Disaster Archives - Maggie Le Page

Life Crises and General WTF-ery

I’ve avoided writing this post for a long time. Months, actually. But that’s what I do – when things get tough my inner introvert comes to the rescue.

Thing is, though, you guys are my people. You ‘get’ my books, which means you ‘get’ me – and you deserve to know what’s going on in my world.

In a word: carnage.

2017’s going to go down as one of ‘those’ years for me; the sort where you think “just fast forward me already”. I’ve had a LOT of personal stuff going on – and no, I won’t go into details, but suffice to say that’s why you haven’t heard from me. I’ve been up to my eyeballs in it. Still am.

On the upside, it’s perfect writing fodder and you can bet it’ll be good for my books in the long run. Short term, though – it’s disastrous!

As I mentioned a few months ago, I’ve gone back to full time teaching – which I love, but it’s seeing me burn much midnight oil as I get myself back up to speed. And that’s midnight oil that used to be dedicated to writing.

This, combined with other personal stuff, means my focus is necessarily elsewhere. I’ve given myself permission to pause this year and get used to my new normal. Life interferes with our plans, right?

But I miss writing. More than I can describe, actually. And I feel like I’m letting you, my readers, down – especially since the sequel (yes!) to A Heat Of The Moment Thing is still unfinished and languishing in my laptop . . . on scrawled notes to myself . . . in my head . . .

Anyways, that’s me. 2017 has changed me – but I’m still here, I’m still passionate about life and above all I’m very thankful for all the positives.

YOU are one of my positives.

Maggie xx

PS Thanks so much to those of you who take the time to send emails and Facebook messages. You’ve no idea how uplifting it is for an author to know their books are touching readers’ lives.

PPS I’ll let you know when the sequel to AHOTMT is eventually done – and its release price will be super-cheap as a thank you for being there

Another Year Bites The Dust

Down here in Christchurch, New Zealand (aka QuakeZone), 2011 has been unforgettable – and not in a good way.

Admittedly, that first big quake – the one that set off all the others – was in 2010. But this year we’ve had literally thousands of aftershocks (some, incredibly, more violent than the original earthquake). We’ve shovelled silt and patched up our homes and grieved for lives lost and kept going because, really, what else could we do?
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We Remember

It seems incredible to me that ten years has already passed since 9-11 stopped being my friend’s birthday and became instead a symbol of terrorism.

Ten years since I woke to images so horrifying, so emotionally overwhelming that I struggled to comprehend them.

Ten years since I waited by the phone for news of our cousins, who were in transit to the States (from New Zealand). Ten years since I went into work, wondering how I could possibly answer the questions I knew my students would have. Ten years since I, thousands of miles Read More…

QuakeZone – Twelve Days On

Twelve days on and we’re struggling to re-boot normality here in Christchurch, NZ.

It’s not that we can’t function: we can, and very well. Our infrastructures have withstood this crisis amazingly. Our civil defence emergency response teams have been excellent. Our community has come together to help each other through – I’m proud to live here. And, miraculously, no lives were lost.

But it doesn’t feel normal. The shops are open. School’s back in. People, if their job still exists, are back to work. But there’s a nervous edge to it. I avoid large shopping malls. I constantly check where my kids are. I startle at every low rumble. I quiz my son daily on what he should do in an earthquake.

We’ve had 611 quakes in twelve days. There’s nothing normal about that.

Self-Cleaning Hair, Anyone?

I once heard that if you don’t wash your hair it becomes self-cleaning in about four-to-six weeks. It sounded pretty good to me. Maybe I should try it some time.

The perfect opportunity arose when my partner and I embarked on a year’s travel. Nobody would know me while my hair was at the manky stage. Perfect! We flew in to Malaysia and the experiment began. No more shampoo. Water only.

It wasn’t easy. Hell, no. I’m a daily hair-washer. I went through Itchy-Scalp Syndrome and Read More…