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Zoe Younger

~ Life Changing Journeys, Life changing Love

Zoe Younger

Category Archives: SHATTERED

Moving on Monday

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, TORN

≈ 2 Comments

time on a grandfather clock

Yes. It’s about time! Time to get moving again on all aspects of my writing life. It has been a long while and a lot has happened. Too much to list here. Time for me to get back in the saddle, as the saying goes. So, what am I up to?

My Blog Here ’tis. Begun again. As you see. Apart from my own images, I still have a few old friends in the picture gallery from “Dollar Photos” which has unfortunately closed, but you will see some new ones appear from a new provider. Of course I want to make sure I’m covered as far as copyright, as do we all!

My WIP (Work in Progress) “Shattered” has been giving me all kinds of grief. I can’t count how many times I’ve rewritten the beginning. I’m trying a new tactic… once again.

My Editing Business For some time I’ve been working toward my own editing business. I have a new project coming shortly and I’m putting the final touches on my editing website. So, if you or someone you know is looking for an editor, I’d appreciate it if you would consider me!

“Torn” is still with a publisher, awaiting a decision. Hopefully more on that soon!

Thank you for your time. I hope to see you here again soon!

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Apologies for going Missing in Action…

05 Thursday May 2016

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, LOVE, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, TORN

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"North and South", books, courage, Elizabeth Gaskell, friends, goals, Irish Australians, John Thornton, LIFE, loss, LOVE, Margaret Hale., Relationships, Richard Armitage, sailing, Survivors, thriver, victim, writing

Retirement crisis concept as a couple of adirondack chairs sinking in the ocean during a thunder storm as a metaphor for financial investment problems for retiring seniors who lost their savings or broken dreams symbol.

My humble apologies for neglecting you, my friends. Life has been all go and not much stop recently. Now, though, it’s time to get back into routine.

My work on “Shattered” has slowed to a crawl. This is Rosaleen’s story, a redemption story. She and Mary from “Torn” were childhood friends and I’m sorry to say that the Rosaleen of “Torn” was not the friend Mary knew back when. She had always wanted more… more money, more things, a higher position in social circles and she thought she had it all, until “Torn”. Now she must start again, from the bottom; and when I say from the bottom I mean much further and she’d have to dig!

I’m sorry to say that Rosaleen died in the first iteration of “Torn”. She died in childbirth. She was swept off the ship en route to Australia. She was left behind in Africa. What I didn’t do to try to kill her off is hardly worth mentioning but – she survived. She always was a survivor. If there is one thing that stands out from counselling, it is that the victims are dead. The fact that one is a live makes one a Survivor. But, don’t be content to merely survive, make sure you go on to thrive.

Survivors are the backbone of my writing. I admire and look up to people who have not just survived but who go on to thrive. Those who pick themselves up by their own bootlaces and head onward and upward.

Who are your inspirational literary thrivers? One who was in part the inspiration for “Torn” was Elizabeth Gaskell’s John Thornton from “North and South”. For those of you who have not read this book or seen the miniseries where Richard Armitage does a very memorable job of playing “Go where you will… the name of John Thornton of Milton is know and respected amongst all men of business…”. From childhood poverty after his father’s suicide he paid his father’s debts AND raised himself and his family to fame not “in England only, but in Europe…” as his mother proudly declares. To be bankrupted himself, lose everything and yet not afraid to begin again.

Of course, beside him he had the resilient Margaret Hale, survivor of much family heartache and tragedy. Surviving and Thriving are always so much better when  you are not alone.

So, I’ve told you mine, now please, tell me about one of your inspirational literary heroes?

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As Time Goes By

23 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, LOVE, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE

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NaNoWriMo, time, waiting, writing

Time ClockIsn’t time a weird and wonderful thing? 24 hours can drag its heels until it feels neverending one day then flash by in an instant the next. Well it’s really our perception of time. It only feels that way. We all have the same 24 hours each day and it’s up to us how we use those hours – or don’t use them.

This week has been a combination of the two above.

I can barely believe a whole week has gone by again and November is just around the corner. Some of you may have noticed the NaNoWriMo tags appearing everywhere. For those who are not writers, November is the month of National Novel Writing Month, the big challenge – write 50,000 words in one month.

That’s a lot of words and believe me, in NaNoWriMo you value every single one of them. “Winning” NaNoWriMo means achieving your goal of 50k blood red words on the page because you opened a vein and wrote with almost your last gasping breath. Nah enough with the dramatics. So you write, on average, 1666 words a day. Yes. I know that was a little dramatic but you should see it from where I stand or sit or kneel… You submit your masterpiece and get a certificate to say you won! That’s it. The whole point is to set your goal and just do it. This November Shattered is where it’s all going to be happening.

On the other hand, waiting is one thing which makes time seem to drag. Waiting for your husband to finish ‘windowshopping’ for ‘big boys toys’ aka the hardware shop or the tool barn; waiting for your own true love to ask you to marry him; waiting to hear from an agent/editor that they want to sell/buy your masterpiece.

Of course, none of them even come close to that harrowing wait which some of us know only too well, waiting for a loved one’s body to give up the fight, waiting for her pain to go away permanently, wishing it didn’t have to be so and knowing, in your head at least, that anything would be better than watching her suffer, wishing you could take that pain on her behalf. Some times life is very unfair.

But, some times life is hilarious. Some times love is gentle and kind. Some times you wish those special moments would last forever. These are the times I wish for you.

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Plotting and Planning…

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

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NaNoWriMo, plotting, Shattered, submittion

random pieces of jigsaw puzzleThis is what my brain feels like at the moment! Torn is submitted so rather than stop and worry what everyone thinks of it, it’s time to get back to Shattered. It will be good to be back to writing fresh words instead of rewriting and editing. I’ve got maybe a third of it written but have come to a full stop.

Soon it’s time for NaNoWriMo, the writers’ Olympics, where writers from all around the world try to write 50,000 words in the month of November. It is too soon for comfort at the moment. I am trying to sort out where some of these pieces go, get an idea of the bigger picture of the story. I see some of the picture pieces but others are still face down.

I’ll be looking under every rock and stone, searching for that piece which will draw it all together for you, dear reader. But for now, I’m hoping my dream tonight will guide me. Good night to you, sleep tight.

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Struggling and a big thank you

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by Zoetic Words in Elsa Holland, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, TORN, Uncategorized

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cover love, Hang Le, thank you

Time Clock
I hope you will forgive me. I’m struggling to keep up with everything, working at my day job and giving value for my wages, getting my submissions in, blogging plus being a wife and sister and friend and dealing all those things we all have to deal with every day. So is the life of a writer.

At the same time I’m loving revisiting Liam and Mary in Torn. I so love this story and I hope everyone else loves it too. Submission time is coming up fast so it’s polish, polish, polish time.

You may have noticed that my beautiful friends Elsa and Letitia have very generously gifted me with some beautiful covers for Torn and Shattered. I think they are just beautiful and I want to say a big thank you to the girls. Hang Le is a great cover artist and I’m in love with my covers. I’d also love to hear what you think.

And last, but not by any means least, shouting out to Sylvia who is finally out of Intensive Care but still in pain after major surgery. Love you my gorgeous friend and wishing I could take some of that for you. Can’t wait for you to bounce back and get on top of that pain.

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Where am I Wednesday

27 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, LOVE, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, TORN

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family, food, Irish Famine, sailing, ships, shipwreck

 

Fresh Fruits and vegetables. Health and diet background

As part of the gathering of the clans, I am up in Rockhampton, Central Queensland. People are arriving from everywhere. My great-nephew and his sister are here from New Zealand, sisters and other family arriving from all over.

My trip up was… interesting. I can’t remember how long ago it was when I flew in a propeller driven plane! It felt a little, dare I say, archaic? We really are spoiled in this modern world. So many things we take for granted. Warm clothes, cool air-conditioning, fast jet planes and more food than we could eat or than is good for us! Especially now, food has been arriving for days. I’m with my nephew and his family at the moment and she is saying she hasn’t had to cook in days!

What a different world it is, even in this age, in other parts of the world some not so far away and others not so long ago in history. Excuse me for harping on about the Irish Famine, but that’s the era I’ve been “living in” for the last I-don’t-want-to-say how many years. It hard to imagine a world without electricity for a start! Add to that the transport problems.

At that time in history steam ships were the newest latest whizz bang technology. Sailing ship captains navigated by the stars without the aid of computers and it took months to travel from Ireland to Moreton Bay off and Brisbane. Many didn’t make it that far. Shipwrecks were not uncommon either.

When I was tempted to turf Rosaleen off the “Reliance” in Africa. My critique partner wisely told me I shouldn’t. Rosaleen is, she said, was “such a good bad character”. After nearly being pushed overboard again in the Great Australian Bight, I relented and she survived! She kept trying to take over the story in “Torn” but I’m pleased to report she has settled for being the leading lady in “Shattered”, the follow on book from “Torn”.

Before I go, spare a thought for Liam’s horses on the “Reliance”. Every horse in Australia came at some time from overseas. It wasn’t easy to transport horses and it was not easy to research how they did it! But that’s a story for another time.

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Tuesday Choose Day

12 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by Zoetic Words in LIFE, LOVE, MY BOOKS, SHATTERED, THE WRITERS' LIFE, TORN

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attitude, choices, courage, fortitude, smile, survive

Every day we have choices to make-simple ones such as what to wear, what to eat, or what to drink. Other choices need a little more thought such as What do I want to accomplish today? How will I get through today? One step at a time or one giant leap of faith after another?

Some days the most important and the most difficult choice is to live regardless of the black pit yawning before us. It takes effort to dig up, from within ourselves, the courage to choose survival when giving up would be so much easier. It can take great moral fortitude to stand up for your beliefs. It can take guts to choose the right reaction rather than the easy one.

At times it can take everything we can muster inside to choose to love, to be happy, to keep our attitudes positive. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to smile. But oh the rewards.

As a writer I try to give my characters that kind of intestinal fortitude, and to reward them with exactly what they deserve, just as I wish those rewards for you who read my words.

loving american western couple holding hands in stable

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