When Writing Friends Come To Stay: #WeekendAtLilys

 

It’s a weekend worth blogging about! I have writing friends coming for a visit. Two of them, my bestest beta-reading buddies, Jennie Jones and Juanita Kees. (Insert trumpet flourish here).

Jennie Jones, Juanita Kees and Lily Malone at Juanita’s place. December 2013.

Jennie and Juanita both live in Perth, so for them, they face a three-hour road-trip a-la that great movie classic, Thelma & Louise. we’ve been having a bit of fun on the whole Thelma & Louise thing but so far, I still haven’t worked out who gets to sleep with Brad Pitt.

Although… my husband *is* away for the weekend… (No, Lily! Mental slap on wrist!!)

Juanita, Jennie and I last caught up in person before Christmas 2013 at Juanita’s house. Since then, Juanita has released a new book in the Tag Raiders’ series Under Cover Of Dark and moved house; Jennie has become an Australian rural romance writing powerhouse, as well as the driving force behind two writing groups, Australian Rural Romance, and HeartsnWined; and I have published my book: Fairway To Heaven, and I too, have moved house. (Sneak a peek at my writing room here).

So while we talk a lot on Facebook and Twitter and in our emails about HeartsnWined and just the writing life in general, it is rare to find us all able to snare a weekend that works. So I’m tickled as pink as my beanie to have them driving to Margaret River this Saturday to pay me a visit.

I’m planning an afternoon of nature walks, followed by an evening of wine and food (which includes white chocolate tart). I figured it would make them walk faster if I offered the wine after the walk… otherwise, we might never get home!

On Sunday, my 6-year-old (I’m ALMOST SEVEN Mum) has a birthday party to go to. The theme is movie stars and he tells me he wants to go as the snowman from Frozen. So Jennie and Juanita don’t know it yet, but ladies… you shall also be called upon for all those many years of motherly assistance in terms of creating costumes… which is something I completely suck at.

Oh, and while you’re thinking about that, my 4-year-old (I’m ALMOST FIVE Mum) says he wants an outfit as a Chameleon (not for the same party). So put your creative genius-ii to that please JJ & JK!

Now… for some Thelma & Louise fun, I’m copying this from a post Jennie did on Facebook because it gave me all the warm fuzzies (no, Brad Pitt isn’t even IN this scene!)

If you want to keep up with our Margaret River weekend, you can follow the hashtags: #MargiesWeekend or #WeekendAtLilys on Twitter.

Or follow us:

@JennieJRomance
@JuanitaKees
@Lily_LilyMalone

 

 

 

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAID IF THELMA & LOUISE HAD BEEN ON THEIR WAY TO MARGARET RIVER INSTEAD:

Featuring Jennie Jones as THELMA, Juanita Kees as LOUISE and Lily Malone as LILY MALONE.

Setting: Kwinana Freeway, Western Australia
7.30am

Thelma: You awake?
Louise: Guess you could call it that, my eyes are open.
Thelma: I’m awake too. I feel awake.
Louise: Good.
Thelma: I feel really awake. I don’t recall ever feeling this awake. You know? Everything looks different now. You feel like that? You feel like you got something to live for now?
Louise: We’ll be drinking margaritas by the sea, mamacita.
Thelma: You know we could change our names. I’ve always wanted to be a Jennie.
Louise: Wouldn’t say no to being some Juanita – living in a hacienda.
Thelma: I want to get a job, I’ll work at Club Med.
Louise: Yeah, what kind of deal is that cop going to have to come up with to top that?
Thelma: Have to be pretty good.
Louise: Have to be pretty damn good.
Thelma: How about we write a book and kick up some dust?
Louise: What kind?
Thelma: A romance. A road-trip. Three writers.
Louise: Who’s the third?
Thelma: Lily Malone. She lives in Margaret River.
Louise: Shit! That’s where we’re heading.
Thelma: I think she’s baking a clafoutis.
Louise: Well, hell—why didn’t you say? We’ve been idling along at ninety. We’re gonna be late.
Thelma: Floor it!

Don’t get any speeding fines girls… and if you see Brad by the side of the road… let him in, hey? You’ll make him famous.

 

xx