Venus Envy, the bath and body store in Gull Harbor, Washington, takes care of residents' beauty needs. Behind the counter is Persia Vanderbilt, a woman with a nose for mixing scents and a mind for solving murder. This first in a new series includes beauty and spa tips.  I think this sounds interesting.

Fiction & Literature » Mystery & Detective » Women Sleuths
Scent to Her Grave By India Ink

RRP $16.99 $6.57   Save $10.42 (61%) Free shipping Australia wide

As a writer I am always watching what the current best sellers are. This one also appeals to me as the grandparent of youngsters that this would definitely appeal to.

Books » Children's » Fiction » Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
The Gas Giants (Space Scout) By H. Badger
Kip can't wait to explore Vapod, a giant gas planet with cool flying aliens. But as soon as Kip arrives, the planet comes under attack. Can Kip save the day before it's too late?

Click  link below to view more or order at a discounted price.

_There is little else being talked about on facebook this morning or on the morning shows than the fact that the latest film in the Twilight hit franchise has once again stuck its fangs into the box office as Breaking Dawn - Part 1 has opened in the top spot at the Australian box office taking $3,699,229 on 616 screens since the film opened with midnight sessions across the country on November 17. The opening day result makes it the second biggest opening film in 2011, second only to the final Harry Potter movie which absolutely smashed box office records when it was released earlier this year pulling in $7,092 million.


In all time box office records, the film sits in eleventh position just behind Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 which made $4,047 million on its opening day.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 features the long awaited wedding of Bella and Edward and after just a couple of days of wedded bliss, the couple discover they're expecting a baby.

 
How did that affect me?  I am not a fan. T would have liked to see Bella 'get a life,' or at least a healthy relationship if she did feel the need to be so dependent on a boyfriend and now husband.  I think Edward is Mr Bossy britches and i'd want to slap him in the face and wash his sparkles off.  I hate coke a cola type drinks too but I do not go around telling other drinkers they shouldn't be drinking it.  Edward is a part of a paternalistic society I left behind in my childhood.  At least Jacob the Woolf man was Bella's friend not dominater.   Then he went and ruined that by falling in love with - a baby.  Now that plot line reeks of pedophilia.


Critics are slamming the film and I think the whole story line is sick but it looks like the critics and I are in the minority, the crowds cannot get enough of the lovers.

_Format:Wall Calendar, 2012 Other Information: IllustratedRelease Date: August 2011Bella and Edward are finally headed toward wedded bliss, but even-though he's a vampire, they can't escape from all sides - the Quilevte werewolves, the Voltori vampires and the impossibility of impending parenthood.

The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn, Part 1, Wall Calendar

The Pocket Muse

Ideas and Inspiration for Writing By Monica Wood

This little book has become a classic for writers.

The Pocket Muse is every writer's key to finding writing inspiration when and where they want it. It includes hundreds of thought-provoking prompts, exercises and illustrations that immediately help them to: Get started writing; Overcome writer's block; Develop a writing habit; Think more creatively; Master style, revision and other elements of the craft; The rich variety of exercises will help writers to create entire stories or focus on a single aspect of their writing. It will also encourage them to think about how they write in new and surprising ways. The Pocket Muse is truly a unique book, both fun and effective. It will teach, cheer and inspire writers as never before.

About the Author
Monica Wood is the author of Description, two novels and several teaching guides. She has written extensively for Writer's Digest magazine.

Reviews"A new type of writer's reference...a timeless resource to keep on any writer's shelf."
Books » Arts & Photography » Language Arts » Composition & Creative Writing

Click link below to purchase at discounted price and free postage within Australia.

_

The time I took off from facebook was used up by the dog. She got me writing her dogawful poetry she has been wanting to start becoming dogimfamous for and now she wants me to digillustrate it for her. :-).

I took Reg out to buy some fishing bait and another fishing book and get some walking exercise today, now back to my writing for me and add illustrating for the dog, work.

Last night I bought a volume of Pam Ayers poetry, I haven't read it for a while and always loved her humorous work



The Creative Writing Coursebook Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry

By Julia Bell, Andrew Motion (Foreword by)

Format:Paperback, 400 pages
Release Date: 10 August 2001

A comprehensive guide for improving your creative writing. This coursebook takes aspiring writers through three stages of practice: gathering - getting started, learning how to keep notes, making observations and using memory; shaping - looking at structure, points of view, character and setting; and finishing - being your own critic, joining workshops, finding publishers.
Throughout exercises and activities encourage writers to develop their skills. Contributions from forty authors provide a generous pool of information, experience and advice. This book should be of interest to those who are just starting to write as well as those who want some help honing work already completed. It should suit people writing for publication or just for their own pleasure, those writing on their own or writing groups.

About the Author
Julia Bell and Paul Magrs are both novelists and teachers of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia

Books » Reference & Language » General

To order this book at a discount price with free postage within Australia, click link below.

I just completed reading the Writer's Guide to Harry Potter and lived it. I felt that even as a reader of the Harry Potter series I have a greater understanding of the books than before. I love them more when I can purchase these at a discounted price.

RRP $26.99 $16.61   Save $10.38 (38%)

Free shipping Australia wide

I love these guide books.
  Books » Reference & Language » Writing Skills
The Everything Guide to Writing Children's Books
How to Write, Publish, and Promote Books for Children of All Ages! (Everything S.)

By Luke Wallin, Eva Gordon, Peter Abrahams (Foreword by)

Writing for children is fun and rewarding - if you can break into the fiercely competitive world of children's book publishing. With "The Everything Guide to Writing Children's Books, 2nd Edition" readers learn how to write and promote a children's book that will impress any publisher. Whether writers have a basic idea or manuscript ready to go, they'll need to build a successful career as a children's book author. This clear and concise guide helps readers: formulate an original idea, create an outline, and write the book; learn the basics of children's storytelling, from point of view to story pacing; find helpful writing workshops and conferences; design a winning book proposal, get an agent, and negotiate a contract; create a marketing a publicity plan; and, use professional and social networking sites to promote their book.

Full of eye-opening insider information and invaluable writing advice, this book should be on every aspiring author's bookshelf. It features: advice on how to protect your work, and to gradually build up confidence; updated information on using the internet to promote yourself as a writer (blogs, websites, professional networking sites, social networking sites); information on M.F.A. programs, both traditional residency and brief-residency, with writing for children tracks; and, details of the YA phenomena, including Harry Potter and Twilight.

About the AuthorLuke Wallin has taught writing for children and young adults for nearly 20 years. He is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an instructor and mentor in Spalding University's M.F.A. in Creative Writing program. Eva Gordon is an M.F.A. candidate at Spalding University, where she works as an editor at The Louisville Review.

Noni from Playschool :-) Last time this link was up it was pulled down - hope it stays here long enough for you te see this :-).

I'm not one for the use of the F bomb but in this context, I love it.

Go the Fuck to Sleep - read by Noni Hazlehurst www.youtube.com

Play School presenter reads a nice bedtime story.

Dear Youtube, you do not need to censor this. I fixed the aspect ratio for this upload.

You can buy this book from Fishpond, click on any of the links below then enter the book you seek into search.

Books » Fiction & Literature » General
Water for Elephants: a Novel
By Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits - the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth - a second-rate travelling circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. Jacob, a veterinary student who almost earned his degree, is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

About the Author

Sara Gruen's first bestselling novel Riding Lessons was published in 2004. She lives with her husband, three children, five cats, two goats, a dog, and a horse. Many of the characters and incidents in the novel are based on real people and true stories gleaned from her extensive research into the world of travelling circuses during the 1930s. Her latest novel, Ape House, publishes in February 2010. www.saragruen.com

Crunch Time Cookbook: 100 Knockout Recipes for Rapid Weight Loss

100 Knockout Recipes for Rapid Weight Loss


Format:Paperback, 224 pages
Other Information: colour photographs
Release Date: 01 February 2010

In his new book, "Jamie's 30-Minute Meals",
Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you'd normally spend making one dish
! The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you'll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen.
This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You'll be amazed by what you're able to achieve.

About the Author

Jamie Oliver started cooking at his parents' pub, The Cricketers in Clavering, Essex, at the age of eight, and has gone on to work with some of the world's top chefs.
He founded Fifteen restaurant in London, and the associated charity, Fifteen Foundation, which trains disadvantaged young people to become chefs. There are now Fifteen restaurants in Cornwall, Amsterdam and Melbourne.
Jamie has also launched a chain of high-street restaurants in the UK called Jamie's Italian.
He writes for publications in the UK and around the world, including his own Jamie Magazine, and he lives in London with his wife and their children.