Here are some festive facts for you: 1. Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the highest-selling music single of all time. 2. Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, willed his November 13th birthday to the daughter of a friend who hated her Christmas birthday. 3. Robert L. May created Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer for the retailer Montgomery Ward in 1939. People...
These days, many families live in rental accommodation or high-rise apartments are unable to keep pets. Enter – a business opportunity. Barista Cats in Queen Street Auckland is one of the new cafes where animal lovers can go to have a coffee and get their pet-fix...
Today, I’m excited to welcome McKenna Dean to my blog. McKenna Dean has been an actress, a vet tech, a singer, a teacher, a biologist, and a dog trainer. She’s worked in a genetics lab, at the stockyard, behind the scenes as a props manager, and at a pizza parlor...
Love at first sight. That was me and the alpaca. “If we ever purchase land, we’re getting alpacas,” I told my husband. Fast forward quite a few years, and I still don’t have any alpacas. Some of my characters, however, do own alpacas. Facts about farming alpacas: 1....
Black Moon Dragon, my New Zealand-set romance, contains dragons or taniwha. In this particular book, I’ve used more Maori mythology than usual and terms that are perhaps unfamiliar to those who live outside New Zealand. I’ve solved this by including a glossary with...
This is a continuation of my post about my visit to Hobbiton in Matamata. Part one is here. I was busy taking photos of Hobbit holes and my surroundings and saw something moving. It took me a moment to realize the pheasant was real and it was busy feasting on the...
I've wanted to visit Hobbiton in Matamata for ages, and yesterday, I finally got to explore the home of the Hobbits. In order to visit it's necessary to plan and book ahead. My tour was for 10:30 and Hobbiton central was very busy with tours going out every half an...
