No secret that I'm a nut for word books (another of those obsessions!) Picture me at the RWAust conference. A bookstall, table after table stacked high with a glorious smorgasbord of books. I spot a section with thesauruses (thesauri?), ones I don't have on my bookshelf, with shiny bright new covers. Mmm, shiny. Picture me, several hours later, bellying up to the concierge's desk.

Me: "Could you point me toward the nearest post office."
Concierge: "Yes, but we can handle your mail for you."
Me: "Even this--" I point to fat stack of recently purchased books "--load of books?"
Concierge: "Not a problem, madam. We'll box them up and charge it to your room."
Madam: "Perfect. Thank you."

Smiling, Madam returns to the bookstall.

Fast forward twelve days. I have returned from RWNZ conference. I have remembered the two boxes of forwarded books. Which, strangely, haven't arrived. Slightly worried, because I don't have the particular concierge's name and I can't locate my copy of the receipt I signed when handing the considerably valuable cache of books over, I call the hotel. Very helpful hotel people find me the concierge by description alone (Amber; her name was Amber!) and I'm told that the boxes were returned undelivered but have been redespatched.

Whatever, they arrive two days later.

I love new books. And word books. Funnily enough, I don't use them much when I'm writing. But I love looking up the different word choices just for fun and I love finding new words. At the moment (well, not right at THIS moment, but at night, while watching ridiculously addictive TV shows) I'm flipping through Roget's Descriptive Word Finder. And finding all manner of new and unknown words, which is what prompted today's post, which may become an ongoing Wednesday Word feature...or not, depending on whether I remember or not.

Today's word: lickerish adj. Which could mean:

a. sweet, black, as in pertaining to liquorice.
b. something you would like to lick (which may also pertain to liquorice).
c. tempting, enticing, appetising (which could also pertain to liquorice).

Which do you think is correct?

And now I'm feeling a yen for liquorice...

Labels: Conference, RWAustralia, Wednesday word, win books

I'm in the throes of organising and packing for my trip to the RWAust and RWNZ conferences. I need outfits for 6 parties/dinners and 6 conference days as well as 3 days travelling and 3 days of ultra-casual writing retreat. My natural inclination is to pack a different outfit for each event because my Bronwyn Jameson wardrobe doesn't get out too often. When I open the door to my good-gear closet the rack of crepe and silk and sparklies beg and plead for their turn. Pick me! Pick me!

But I am being ruthless. Everything is doing double duty in Sydney and Auckland. If I spill wine, there's always the hotel cleaning service. First task is choosing shoes. This year I'm taking black boots and silver sandals. All clothes I pack need to go with so I'm packing several black pants and skirts and a stack of bright tops. Oh, and 2 -- possibly 3 -- dresses that roll up into nothing for variety.

Job done...apart from writing what I'm wearing to which event in my PDA schedule. And not succumbing to the temptation to fill the suitcase with one more jacket or an extra pair of cute shoes. On the trip home, I need that extra airline baggage allowance for books.

Labels: Conference, RWAustralia, RWNZ

This weekend I'm going to spend worrying...oops...wondering...about two things. One is the extra layer of conflict I need to add to my September-due book. The other is the workshop I'm presenting at the Romance Writers of Australia conference on writing a page-turner. I have my ideas on what elevates a book to can't-put-it-down status but I'm wondering if I've covered all the angles for other readers. So, while I'm away in a cold, grey part of the state watching son play football and enjoying family togetherness, a part of my brain will be fine-tuning the workshop material. I would love to hear your thoughts on what makes a book a page-turner. For extra incentive, every comment will be an entry in my August giveaway.

Labels: giveaway, RWAustralia, weekend wondering