So, we finally got away in the van. Headed up north to a little place called Dongara. What a fabulous weekend we had – beautiful weather, the water was superb and we got to catch up with a friend in Geraldton. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to call in on a separate friend.

We were on track to head back to Dongara in time for Happy Hour when we decided to look for adblu for the car (diesel scrubber). Using Google and google maps, we ended up driving around for 2 hours before finally finding a place that sold bottles of it and spent quite a lot of money on it. We were that ticked off it wasn’t funny. Well, it did end up being funny.

On the way back I was taking various videos for friends in the US when a bird hit the side mirror. I caught sight of it and watched as it ricocheted back into the bush. Stu heard the bang and immediately said, “what did you do?” The shock on his face when I told him was worth a thousand pictures!

We got back in time to relax somewhat and then head out for fish and chips (minus the chips) on the beach. Then Stu entertained me by feeding the seagulls the 3 pieces of lemon that came with the fish. The looks on their faces were comical!

Sunday was a day of quiet and writing and watching videos. Didn’t do a great deal that day but did go out again and take videos and pics of Dongara. It really is a picturesque little town. Oh, and we did go to the Illegal Rum Distillery. So called for the law made by Governor Macquarie in 1808 that made rum illegal in Australia. Even to this day, you won’t find rum made in Australia – it’s always either a clear or brown spirit. Happy Hour with the caravan club was lots of fun and made friends with some of the new members.

Monday we headed for the visitors’ centre only to find out that all the places we wanted to see were closed on Mondays. So, we headed off and found the 7 Mile Beach. Another lovely spot.

This is a place we will definitely come back to and visit more friends while we’re there.

Unfortunately, we found out on Tuesday that one of our newest members had been involved in a fatal crash on the way home. Our thoughts are with their family and friends and we are deeply rocked by this news.

So this last week has been really diverse. I’ve been doing a lot of wordz for work (I wonder if transcription for courts counts as part of Nanowrimo?), writing quite a lot because – well, National Novel Writing Month – going to a writer’s group, dealing with a toothache and a heap more.

Toothache, however, did me out of a game of DnD last night, so I’m not impressed. At the same time I was able to watch the last two episodes of Arrow, so that’s completed now.

Oh, also heard from the caravan mob but it’s still up in the air about whether we’re caravaning next weekend or camping. Simon has offered to loan us his tent.

Next weekend we’re actually heading out of town. We’re going to a small town called Dongara and we’re leaving Friday and coming back on Tuesday. I am sooooo looking forward to it.

Ah, panadol works well with headache from toothache. Did take 4 to settle it, though. Have booked dentist on Thursday morning before Stu gets back.

Halloween was a blast! We got some dry ice to put in my potions but for some reason, even though we refridgerated it, most of it disappeared! We did get enough for the potions for a video so at least we’ve got that. I’m going to look into a smoking machine for next year. We didn’t get much decorations put up, I think I’m going to have to buy next year’s decorations online so I can get them earlier.

At least now I can concentrate on setting up the pond area to look like a beach scene. Just have to push some of the green back to expose the sand there! And get some tiny surfboards, some drink umbrellas and a couple of cheap dolls on beach recliners. Already have a table for them!

I have written my fantasy magic battle between my warrior-wizard and my mage-king but I’ve asked for feedback on it to see whether it’s enough or whether I need more. Still waiting, but it’s been less than a day.

Dark Reign is still being edited but it looks like my writing has improved from Dark Dimensions, at least I hope so! Fingers crossed it won’t be far away! Then I have to decide on doing the kids’ story or Vlad’s story. Decisions, decisions!

I’m still in the air about Consequences 4 because I’m not sure if people want to read something that’s at least 20 years after Dangerous Heart. Maybe I’ll ask people after Dangerous Heart is released.

I think the weather knew Stu was home – the last few days have been winterish. Down to 11 and 12 C at times during the day which is unheard of in October in Perth.

So, we’ve fixed the awning on the van and it’s in now getting a new hot water service and battery installed. We’re hoping it’s finished before we go up to Dongara in a couple of weeks’ time.

For those following me, I have 3 online interviews lined up when we get back from Dongara, 2 in November and 1 in December. I’m looking forward to them, although I’m still a little nervous about them.

Also, if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, I will be on Discord, and trying my luck at screen sharing on Twitch if I can work out how to do that before Sunday which is my shift. It’s all part of the Writing around WA group and ties in with the Perth North and South Group, the Greater East Group and the Greater North Group.

I currently have no idea where my web cam is (yes, I know I need to find it before the interviews), so visual will just be screen sharing and voice will be through discord. I’ll try and keep up with the chats on Discord!

Just don’t expect me to be really organised with my writing – I’m happiest when I’m doing brand new stuff!

EDIT: Due to hardware components, can’t do Twitch but will be doing Discord. If you’d like to be a part of it, please message me and we’ll talk. I will be online at Discord on Sunday morning, Perth, Western Australia time.

I’m also participating in a number of blogs and online magazines, so those will be exciting!

On the home front, we’ve finally got the cats an outdoor home for when we’re outdoors but when we introduced them it got a bit traumatic so I’ll be working on that in the next 2 weeks, gradually taking them out with a chair inside it so I can sit in with them.

Okay, off to download Twitch!

Yesterday, I sent Dangerous Heart (Consequences 3) to the publisher.

I’m a little excited!

For those who are reading Heart of Deception, I have been doing a little writing about Marek’s background before the book began. It was enjoyable writing, but it was all about what happens in a possible book 4 – if people want it.

The main thing is that I really need reviews, so, please, if you have bought Heart of Deception, can you please write up a small review for me?

(Oh my gosh, I sound like someone who owns a YouTube channel – you know? “hit the subscribe button and the notification button so we can blah, blah, blah!” Sorry about that!)

Seriously, though, I hope you’re enjoying my work. Dark Reign, sequel to Dark Dimensions, is still with the editor and I will let you all know when I send it to the publisher!

Wow! What a thing to wake up to! No Facebook. that’s a first! They nearly got copies of my diplomas, but they came back before their collection system worked. haha

It suddenly brought home to me how much we invest in social media these days – Facebook wasn’t working, nor Messenger, nor Whatsapp. Most of my friends are on one of these platforms. Just as well Discord was still up – but no-one was on Discord this morning!

The other shocking thing was to get a phonecall from a flatmate to say he’d “taken a stack” on the trail from Bells Rapids to Wyalunga National Park and hurt his hand. To give him moral support, he picked me up on his way to Urgent care.

Well, after 4 hours spent there, he comes home with a backslap cast and a sling (triangular bandage) having fractured a metacarpal bone! Man, he is not going to live that down easily. Not since I was half way through a scene!

And that means he’s got at least 2 weeks off work. Urgent care gave him a Med cert for a week and if the plastics people haven’t got him in by then, then our GP will have to give him more time. Me? I’d be ringing the plastics people later today to push the appointment through. But I’m impatient!

The other news is that Consequences 3 (possibly called Dangerous Heart) is out of editing and currently getting a final check.

Legacy of Risks (Consequences 2 is out on 22 Feb 2022.

Dark Reign is still being edited – up to chapter 2, now. 🙂

And that’s about it – apart from I am learning to play Magic today for the first time. Darn, have to clear off the table – nah, we can go out to our new gazebo!

Okay, so I have to apologise, yet again, for not keeping up with this. I’ve had some things happen over the past few weeks that shook the boat a little.

One of the things that happened was that some rat in Tunisia (I don’t know them by the way) tried to steal my Microsoft ID. Thank you, Microsoft for stopping that. Hence I had to change my passwords on some things and one of those things was emails.

So the Microsoft ID password changed happily and although I got the email passwords changed, I had a heap of trouble after that. I use an email client so that I don’t have to log into the email websites all the time and it wouldn’t accept the changes. So I updated the client (it was totally out of date) but that didn’t help – stupids, I only realised later that I probably needed to wait for 24 hours to make that change.

So, anyway, I’m looking around for a new client – yeah, I know, most people use Outlook, but I get very little spam using the client I do, so I wanted to stay right away from outlook. In the midst of all this, my computer decided the keyboard wasn’t up to scratch so stopped accepting the qwerty side of things – apart from the enter button and the backspace. Weird, I know.

Luckily, a friend was over and he’d looked at this keyboard issue before (this was the 3rd time) and fixed it for me. This time he had a look at something else, found that was woefully out of date so updated that and the keyboard works.

Then I went back into the updated email client and added the email addresses and lo and behold they all work! So I’m super happy about that.

Some good things happened, though. The third book in the Consequences trilogy has passed the editor but still remains title free. So, I’m trying to think of a title for that. We do have a working title but to me it is too close to Legacy of Risks that is coming out in February (oooh, have seen a first trial of cover art but it’s not set in concrete so I’m not sharing it). I will get there, it’s just a matter of time.

Also, Dark Reign is with the editor and we’ve gone through it once and are now doing a second run with it and the Prologue and Ch 1 are clear and complete (I think).

For today? I’m going to prep some vegies for a frittata we’re having and then I’m going to go outside and take advantage of this beautiful weather we’re having and do some art.

Have a great weekend and as I said – I am sorry this was delayed so long.

Yes, I know, it’s a few days late, but I had some news I wanted to make sure of first!

Dark Reign is with the editor. She’s working very hard on it.

Consequences 3 is also with the editor after some slight changes were made. Good changes, too.

My current work in progress is a warrior-wizard story. Now, I take my hat off to fantasy writers. It is a lot more difficult to write a fantasy than a sci fi, I’m finding. I know this is my fantasy, my realm, and, yes, it has magic in it so I can change things, but it’s not a steampunk, so I still have to be careful what I put in, like, he’s a knight, so I have to know the basics of knight’s armour. Because it is based on our history.

After I’ve done this one, I have 2 more for Clans in Conflict – one’s a prequel to Dark Dimensions, and the other is – nope, not saying. It’s a surprise.

Having said that, I’m open to suggestions for a 5th book relating the MC of the first half of Dark Reign. Only if there’s enough interest, though.

I also have the skeleton of a Consequences 4, so I may also be looking at that.

After announcing all that, I have also undertaken an exercise regime because I’m sick and tired of what I can and can’t do. I have already lost 7kg and am visiting the physio tomorrow for another and final check. It’s on track for what I want and I intend to get more active. Having said that, I now have a 3 wheeler bike (or trike) and it’s the funniest thing to ride. The steering is incredibly sensitive and I have a tendency to over-steer it (it has road tyres rather than mountain bike tyres) so I have to learn to cut back on the steering. Once I realised that, I did a lot better.

And I have a friend who has an idea for another story for which I already have a character that will fit in perfectly.

Wow, there’s a lot tonight!

I have been working with a writing group right here in Midland called Grow Write. Now, while we are centred on this suburb of Perth, even if you can’t make it, we now do prompts on our Facebook group and through our email group, so if you’d like to join us, just PM me on Facebook – or message me here and we’ll work it out!

I think that’s all I have to say. It’s time to get tea started and get back to spooky TV in time for next week’s writing prompt!

Heart of Reception is due out tomorrow 9 August – or Tuesday, depending on where you are. It can be bought from:

Amazon Australia

Amazon

We’ve still got Dark Dimensions out:

Available at:

Amazon Australia

Amazon

And, then we have one of the most amazing books I have read:

Available at:

Amazon

Amazon Australia

And his redoubtable:

Available at:

Amazon

Amazon Australia

And all books are available at:

Corvus Quill Press

Books-A-Million

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble

So, enjoy reading – I know we enjoyed writing them. And I will be online most of tomorrow and Tuesday at

JA Duxbury’s Weird Words

I will invite John and a few other writers to help me out! 😀

Okay, so with editing, work and other commitments, I am going to start posting here once a fortnight. I’ll try and squeeze everything in for you all.

First of all, though,

Dark Dimensions

We are now in Barns & Noble and Books a Million! Woohoo! And we have a new cover! Still available through Amazon and Amazon.com.au. Haven’t looked at Amazon.co.uk, but I know a book has been sold there, so it must be available!

I want to thank everyone who has bought a copy and please, introduce others to it. I wish you all great enjoyment of it.

Also, news for you, I have almost finished editing Dark Reign, the sequel. I am still waiting on beta readers to complete their feedback, then it will be going to an editor and then the publisher!

We do still have something else to look forward to before that happens:

Heart of Deception

I can’t wait for it to come out! 😀

It’s exciting to have another book out and if you’re not into sci fi or vampires, don’t worry, there’s nothing like this in Heart of Deception – and if you think it’s a romance, I hope you won’t be disappointed.

So, we all know Dark Dimensions is out there on Amazon and Amazon Australia and, again, thank you all who bought it and those who are still meaning to!

But this is out in 32 days at:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Heart-Deception-Consequences-Book-1-ebook/dp/B098PMXY76/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=heart+of+deception&qid=1625704166&sr=8-5

and:https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Deception-Consequences-Book-1-ebook/dp/B098PMXY76/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=j+a+duxbury&qid=1625704366&sr=8-5

It will be available on Amazon and Amazon Australia. Waiting on a video to share with you all!

I’m soooooo excited about this.

I will admit, this is why I missed a post. It was too close not to wait!