Wildlife Wednesday - Sea Eagle

On our recent Western Australia holiday, Mr E spied this Sea Eagle nest and pair. In many of the towns, there seemed to be roosting pads on the top of poles especially for nests, which is a fabulous idea (actually, I think WA had some brilliant eco-friendly ideas).

It's called the White-Breasted Sea-Eagle, and also the white-bellied sea-eagle, the white-breasted fish-hawk. It is on the threatened species list in many of the eastern Australian states, with an estimate of only 500 pairs in Australia in the wild.

The White-bellied Sea-Eagle is found in coastal habitats (especially those close to the sea-shore) and around terrestrial wetlands in tropical and temperate regions of mainland Australia and its offshore islands. The habitats occupied by the sea-eagle are characterised by the presence of large areas of open water (larger rivers, swamps, lakes, the sea). Birds have been recorded in (or flying over) a variety of terrestrial habitats.

The birds can live for up to 30 years, although there's a high mortality rate amongst the young. They breed in solitary and monogamous pairs that mate for life. However, if one member of the pair dies, it is quickly replaced.

Egg incubation lasts 6 weeks and is mostly carried out by the female, however both pairs feed the young who remain in the nest for 65-70 days. They are fed for 3 months after being fledged (taught to fly/kicked out of nest), and after another month, are chased out of the pair's breeding ground.

They feed opportunistically on a variety of fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and crustaceans, and on carrion and offal. They hunt from on high, swooping in for their prey (unless they're the carrion or offal!).

They're quite magnificent birds. We have a few on the river near here too and I always love seeing them. They're so haughty and majestic.

Sunday Story - a little rant on 'coming out'

Just need to have a little rant today.

I went to Book Club this week to discuss Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. It was a book I'd read some time in my youth and I picked up all the feminism stuff then, but reading it now, as a writer, all the writing stuff is so pertinent. It was magical to read about the history of women's writing and the theories Virginia Woolf gave as to why women did not write before the 1800s. I loved to see myself along that chain of women who because of the hard work women did in the past, I can now write. I carry the legacy forward and so my writing needs to reflect that history in some way.

I haven't "come out" to my Book Group about my writing for a few reasons - one being that they're mostly in their 70s and I'm not sure erotic writing is something I'm comfortable discussing with them. Another reason is for the fact that some of the birds in the group denigrate romance writing openly and scathingly, and with no foundation. And there's another woman who writes and I'm sick to death of hearing about her writing all the time (which is her autobiography).

Tonight I thought was the perfect opportunity to confess and to explain how this book touched me so deeply. However, before it was my turn to speak, we had a woman say, "...like Barbara Cartland and all that junk." Not long later she said, "...oh, the Mills and Boon rubbish..." and then in another breath, "...most romance should never be published...". But the best was, "I was so shocked to find The Story of O was written by a woman." When asked why, she explained that women should never have such fantasies. It was "disgusting" (her word). NOTE: I was pleased to see most women had read this book!

I have to say that there isn't a huge amount of support for her views (she's quite loud and most of us try to ignore her) but it's this brash, loud, negativity which stops a lot of conversations - not only me with my writing, but maybe there are readers there too, or others with things she dismisses so easily. I know there are romance readers in our group because the romance comment came after someone asked for romance titles.

I know she is only one woman, but a very loud one. I don't do well with that sort of person.

There's a need to be in contact with 'readers' so that people hear about my books and will buy them, or read them. But how do we get in touch with readers? And do we need to be selective about who we call our 'readers'.

I am very cautious about who is told about my writing. I have some aunts who I know would be horrified, and I chose not to tell them exactly what I write. My Dad isn't quite so selective - he just tells them I'm writing, mentions erotica and I'm not sure what happens, if they think he has it muddled up, or if they think they heard wrong, but nothing else gets said (or not to me).

I did point out to Dad the other day that the local Catholic priest's housekeeper is unlikely to want to read my book. He was a bit shocked.
"Why not?" he asks, in all naivety.
"It's called 'The Virginity Mission', Dad, do you really think a Catholic priest's housekeeper is going to want to read about sex? About a girl trying to lose her virginity?"
"Oh, I didn't think of that," says my Dad.
I mean what planet is he on?

My sisters on the other hand, are not at all like my Dad, and are more like some aunts. I had magnets made with my last book cover. I offered them to my sisters for their fridge, friends, etc. They declined. I asked if they were too embarrassed to have such a racy cover on their fridge (being funny) - but they are. Then one sister confessed that in a drunken moment she had told her friends what I wrote, and while they roared with laughter, my sister cringed. When I asked why she wouldn't give my magnets to her friends, she said it was just all too embarrassing.

And that's what it is. Sex is all too embarrassing. For all I try to think it isn't. For all I try to treat it as a normal every day subject, society doesn't (or not the one I live in!).

But my openness about sex has been useful. I could give my sister some information about females who can pee standing up!

So... will I ever come out to all people? No. I can't see that ever happening.

And you know what makes me saddest about that... I'm only writing erotic fiction. What if I was trying to announce my sexuality? How confronting must that be?

Phallic Friday - sex in romance novels

I've been having a good chuckle about this post He of the Mighty Wang, by Amy Andrews.

In the post, she says that she feels 'ripped off' if the hero in a romance novel isn't hugely endowed and doesn't bring the heroine to a huge orgasm. This made me laugh. I've always wondered why the heroes in romances are so big sometimes it makes my eyes water - even though I'm only reading!

In my pondering about writing and sex, I've been thinking that it needs to be kind of real (especially with the condom debate). I mean, if the condom has to be on to promote safe sex, shouldn't we be making things a little real? Like he comes before her, he is 'normally' endowed, they laugh during sex, it can be messy and confronting and confusing. 

But then should we go so far as to have someone fart, or have shaving rash, or a headache? Should sex be awkward the first time, when you may not be in tune, when things just don't fit easily, where you're self-conscious or overwhelmed?

There's a fine line between doing what's real and playing at fantasies.

As a reader, I didn't realised that the hugely hung hero was all myth until AA's article. I thought it was a fantasy but that there must be some hugely-hung men. I've spent some years looking for the stallion man - unsuccessfully too.

Do we have an obligation to readers to have some heroes who are more on the normal side of penis size - but still give wicked orgasms?

I admit, I'd feel ripped off if the hero's cock was something to be held between the heroine's fingertips... but does he need stallion proportions?Something for me to ponder.

Let me know how you feel... or if you've noticed this huge phenomenon.

Wildlife Wednesday - emu

Why did the emu cross the road?

I have no idea...but I did snap a photo, through the windscreen!

I've lived in western NSW where it's always been my fear that I'll collect an emu while hurtling down the road. So far I've been lucky and only collected a roo or two. I imagine all those feathers with an emu, those big long legs, that pointy beak, and all of it about windscreen height in my 2WD ute, so I'd always dreaded the thought of an emu in my face. I know, I have ghoulish thoughts.

But anyway, this emu and mate, scooted across the road as we were zooming through WA. No chicks, they're kind of fun to see. These two sauntered across and then when they hit the scrub, they took off full pelt, so my photo of them in the scrub has missing emus! Why they'd saunter across the dangerous part and run manically in the non-dangerous part, amused me.

Emu facts:

• Emus can't fly
• Emus are the second largest bird in the world, after the ostrich
• Emus can grow to 2m tall, weigh 55 kg, and run at 50 km/hr for short stretches.
• Female emus lay the eggs
• Male emus sit on the eggs for 40-60 days, during which time he doesn't eat or drink. When the eggs hatch, he looks after the chicks for up to 18 months!
• Emus eat grass, insects, fruit and seeds
• Emu eggs are large and green in colour
• Emus, like kangaroos, can't walk/run backwards