I’m going to once again apologise for what is surely to be a rambling post about me *grin*. I can hear that song in the background... "You're so vaaaiiiin, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?"

I was visiting the blog of one of my good friends this morning, a debut author with Noble Romance Publishing, Tamara Gill (hit her name to see the blog post), and it hit me that I’ve never really told anyone how I came about this mad journey to be published. In the absence of a better idea today, I’ll tell you all about it (and apologise if I have told you but can't remember)...

Like Tamara, I didn’t start writing in primary school, scribbling in the backs of journals or whatever, hell I only just passed English and that was only because I had a teacher who was an insane cat lover. Write a story about a cat and you got an automatic A which balanced out the F’s and U’s I got for PE (no athletes in me waiting to break out). But I was a reader. I have always been interested in any and every book I could get my hands on. In the years after my cat loving teacher, I would get so frustrated with reading out loud. I always wanted to fly ahead and see what happened next. This I got from my mum. I can read a book in a day and then still pick up the sequel and stay up till the early hours of the morning lost in someone else’s world. I remember mum hiding them when she heard dad’s car pull in the driveway. We had Mills & Boons all through the house, under couch cushions, in the utensil draw. You get the picture.

So when I was about 19, I got a job working in a security control centre. Sometimes it got so boring and with nothing else to do, I would read. A lot! When I got transferred to Patrols, hours would go by in the small hours of the morning without one phone call or break in so we would watch movies, play Playstation, read books, whatever it took to stay awake (it was a great job, really, I loved it!) Anyway, one night I finished a book that had such a crap, anti-climactic ending that I threw it down in frustration wondering why I wasted money on it. And then the lightbulb moment came that I could do better. Every budding writer thinks they can do better, don’t they? ‘It’ll be easy, if they can do it crap, why can’t I do it awesome?’. WRONG! Not that I can’t do it better (I still think I can in some instances) but wrong that it’s easy. I started penning my first book back when I was 20-21 and now I’m 28, I’ve had one short story published and that’s it. I take away the time I was pregnant since I couldn’t write my way out of a paper bag when I was full of hormones (I was a crier) so take four years (pregnant with two and then feeding and sleepless nights) and that leaves me with about three to four years of getting serious, joining writing groups and organisations like SARA, RWAus and various critique groups.

So where am I now? Consider before I answer that most published authors I speak to say it took them on average eight to ten years to get a contract. I have a full and a partial (three chapters) on the desk of a New York Editor as we speak. I have a partial on the desk of a UK editor. I have two contest finals under my belt, a short story and other small accomplishments. But I’ve written about five full stories (the first one is soooo bad, I’m going to start again from scratch with just the idea) a few shorts and heaps of beginnings yet I’m still chasing the dream. Hopefully it won’t take me another six years but I’ll keep chasing.

I couldn’t imagine any other career that would keep me as happy and as satisfied as being an author. (Other than mum of course =) nothing can beat that!)

I thank my lucky stars everyday that I live in a country like Australia but, like every other country, we are at the mercy of the elements be they snow, fires, storms, hail, blinding heat or monsoon floods. Unfortunately Mother Nature made herself known in the state of Queensland where record rains, an already wet ground and an over capacity dam has wreaked havoc across an area larger than Texas. 75% of the state is now either under water or has been affected in some way. Lives have been lost, houses ripped from their foundations in what people are calling an inland tsunami and thousands displaced.

Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, summed it up perfectly when she said the floods would break our hearts but wouldn’t break our spirits. The Aussie way of life is shining through in the millions of dollars donated so far to those affected. It doesn’t matter that we’re all strangers, in other states or other countries, we all give what we can when we can. This isn’t the first time our little country has faced tragedy on this scale. It’s not something you can ever get used too but we are pretty good at banding together in the after-mass.

In saying all of this, if you can donate in anyway (cash is preferable but I know not everyone can help this way) every little bit counts and is hugely appreciated by Australia as a whole not just those who tonight don’t have homes to sleep in or the arms of their loved ones around them. If you would like to help, I have posted a few links down the page you can follow wherever you are in the world. I will keep updating these links as they come to light.

Thanks in advance for your generosity.
Bronwyn.

If you've been living under a rock or in another country *g* please go to - ABC News for up to the minute updates.

If you have toys, children’s clothing or nursery Manchester go to - www.qldytoyappeal.com.au

If you live in New York City you can still help by going to - http://www.theaustraliannyc.com  

If you would like to donate books for rebuilding libraries and replenishing school stocks, you can find the info on either of my Facebook pages -

Bronwyn Stuart

Bronwyn Stuart Fan Page

The Australian Red Cross has agreed to manage the distribution of the donated funds on behalf of the Queensland Government.

All donations of $2.00 or more to the appeal will be tax deductable (for Australian residents).

Donate over the phone:

To make a donation using your credit card, call 1800 219 028 or visit www.qld.gov.au/floods.


Donate at a bank:

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Advise the bank that you want to make a donation to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal.


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• Account number: 1000 6800

Once your transaction is complete, you should record the receipt number for your transaction. If you do not receive a receipt number, contact your financial institution.

If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please forward a request, with proof of donation to:

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PO Box 15185

City East QLD 4002

Send a cheque in the mail:

You are welcome to post a cheque donation – please do not send cash.

Cheques should be made payable to:

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ABN: 69 689 161 916

Cheques should be posted to:

Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal

C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet

PO Box 15185

City East QLD 4002