Leigh D'Ansey

What color green? Golden delicious green? Granny smith green? Pippin green!
The thrills of research 🥰🥰🥰

THE WEEKS THAT WERE
It's been a bit of a rocky ride in our household the last few weeks. A stay in hospital for the man-of-the-house and a confronting diagnosis to bring home. A prowler, the police, an ambulance and weather that swings from one season to another in the space of an afternoon.

I'm no Pollyanna but I 'm so grateful for the small joys - books to read, stories to write, a roof over my head, a warm bed, healthy food and a garden. Good friends, a wonderful family and fabulous neighbours add to the blessings. How lucky am I :)

Now it's into another weekend and FB tells me it's 25 days since I shared a post. I can hardly believe it! Here are some pics from my Weeks that Were. Take care xx

THE WEEK THAT WAS
The first week in October has left us in the dust! I prefer Christmas to take me by surprise but there's little chance of that when the shops are already filled with Christmas-y stuff :(

What's been happening in my week? First up, we have a new addition to the extended family! Huntaway JJ is is a lovely, gentle girl.

A trip across Lake Taupo on a splendid day and lunch on the lakefront with snow-topped mountains in the distance.

My gorgeous and very efficient granddaughter came and tidied up my filing system (yes, my filing system was a basket!).

A tidy-up in the garden, and of course, more work on 'His Barefoot Bride' - although Alicia and Alex are being rather capricious, making their own way instead of obediently following the path I set out for them :) I have some interesting reading to look forward to and have been pottering around on TikTok:
https://tinyurl.com/2p9xn7zm

In an effort to eat less meat, a herby omelette was on the menu for dinner tonight. It was a bit messy but tasted OK!

Have a fabulous week everyone and please do share a snippet of your 'Week that Was' if you'd like to. Lxx

The countdown is on for ‘TOUCH OF STEEL’…

This is D.I.Anderson’s toughest case yet and is going LIVE on October 31st…

Pre-order your copy here… https://a.co/d/dzkYq8O

If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited read it for FREE

denisefitzpatrickwriter.com

THE WEEK THAT WAS
Another week has flown by! In between racking up the words on 'His Barefoot Bride' I've had another wonderful week, even though the weather has been fresh to say the least. Here is a quick summary of the last days in my September.

Conversations with Cookie - an ongoing pleasure with me doing most of the talking and Cookie simply adding her decorative self. A birthday dinner at local restaurant 'The Fainting Goat' offered an amazing board of deliciousness and catered for all tastes (plus pizza!). 😋

I enjoyed some great reads. I love books that make me think 'What would I do in the same circumstances?' Each of these novels dished up that sentiment many times over. Every year I wait with bated breath for our neighbor's flowering cherry to burst into bloom. She has done it again this year ❣

Although Kenneth Branagh still doesn't convince me as Agatha Christie's Poirot, I loved 'A Haunting in Venice', Branagh's latest Poirot mystery. Stunning visuals, gripping atmosphere, and heart-in-mouth suspense. Do go and watch it if you can.

On the gardening front, I have seedlings coming along, new lavender plants and enough blooms to make a posy in a mug made to commemorate a family anniversary.

At a recent writers meeting we were given the challenge of writing a short story of no more than 500 words. The story had to include 'ight' used in a word three times and the words 'fish' and 'summer'. If you'd like to read my contribution to the challenge, you can do so here: https://leighdanseyauthor.com/blog/

And now we are in October! What will the next week bring? As always, if you'd like to share some pics of your week, I'd love to see them Lxx

THE WEEK THAT WAS
It's been a fun old week with lots of different things happening. Joy has been in the small things: spring blossoms outside my window, a walk in beautiful town gardens, swimming in hot pools, lunch with dear friends, listening to inspiring writerly talks, a nice brunch at home and a visit to an artisan cheesemaker. I have to admit, not much work has been done! Here are some pics from my week.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone - I hope there's joy in the small things for you also, especially if you're dodging those curve balls that bowl us down from time to time. If you'd like to share pics of your week, I'd love to see them xx

It's a windy old day here in Aotearoa/New Zealand, with flights and ferries cancelled, but these pretties are basking in the shelter of my deck. I'd call them violas but they have several names including Johnny Jump Ups (how fun is that) and Heartsease.

Alicia, the heroine in 'His Barefoot Bride' my WIP, is knowledgeable about plants used for natural healing. She would tell you Heartsease might soothe a sore throat and could be helpful when treating dandruff, warts, acne and other skin conditions.

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Hey, it really is spring over here. Blossom on!
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My favourite Tuesday of the month - book group! We have a fabulous group who meet monthly to share books we've read - the good, the bad and everything in between. We aren't allocated a book for all to read - we simply read what we like and share our enjoyment or otherwise. It's a great way to discover new authors and step into a genre we might not usually choose.

This month, I highly recommend 'Dangerous Women' by Hope Adams. While the story is fictional, it is based on the voyage of the Rajah in 1841, transporting female convicts from England to Tasmania. During the three-month voyage a group of women stitched together the 'Rajah Quilt', now held by Australia's National Gallery.

I loved this compelling story with a murder mystery at its centre and love, friendship and hope at its heart. https://tinyurl.com/mryetf9c

Dangerous Women: The Compelling and Beautifully Written Mystery About Friendship, Secrets and Redemption Dangerous Women: The Compelling and Beautifully Written Mystery About Friendship, Secrets and Redemption

Happy Monday!

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Fabulous gathering of our Coast-to-Coast (C2C) writing group today. Short stories were on the drawing board. That wizardress of flash fiction, Deryn Pittar, challenged us to think laterally, edit, edit, edit and gave us some homework to boot! Fun, food, fiction and more, our monthly meetings are always inspirational.

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💜💜💜 THE BOOK HAS LAUNCHED 💜💜💜

Many small steps has made this happen.

Daring is not often this big, OTT event...but a series of small challenges. The old one-step-at-a-time philosophy.

Launching a book is a funny thing.

There was a frantic panic to get all the technology working so it could be found on many online platforms.

But it's out there on Amazon, Kobo and there'll be more...

If you do buy and love it, please leave a review. It's the way other people will hear about it.

If you're in NZ & would like a paperback copy, email me at [email protected] with your address. Ill send you my bank account details and then post it. Its $NZ26.99 + $7 postage (If you're rural - I'll cover the extra cost)

And if you know someone who might be interested, let them know about it. Share itbon your stories if you're OK with that🤗

Solo travel is gaining momentum, and woman in midlife are facing many changes & challenges. My memoir is how I took a break from home life to have some much needed me-time.

I call solo travel, self-care in a vacation. And it was one heck of a trip.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Katherine xo

Don't miss out on Jen Yates' fabulous Regency Romance. Funny, sexy, authentically Regency. You'll love this series

Love Unmasked: Lords of the Matrix Club Series Love Unmasked: Lords of the Matrix Club Series

What are you up to this weekend?

THROWBACK THURSDAY!

This time last year I was excitedly preparing for my trip to the UK and Europe taking carry-on luggage only thanks to tips from the 5kgtraveller.

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My first Regency Romance - a short novella. Vanessa and Ash appear in all my Regency Romances. I like them!

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Have a fabulous week everyone!

I've had the loveliest few days. Coffees and chats with neighbors, Sunday brunch with family, tidy-up in the garden. And the weather has been stunning!

I hope you've had a lovely weekend too.

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Treated myself to a cute pair of gloves this week.❣

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An intense learning day for me today! Lee Murray, a New York Times best-selling and multi-award-winning author, presented a workshop on showing and telling. Lee challenged us with some quickfire exercises (I'm not a quick thinker so quickfire is always a challenge for me!).

It was an inspirational day, highlighting that there is always something new to learn. Now to put that learning into practice!

The pic shows Lee with her Bram Stoker Awards® (she is a five-time winner along with many other accolades). https://www.leemurray.info/bio

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Absolutely nothing to do with writing , but if I were to choose two meals to eat for the rest of my life, one would be poached egg with avocado on toast (tomato and mushroom a bonus) and sushi. What would you choose?

Lasagne, a glass of wine and lively chat at Urbano today with Lyndsay Campbell Author. We always have plenty to talk and laugh about!

Now is a good time to start on book 1 of D.I. Ian Anderson’s crime series. Book 3 is with my editor now.
Check out Amazon today.


denisefitzpatrickwriter.com

Happy Monday people! I had a busy weekend with a workshop on Saturday - 'How to Rock your Author Brand' with Steff Green (writing as Steffanie Holmes). Steff's presentation was inspirational and I came home with my mind abuzz. Thanks so much Molly Lachaussee for driving through some torrential rain to deliver us safely home.

Sunday we woke to another rainy morning so we took ourselves to see the latest Indiana Jones movie - 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. Not the coolest Indy movie, but not such a bad way to spend a rainy Sunday - once I'd hauled myself out of bed and away from my book!

How was your weekend?

A full week and a rainy Sunday means coffee and a good book in bed by one of my favorite Regency authors is a great idea! How's your week been?

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Have just had a very inspiring day at our local writers workshop, listening to USA Today best-selling author Steffanie Holmes, talking about author branding.

So much good stuff and incredibly motivating.

My head is full of ideas and I'm feeling more focused.

It's a cold and frosty start to Friday - and phew, this has been a busy week. Tomorrow will be another early start as we travel to Hamilton for a workshop with USA Today best-selling author Steff Green. It will be an exciting, interesting day!

I love learning - do you?

https://www.rageagainstthemanuscript.com/home

"Leigh D'Ansey has done it again with this delightful Regency Romance.
The characters, the plot, the descriptions - and the action, all pull together to create this fast-paced novella.
I love this author's prose. Her dialogue and descriptions make me stop and reread the lines, for the sheer pleasure of living the moment again.
Believable characters and lively conversations abound. The reality and allure of the Regency period never leaves the page. Please read it - you'll love it." - Amazon Reviewer
https://tinyurl.com/mr2suvrc

It always makes me smile when I see a crime movie where the detectives capture the suspect's computer to uncover clues. I reckon writers, and not only crime writers, could keep those detectives busy and mystified for quite a while!

Even in my romance genre there are some interesting items in my searches including poisonous plants, weaponry, general skullduggery, gambling, kidnap and warfare, some of which I may never use. I've always loved research, but I must admit it can be a wonderful excuse for using up time instead of getting on with the business of writing.

Are you a researcher? Do you find yourself googling multitudes of mysteries just for the fun of it?

These cute little ducklings look quite happy paddling around going nowhere - a bit like how I feel today! How has your week been?

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THROWBACK THURSDAY! Packing light for 2022 month-long trip to UK and Europe. Followed the 5kg Traveller's advice and took only carry-on luggage. Had the most awesome time ever 🥰😍🥰

Taking the easy way isn't always the most rewarding. What do you think?

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Keep your eyes out for my friend Molly's upcoming release!

Ya know... I didn't think it was going to happen. But it is. Songbird's Snare is finally coming out at the beginning of July!

YAY!! 🥲🥰🥳🥳

If you like your romance with more than a hint of 🌶🌶🌶, a dangerous and delicious Russian, and a deal you can't really say no to, this is the book for you.

I've had a few too many days away from my desk over the last few weeks. Time to get some more words down on 'His Barefoot Bride', next in the Northbridge Bride series. Wherever you are in the world, I wish you a wonderful Sunday Lxx

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And here's the result of the candle-making workshop! We had a fabulous time. We had a gorgeous selection of vessels to choose from. While the wax was setting we made earrings and enjoyed a delicious lunch. This was such a fun way to while away a couple of hours on a wintry day.