jtwebsterbooks

A whole month has passed since I last posted. So what has this blogger been doing? Quite a lot really, but none of it related to writing. There's been the on going renovation of our kitchen. Re...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/on-taking-break.html

I read an interesting article in the newspaper, yesterday, about the historic buildings in Dunedin and it quoted a poem by Thomas Bracken. Here's the poem, illustrated by a photo I took of Dune...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/thomas-bracken-writer-of-our-national.html

I'm not blogging much this year as I'm trying to cut back on my internet usage and free up some much needed time to concentrate on my writing and other things. And it's working! So what have be...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-have-i-been-up-to.html

Driving home from church today I had a great conversation with my teenage daughter about writing and we got to talking about Cecelia Ahern who had her first book, 'P.S. I Love You', published at ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/chick-flicks.html

I know it's rather late in January to be talking about the New Year, but for me the year starts when hubby and kids go back to school. By the end of the week they will all be back at their variou...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-beginnings.html

As I write this we are experiencing the first thunder storm of the summer. Rain is pelting down and the spouting is overflowing. It's hard to believe that just a few hours ago we were walking alo...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-praise-of-strawberries.html

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-eve-2012.html

Today was the first day of summer holidays for hubby and we trotted off to the newly opened Toitu - Early Settler's Museum. I posted about it's temporary closure whilst it was being revamped h...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/toitu-museum.html

So it's day 23 of NaNo and it's almost two weeks since I've blogged. How am I doing? I started off with a hiss and a roar and now the pace could be described as plodding. But there is at leas...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/angry-bird.html

Ten days in, 17555 words, and one third of the challenge is over. I've been surprised at how easy it has been this time around. Usually I can get my words done in about two hours. It is, of cou...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/nanowrimo-day-10.html

Day three of NaNo - it's Saturday and all the family are about. After doing the weekly grocery shopping, hubby and I had a takeaway coffee overlooking Otago Harbour and our beautiful city. ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/day-three-of-nano.html

NaNoWriMo 2012 has begun! After hubby and the kids left for school I finished the daily Code Cracker in the newspaper, swilled back my first cuppa for the day, went for a brisk half hour walk, ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/nanowrimo-day-one-success.html

Last week I finished reading the first in Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series: Silent in the Grave. I wrote a review of the second book, Silent in the Sanctuary, here. If you like myster...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/deanna-raybourns-brilliant-lady-julia.html

T.S.S.Earnslaw  photo: travel.crowe.co.nz This year is the centenary of the building of the steam ship T.S.S.Earnslaw. Built in 1912, in Dunedin, by J.Mcgregor and Co it was dismantled and ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/steam-festival-in-dunedin.html

In preparation for tonight's writers group, I have been surfing the net on this month's topic of over-writing.  Keeping away from Purple Prose and limiting the use of adjectives and adverbs  ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/there-is-nothing-new-under-sky.html

Yesterday (Saturday US time) was the launch date for Elisabeth Grace Foley's new book. This is the first in a series featuring elderly sleuth, Mrs Meade. This 15700 word novella will appeal to th...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-silver-shawl-by-elisabeth-grace.html

I am the very proud owner of a Bernina 730 Record sewing machine, circa early 1960s. My old machine (which is actually only 20 years old) was tired and a bit broken and sewing on it was not a ple...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-new-vintage-toy.html

I haven't been around for a wee bit. Life is going through a busy patch and, most importantly, I've been putting in some good writing hours. A couple of posts ago I told you about our visiting ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/more-guests.html

I've had a very laid back weekend and one of the highlights was a wander through Dunedin's Botanic Gardens with hubby. Even a writer has to admit that some pictures paint a thousand words. So ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/magnolia-paradise.html

Another week comes to an end, yet another with a sick child. This time it was the turn of my daughter. There is a persistent little virus running rife in our city and I hope it packs it's bags so...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/unusual-guests.html

Between my own bouts of 'flu and the families ills and chills I've been making slow headway through various projects. I'm wanting to e-publish a collection of my historical short stories and I'...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/whats-happening-in-my-writing-world.html

In the midst of the mad morning dash to school and work there was a little beam of sunshine. My daughter, who has been having a love hate relationship with books lately, came downstairs with one ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/ballet-shoes.html

As you can see, things have changed a bit around here. Nothing like a change, is there? I just wanted to give a big shout out to the wonderful designer, Karen Watson of The Background Fairy.  ...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/new-look-blog.html

I'm having a bit of a topsy-turvy week. One of those weeks when outside influences cause you to through your routine out the window. Nothing major, nothing to worry about, I'm just finding it ha...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/three-quilts-and-trip-to-theatre.html

A couple of weeks ago my brother rang to tell me that Maeve Binchy had died. It was sad news indeed. From her first novel: Light A Penny Candle (1982) I was a devoted fan.  I own all her no...

http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/thanks-for-all-stories-maeve.html