OnDusk

In times of desperation, I’ve found myself in situations that on reflection seem too far fetched to have happened to the soon to be self-published blogger you see before you. Scared, and running down the footpath with someone else’s house key in my mouth, desperate to get out of clear sight, I wondered what had possessed me to wear high heeled boots. The key in my mouth for safe keeping was an obvious measure to take, just as calling for a police escort had been the only solution several hours earlier that day. I could hear others were being questioned while I'd stood safely surrounded. "Are they in a relationship?" “N-oo…..they--re no-t….” Beside me, all thumbs, the tallest police man flipped open his pad while he checked his two-way. "Do you know if there are any weapons here?" "No. Not inside. Um, actually, maybe. In the bathroom. Or…the ceiling." Everything stopped. We all looked up in silence. I shuffl...

After blogging on every thing that caught my fancy over the past two years - from arts and culture, to social media, politics, and back in time to a shared history and the stories that keep my family alive - a secret wish has come true. Looking back now at my occasional brain snaps that were never posted, I know now how the final three Survivors feel when they walk down memory lane to read the spikes named for fallen cast members. I'm glad they never made it. (And if you are not a fan of the best mind game show on tv, please note, the players face elimination, not extermination.) . #MWF14 Blurb blog-to-book challenge Day 1 – Receive the news. Ask Garry to repeat it, just in case I had misheard that I am a Joint Winner of the  Melbourne Writers Festival ~ Blurb Blog-to-book challenge . Day 2 – Tell everyone and bask in their congratulations as we all get our head around what it actually means. Make up a list of people I can count on for honest feedba...

I interrupt this blog-trip back in time, spanning two years since I began my foray into social media,  to announce some exciting news.... ... my blog is being published! Do you dream of taking your blog beyond the cloud and committing it to paper? Melbourne Writers Festival in partnership with Blurb is pleased to announce the Blurb Blog-to-Book Challenge , and invites bloggers from all over Australia to submit.   Three lucky bloggers will have the opportunity to create and publish a book based on their own blog ... during the eleven days of the Festival from 21 to 31 August. Successful authors will attend the Meet the Blurb Blog-to-Book Authors event.   LINKS Blurb blog to book challenge   here Melbourne Writers Festival 21-31 August 2014 here I am so pleased to announce I'm one of the three lucky winners!  Now I’m busily deciding what’s in and what’s best left out of my first volume of an OnDusk blog-to-book. As...

How lucky we were - a spontaneous decision to go to this year's Byron Bay Writers' Festival for a Saturday treat, happened just in time. Shortly after purchasing our tickets, the #bbwf2014 sold out! B-Y-R-O-N   B-A-Y W-R-I-T-E-R-S  F-E-S-T-I-V-A-L It was a hard choice.  After carefully poring over the program we decided on which panels to attend: Indigenous literacy; crime fiction; writing true crime; Indigenous leadership; ex-Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser in conversation with Kerry O'Brien; a report card from five writer's and their roadtrip; and to finish the day we worked out how to arrive early to secure a good seat for what we knew would be a packed out session with a lively ensemble of media heavy weights. Coming down the ridge with my sis @kirstiecongress for @bbwritersfest 11c :D pic.twitter.com/JkWvQstABm — Siv Parker (@SivParker) August 1, 2014 Destination Literacy panel: 'Community kids are entitled to the pursuit of excellence...