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Fleur Blüm

~ writer, performer, musician

Fleur Blüm

Tag Archives: Romance

Do you like audiobooks?

19 Sunday Mar 2023

Posted by toearlyretirement in Writing

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Audiobook, Romance, Romance Writing, Writing

I’m pleased to say I’ve taken advantage of a new offering from Apple Books to have two of my novels read by their AI book narrators. See the links to these two books below:

My Mother’s Secret

Discovering the Franklins

I’m curious to see how these turn out, and would love for some of my readers to try them out. Feel free to send me some feedback.

There are a couple of other AI narration services which I will be looking into them in the next few months.

AI is a controversial area, however if it helps people who don’t like reading in text to access more books, I’m happy to give it a try.

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It’s lauch day for Singular Purpose!

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Posted by toearlyretirement in Writing

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Adventure, Inspiration, Reading, Romance, Romance Writing, urban fantasy, Writing

Singular Purpose, the sequel to my 2021 book, Singular Focus, is available to buy now! I’m very excited for you to read what’s been happening with Freya, Jacob and Dinah and what new trouble they’ve been dragged into.

You can order ebook copies through all the usual places using the link here.

Hard copy orders can also be made through me directly, email me here to find out how.

You don’t have to have read the first one, but it will definitely help. I hope you’re ready for some exciting urban fantasy adventures; you’re going to love it.

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Singular Purpose available to read in two weeks!

18 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by toearlyretirement in Writing

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Author, Inspiration, Melbourne, Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, mythology, Norse, norse mythology, Romance, urban fantasy, Writer, Writing

Singular Purpose, the sequel to my 2021 book, Singular Focus, is available to buy in two weeks! I’m very excited for you to read what’s been happening with Freya, Jacob and Dinah and what new trouble they’ve been dragged into.

You can preorder ebook copies through all the usual places using the link here.

Hard copy orders can also be made through me directly, email me here to find out how.

You don’t have to have read the first one, but it will definitely help. I hope you’re ready for some exciting urban fantasy adventures; you’re going to love it.

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If I only could: or leaving things behind

03 Thursday Nov 2022

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

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Goals, Horror, Inspiration, Melbourne, NaNoWriMo, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, Romance, Writing

Tuesday was the first day of November and for the first time since 2012 I’m not going to undertake NaNoWriMo. I started doing this marathon drafting challenge when I didn’t yet know how to write novels.

A little over a year after I started this blog, the same time that I left a job I resented in favour of going back to uni. I did my first 50,000 words in a month, and since then I’ve done NaNoWriMo ten times, each time I reached my target. Cumulatively I’ve got 500,000 words from these sprints.

This year, I finished editing a manuscript in the last couple of days of October, and I thought about NaNo. I could have worked on a manuscript I started earlier in the year which is a little under 50k words, for Nano, or I could have started a new project. But instead I decided to start working on fun, possibly a novella or short novel. It’s a story a friend and I came up with for a film, one day we might make it, but novels are my bread and butter, so it seemed easiest to get my thoughts and ideas into a shape by writing it as narrative fiction.

The habits and skills I’ve developed over my years doing NaNo will never leave me. I am so glad I have learned to write first (and fast) and edit later–I find it so much easier to shape something when it’s all there, with an ending, than going over what you did last session, fiddling with it, then switching to write something new. I can sprint now, in half an hour I can get up to 1000 words, something I would never have been able to do before.

It feels strange to leave behind something that has been such a prominent feature in my calendar. I put it in my goals for 2022, but now November is here, I don’t have the energy or the determination to make it work. Last year’s version I aimed for 30k instead of the traditional 50k, and it was still tough. It feels right to let this go.

I’ll probably keep NaPoWriMo, the poem a day challenge in April, as I don’t write much poetry outside of that month. I enjoy the prompts, even when I ignore them, and it’s a good boost to my poetic productivity. For fiction, I don’t need it. I am producing at least one novel a year, which is my aim, and it looks like I’ll be able to continue that for the foreseeable future. There might be a time later where staying inside writing every day seems like a good idea, but it’s not going to happen this year. Post-covid restlessness maybe?

I think it shows growth that I’m not cramming all my output into one month, and instead am able to get 100k or more over spread through the year. Or it might just be that, after ten times, my competitive urge has faded. I also can’t rule out that I got old and tired.

Whatever the reason, I have a fun horror story brewing, perhaps I’ll make a collection, and a half-finished romantic comedy novel to keep my readers entertained after Singular Purpose. What good is being a writer if I’m not entertaining myself first? Comment below if you have any creepy pasta stories rattling around that might make a good addition to my horror collection.

Stay safe, and if you’re in Melbourne try to stay warm and dry until the weather sorts itself out and we get to have a summer of some kind.

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New Release Announcement

18 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

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Tags

book baby, Christmas, Family, new book, New Year, norse mythology, Romance, urban fantasy, Writing

Well. 2020 has been a hectic year in a lot of ways (I refuse to say unprecendented because, far out, that word gets used a lot). With all the time stuck inside I’m excited to announce I’m ready to release my new book baby, an urban fantasy/romance, Singular Focus.

A book cover, a white woman with short hair and an eye patch stands in front of a moon and city scape, in purple hues, with a raven and storm visible. Text reads: Singular Focus, Fleur Blüm.

“When Freya loses her right eye on her 28th birthday, her life has to change. Little does she know the whole world had changed too – there is magic in Melbourne. 

Visions of an oncoming storm, victims of a mystery coma-like illness are dropping around the city, and Jacob, the occupational therapist she can’t keep out of her mind.   

Time is running out, Freya and Jacob must save the world before magic tears everything apart.” 

The ebook is available for pre-order now on Amazon and other good sellers, releasing on 1 February 2021. A paperback version will be available closer to the release date.

This book is a bit of a departure from my previous work. I was influenced by a lot of great Norse mythology and stories involving a real world with added elements, like magic. I’m sure fans of my work, and fans of the genre alike will enjoy it.

I’m taking some time off from the day job and not doing work for the LMS over the Christmas period. The plan is to lounge around, catch up with friends and family, that sort of thing. I also have a small list of projects around the house to do, cleaning the car, and other boring stuff. I hope you’re all able to have a break, or change of scenery.

See you for my annual new year goal post in a couple of weeks.

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My Mother’s Secret – available now!

01 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by toearlyretirement in Writing

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book launch, book release, Romance, Romance Writing, virtual book launch, Writing

Hi Everyone

You should know (given I keep telling you) I’m releasing my third novel, My Mother’s Secret today! I just had a launch party on my Facebook author page. If you want to, you can watch it here.

My Mothers Secret eCover

I’m also giving away a copy of my book to the best ‘terrible meet cute’ until 7:30pm tomorrow (Melbourne time), so make sure you comment on the video to win a copy.

Thank you for everyone who attended, and who has/will buy the book.

It’s available now in print and ebook format on Amazon and other reputable online book sellers.

Happy reading!

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Das ist verboten

25 Monday May 2020

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

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accident, bill bailey, Blogging, book launch, broken leg, corona, COVID-19, Inspiration, Romance, Romance Writing, Stress, Surgery, time, virtual book launch

It’s been nearly four months since I was hit by a car. Some of you may be surprised to know that I’m still hobbling around on crutches, although I am rid of the moon boot as of last week. I need one further surgery to get all the metal taken out, it was supposed to be last week but then I had a bit of a sore throat and the hospital told me I couldn’t go in until after I’d had a test for COVID-19.

The test was unpleasant but tolerable, much in the same way as a pap smear test is unpleasant but tolerable. I don’t have it, thankfully, just some other unrelated sore throat issue. The whole saga reminded me of how weird the world has become. Things which would have been totally normal this time last year just don’t happen anymore, and things that would never have happened last year are common place – like having nothing scheduled every night this week. Lots of people are out of jobs, though thankfully in Australia we haven’t had huge numbers of deaths.

The whole world reminds me of a sketch I saw once, I’m pretty sure it was Bill Bailey but of course I can’t find the clip anymore. He described an East-German sitcom he’d made up entitled ‘Das ist verboten’ (translated it can mean variously: it’s illegal, it’s forbidden or it’s not allowed).

person holding covid sign

Everything I used to do feels like it’s illegal, forbidden, not allowed. Going to see a band, modelling for an art class, catching up with more than five people. I went to the supermarket on Saturday to get supplies for my isobaking and isocooking and there were so many people there. It was stressful. I didn’t feel as though I could get far enough away from people and I was wearing a big jacket because it was cold outside, but it was not cold inside so I was overheating which made everything worse.

Time is moving both extremely slowly and dizzyingly fast. I was released from hospital exactly a month before lock down started, but I wasn’t very mobile then. Now I’m more mobile, I have more energy, I’m even back up to my regular hours at the day job, but there is no where to go. Since being in partial isolation I’ve forgotten how to socialise. People exhaust me. Life exhausts me. I guess that’s kind of par for the course – everyone is exhausted or stir crazy or both.

I announced a while ago that I would publish my third novel on 1 June 2020, that’s only a week away. I blame the weird action of time for this. I’ll be hosting a virtual book launch on Facebook next Monday evening (Melbourne time) and I’d love you all to come. I haven’t entirely worked out what I’m going to do but it should be fun none the less.

If you don’t fancy the book launch or you live in a time zone where it will be awkward, you can always purchase your copy of My Mother’s Secret on Amazon and all good online book retailers. There might be a recording of the launch too.

One day we might look back at this time and think of all the things we learned, all the bread we baked, and all the government deficits we accumulated and smile, but it will be a long time from now. Until then, just try to be excellent to each other I guess.

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Cover Reveal and Pre-Orders

04 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

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book launch, Contemporary fiction, ebook, new release, Romance, Women's Fiction

In addition to taking isolation selfies, I have been preparing my third novel for release on 1 June 2020.

I can now reveal the gorgeous e-book cover, made for me by Charmaine Ross.

My Mothers Secret eCover

‘Cassandra Morton’s life is a mess; her mother just died, her ex is a nightmare and her sister’s in trouble.

Jason Harding is the lawyer handling Cassie’s mother’s estate. His father’s new family is falling apart and he hates his job.

It’s not a good idea for either of them to get into a relationship but they can’t stay away…’

You can pre-order the e-book on Amazon here with other platforms to come. I am also setting up print books, which will be available to pre-order shortly, and for general purchase on 1 June 2020.

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I’m gonna be over here…

20 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

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books, COVID-19, Pandemic, Romance, Romance Writing, Self-publishing, Writing

…doing my own thing, 1.5m away from any other people.

So we’re all totally over-loaded with COVID-19 pandemic content, so I’m going to try not to talk about that too much, but it’s changed everything for everyone for the foreseeable future.

One of the things that has changed for me is what I want to do with my next manuscript. I had planned to wait for responses from traditional publishers but I suspect taking new authors from the slush pile is not going to be high on their radars for the next [indeterminate period of time]. In light of the whole situation I’m planning to release my third novel independently on 1 June 2020.

The novel is called My Mother’s Secret, it’s a full length contemporary romance novel. I haven’t written a blurb or done a cover but I’ll publish those here and on my FaceBook author page when they’re done.

I’ve made the decision on a whim, I’m still on some of the opioid medication so maybe that has contributed to this slightly impulsive announcement.

hospital ducks

I hope you all have enough to eat, somewhere to hide away from the world, and enough to read. Hit me up if you want e-copies of my previous novels for free, I’ll do a promo code for isolation.

PS: I’m using the rubber duckies wearing scrubs again because it’s still relevant…

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It’s launched!

19 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

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book launch, Contemporary fiction, discovering the franklins, Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, Romance, Romance Writing, Savannah Blaize, Writing, Writing Group

On Sunday I released my second novel. I decided to throw a small launch party for it.

Here are a couple of photos from the day courtesy of Stuart.

Black and white. A sign points to a book launch.
Black and white. An older woman with black hair sits reading from a book to a group of people.
Blakc and white. A woman with long brown hair speaks to a group of people looking at her. Another woman stands beside her.
Black and white. A woman with long blond dreadloacks, wearing a white t-shirt plays the guitar and sings.
Black and white. A woman with long brown hair signs a book for a woman with blond hair. They are seated.
Black and white. A woman with long brown hair throws her head back laughing. A non-binary person next to her is also laughing. They are seated and the woman hands her companion a book.
Black and white photo of a woman signing a copy of her book. Close up of hands and book only.

I would like to thank everyone who came along, and everyone who bought a copy of the book. I was very nervous about it, but I think it went smoothly and I hope everyone had a nice time.

Special thanks to Savannah Blaize for being the MC, to Alison for doing the lion’s share of catering, and to Lu for providing the tunes.

Discovering the Franklins is available in e-book on Amazon and other good retailers, and in hard copy from me directly.

Happy reading and thanks for the support.

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Recent Posts

  • Do you like audiobooks?
  • Everything has it’s season
  • It’s lauch day for Singular Purpose!
  • Singular Purpose available to read in two weeks!
  • Welcome to 2023!
  • End of year round up 2022
  • Disconnect
  • If I only could: or leaving things behind
  • Cover Reveal – Singular Purpose
  • Long Drive Together

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Melbourne, Australia
fleurblum@hotmail.com

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