Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

I had plans.

I disregarded plans.

I am guilty…but…I’ve been travelling and I’m not good with writing while traveling. I maybe wrote a sentence. First trip was NZ, north island, and then work, and then travelling locally with a visiting relative. We had a fab time, Sydney Opera House, Wildlife Retreat, Newport, Tea Gardens and then a steam train ride in Canberra.

However, I’m now at home for a little bit, except I’ll be in Sydney on Sunday for the ARRA Romantic Rendezvous event at Rydges Central in Albion street. More information here. Tickets will be at the door now. There are panels as well as book sales. Do come along and meet some great authors. I’ll be on a panel too.

April 12 I’ll be in Ourimbah for Books and Beyond.

With the state of the world as it is, wars, particularly Iran, it’s not easy to stop doom scrolling and think happy thoughts. Book sales plummet, naturally. Uncertainty hits book sales hard, I believe. Cost of living increases and so on. On the other hand, writing (and reading) can take your mind off things or in other words let you escape. So now I’m home and settled in my brain, I shall get back onto Gentleman Magician and stop dilly dallying around. I know I can finish it quickly as I’ve had the story in my head for weeks, working out the kinks.

I have a bit of personal admin too. Boob squashing appointment -booked, spa afternoon-Thursday, screen door installation tomorrow etc. A newsletter to write, books to read…

I dabbled with TikTok but I’m going to delete my account. I can’t do it justice. I think it’s a great tool but I want my creativity focus to be on writing. Besides most of my followers are dodgy blokes who tell me I’m beautiful or bots or scammers and there are a few genuine people there and some great advice and stuff with book tok. I can still experience all that but my content sucks!

On the book writing front, I’ve been working on The Tainted Lady, a Regency romance, and I think I worked out what to do about Richard. He needed more, he needed an impediment to his own happiness. I had some great feedback on the beginning from a Romance Writers of Australia contest. That one is nearly there and as my target markets have closed, this might end up being self published.

I’ve been shopping my PhD novel. A couple of rejections so far. However, I think all the work I needed to do for that one is done.

I have two more things on the back burner, a YA portal fantasy, Into the Dark Glass, I need to finish the restructure of that one and may add more world building and characters. The other was a reverse harem regency romance, called Louisa’s Choice, which is also all in my head, but not all on paper. If only my body was as productive as my brain!

Anyway, it’s time for me to leave you to it. Below is a not very good photo of me on the deck at the Wildlife Retreat Hotel at Taronga. I think my seven year old granddaughter snapped me.