Writing, Reading, Loving Books

Writing, Reading and Loving Books.
Note: This post is sponsored by Grammarly .
An online program I as a writer and blogger desperately need think is a great tool for writers who like myself may not have studied or perfected their skills in this area. >>>
(Results just from part of this blog post, yep, editors are worth their weight in gold)
I also use their free online plagiarism checker because just like my recipes, I like things real.

Writing and reading have always been some of my greatest passions.

There is something about a great book that transports you body and soul while you read it, the whole around you fades as the world unfolding before you becomes more vivid with every page.

My earliest memories of books I loves where ones like The Magic Faraway Tree soon making way for the The Babysitter Club Books and The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings, Narnia and David Eddings and worlds of fantasty.
My early teenage years saw a love of mystery and scary reads starting with Agatha Christie and on to Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean R Koontz, Anne Rice and they moved way as I grew for a love of historical fiction and romance with so many including Jean Plaidy, Catherine Cookson and Jane Austin and a new found admiration for non fiction work, especially anything by Sir David Attenborough and anything on plants.

When I started studying horticulture after school I really grew in my love of non fiction, (still of course always had a novel or three by my bed) but had developed this deep joy of learning from books and admiration for the people that create them.

My first story published in a local publication in year 1, a love of writing had begun.. 

I knew I had always wanted to be an author. Always wanted to write. I like most people had many ideas of what I wanted "to be" and to do when I grew up and they changed over the years, but one that always was in my heart was writing.

While working for a very busy Bunnings Warehouse, running the plant nursery section, I created a Bunnings Warehouse Garden Club and monthly gardening newsletter full of tips, plant profiles and gardening information, I loved it.

At 25 I left and had my first baby and a very hard time for me with Post Natal Depression and so much weight to lose after having my baby missing all the writing work I had been doing for work I started writing a blog on MySpace and writing out recipes there, edible gardening pieces and my audience there quickly grew, I was delighted and then friends and family started asking for my recipes, then my mothers group and then friends of friends.
I started having women contact my because of myspace and ask how I was losing so much weight and for tips on feeling good about themselves, growing their own food.
I found myself writing everyday and it started to form a book.
A book about becoming a mother.

About a real life journey and finding myself again. A book about realising my health was important and to shine even a little of that love I shone on my baby onto myself too.
Filled with my recipes, my gardening, my motivation to exercise and lose my baby weight and my self love all around my (very) personal story and experiences which I share in the hopes that it would make other mothers feel good and maybe to let some of them know they are not alone if they go through post natal depression, feeling flat or frustrated with their bodies after having a baby, maybe they too had trouble breastfeeding or a baby that never slept through until they were 2. 

I think the greatest thing I learnt in motherhood was the powerful feeling of relief when you know you are not alone in whatever it is you may be going through.

My first published book, The Pram Diet, Random House 2009.

To say I was excited to have a book published, would be an understatement.
To go into one of my beloved bookstores and see it on the shelf took my breath away but most of it was that day I walked (my then 2 year old) to the local post office and waiting there was a box.
A box of my books.
I didn't even open it.
 I nestled it on top of the pram and I left with what could only be described as a loopy smile on my face and super power walked all the rest of the way home, Lily's beloved flowers and ocean views were a giggling blur as I broke out into pram jogs rather than walks, before we bustled into the house.

Opening that box was so surreal as I am sure it is for all writers and flicking the pages of my book, smelling that new book smell (yes, book geek alert) was one of the moments in my life I will never forget.

I am now delighted to say I have not 1 but 3 books I am working on AND a children's picture book.

My cook book - COMING SOON

PLUS! Coming up very soon on the blog I am really excited that I will be sharing with you some great tips on writing books and getting published from some of the incredibly talented women writers I know! So STAY TUNED.
So you don't miss that one and other blog posts you can subscribe to this blog on the top right hand side of the blog >>
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If you would like to read my book, The Pram Diet you can find it in most Australian libraries, through Australian bookstore or buy a signed copy through me!
I have a promotion for a special priced pre-order of a signed copy on my facebook page at the moment

Did you have a passion growing up that has stayed with you or shaped your life?
What were your favourite books?

Bek XX

Pram Diet on TV

I am delighted to say I have been on TV, A Current Affair to be specific with my story.They featured me twice and you can see both stories here (there is a brief gap between the two)

From little things big things grow

When we look up at something we want to achieve or create in our lives, future or a business idea it can often seem very daunting.

As an author I can tell you if I knew before I started writing my first book just how much effort and work was going to be needed I might have gone to the beach instead; but it was approaching it with joy and a little at a time that led me to end up proudly with a finished product.

I have been asked many times was it hard to write a whole book? This is a tricky answer for me anyway because when I write it is me sitting down with creative passion, fingers flying over the keyboard typing away and leaving many an error in their wake. I am not focused on how much is needed or even that much of strict guidelines of what I am writing about rather I am following my inspiration and while it flows I write.

It is a small step to a bigger goal.
I do this over and over until I compile a lot of material and then I actually organise editing sessions for myself. I do this separately because if I tried to do everything at once it would seem such an immense task that I might just get put off or procrastinate. That's me anyway.

I work best by combining little steps into big results.

It has been the same for me with weight loss.

Every little step I take towards being healthier ad's to another little step and another until I step back and realise just what a big change all these little steps created. Instead of looking at my weight after my daughter Lily and saying crikey I have over 30 kilo's to lose or even the 22 after Violet I kept focusing on how far I could walk each day. I had little goals, I actually started with just 2 house blocks and ended up walking 8km's a day! By the time I reached the 8 walking each day was so ingrained in who I had become it wasn't even something I thought about, it had become a regular part of my life, a habit even.

When I focused on including some healthy ingredients each day and making small positive changes it became very easy to make more and more little changes each week and I realised this was why I failed again and again on so many diets-it was too much, too drastic for me all at once. It might work well for some but for me it had resulted in so many years of yo-yoing weight and more failed diets than I can remember!

Sometimes to create that dramatic change and to succeed in our plans, dreams and goals, we can take small steps, tackle it in pieces that all come together for a much bigger picture.

Like the song said, "From little things big things grow."

Never underestimate the power of small positive steps xx