August – all wrapped up…

Sunset…

Ok, August. Overall it was a good month with a good mix of travel and the usual day job stuff. So, without further ado, let’s wrap this baby up…

Weather

Here on the Sunshine Coast it’s been a glorious end to winter – cool mornings and mild, blue days. Nothing at all to complain about there!

Wattle

It’s been gorgeous…

Travel

Yeah, it’s been a good month. 

The month began with our (mostly) annual long weekend around a campfire in Eucumbene – with a detour to Canberra to visit my mother-in-law and look at some art in the Monet exhibition.

The fountain outside the High Court in Canberra

Then it was back to Sydney for a few days in the office…

the new-ish metro station at Norwest

Before coming home for a day before flying out for another long weekend in Melbourne – this time for the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) awards dinner.

Highlight

Happy Ever After coming second in the RUBY or romantic book of the year. Yes, I was well chuffed with that. Plus, I got a weekend away with my bestie #winning

Health

A little blip on the radar by way of a head cold that laid me low for the best part of a week. I’m feeling much better now but still suffering a little from some asthma that’s lingering. I am, however, back into my walking so it’s really more of an inconvenience than anything else.

Excess Baggage

Despite the travel and the gala dinners and the head cold I finished the month just over a kilo lighter than I started it. While I had a target of 2kgs for the month, I’m taking it still as a win.

I also finished the month having averaged 10,000 steps a day – given all the travel and the head cold there were some big stepping days in there!

Reading

Again, thanks to travel and being sick there were a lot of pages consumed – 12 books over August.

I read Amy Andrew’s Outback Heat series and devoured the Invertary series by Janet Elizabeth Henderson – it’s been a while since I read rom-com and Henderson writes it really well.

My favourite read of the month, though, was my friend and fellow indie author Jodi Gibson’s debut, “The Memories We Hide.”  I know just how hard she’s worked to get this story to publication, so can’t congratulate her enough. And I was stoked to get a call-out in the acknowledgements. #bonus

Writing

I finished the rewrite for Escape To Curlew Cottage. There’ll be another round of rewrites yet before I can go to copy edit, but it’s time now to start thinking about covers and blurbs.

Watching

Not that much. It’s reality TV hell at the moment with The Block, The Bachelor and Survivor – none of which I watch.

In August I enjoyed:

  • Derry Girls Season 2
  • My Life Is Murder (Channel 10)
  • Utopia (ABC)
  • The Good Witch (Netflix)

Instagramming

The most liked photo for the month was me looking very pleased with myself after the RUBY result.

Other than that, this sunrise

this scone and

this workspace 

were the most “liked” pics on Instagram last month.

Planning

We’re off to the UK for Christmas so are well into planning mode. Thankfully friends have stepped in to house and dog-sit for the entire time that we’ll be away. 

We’ll be visiting Yorkshire, the Peak District, London, and The Cotswolds, with Christmas and New Year in the Cotswolds. So far, I’ve set two novels in the fictional Cotswold village of Brookford – Wish You Were Here and  Escape To Curlew Cottage – so I’m hoping to come back with inspiration for a third.

Okay, that was August in a nutshell…bring on September!

It’s Thursday so time to share what we’re loving. You know the drill – click on the link below to read or link up.

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Author: Jo

Author, baker, sunrise chaser

20 thoughts

  1. A great month!!! You look so happy in the pics of you’re in, which is lovely!

    I’m actually watching My Life is Murder on channel 10 catch-up as well and enjoying it. And of course I love Derry Girls and Utopia.

    I’m doing my first travel in a year this weekend and excited about it. Kinda.

  2. Hi Joanne, All of your photos are amazing! I was especially drawn into the “fountain” one. A positive month for you and a lot of good on the horizon:) Congratulations again on the Ruby award!

  4. Looks like you’ve had a fabulous month Jo! And you look really happy too. My gosh 12 books in a month, how do you do it? I’m such a slow reader. The wattle in WA is looking absolutely resplendent this year too. Such a lovely time of year. #MLSTL and Pinned 🙂

  6. Another great month for you Jo – and congrats on averaging 10,000 steps a day – I think mine are around 9,000 overall, so I’ll call that a win. Exciting news that you’re off to the UK for a white Christmas – I’ll still be in WA, although we’re planning another Rottnest week away – love the sunshine and those quokkas!
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

  8. Okay, Joanne, I confess that I’m obsessed with the shot of the scone and that my mouth is watering! Loved the writing, loved the photographs, now looking forward to reading your book! Kudos on your prize! ’til next time…

  9. Jo, What a fun month full of marvelous things to highlight. I am definitely going to need to steal hubby’s Kindle and try some Australian authors. (Paperbacks are either non-existent or very expensive in the US for most of them). I love rom-com and series books and you always list a few that look particularly interesting!

  10. Hi Jo I always enjoy your monthly wrap up and you brought back memories of school days when we used to celebrate Wattle Day. I wonder if we still do? Congratulations again on your Ruby Award which is well deserved. Have a lovely September and don’t forget to include some Self-Care xx #MLSTL

  11. Awesome August for you, Jot! I love all the photos. Congrats again on your RUBY award! Here’s to a wonderful September! #lovin’lifelinky

  13. Hello!
    Loved your wrap-up ad congrats on your award! I will check to see how I can purchase your book. And your photos are absolutely amazing. Looking forward to reading about September! Kudos to you for reading all those books, I’m jealous!

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  16. What an awesome August – scones, weekends away and awards! How good was Derry Girls? I think they are going to make a season 3 and I for one can’t wait. I hope your September is one to remember for all the right reasons of course 🙂

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