Socialising has become something I do very rarely so it was a real treat to catch up with a group of writing friends last night at a wonderful Italian restaurant (we won’t discuss the Neil Diamond/Frank Sinatra want-to-be solo artist) in Auckland’s Mission Bay.

But aside from the wonderful food and the great company and much laughter, it made me realise that while I don’t ‘miss’ socialising when I’m staying at home and writing, I really do still miss out on so much in my friends lives. I’ve become horribly insular. While everyone was deeply familiar to me, and definitely are people I feel happy and comfortable with, I felt as if I was, in many ways, a total stranger to what’s been happening with them in their busy worlds.

And how often does that happen? Too often, I think.

I’ve been cocooned in my own little world and not been in touch with people as much as I ought to and, really, there’s no excuse. Deadlines will always be deadlines, I still need to meet them, but I need to meet those other really important matters in my life as well. I need to make time for the important people in my life before I miss out on even more of what’s happening in their worlds, or worse, miss out on them completely.

What’s that word? Balance. I need more balance.

This week I had a contact from an old school friend, someone I haven’t seen or been in touch with for more years than I’m prepared to admit to in public, and we’re going to meet for lunch in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to it because we have so much to catch up on and so many memories to rehash.

What about you? Have you missed being in touch with old friends? Or are you one of these fabulous people (which I’m aspiring to be from now on) who manages to remain in contact within the confines of busy and demanding life?

What I’m watching: KNOCKED UP

I freely admit that having this movie in our DVD player was NOT my choice. I’d read the premise of the film, I’d even seen other people blog about it–but faced with another evening of boring television (we don’t have cable) we watched KNOCKED UP since it had been hired by the kids.

Firstly, I think this movie could have been a whole lot better than it was. The actual premise had a ton of potential to show some great character growth and yes, while the lead male’s behaviour was incredibly juvenile and lacking responsibility he came to the party and was prepared to be ‘there’ for both the girl he knocked up and the baby that resulted from their one night of random sex.

I suppose, really, that his portrayal was pretty honest for the situation but the movie really lost it for me when the secondary characters (the heroine’s sister and husband) started acting out. What is it with couples, or at least TV and movie couples, where a female gets to say ‘I don’t like the way you’ve been behaving, I want you out of the house.’ Is there abuse? No. If there was I certainly wouldn’t have issue with wanting someone out of the house. Is there mental cruelty? No. Has he forgotten how to communicate with his wife about his own dreams? Yes. D’uh. Makes no sense for him to move out in my book. How the heck are you supposed to make things right when you’re not even together?

Call me old-fashioned, I don’t mind. I just find the whole cut and run thing (or even the cut and banish thing) very immature, especially when kids are involved and especially when there’s been no effort to seek to make things right in the first place–one strike and you’re out? Excuse me? To me, marriage and long term relationships are work all the way. Sometimes good work, sometimes hard work, but always work–much like life really. Forget to breathe and you’ve had it. Equate breathing with working on keeping your relationship healthy, and aren’t relationships the same way?

Anyway, suffice to say I wasn’t disappointed in this movie because I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it. Yes, there were moments of humour that weren’t based in a particularly grubby toilet bowl and, yes, I’m probably not the target audience for this film being <mumble mumble> years old, married for half that time, etc.

So anyone seen a really good movie they’d like to direct me to? I don’t care if its comedy, romance, drama, thriller or action (just not too much gore, please.) Tell me about it, please?

Diamonds Down Under!

Some time back Silhouette Desire had the great good sense to contract enough authors between Australia and New Zealand to be able to put together a Down Under based continuity.

After months and months of brainstorming, authors having to pull out due to other commitments, another new author being contracted and invited to the fold, etc. the Diamonds Down Under continuity was approved. And then the work really began.

We’re pleased and excited to be able to show you our new website publicising the continuity which will commence with Bronwyn Jameson’s brilliant VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM in January 2008. For an excerpt, click here.

Upcoming titles are:

PRIDE &A PREGNANCY SECRET by Tessa Radley available February 2008

MISTRESS & A MILLION DOLLARS by Maxine Sullivan available March 2008

SATIN & A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR by Jan Colley (website coming soon!) available April 2008

BOARDROOMS & A BILLIONAIRE HEIR by Paula Roe (who designed the website the clever chicky!) available May 2008

 and my book, JEALOUSY & A JEWELED PROPOSITION available June 2008

Bookmark the Diamonds Down Under website and keep checking back for more information, excerpts and a competition!

Sizzle Seduce & Simmer!!!

 It’s here! Sizzle Seduce & Simmer is here! I have a copy (courtesy of the lovely Nathalie at Gordon & Gotch here in New Zealand) and it’s just gorgeous!

I love the backcover blurb:

Ingredients

1 woman

1 man

1 sizzling romance

1 happy ending

1 tempting recipe from your favourite author

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together.

2. Season with a dash of seduction.

3. Add a sprinkling of passion.

4. Print carefully.

5. Read with relish.

Sizzle Seduce & Simmer is an anthology of short stories and favourite recipes by a wide group of romance writing friends and collated by the ever wonderful Marion Lennox. Basically it’s an anthology of friends.

It’ll be available in bookstores in Australia and at KMart and the Warehouse here in New Zealand, or you can order online now through eHarlequin in Australia.

So why don’t you buy a copy and do some Sizzle Seduce & Simmer of your own!

Tote Bags & Blogs

Tomorrow I’ll be blogging over at Tote Bags & Blogs, so come on over and join me! I hope to make my visits there a regular thing on the second Friday of each month.

In my blog I’m featuring friends and books and what happens when you link the two together.  Here’s a clue!

Oh, and I received my three author copies of my UK November release (featured in an earlier) blog, The Boss’s Christmas Seduction which is included in the Seduced by Christmas Omnibus. And someone (okay, a friend!) in the Orkney Islands has already bought a copy, so if you’re UK based, keep an eye out for two great stories!