Creative Reviews discussion

Ummm, Georgina? I hate to sound stupid but what's a chook? Is it the dread bird that Cambria hates? Ducks are cute and I love goats. Never have liked cows except as food. When they step on you, they TWIST their freaking foot on yours and it hurts like hell.

I really need to work on my blog too, it's sooooooooo bare and awful-looking. I'm still learning how to use it.

Oh, sorry, it's a chicken. Is chook an Aussie word? I like cows but they are too big to handle and our fences aren't great. My husband thinks we should get one to milk, but I just know who'd be getting up even earlier each morning to milk it! Does Cambria hate chooks? A childhood trauma involving a nasty rooster (they can be really aggressive, but our two are pretty laid back) ?.

Georgina, you'd be right at home at my parents' house! Currently there is a poorly duck in residence in the downstairs cloakroon and given that it's the dead of winter here some random duck has managed to hatch out about a dozen ducklings which my sister is looking after - they're either 4 months early or 8 late!!
JAC

I guess "chook" is an Aussie word, I'm in the US and have never heard it. I like it! :) Yep, our Cambria hates 'em so we tease/torment her about it.

I hate barbed wire fencing, you can cut yourself to pieces on it until you develop a callus (sp?). I may not have a callus anymore but I bet could still pull wire with no gloves. That's something you don't unlearn. :)

Sara wrote: "I guess "chook" is an Aussie word, I'm in the US and have never heard it. I like it! :) Yep, our Cambria hates 'em so we tease/torment her about it.

I hate barbed wire fencing, you can cut your..."

And they tear your skirts, which I like wearing (with gumboots--I'm a fashion queen) no matter how impractical.
What does Cambria hate about chooks? Is it their dinosaurian ways (I watched Walking with Dinosaurs with my kids, I'll never underestimate a chook again)? I find chooks lovely but devious and stubborn (especially when they are trying to hide their stashes of eggs). But I loathe cleaning out the chook house, which somehow ended up as my exclusive job (almost as bad as rewriting a manuscript for the sixth or seventh time!).

J.A. wrote: "Georgina, you'd be right at home at my parents' house! Currently there is a poorly duck in residence in the downstairs cloakroon and given that it's the dead of winter here some random duck has man..."

I'm a bit soft about animals. I tend to credit them with extra intelligence, uncanny ways that we don't yet quite understand. But as much as I love ducks (really one of my favourites) I've had to admit--they are pretty silly. I think the earliest clowns based their acts on the antics of ducks. I had to rescue two ducklings that fell down a hole yesterday evening, not the first time, unfortunately probably not the last. Looking after ducklings (with or without the mother to help) is hard work.

Ok I'm going to jump on this thread again.
Sounds like I need to visit G,Sara AND JA.
I love animals. ALL animals.
My dream is to own a ranch with ducks, horses, cows, goats, mules, dogs, cats, and tons more.

Cambria pretty much hates wildlife as most have attacked her in some form.

Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Ok I'm going to jump on this thread again.
Sounds like I need to visit G,Sara AND JA.
I love animals. ALL animals.
My dream is to own a ranch with ducks, horses, cows, goats, mules, dogs, cats, and..."

Cross globe trip? Sounds good. Anybody else here from Australia?

Oh, and I won't mention the types of wildlife we have here. My son was bitten by a tiger snake last year and spent three days in hospital. My worst moment yet...

Georgina wrote: "Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Ok I'm going to jump on this thread again.
Sounds like I need to visit G,Sara AND JA.
I love animals. ALL animals.
My dream is to own a ranch with ducks, horses, co..."

Phil is. I'd LOVE to visit but y'alls bugs scare me. You got some serious stuff that'll kill ya.

We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, despite the fact he was taught to stomp, not run through the long grass, since he was old enough to stand.
I like snakes...from a distance (a big distance).

Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, despite the fact he was taught to stomp, not run through the long gras..."

Wild snakes yes, tame and harmless snakes R cool to hold.

Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, despite the fact he was taught to stomp, not run thro..."

We don't have many of those in Australia. The only snakes in Tasmania are three of the most deadly; tiger snakes, copperheads and white lips (not having you on, and do they have white lips? I'm not getting close enough to find out). :)

Georgina wrote: "Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, despite the fact he ..."

Yeah I've watched discovery channel on Australia and it has me timid to go there

I'm new to this group, so I haven't noticed any of the negativity. I have to say I love this group!! There is so much helpful info and everyone so far has been very nice. I'm glad to be here and look forward to making lots of friends :)

It is a lovely group, isn't it? I'm new too. Hi to you, James.

Thank you bunches you two!!!

Welcome James - and this is by far the most fun group I've found, too!
JAC.

Sara wrote: "I guess "chook" is an Aussie word, I'm in the US and have never heard it. I like it! :) Yep, our Cambria hates 'em so we tease/torment her about it.

I hate barbed wire fencing, you can cut your..."

Ah, 'Zombie Chickens' (What a great short story!) it all becomes clear...

I've wasted a month trying to find reviewers,I should have spent ten days here instead.

You're here now tony!!! Welcome!

James and Georgina - Welcome!!! We are thrilled to have you.

Georgina wrote: And they tear your skirts, which I like wearing (with gumboots--I'm a fashion queen) no matter how impractical.
What does Cambria hate about chooks? Is it their dinosaurian ways (I watched Walking with Dinosaurs with my kids, I'll never underestimate a chook again)? I find chooks lovely but devious and stubborn (especially when they are trying to hide their stashes of eggs). But I loathe cleaning out the chook house, which somehow ended up as my exclusive job (almost as bad as rewriting a manuscript for the sixth or seventh time!)...."

I never wore skirts, just shorts so I've got some impressive scars from the wire on my legs. But you learn to skin through them pretty quickly. I was barefoot most all summer so everything just toughened up. I miss those days, to some extent...

Yup, Cambria hates any kind of farm animal but chickens have her special blessing. I loved mine, they were pretty smart and had a lot of personality. That's pretty much any animals I've had, have and probably will have. My Grayling cat is a beautiful long-hair and huge but almost as dumb as a sack of hammers. Beauty and brawn but no brains...

I would ADORE doing farm tours, how fun would THAT be? I'd even clean the chook house for ya, Georgina! :D

Snakes are awesome too, I HATE mice so snakes are definitely my friends. I'm glad your son is okay, Australian snakes make ours look like worms. I'm our neighborhood snake-catcher, along with corraling opossums (since you have a different possum there), raccoons and other creepy-crawlies.

Yes, I scrolled back and forth, trying to get caught up and posting in one reply. Hopefully you can follow my rambling...

Sara wrote: "Georgina wrote: And they tear your skirts, which I like wearing (with gumboots--I'm a fashion queen) no matter how impractical.
What does Cambria hate about chooks? Is it their dinosaurian ways (I ..."

I'm following fine. My son's fine now. He had an adverse reaction to the anti-venom (anaphylactic shock) but other than an impressive scar he's recovered completely. But has it made him slow down in the long grass? Huh! The number of people that asked me if I'd killed the snake afterwards, as if it's a man-eater now or something! We live and let live, but we also keep the grass down (with goats and slashing and baling). I love my chooks too and my ducks and dogs (they don't go together so well some days), but my ducks are driving me a little crazy with their obsession with producing as many ducklings as they possibly can. It's getting ridiculous. A farm, writing kind of tour sounds good, but people would have to come here, I'm a bit scared of flying (although I wouldn't mind a pair of wings). And sure, you can clean out my chook house anytime! :)
Georgina.

Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It kinda bounces all over the place!! LOL

You guys are all awesome, have I mentioned that today?? :)

Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It kinda bounces all over the pl..."

It's a bit like chinese whispers when you look at the thread condensed. A lot of fun! Happy Christmas everyone.:)

Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It kinda bounces all over the pl..."

Speaking of awesome (I know, I suddenly jump into the conversation after being gone for months lol) I just finished Masquerade and that book is AWESOME! Great job, Cambria for creating this new world for all of us to live in and Amy for being such an awesome editor! And yes, you ARE so my editor when I am ready to let go of my manuscript, Amy. lol

Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It kinda bounces all..."

Ebook link? It isn't spamming if I'm asking for it. Loved the Zombie Chickens. (I know I could look it up but I'm being lazy--I've been fixing up the formatting in my manuscript all day--Ahh!)
Thanks, Georgina.

Georgina wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It k..."
No problem :) There is nothing wrong with being lazy after formatting your manuscript all day... Sounds tedious. lol

Jeanine wrote: "Georgina wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journ..."

Got it! Thank you.
Georgina

Georgina wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "Georgina wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an ..."

Welcome ;)

Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone signal - bliss!!) .

Rang home last night and my mum said that the ducklings are in the spare bedroom but she's sure that my sister will have come to pick them up before then. I asked why they weren't in the downstairs bathroom (usual home for poorly poultry) and she said the other poorly duck was in there. It may be that I'll be sleeping in the henhouse then...

Also apparently last night she and my Dad (both in their 70s) snuck out of the house in the dark with a walking stick and a fishing net to try and recapture a particularly Houdini-esque turkey of no small dimensions which had escaped the hut and was sitting on the top of the 6ft fence. Problem is, it was really claggy, sucking mud outside (clay soil and English winter always a winning combo)and my Mum has a bad knee and a bad hip and my Dad has a hip replacement and both of them have bad backs....

So they're creeping around (or possible creaking around) in the mud, in the dark with a net and a walking stick trying to hook a turkey the size of a small labrador off the fence...
Yep, definitely Christmas!

JAC

J.A. wrote: "Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone signal - bliss!!) .

Rang home ..."

You know this is uncanny. I've now got a poorly duckling in my bathroom! Woke up yesterday morning to see that 'Holly Quack' as our kids call her (daughter of 'Quackabella') was injured. We think the ravens got her (and you wonder why I write gothic stories?) so she's in the bathroom in a box, with paw-paw cream on her torn back, and being hand fed by my daughter.
Have a great Christmas Jac. Hope your parents aren't too sore after the midnight adventure with the turkey!
Georgina.

J.A. wrote: "Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone signal - bliss!!) .

Rang home ..."

Your posts are always a delight, JA. Hope you have a great, relaxing time over the holiday period. I've just finished a couple of weeks as Santa Claus at the Buderim Ginger Factory -- a local tourist spot. It was much more fun than I thought it would be. One tends to forget the delights of talking to five-year-olds.

Apple Inc. should be delighted with their advertising campaigns -- the majority of the kids wanted Santa to bring i-Pods, i-Pads, or anything else with an i-prefix. No one seems to have told them about the global financial crisis, though some of the mums' faces suggested they'll soon find out.

Happy Christmas to all i-Goodreaders.

Phil

I haven't read all of the replies to this post because I was too giddy and couldn't wait to post. I have to say that while I "liked" you before, you may now be my favoritest super hero of ALL times. I'm not a very social media type person I do it because it's part of the game but 99.9% of the groups out there make me feel like I somehow jumped back in time to high school and the geek looking for a place to sit at lunchtime. I also admit my "lack" of participating in many places is because of all of the things you have outlawed. So I'm uberhappy now and may start stalking you. But only on goodreads. Maybe. So a big thank YOU!!!

Glad you're back, Amy. I've been putting reviews I've written of literary fiction and historical fiction in topics of those names under FICTION. Would it be useful for them to have their own main headings like SF, YA, etc. They might attract more notice and provoke some discussion. Would a kind moderator please consider this.
Thanks and Happy Holidays to all!

Dafeenah wrote: "I haven't read all of the replies to this post because I was too giddy and couldn't wait to post. I have to say that while I "liked" you before, you may now be my favoritest super hero of ALL times..."

YAY!!! WE LOVE YOU DAF!
Please do join in when you can!

Phil wrote: "J.A. wrote: "Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone signal - bliss!!) .
..."

You too, Phil!
Good to see you!

Georgina wrote: "J.A. wrote: "Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone signal - bliss!!) .
..."

Awww poor duckling ;(

Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "J.A. wrote: "Well I'm off home this afternoon ( so dunno how much I'll be around for the next week or so as no broadband, no clear radio, only 2 TV channels and no mobile phone sig..."

Christmas news. Holly the duckling is back with her mother, scarred but healing well. :) Georgina

Happy Christmas all!

Georgina wrote: "Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, despite the fact he ..."

I once went to a reptile park in Alice Springs, where they had a 20-foot python. All the kids in the tour group lined up side by side, and the handler let her slide along all the kids' shoulders until she was resting on each of them.

My grandsons thought it was SO cool.

Phil

Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It kinda bounces all..."

AWE!! Jeanine! Thank you so much!! You are such a doll, and I am THRILLED that you loved Masquerade so much!! We had a great time working on it, and I'm sure we will have just as much fun when it comes to bk 2 in the series. :) I look forward to working with you as well! :)

@ JA - what I wouldn't give to see a pic of your parents!! That would be awesome!! LOL

@ Phil - Merry Christmas to you too!!!!!

@ Dafeena - BAH HA HA!! I have no other stalkers, so you will be my first. I don't do much - so you may be bored. LOL!! But we hope that you are here participating as much as possible! We LOVE YOU!!

@ Lee - Let me know which types of Fiction folders you would like and I will get some put up for ya!

Amy wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "Amy wrote: "Only gone for a few days, and I have missed all sorts of stuff!! WHEW!! We covered chocolate, and chooks, and snakes - sounds like an episode of Journal Jabber!! It k..."

Amy, the folders I suggest for now are LITERARY FICTION REVIEWS and HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEWS. Thank you.

Phil wrote: "Georgina wrote: "Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, des..."

My parents (who live on the N.S.W coast), have a diamond-backed python. It's very placid and keeps down the mice and bush rats. Tassie only has poisonous snakes, and ants (jack jumpers) that sting like hell.

I thought of Jac's parents today as the turkey was being carved for Christmas lunch. :)

I hope I'm not one of the ones in line for a hand slapping! ;-) and I plugged the group on my blog over the Christmas break.

Cheers

MTM

Phil wrote: "Georgina wrote: "Jenn aka Texas Long Hair wrote: "Georgina wrote: "We've had too many snake encounters to count, but not a lot of people get bitten. My son trod on one, thinking it was a stick, des..."

That IS cool!

MTM wrote: "I hope I'm not one of the ones in line for a hand slapping! ;-) and I plugged the group on my blog over the Christmas break.

Cheers

MTM"
Nah, you are active on here so you are good to go! ;)

Wooooooooooo!

Off-topic, guys, I just sent Book 2 to the second editor! A step nearer (and it's only taken me ALL summer due to rewrites and plan B!!)

Mind, lost 7k words of it just on the first two edits which is quite pleasing but if much more gets cut it might be a pamphlet after all! But still, permission to say WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sah!!
heheheh
JAC

J.A. wrote: "Wooooooooooo!

Off-topic, guys, I just sent Book 2 to the second editor! A step nearer (and it's only taken me ALL summer due to rewrites and plan B!!)
Mind, lost 7k words of it just on the first..."

Woooooooooo! Back at you JAC! I loved 'Parallels: The Black-Eyed Susan', can't wait to read 'On Dark Shores'.

:) Georgina.

Wooohaaaha ha haaergh!

Well done! I know how good that feels!

Cheers

MTM