Hi, remember me? Yeah, I kind of used to blog here but seem to have forgotten to in a while. 😉

I will admit I have been meaning to post for some time and have about four pages of notes I’ve made on topics to blog about…. Yeah, they so helped didn’t they?

But with the usual family goings on and a simply fantastic (note sarcasm) winter for illness… I’ve spent more time over on my reviewer blog. As that’s what I do when I’m not well – I read. And what happens when you get sent a free book in exchange for an open and honest review? Well, I don’t know about you, but I always feel obliged to actually review it. So, that sort of justifies all the activity over there while over here even the lonesome cricket has stopped chirping and have buggered off to somewhere else. 😀

However, as ‘that time of year’ has come upon us again, here I am wishing you all a Happy Halloween once more. In the past I’ve used this time to have a bitch about all the anti-Halloween sentiment here in Australia and the double standards of our ‘pick and mix’ multi-cultural society… but I’m over all that. I’m tired of focussing on the negatives and for the past year I’ve been seeking the positive in every situation I’ve faced. Both good and bad, always seek the positive. And so this year I’ve capered about and celebrated Halloween with reckless abandon. Don’t believe me? Here’s a pic.

It’s me trying on one of my many witches hats. Yes, many. And they’re not all just Halloween costumes… figure that one out. 😉

And have you met my new Personal Assistant?

I picked him up at a local “dollar store” and saw sooo much potential in that plastic (naked) rat skeleton I just had to take him home, make him a cowl and scythe and set him to work.

He now sits with me at my writing desk keeping my company, but also sometimes goes off to get other things done while I work. Check out my Instagram account here if you don’t believe me.

The best thing about my PA – known as the Death Of Rats around here- is like any pet… he’s not just for the holiday season, he’s for life. Or, being plastic, until I get distracted by something else – then he’ll get popped up on a shelf to gather dust like all my other stuff. 😉

So he won’t be disappearing after Halloween and will hopefully inspire me to be the best I can be when sitting at my desk either writing, editing or reviewing (for others). Admittedly I can also see him aiding my procrastination by going off and getting instagramed doing something he maybe shouldn’t be doing… But that comes with being my Personal Assistant. That’s just assisting in procrastinating. Something for his CV!

Best bit of all about my PA is I can pay him with belly rubs, see?

If I ever have to replace him with an actual real person PA… I hope they’re okay with this form of wages.

And so Halloween is here… Tomorrow! It might be spring and my Pagan soul might be screaming that it’s Beltane and not Samhain so enough with the Autumnal themes… but hey! I’m a multi-cultural Pagan and can accept this is just the way it is and not knock a holiday that allows me the chance to draw pumpkin faces on oranges, shrunken skull faces on walnuts and make up really gross names for my baking. Have you tried my blood and bone crunch, blood mud pies or graveyard dirt wedges?

I do hope this little post will encourage me to keep coming back and filling you all in on my life as an Author, Haus Frau and the other stuff I get up to. I’ve started writing a lot again lately, which is awesome – thank you positive attitude (and possibly the Vit B and probiotic combo I now take with my ‘happy’ pill). 😉 I’m currently working on book three of my Other World series as – rumour has it – the second book is about to be accepted for publication. I’ve also been tinkering with Grey (also known as my white elephant story as I do get the feeling she will never be published). And, finally, I’ve been playing around with a bit of a futuristic urban fantasy YA story that, accidentally, has started out with a Mr Flibble undertone. (Red Dwarf fans may understand that.)

And, of course, I am being creative in other ways, embracing the day, moment, second and seeking the positive. I’m done with the “I will start doing that when I get XYZ done” and then never get to XYZ. Who needs XYZ anyhow? Just bloody do it!

Okay, enough waffling from me. It was nice to see you all again stopping by my blog and rolling your eyes at my antics. I’ve missed that. Let’s roll eyes at each other again soon, okay?

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO