Wanted to share with you my copy of the flier for the Jane Austen Festival in Australia in April 2011.

The festival looks like loads of fun with sewing classes, dancing, costumes etc.

Earlybird tickets go on sale in November.

Suzi

Found out that the first book in my scandal series has made it into the second round of judging for the Molly contest.

Yippee!

Suzi

Today is release day for my good friend Cathryn Brunet for her novella, Three Over Par, from Carina Press.

I’m so excited for her.

The excerpt is hot, and the rest even hotter, so race over to Carina Press and get your copy now.

Best of luck with the launch, Cathryn.

Suzi

To read the excerpt -

Weird and Wacky Worship???

Anyone who has read my previous blogs would know that I love the weird and wacky in all forms.

I love historical things weird and wacky eg dress sense, clothing, scientific research, written treatises- basically anything, or anyone, that worships the strnage like I do. I scour second hand book sales for out of print books, because they always hide the most fascinating bits of information behind their tattered covers.

This is one of my favorite books  – reading a page from this never fails to make me laugh!

       Curious Pleasures      – A Gentleman’s Collection of Beastliness

           Being a Narrative of Mankind’s Curious and Carnal deeds and Practices; 

             The Whole Forming a Valuable, Interesting and Constructive Compendium.

                    most painstakingly compiled     by the Rev’d Dr Erasmus St Jude Croom DD     

Author Suzi -  Dear, dear reader, I hope this first, tiny sample gives you a giggle too.

Quoting from Erasmus –  Theaphilia -  A practice not only beastly but verging on the sacreligious in that it involves the worship of a woman as if she were a goddess.

Author intrusion- Personally, I can’t see anything wrong with this idea, can you??????

Erasmus – This is, to the limit of my research, an exclusivley male preoccupation, possibly becaseu women have too much common sense.

2nd Author intrusion – Well said!!!! 

Erasmus - The number of women who wish to be treated in this manner is also low, largely, so I understand, because it requires a great deal of effort to live up to the expectations of the typical theaphile. Thus we have the first irony of the situation, in that while the theaphile wishes to worship at the feet of his ‘goddess’, he is almost without exception the most demanding of creatures. The position of paramour might seem enviable, until one considers that she must keep herself immaculate at all times and in a constant state of readiness to provide for him, while as he deems himself unworthy to touch her in any way, she must take her own pleasure in secret, with the chimney sweep ot the baker’s boy as cicumstances dictate. 

3rd Author Intrusion- To retain the purity of sensitive ears, I’ve skipped the wonderful examples good old Erasmus gives, but you can always check out his book for yourself if you’re a weird addict like me.  

Erasmus – We therefore have the second irony of these ‘goddeses’ usually being women of the lowest moral character- ladies of negotiable virtue who have been quick to take advantage of such weakness. Many houses of ill-repute have a ‘goddess’ in regular employment, generally a tall woman of stern appearacne who is notably skilled in the arts of bondage and flagellagation. In some cases, theaphilia has even proved the route to wealth, mainly when the adulation takes a distinctive form, with the man wishing to make himself utterly dependent on the object of his desire.

Final author intrusion -  Okay ladies of all classes, I’m doing  ahead count. Hands up those who’d like to be treated like a ‘goddess’ ????  Oh, I see hands up all around the world so the idea of sittign around enjoyin gimmense wealth and beign waited on hand and foot appraently appeals to a large percentage of the female populaiton, including yours truly.

More tempting fun from Erasmus next time.

Your intrusive author, 

Suzi

I’d like to point you in the direction of our fantastic Romance Writers of Australia Sunday morning blog where the wonderful blog mistress- oooh, doesn’t that have a nice ring to it? – Sandie Hudson, gives up a round-up of the week’s news for our members.

And of course, I’m not above doing  a teensy tiny bit of boasting (occasionally) as news of my contest placement and latest contest final are there amongst all the other snippets of good news from our members. 

So do drop by and have a look,

Suzi

http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/cruisin-the-blog-members-news-36/

Okay, this little quote of women’s wisdom definitely describes me at the moment.

                 I never see what has been done;  I only see what remains to be done.

                                                                                                                Marie Curie

But I am trying to change- really I am- as I know Madam Curie eventually achieved great things and so shall I.

It only takes a little bit more positive belief in ourselves. Doesn’t it?

Suzi

While I wouldn’t call reading Amanda Quick’s books for the umpteenth time exactly proscrasinating, it’s probably hours I should spend writing instead. But who can resist a re read of a favorite book? Or two? Or possibly nine?

I love to immerse myself in the atmosphere of Amanda Quick’s books, imagine the settings she puts us in, and admire her heroes. When she describes her gentlemen from the Vanzagarian Society who can help a shiver of delight, as isn’t it every heroine’s dream to be assisted  in their endeavors by a strong and handsome man? Sigh! 

And her men are always cantankerous enough to remind us no hero is perfect, but they can be useful to have around. Exactly how I love to write the heroes in my own books.

How about you? Do you like to give your heroes slight imperfections to make them more human? 

If you’ve read any of the Amanda Quick books from my recent re reading list below, leave a comment and tell me which ones you love, and why.

Suzi Love

With This Ring

I Thee Wed

Deception

Mistress

Rendezvous

Dangerous

Slightly Shady

Don’t Look Back

Wicked Widow

I had some more good news re contests this week.

My historical entry in the final of the Central Florida Touch of Magic contest placed third.

Plus, I have finaled in the Celtic Hearts Golden Claddagh contest, and am at present revising my entry to send to the final judge.

Woo Hoo! Onwards and upwards, I keep saying.

Suzi

My good friend Cathryn Brunet has an excerpt of her new novella, Three Over Par, up on her website for you to read.

Whew! A hot, hot, read. Can’t wait to read the rest when it is released on July 26th at Carina Press.

 But for now, jump over to Cathryn’s site to read the first chapter, and then to Carina Press to Pre-order.

I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it,

Suzi

Once again, I’m out of hospital and back to work on edits.
Thank goodness.
Are you like me and loathe not being able to write for a day or two??
I think the surgeon got a shock seeing me perched up in bed in PJ’S with pink laptop open and hard at work the morning after surgery, but to me it feels perfectly acceptable and normal.
Talk soon on my gorgeous new look site,
Suzi