under a Southern sky

Where does that time go?

2020-01-11T21:26:45Z

Hello sweet peoples! Thank you for my birthday wishes! I had a lovely laid-back day with my family, brunch and the beach. Aurora is ecstatic with all her cousins here. Some of them are nearly as tall as me now.

We're not near those devastating fires on the other side of the country, but the loss of life, homes and fauna is heartbreaking.

Family update: my sister is engaged again, six months after getting with her new bloke. He's all right, but we hope they won't rush into the wedding plans. I'm working in a lovely bookshop, though we have just moved premises which is a bit exhausting. My literary agent has left her agency so I need to hunt down a new one with a new manuscript. We had a good Christmas, and I hope you lot did too. Xxx

Ooooh!

2019-02-13T12:04:25Z

Just watched the new 'Tolkien' film trailer and I haven't been this keen to see a film in ages. I've missed the LOTR-inspired magic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Girzu81oS8Q

Visitations

2018-09-18T08:36:01Z

Took Rory to visit her cousins and go ice skating for the first time. At dinner, we were all talking about our family when the light in Ali-niece’s room began to flicker as if someone was playing with the switch. Off, on, off, on, off, on. ‘Electrical fault?’ I suggested.

‘No, it’s (our late) Dad saying hello!’ said my sister.

Sadie-niece filmed it with her phone. She was too freaked out to go near the light, so my sis turned it off. When she turned it back on ten minutes later it was fine.

Draw your own conclusions on that one!

Going international

2017-05-27T00:56:26Z

Oooh, my first foreign sale with the book series! Turkey! *hugs everyone in Turkey*

New arrivals

2017-03-20T03:02:44Z

My brother and his wife have had a third daughter, Aria Rose. It's all girls in the Peachy clan!

Book is getting some nice reviews. :)

Shameless plug

2017-02-06T10:31:14Z

Check out the cover reveal of my booky! Okay, back to editing book 2...

http://readitdaddy.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/get-ready-for-adventure-in-new.html

The Final Problem

2017-01-16T10:10:44Z

Well, that was a very trippy episode of Sherlock. I hardly knew what was real and what wasn’t.

Mycroft has a sword stick! That turns into a gun! Whee!

Um, so Euros is in Azkaban.

A drone? With a bomb on it? How? What?

Hahaha, Mycroft as Lady Bracknell…

Okay, Euros is totally Hannibal Lecter here. She needs fava beans and a nice chianti.

‘You’ve had sex.’ OOO! EERRRRRR!

Moriarty? He’s not back for real, come on… oh good, he’s not.

Is this all in Sherlock’s mind palace, or what? It’s so out there. All these nasty twisted games. Ugh.

Victor Trevor was his friend… man, Sherlock’s childhood was Trauma Central.

So Euros was the little girl in the plane, but why did Sherlock and the others hear her if it was just some manifestation in Euros’s head?

How did John get in the freaking well? Where is it?

Okay, it was all apparently real and Sherlock’s parents get to see Euros, and Sherlock’s playing violin with her and we’re wrapping up with a Happy Ending. I’m glad Rosie survived. Blimey.

ION, I’ve seen the final version of my book cover and it’s utterly BEAUTIFUL. I am so happy with it! Hopefully soon I can go public with it.

Cor

2017-01-09T08:13:31Z

Sherlock’s new episode, holy cow.

Burst out laughing a lot. And awfully intense. Oh, Sherlock is BACK.

Oh John and Sherlock, you are SUCH messes without each other! Sherlock, you’re a wreck! Love the way his deductions are shown as sloppy chalk-writing.

Culverton’s creepy. Also, wtf is going on with this memory drug? Is this actually happening? It’s surreal!

Loved Sherlock making the ‘fuck off’ sign on his walk.

Ahaha, that numberplate is APIS – doesn’t that mean bee?

MRS HUDSON is driving the Aston Martin!!

Sherlock’s quoting Shakespeare!

Sherlock’s in the car boot!!

Phew, John to the rescue of Sherlock. Cleversocks.

AAAH SHERLOCK/JOHN HUGGY!

And the Irene text. Kept expecting Sherlock to tell John he loves him. Well, 'It is what it is' will become a new Johnlock catchphrase.

That carpet looks like blood, very symbolic. Oh. Shit. Sherrinford is 'E'. You've been flirting with another HOLMES, John. Whoa! Wonder if she did anything to Redbeard...

Still Sherlocked

2017-01-02T11:06:27Z

Duuude, the new Sherlock episode was pretty sterling. Solid is the word that comes to mind. Not totally surprised by events though…

So Mary died to save Sherlock, thus redeeming her for her shooting him. Still peeved that she shot him, however.

Poor John and Rosie. What will happen to Rosie? And poor Sherlock – John’s mad as hell with him AGAIN and it’s not really fair. Especially as John was flirting, or more than flirting, with E. He has something to feel guilty for.

Enjoyed the cases Sherlock solved in the beginning. Fun!

Sherringford, hmm, that’ll be interesting.

Yuletide

2016-12-25T07:40:40Z

Merry Christmas, happy Hannukah, Festive Season! Am full of food and family fun. I hope yours is too, dear flist. Xxx

Back to Hogwarts

2016-09-17T01:34:19Z

So has anyone read The Cursed Child? Anyone? You crickets over there? I thought it was fab.

Book update: Up to third edit. Cut, condense, combine. Necessary for pacing, though I am pretty tired of reading my own manuscript!

Peach in Print (thanks Pearlette!)

2016-08-04T12:30:44Z

Happy third birthday tomorrow to my darling Rory-peachlet!

Book update: It's finally official. The press release came out. Ta dah!

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/lbbyr-buys-debut-mg-mystery-series-371396

I'm working on the second revision which means mostly cutting and pruning. Losing some bits I like, but that happens. It's so weird seeing my yet-to-be-published book put up on Amazon. Like I've written a fanfic and someone put it there by mistake.

The past is another country

2016-03-05T10:04:55Z

Sadie-niece: Aunty Peach, were beaches invented when you were little?

Me: ... Yes, beaches have been around forever.

Sherlocked

2016-01-02T12:43:26Z

Just watched Sherlock’s Christmas special on stream. My internet speed will now be crap for a month, but eh. It was great fun! Thoughts as I watched:

Love the Victorian setting.
Twin jokes are surely alluding to the Moriarty theories. Ha!
Molly in drag! That made me guffaw out loud!
The wonderfully absurd sign language in the Diogenes Club – snerkity snerk.
Enormously FAT Mycroft :D
Ooh, trippy flashback to the modern Sherlock. So… it’s all in his head then?
Or something.
Very clever explanation of the ‘fake’ suicide… so is Moriarty really alive?
Well, back in Real Life Sherlock says he’s not. Okay. That was good fun anyhow. We still don’t know why Mary nearly killed Sherlock and why the boys have forgiven her, but hopefully we’ll find out soon.

The unexplained

2015-12-30T01:28:33Z

Gods. I just wrote a ghost into my current WIP and the TV came on by itself. My hands are shaking.

Yuletide

2015-12-24T08:51:56Z

A safe and happy Christmas holiday time to all my flist! Xxx

Grab the Delorean

2015-10-21T07:54:22Z

Happy Back to the Future Day! I remember when this day seemed so far away. No flying cars though. It's worth celebrating this is the day Marty meets that kid in the cafe who grows up to play some hobbit or other...

PS, another agent has shown interest in my children's book. Wonder what the outcome will be this time?

Bossyboots is calling me

2015-09-12T23:18:05Z

Gods, haven't posted for a while have I? Rory is now two. Two!! And wanting to go for a walk again.. I'm not allowed on the computer much. So I'll just post this..

Rory’s rules of life

1: Mummy is not allowed to cuddle other babies. NOT.
2: The baby swing at the playground belongs to Rory. No one else may approach the swing. Step away from the swing. Now. Or block your ears.
3: Going nudie rudie is perfectly acceptable when jumping on the sofa. Or at the beach. Or at home. Hopefully nowhere else.
4: Whatever DVD is playing in the car is not the one Rory wants. Especially in busy traffic.
5: Bed Teddy goes everywhere with Rory. In puddles, in bed, in the high chair. The dirtier he gets, the more loveable he is. Also, he gets lost a lot. At the library, mostly.
6: Hair ties are for pulling out.
7: Dancing is great, but even more fun in frilly tutus.
8: Say hi to butterflies.
9: Only eat the cream off scones – the rest is not worth bothering with unless you’re really hungry.
10: The handknitted rainbow popsicle jumper from the op shop is the one everyone comments on. Ditto her beautiful blonde hair. *adores*

Edit: just caught her trying to replace her nappy with my panty liners!

Le spew

2015-07-13T01:04:54Z

Rory woke me crying in the middle of the night, so I went in to soothe her. To my surprise her sleepsuit was damp – had her nappy leaked? And her hair was damp too. Sweaty? It wasn’t that warm, despite the heater being on. Why did the room smell of sour cheese?

I turned on the light and discovered poor Rory had had her first vomit. And it was everywhere. Stripped the whole bed, sponged off her hair, threw it all in the washing machine, cursed that it was so cold and replaced her sleepsuit, put on a doona. When she woke this morning I gave her hair a proper wash, which she loathed. Ah, motherhood. :)

PS, love the Sherlock Christmas special trailer.

Baby girls

2015-06-07T01:51:37Z

Rory has a new cousin! My brother and his wife had another little girl, Elara Eve. She's my mother's fifth granddaughter. Couldn't talk to my brother as my wretched phone is playing up. Which means a trip to the phone shop tomorrow...

Bookophiles

2015-05-08T05:05:40Z

I love library book sales. A room packed with people thinking BOOKS! CHEAP BOOKS! MINE MINE! ‘Isn’t it lovely that people still read books,’ said an old lady to me. ‘I’m having a great time,’ I assured her.

Thankfully Mum looked after Rory while I was out. I don’t buy loads of books in these sales, but the ones I do I cherish with glee. I got a couple for Rory, too. Any day with a new book for my shelves is a good one.

Suddenlea...

2015-04-10T04:54:19Z

Haven’t posted for yonks, just haven’t had anything to say. Rory is now a walker, not a bum-shuffler. She says ‘Mum’ a lot but not much else. Yet. Heh.

Sadie-niece is showing writerly talent. *is proud* She wrote a story with lovely creative spelling about a monster that lived under her bed and scared her, but later became her best friend (‘best BFF’, in fact). She could totally write for Doctor Who.

Speaking of Who, she insists on watching ‘The Wasp’ every time she visits. That’s the Who episode The Wasp and the Unicorn. I thought it was the least scary ep for a kid. One day I’ll explain about fanfic…

Birthday thanks!

2015-01-12T00:14:28Z

Thank you to my dearest flist for all the birthday wishes! You are all gorgeous and I wish you were here in person. I had a lovely day. My family's gift was a barbecue for my patio, so we had some family and friends around for food and drinkies. Had morning tea with mum and Rorykins, and watched an episode of Sherlock, so an all-round spiffy day. :):)

The Battle of the Five Armies

2015-01-03T08:29:49Z

Hallelujah, finally got to see the Hobbit movie! I really enjoyed it. Things I liked:

The burning of Laketown, wow! And I’m so glad Bard took the dragon out with a bow (sort of) rather than with that giant iron thingy. Thank goodness PJ had the sense to do that. You could have heard a pin drop when Smaug fell.

Nuclear!Galadriel! Cor, that was awesome. Gladys kicks Sauron’s backside.

The sheer visual beauty of PJ’s Middle-earth. Bless Tolkien and New Zealand for taking me there.

Billy Connolly as Dain! Ahahahaa, ‘tell them to sod off!’

Thorin’s voice going dragony.

Bilbo putting on the Ring to go to help someone, not to protect himself.

The fight scenes were hard on my bladder but PJ certainly knows how to do them. I didn’t mind Tauriel/Kili so much this time. Sniffled a bit.

The ending was a great bookend, too.

ION, my heart actually sank when I learned Benedict Cumberbatch was engaged. What a tragic fangirl. But the ABC is repeating all the Sherlock episodes, on Sundays. YEAH!

The Book Meme

2014-09-23T12:21:35Z

I was tagged by ghyste

Rules: In a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard – they don’t have to be “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you. Tag ten friends.

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (duh)
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
The Harp in the South by Ruth Park
The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (whole series really) by JK Rowling

Too lazy to tag: if you want to do it, go for it!