Suzanne Leal's Blog, page 5

QUESTIONS? EMAIL ME You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
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Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

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Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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Published on June 28, 2023 03:37

The business of being creative

I recently surprised myself by attending two business-related seminars. Business and money have never been my strong points and I suspect I'm not the only writer to shy away from business-related discussions. Slowly, however, I've come to realise that to make a career of writing, an understanding of business is essential. So when Waverley Council sponsored two seminars focusing on the financial aspects of creative practice, I took a deep breath and signed up. These free seminars were presented by the organisation Creative Plus Business. Sponsored by the NSW Government, Creative Plus Business provides free workshops, seminars and one-to-one business advice for creatives. And because their work is focused on creative endeavour, the business information provided seemed less daunting. If any of you are struggling with the financial aspects of your creative practice, it might be worth having a look at some of the services offered by organisations like Creative Plus Business.

Over the past few months, I've really enjoyed talking about my junior YA novel, Running with Ivan. Last week, I spoke to Barbie Robinson from Living Arts Canberra, for her podcast. Barbie is a terrific interviewer and you can listen to our conversation here.

I've also started to count down the days - 13 - until the release of my new novel, The Watchful Wife. Thank you so much for your pre-orders of the novel. You can continue to pre-order copies until 4 July 2023, when The Watchful Wife will be available in bookshops and online. Below are a list of in-person events I'll be presenting. I'm also planning a Thursday Book Club online event to tell you about my inspiration for the novel. You can find out about Thursday Book Club and join up for free on my website: www.suzanneleal.com.

A Crack In The Wall:
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan

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Published on June 21, 2023 00:19

When done is better than good

My next guest on on Thursday Book Club is....  Frank Chalmers
Scriptwriter & Novelist

Join me at 8pm on 29 June when I interview Frank about his crime novel Conviction.
To join us, simply click on the link to my Zoom conference room:
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM
Dear Friends

One of the perks of being a writer is the company you get to keep. Earlier this week, I spent the day talking to 400 Year 7 and Year 8 students about my time travel adventure book Running with Ivan. When a couple of the students asked for writing tips, I was reminded of a conversation I recently had with Pip Williams, author of the internationally bestselling novels, The Dictionary of Lost Words, and The Bookbinders of Jericho. Pip surprised me with the revelation that she is dyslexic and is grateful to have been encouraged her not to see this as a barrier to her creativity. In light of her own experience, Pip encourages school teachers to allow their students to write creatively without drawing their attention to spelling and grammar mistakes. Spelling and grammar should certainly be learnt, developed and corrected but not, Pip believes, in the context of creative writing where the goal is to give the students confidence in exploring their creativity.

It occurred to me that this is not dissimilar to the freedom I give myself when embarking on the first draft of a new novel Generating new work is difficult and the only way I can cajole myself into getting started is to reassure myself that, at this stage of the manuscript, quality is less important that simply generating material.

Congratulations are in order for Thursday Book Club member, Barbie Robinson, whose new children's book,Charles the Gallery Dog (with illustrations by Ian Robertson) has been shortlisted for the ACT Notable Book Awards. The winners will be announced on 29 June 2023. In the meantime,  you can find the full list of shortlisted works here.

This week, the world has lost one of its literary giants, Cormac McCarthy. He holds a special place in my heart, partly becauseThe Road was the first gift from my husband, David, when we'd only just started seeing each other. Let me know which of Cormac McCarthy's works is your favourite and I'll pop the list in next week's newsletter.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your company at Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. See you at 8pm online!
  NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

HUMANLY POSSIBLE Sarah Bakewell
BUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- What an enormous task Bakewell has taken on here, begininng with what is Humanism? When one takes into account that there are so many different interpretations attached to this school of thought, the question is where to start. Maybe with Democritus who planted the seed and from that grew a tree with many different branches: people such as Petrarch, Boccaccio, Russell, Sartre and many many more all bearing fruit. Bakewell litters her narrative with touches of humour and irony. It's her ability to bring all these diverse characters alive all with their own personality quirks that makes this a book that is bursting with ideas. Greg
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. YOUNGER READER RECOMMENDATION

TWENTY QUESTIONS Mac Barnett, Christian Robinson
BUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK --- Another wonderful primer from the prolific Philip Bunting! This time he explains people power to primary-age readers, starting from the definition of democracy, its origins in Ancient Greece, a potted history and modern forms. Then he explains the levels of government, how elections work, and how to use your voice and participate in the process. With his typical simple graphics that brilliantly (and wittily) enhance the accessible text, this is another excellent introduction to a complex matter that doesn't condescend but also entertains as it enlightens. Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. After spending the best part of a year helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop, I have developed a passion for bolstering my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You'll also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay I spend an unjustifiable amount of my domestic life anthropomorphising my dog. Sometimes I’m merely imagining what my pooch might reply when I comment on the weather or note that the neighbour’s cat is out. Often though, I just go ahead and give him voice. He sounds like my boyfriend’s old therapist and betwixt mundane requests for food, naps and cuddles will propose challenges to my emotional insight – “I put it to you that it’s not you picking up the poo but the poo that is picking up you.” McKay has put her time to better use, completing a PhD focussing on literary animal studies and penning this award winning novel. It centres on Jean, a guide in an Australian wildlife park, and one of life’s survivors. All her grit is required when a new flu sweeps the country causing people to be able to understand what animals are communicating. The book becomes an apocalyptic road-trip story when Jean is forced to hit the highway with dingo Sue on a rescue mission to find her grand-daughter Kimberley. McKay has all the skills required for this combination of philosophy and thrill.

NEWS

First Friday in July
Friday 7 July, 12.30pm, online
Writing NSW's monthly conversation with an industry professional

Courtesy of Writing NSW, come online to hear writer and literary agent, Benjamin Stevenson, talk about his experiences as a literary agent working across a broad range of genres and mediums. Find out about the books he wished he’d worked on, as well as his upcoming novel releasing in October.

SPECULATIVE FICTION FESTIVAL

Saturday 24 June 2023

Writing NSW, Callan Park, Lilyfield

From 10am to 5pm, attendees can listen to writers from the genre discuss how horror can be hopeful, hear all about hybrid authorship in the age of publishing scarcity, and sign up on the day for a ‘Kaffeeklatsch’: an intimate chat with our knowledgeable speakers. You can book your festival pass here.

Following a sold-out event at the Wheeler Centre’s World of Words last week, you can enjoy a digital recording of Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan sharing their powerful story of loss, personal empathy and peace in conversation with Sally Warhaft.

Historical Novel Society Australasia 2023 Winter Online Program Saturday 1 July 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023

Writing Competitions

28 June: ASSF Short Story Prize
The winner of this prize will receive a ticket plus accommodation and economy airfares to and from the Australian Short Story Festival 2023, as well as fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) to read from their work, which will be considered for publication by the editors at Meniscus.

30 June 2023: The Next Chapter Writing Program
Four writers will receive a stipend of $15000, a mentorship and a residency at Varuna as part of this ongoing initiative by The Wheeler Centre.

30 June 2023: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

30 June: Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize
The Prize invites submissions of autobiography, biography, memoir, and essays of up to 3500 words. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a one-year subscription to Westerly, and conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP to read from their work.

30 June: Express Media Sudden Writing Prize
The Prize invites creative work—short-short fiction, “sudden” fiction, “sketchy” stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, as well as hybrid forms. The winner receives $500, their work published on the Express Media website and a Voiceworks subscription, and a one-year membership to the AAWP.

30 June: UWRF Translators' Prize
This prize is offered in partnership with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, and includes a ticket and accommodation to the UWRF, one year’s membership to the AAWP, subsidised fees for the AAWP’s annual conference, and will be considered for publication by the editors of Meniscus.

30 June: RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize
Through the RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize, Sutherland Shire Environment Centre values the role and place of the art of writing in bringing about change. The Prize asks you to consider the future and write a piece of fiction that puts yourself in it, under the theme 'Future, what future?'

30 June: Society of Women Writers NSW National Writing Competition
The competition is open to women writers who are residents of Australia, aged 18 years or over, members and non-members. Prizes up to $500 will be awarded in categories for poetry and short story (fiction and non-fiction).

30 June: Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award
Australian authors and their publishers are invited to nominate recently published literary works of any subject matter and genre for this year’s Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award which now has a major prize of $40,000.

30 June: ANZSI Indexing Award and John Simkin Medal
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (ANZSI) invites nominations for the ANZSI Indexing Awards. The John Simkin Medal recognises an outstanding book or periodical index compiled in Australia or New Zealand.

30 June: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

30 June 2023: The Poetry Project Kids Writing Competition.
All poems entered with be published in the Better Read Kids Writing Anthology, with prizes for the winner and runner-up.

3 July: ACU Prize for Poetry
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry is open for new poetry on the theme of Love, as inspired by Martin Luther King Jr: 'I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.' There is a first prize of $10,000.

7 July: Richell Prize for Emerging Writers
Entries are open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The Prize will be judged on the first three chapters, along with a synopsis outlining the direction and detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit

23 July: Kill Your Darlings Creative Non-Fiction Essay Prize
The prize is seeking creative non-fiction essays between 2500 and 3500 words, on any subject and in any style (such as memoir, commentary, cultural criticism, reportage etc). First prize is $3000, with two runner-up prizes of $1000 each.

1 August 2023: Walker Books Manuscript Prize
This is a new biennial prize to be awarded to an unpublished manuscript, from 5000 to 70000 words for a readership of children over 8 years. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with an advance against royalties.

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

What is Thursday Book Club?

Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, I interview a guest writer.

On 29 June, I'll be interviewing Frank Chalmers, author of the crime novel, Conviction.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343
Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My Recommendation

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Your Recommendations

Barbie R

Black Lies by Mercedes Mercier
Resistance and Revenge by Catherine McCullagh
The Magpie's Sister by Kerri Turner

Katrina D

The Animals in That Country by Jean Mackay

Fabian J

Dark Spectrum (Vivid 2023)

Cristina H

The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich
A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich

Ravi S

Things She Would Have Said Herself by Catherine Therese

Hazel H

Cast Iron by Peter May

Dina D

Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? by Jeanette WInterson
Providence by Anita Brookner

Take care,

Suzanne

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. My new novel The Watchful Wife will be out in July 2023 and I'd love discuss it with your book club. To schedule a date, please email me here.
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM

My new novel, The Watchful Wife, is out on 4 July 2023. You can pre-order it from Allen & Unwin here or at your favourite bookshop.

You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

QUESTIONS? EMAIL ME You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

Our mailing address is:
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 14, 2023 03:51

Tom Keneally will be launching The Watchful Wife

A Crack In The Wall:
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan

My next guest on on Thursday Book Club is....  Frank Chalmers
Scriptwriter & Novelist

Join me at 8pm on 29 June when I interview Frank about his crime novel Conviction.
To join us, simply click on the link to my Zoom conference room:
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM
Dear Friends

I'm delighted to let you know that Tom Keneally will be launching my new novel, The Watchful Wife, at 5.30pm  on 20 July at Pitt St Uniting Church in Sydney. It's a great venue and also apt, I thought, to have the launch in a church given that The Watchful Wife is the story of a devoutly religious woman - whose husband is accused of a crime he swears he didn't commit.

I hope you will be able to come to the launch so we can celebrate together and I can thank you all for your support. I'll send out separate invitations over the next couple of weeks.

It was terrific to be part of the Words on the Waves Festival last week. It was held in Umina, which is the most beautiful place on the Central Coast, the sessions were full and the audience engaged. Congratulations to the organisers of this wonderfully welcoming festival.

You might have noticed the newsletter has had a bit of a makeover - alll thanks to writer and tech genius, Michelle Barraclough from Fresh Web Design, who has also magically created a new website for me. If you'd like to take a peak, you'll find it here.

I hope to see some of you at Mosman Library tonight where I'll be interviewing Mikki Brammer about her new book, The Collected Regrets of Clover, recently the subject of a bidding frenzy by publishers. And, as always, I'll look forward to seeing you online at Thursday Book Club tomorrow night.

  NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

PRETTIER IF SHE SMILED MORE Toni Jordan
BUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Kylie knows exactly what she wants and what she will get. The pharmacy she works in will be hers when the owners retire, her finances are calculated to the nth degree, her partner will be perfect husband material, and her home efficient, tidy and exactly as it should be. Controlling all these elements in her life is complicated by making sure her family also falls into line. But Kylie is a Schnabel, and that means despite all her efforts, they are messy - beloved, but messy! Then the week of disaster hits - and absolutely every certainty Kylie has possessed is eroded and thrown into shambles…Who else can she turn to, but her chaotic family - and to the self she truly is - to find her way through? A fabulously observant and delightful novel, a companion/follow-up to the witty Dinner with the Schnabels. I enjoyed this very much, and hope the other Schnabels find their way into more novels in the future! Lindy Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. YOUNGER READER RECOMMENDATION

DEMOCRACY!A positive primer on people power. Philip Bunting
BUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK --- Another wonderful primer from the prolific Philip Bunting! This time he explains people power to primary-age readers, starting from the definition of democracy, its origins in Ancient Greece, a potted history and modern forms. Then it explains the levels of government, how elections work, and how to use your voice and participate in the process. With his typical simple graphics that brilliantly (and wittily) enhance the accessible text, this is another excellent introduction to a complex matter that doesn't condescend but also entertains as it enlightens. Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. After spending the best part of a year helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop, I have developed a passion for bolstering my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You'll also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (2020) Book selection is crucial during a COVID convalescence. I needed a guaranteed winner during my recent isolation and I can confirm Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss is deserved of all its buzz. It’s punchy and accessible and funny – just what the doctor ordered. Protagonist Martha has recurring periods of deep distress during which things get out of control. An abundance of love and kindness from her family and friends bring things back time and time again to an equilibrium, although everyone has their limits. As a long-term confidante of distress there was lots in this book I recognised. As a long-time mental health advocate I identified several meaty issues for a discussion group. As a reader I wondered if it was okay that I didn’t like this person who was suffering so much. There’s a lot here to love and chew on. NEWS

Following a sold-out event at the Wheeler Centre’s World of Words last week, you can enjoy a digital recording of Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan sharing their powerful story of loss, personal empathy and peace in conversation with Sally Warhaft.

On Wednesday 7 June, I'll be in conversation with Mikki Brammer whose novel, The Collected Regrets of Clover, has been taking the world by storm. I hope some of you will be able to join me at the Barry O'Keefe Library in Mosman. You can book tickets here.

Kris Kneen is launchng her book Fat Girl Dancing on Thursday 8 June 6.30pm at Better Read Than Dead in Newtown. You can book your ticket for this free event here.

Historical Novel Society Australasia 2023 Winter Online Program Saturday 1 July 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023

Writing Competitions

12 June 2023: Wesley Michel Wright Prize
This prize is open to Australian authors who have published an original verse or poetry in the 12 months prior to the application closing date in print, digital book or journal form, and offers up to $4,300 to the winner.

28 June: ASSF Short Story Prize
The winner of this prize will receive a ticket plus accommodation and economy airfares to and from the Australian Short Story Festival 2023, as well as fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) to read from their work, which will be considered for publication by the editors at Meniscus.

30 June 2023: The Next Chapter Writing Program
Four writers will receive a stipend of $15000, a mentorship and a residency at Varuna as part of this ongoing initiative by The Wheeler Centre.

30 June 2023: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

30 June: Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize
The Prize invites submissions of autobiography, biography, memoir, and essays of up to 3500 words. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a one-year subscription to Westerly, and conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP to read from their work.

30 June: Express Media Sudden Writing Prize
The Prize invites creative work—short-short fiction, “sudden” fiction, “sketchy” stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, as well as hybrid forms. The winner receives $500, their work published on the Express Media website and a Voiceworks subscription, and a one-year membership to the AAWP.

30 June: UWRF Translators' Prize
This prize is offered in partnership with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, and includes a ticket and accommodation to the UWRF, one year’s membership to the AAWP, subsidised fees for the AAWP’s annual conference, and will be considered for publication by the editors of Meniscus.

30 June: RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize
Through the RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize, Sutherland Shire Environment Centre values the role and place of the art of writing in bringing about change. The Prize asks you to consider the future and write a piece of fiction that puts yourself in it, under the theme 'Future, what future?'

30 June: Society of Women Writers NSW National Writing Competition
The competition is open to women writers who are residents of Australia, aged 18 years or over, members and non-members. Prizes up to $500 will be awarded in categories for poetry and short story (fiction and non-fiction).

30 June: Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award
Australian authors and their publishers are invited to nominate recently published literary works of any subject matter and genre for this year’s Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award which now has a major prize of $40,000.

30 June: ANZSI Indexing Award and John Simkin Medal
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (ANZSI) invites nominations for the ANZSI Indexing Awards. The John Simkin Medal recognises an outstanding book or periodical index compiled in Australia or New Zealand.

30 June: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

30 June 2023: The Poetry Project Kids Writing Competition.
All poems entered with be published in the Better Read Kids Writing Anthology, with prizes for the winner and runner-up.

3 July: ACU Prize for Poetry
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry is open for new poetry on the theme of Love, as inspired by Martin Luther King Jr: 'I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.' There is a first prize of $10,000.

7 July: Richell Prize for Emerging Writers
Entries are open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The Prize will be judged on the first three chapters, along with a synopsis outlining the direction and detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit

1 August 2023: Walker Books Manuscript Prize
This is a new biennial prize to be awarded to an unpublished manuscript, from 5000 to 70000 words for a readership of children over 8 years. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with an advance against royalties.

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

What is Thursday Book Club?

Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, I interview a guest writer.

On 29 June, I'll be interviewing Frank Chalmers, author of the crime novel, Conviction.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343
Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My Recommendation

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Your Recommendations

Noela A

On Tim Winton by Geraldine Brooks
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Katrina D

Denizen by James McKenzie Watson

Fabian J

Running with Ivan by Suzanne Leal
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Living (2022) directed by Oliver Hermanus

Barbie R

Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
Neil, The Amazing Sea Cucumber by Amelia McInerney
The Therapist by Hugh Mackay
Bellevue by Alison Booth

Ravi S

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

Hazel H

Cast Iron by Peter May

Dina D

Spare by Price Harry
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Nazis Knew My Name by Maya Lee and Magda Hellinger
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
My Name is Lucy by Elizabeth Strout
Oh William by Elizabeth Strout

Take care,

Suzanne

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. My new novel The Watchful Wife will be out in July 2023 and I'd love discuss it with your book club. To schedule a date, please email me here.
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM

My new novel, The Watchful Wife, is out on 4 July 2023. You can pre-order it from Allen & Unwin here or at your favourite bookshop.

You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

QUESTIONS? EMAIL ME You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

Our mailing address is:
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 06, 2023 19:47

My friend Fabian

***************************************************************
My next guest on on Thursday Book Club is....
Frank Chalmers
scriptwriter & novelist
Join me at 8pm on 29 June when I interview Frank about his crime novel Conviction.
To join us, simply click on the link to my Zoom conference room:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

**************************************************************

Dear Friends

Some years ago, I made a new friend here in the little hamlet where I live. His name was Fabian. It didn't take me long to realise that as well as being my neighbour, Fabian Lo Schiavo was the founder of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of male activists who dressed as nuns. Fabian was Sister Inferior and sewed his own costumes. He also played the accordion at rallies and events. His house was a menagerie of religious iconography - paintings and statues and shrines, even a confessional - collected by this creative, gentle, intelligent and hilarious man, who after retiring as an archivist reinvented himself as a dog walker. He was always out and about with one, two or three dogs - including our Japanese Spitz, Milly - and was greatly loved in our little community. To our great sadness, he died on 11 May, this man who was larger than life, who would make me laugh until I cried and who'd I'd imagined would be with us forever.

Amidst this sad news, I'd like to thank those of you who joined us last week to meet my guest, writer and teacher, Dr Lee Kofman. Lee is a terrific speaker, as was confirmed one of our viewers, who wrote in to say that 'I loved the guest author from last week. Lee has the knack of bringing you into her world. I will read her book.' If you weren't able to join us, you can watch my interview with Lee Kofman here.
NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

LAPIDARIUM

The Secret Lives of Stones

Hettie Judah

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/lapidarium-the-secret-life-of-stones-9781529394948.do

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- I'm a petrophile, so a book on the secret lives of stones is just my delight! Divided into six sections, it covers 60 different stones. Each is given three or four pages, and the stories reveal unusual connections and histories because the author is a renowned art critic and not a geologist, so she brings a different sensibility to the topic. From humble black shale to exotic moon rock, ubiquitous quartz to rare diamond, crumbly talc to glassy tektite - whether it's a precious gemstone or an everyday mineral, this book unfolds fascinating tales and curious histories (although the print is smaller than usual!) It is also a beautifully produced book - the gutters of each page in the essays are coloured the same as the subject stone - each section is delineated by coloured bars, and there are finely rendered illustrations. Dip in and out, or follow the pages, this is a vastly enjoyable read! Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife.
FOR CHILDREN

NIC BLAKE AND THE REMARKABLES

The Manifestor Prophecy

Angie Thomas

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/nic-blake-and-the-remarkables-the-manifestor-prophecy-9781529516326.do ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK --- Thomas is best known for her hard hitting YA novels of black experience in gritty urban settings, so this middle grade fantasy novel is a departure - although the themes of injustice and prejudice still thread through, giving this standard trope an edge of difference. Nic and her father are itinerants because he is part of a class of people who have special powers that have to be kept hidden from ordinary people. For her twelfth birthday he has promised to show Nic how to be a Manifestor, but of course before he can, the secret of his past is revealed and they are separated. Nic is given a task, which if she can fulfil it will prove her father's innocence - but in doing so, an ancient prophecy is about to come true… A fast-paced and engrossing read for ages 10-13. Lindy

RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. After spending the best part of a year helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop, I have developed a passion for bolstering my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You'll also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Stephen Fry’s Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music as told to Tim Lihoreau
People who love classical music have always seemed to me to be closer to God than the rest of us. Wanting some of what they have and already a fan of Stephen Fry I picked out this book hoping it would be filled with revelation. Alas, I haven’t seen the light but I learned some good facts which should come in handy when I’m playing Jeopardy with my Mum. It is not clear what Stephen Fry’s and Tim Lihoreau’s division of labour was for this project but the result is a hurtling history which at times consists more of asides and diversions than a comforting, orienting core. There’s probably a musical term for this style but as I am not yet ready to sit my exams I shall have to use words like jittery, whip-lash-ish, unhinged, and rollickingly-good-fun.

NEWS

Congratulations to all the winners of the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) announced during Sydney Writers' Festival last week. As it happens, both my publishers came home with awards. Jane Palfreyman from Allen & Unwin, who is the publisher of my novels The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and The Watchful Wife, won the inaugural Commissioning Editor/Publisher of the Year Award while Lisa Berryman, publisher of my children's novel, Running with Ivan, won the Pixie O'Harris Award. On top of that, Allen & Unwin won the Publisher of the Year Award. The ABIA book of the year is RecipeTin Eats: Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan), the general fiction book of the year is Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor, the literary fiction book of the year is Horse by Geraldine Brook, the nonfiction book of the year is Bulldozed by Niki Savva s and the book of the year for younger children is Runt by Craig Silvey. You can find the full list of winners here.

On Wednesday 7 June, I'll be in conversation with Mikki Brammer whose novel, The Collected Regrets of Clover, has been taking the world by storm. I hope some of you will be able to join me at the Barry O'Keefe Library in Mosman. You can book tickets here.

On Friday 2 June, Angela Savage will host the launch of the 30th Scarlet Stiletto Awards at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library. She will be joined by Sisters in Crime members, Susanna Lobez and Leigh Redhead. Susanna Lobez will also introduce a (free) podcast of the winning stories, Scarlet Stiletto Bites: Scintillating stories by Australian women.. You can book tickets here.

On Monday 12 June, I'm delighted to be a presenter at Limmud in Your Lounge
LIMMUD IN YOUR LOUNGE is a series of thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about Jewish ideas and culture in homes across Sydney, 10-12 June 2023. I'll be discussing the value of fiction in keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. You can find the full program and buy your tickets here.

Words on the Waves Writers Festival
NSW Central Coast
May 31 - June 5, 2023
There's a great line-up for this year's Words on the Waves Festival. I'm delighted to be in conversation with Holly Throsby and Julie Janson for the session Small Town Secrets on Sunday 4 June. You can find all the details here.

Kris Kneen is launching her book Fat Girl Dancing on Thursday 8 June 6.30pm at Better Read Than Dead in Newtown. You can book your ticket for this free event here.

Historical Novel Society Australasia 2023 Winter Online Program Saturday 1 July 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023

Writing Competitions

Open call-out: School Magazine submissions
The School Magazine is open for submissions, seeking quality children’s literature for ages 7-12+.

31 May: The Australian/Vogel’s Award for Young Writers
The Australian/Vogel’s Award for Young Writers is the most prestigious Australian award for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of thirty-five. The winning manuscript will receive prize money of $20,000 and will be published in 2024 by Allen & Unwin with an advance against royalties. Entries will close on the 31st May.

31 May: 2024 Creative Time Residential Fellowships
Applications are now open for 2024 Creative Time Residential Fellowships. Published authors or illustrators of at least one book for children or young people are invited to apply for “the gift of time”. The May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust provides accommodation, local support, and travel to host city Adelaide.

31 May 2023: NZPS International Poetry Competition
The New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition is open for two categories: Open Verse Adults (18+ years) and Haiku Adults (18+ years). There is also a separate junior competition with two categories for youth: Open Verse Junior (17 years or younger) and Haiku Junior (17 years or younger). Prizes range from NZ$50 to NZ$600.

31 May 2023: The Bridport Prize
The Bridport Prize is an international creative writing competition established in 1973 and committed to
discovering new writers in poetry, short story, flash fiction and the novel. Enter online at www.bridportprize.org.uk

31 May 2023: Sunspot Lit Journal - Rigel
Rigel is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Sunspot Lit is looking for the single short story, novel, novella, artwork, graphic novel, or poem that outshines all the rest. Literary or genre works accepted; the only requirement is quality. Rigel offers $500 plus publication to the winner, and offers publication to select finalists.

12 June 2023: Wesley Michel Wright Prize
This prize is open to Australian authors who have published an original verse or poetry in the 12 months prior to the application closing date in print, digital book or journal form, and offers up to $4,300 to the winner.

30 June 2023: The Poetry Project Kids Writing Competition.
All poems entered with be published in the Better Read Kids Writing Anthology, with prizes for the winner and runner-up.

28 June 2023: AAWP—ASSF Short Story Prize
The winner of this prize will receive a ticket plus accommodation and economy airfares to and from the Australian Short Story Festival 2023, as well as fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) to read from their work, which will be considered for publication by the editors at Meniscus.

30 June 2023: The Next Chapter Writing Program
Four writers will receive a stipend of $15000, a mentorship and a residency at Varuna as part of this ongoing initiative by The Wheeler Centre.

30 June 2023: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

3 July 2023: ACU Prize for Poetry
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry, one of Australia’s richest poetry prizes, is celebrating a decade this year. Entries are now open for new poetry on the theme of Love, as inspired by Martin Luther King Jr: 'I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.' There is a prize pool of $18,000, with a first prize of $10,000.

7 July 2023: Richell Prize for Emerging Writers
Entries are open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The Prize will be judged on the first three chapters of the submitted work, along with a synopsis outlining the direction of the proposed work and detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit from winning the Prize.

1 August 2023: Walker Books Manuscript Prize
This is a new biennial prize to be awarded to an unpublished manuscript, from 5000 to 70000 words for a readership of children over 8 years. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with an advance against royalties.

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, I interview a guest writer. On 29 June, I'll be interviewing Frank Chalmers, author of the crime novel, Conviction.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My Recommendation

The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman

Lee Kofman's recommendations

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar

A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

The Possessed by Elif Batuman

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. My new novel The Watchful Wife will be out in July 2023 and I'd love discuss it with your book club. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting My new novel, The Watchful Wife, is out on 4 July 2023. You can pre-order it from Allen & Unwin here or at your favourite bookshop.

You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

Questions? Email me  You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
  | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

Our mailing address is:
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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Published on May 30, 2023 00:26

Author and writing teacher, Lee Kofman, is my guest this week

***************************************************************
This week's guest on Thursday Book Club is....
Dr Lee Kofman
author & writing teacher
Join the creator of the acclaimed writing manual The Writer Laid Bare as she shares writing tips, insights from her own creative practice and a list of her favourite reads.

To join us, simply click on the link to my Zoom conference room at 8pm this Thursday:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

**************************************************************

Dear Friends
It was great to have Drew Rooke as my guest on Thursday Book Club last week. His book, A Witness of Fact, is a fascinating account of criminal cases and the sometimes concerning forensic evidence used to secure a conviction. If you missed the discussion, you can find it on my YouTube channel.

This week, I have another guest joining me on Thursday Book Club. She is a fascinating person, a terrific writer and speaker and a much sought after writing teacher. I'm not sure I can outperform her literary bio in best describing her to you:

Dr Lee Kofman is a Russian-born Israeli-Australian author of six books and editor of two anthologies, writing teacher and mentor based in Melbourne. Her writing and reading life began a long time ago in a remote Siberian village where she recited her first poem to an admiring crowd of illiterate babushkas. What followed was decades of wrestling with the art and craft of writing and passionate reading.

I love speaking with Lee Kofman and very much hope you'll be able to join us. Just click on this link at 8pm: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/852104234 3

It was terrific to attend the NSW Premier's Literary Awards earlier this week. The Mitchell Reading Room is the most beautiful venue and Sara Fishwick was a great host. Big congratulations to all the winners, especially Debra Dank, author of We Come With This Place, who won a record four awards. You'll find a full list of the prizewinners below.

Finally, congratulations to all those writers longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award - with a special shoutout to Julie Janson who I'll be interviewing - together with Holly Throsby - at the Words on the Waves Festival on 4 June. Hope to see some of you there!
NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

THE MIDNIGHT NEWS

Jo Baker

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-midnight-news-9781399602259.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Hitler's war has just started, and 20-year-old Charlotte is recovering from the loss of her beloved brother at Dunkirk. She is trying to make her own way without relying on her entitled and difficult father, and relishing her independence despite her dull typing job and the privations of wartime life. When her best friend dies in an air raid, and other people she loves start dying, Charlotte becomes haunted by their voices and the feeling that she is the cause - or that the strange grey man she notices all the time has something to do with it all. But when she starts to make enquiries, with the help of a young man she has met, she is soon reminded what happens when she makes a nuisance of herself - because when she was younger, she learnt the consequences of stepping out of line… Atmospheric and quite gripping, I read this on a wet Sunday - it was the perfect companion! Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife.
FOR CHILDREN

DESERT JUNGLE

Jeannie Baker

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/desert-jungle-9781406387872.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK --- Any new Jeannie Baker book is a joy to behold, and this is no exception. It takes place in the Sonoran Desert, which is unique amongst deserts because of its great biodiversity and unusual weather patterns. A young boy who prefers playing on his tablet goes to stay with his grandfather, who lives far from any village. When Grandpa suggest they go exploring, the boy only wants to use his device. When it is lost in the night to a curious animal, he goes looking for it and gets lost in the jungle of thorny vegetation before making his way back to the ranch house. It is then that he starts to engage with his grandfather and the landscape around him… With the amazingly detailed, beautifully realistic and complex collages Baker is famous for, this book can be summed up by its epigraph from Chief Dan George that "What you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys" and how that can be changed by the simple acts of observation, engagement - and knowledge. Lindy

NEWS

Congratulations to those authors longlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award:

Kgshak Akec, Hopeless Kingdom (UWA Publishing)
Robbie Arnott, Limberlost (Text Publishing)
Jessica Au, Cold Enough for Snow (Giramondo Publishing)
Shankari Chandran, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens (Ultimo Press)
Claire G Coleman, Enclave (Hachette Australia)
George Haddad, Losing Face (University of Queensland Press)
Pirooz Jafari, Forty Nights (Ultimo Press)
Julie Janson, Madukka The River Serpent (UWA Publishing)
Yumna Kassab, The Lovers (Ultimo Press)
Fiona Kelly McGregor, Iris (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Adam Ouston, Waypoints (Puncher & Wattmann)

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards

Book of the Year ($10,000)
We Come With This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)

Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000)
Women I Know by Katerina Gibson (Scribner an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia)

Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction ($40,000)
We Come With This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)

Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry ($30,000)
The Singer and Other Poems by Kim Cheng Boey (Cordite Books)

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature ($30,000)
The First Scientists: Deadly Inventions and Innovations from Australia’s First Peoples by Corey Tutt and Blak Douglas (Hardie Grant Explore)

Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature ($30,000)
The Upwelling by Lystra Rose (Hachette Australia)

Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting ($30,000)
Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg (Griffin Theatre Company/ Currency Press)

Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting ($30,000)
Blaze by Del Kathryn Barton and Huna Amweero (Causeway Films)

Indigenous Writers’ Prize ($30,000)
We Come With This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)

Multicultural NSW Award ($30,000)
The Eulogy by Jackie Bailey (Hardie Grant Books)

NSW Premier’s Translation Prize ($30,000 — biennial award)
People from Bloomington by Budi Darma, translated by Tiffany Tsao (Penguin Classics)

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing ($5,000 — sponsored by University of Technology Sydney)
We Come With This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)

University of Sydney People’s Choice Award ($5000 — sponsored by University of Sydney)
Every Version of You by Grace Chan (Affirm Press)

Special Award ($10,000)
Bankstown Poetry Slam

The Pixie O'Harris Award
Congratulations to Lisa Berryman from HarperCollins who will by inducted into the ABIA Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Pixie O'Harris Award, in recognition of her exceptional commitment to Australian children's books. Lisa Berryman published my middle-grade novel, Running with Ivan, and the attention she gave to the book and its curation was meticulous.

Next month, I'm delighted to be part of Limmud in Your Lounge! LIMMUD IN YOUR LOUNGE is a series of thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about Jewish ideas and culture in homes across Sydney, 10-12 June 2023. You can find the full program and buy your tickets here.

Words on the Waves Writers Festival
NSW Central Coast
May 31 - June 5, 2023
There's a great line-up for this year's Words on the Waves Festival. I'm delighted to be in conversation with Holly Throsby and Julie Janson for the session Small Town Secrets on Sunday 4 June. You can find all the details here.

Historical Novel Society Australasia 2023 Winter Online Program Saturday 1 July 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023
The Winter Online Program will feature an exciting line-up of authors and industry professionals, in both workshops and chat salons, including Kathryn Heyman, Kayte Nunn, Paula Morris and Meg Keneally.Tuesday 30 May, 12.30 pm, Sydney. Sisters in Crime member Ashley Kalagian Blunt talks about the darkly frightening side of the internet in her psychological thriller Dark Mode to BAD’s Catherine du Peloux Menage. Sydney Mechanics School of the Arts, Henry Carmichael Theatre Level 1, 280 Pitt Street Sydney. Free but please book here .
Thursday 8 June, 6.30 pm, Melbourne. Join us to celebrate the launch of Jacqueline Ross's crime novel, Blackwater, a contemporary gothic psychological thriller set on the remote Tasman Peninsula. In this gripping novel, readers are taken deep into the history of convict nurseries, where countless children of convict women died in appalling conditions. Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon Street, Carlton. Free but please book here.

Wednesday 21 June, 6:30 pm, Melbourne. Everyone is invited to the launch of A Disappearance in Fiji, the sparkling debut by Sisters in Crime member, Nilima Rao, that offers an unflinching look at the impact of colonialism, even as it brims with wit, vibrant characters, and fascinating historical detail. Readings State Library, 285-321 Russell St, Melbourne. Free but please book here.

Writing Competitions

Open call-out: School Magazine submissions
The School Magazine is open for submissions, seeking quality children’s literature for ages 7-12+.

31 May: The Australian/Vogel’s Award for Young Writers
The Australian/Vogel’s Award for Young Writers is the most prestigious Australian award for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of thirty-five. The winning manuscript will receive prize money of $20,000 and will be published in 2024 by Allen & Unwin with an advance against royalties. Entries will close on the 31st May.

31 May: 2024 Creative Time Residential Fellowships
Applications are now open for 2024 Creative Time Residential Fellowships. Published authors or illustrators of at least one book for children or young people are invited to apply for “the gift of time”. The May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust provides accommodation, local support, and travel to host city Adelaide.

31 May 2023: NZPS International Poetry Competition
The New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition is open for two categories: Open Verse Adults (18+ years) and Haiku Adults (18+ years). There is also a separate junior competition with two categories for youth: Open Verse Junior (17 years or younger) and Haiku Junior (17 years or younger). Prizes range from NZ$50 to NZ$600.

31 May 2023: Sunspot Lit Journal - Rigel
Rigel is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Sunspot Lit is looking for the single short story, novel, novella, artwork, graphic novel, or poem that outshines all the rest. Literary or genre works accepted; the only requirement is quality. Rigel offers $500 plus publication to the winner, and offers publication to select finalists.

12 June 2023: Wesley Michel Wright Prize
This prize is open to Australian authors who have published an original verse or poetry in the 12 months prior to the application closing date in print, digital book or journal form, and offers up to $4,300 to the winner.

30 June 2023: The Poetry Project Kids Writing Competition.
All poems entered with be published in the Better Read Kids Writing Anthology, with prizes for the winner and runner-up.

28 June 2023: AAWP—ASSF Short Story Prize
The winner of this prize will receive a ticket plus accommodation and economy airfares to and from the Australian Short Story Festival 2023, as well as fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) to read from their work, which will be considered for publication by the editors at Meniscus.

30 June 2023: The Next Chapter Writing Program
Four writers will receive a stipend of $15000, a mentorship and a residency at Varuna as part of this ongoing initiative by The Wheeler Centre.

30 June 2023: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.

3 July 2023: ACU Prize for Poetry
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry, one of Australia’s richest poetry prizes, is celebrating a decade this year. Entries are now open for new poetry on the theme of Love, as inspired by Martin Luther King Jr: 'I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.' There is a prize pool of $18,000, with a first prize of $10,000.

7 July 2023: Richell Prize for Emerging Writers
Entries are open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The Prize will be judged on the first three chapters of the submitted work, along with a synopsis outlining the direction of the proposed work and detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit from winning the Prize.

1 August 2023: Walker Books Manuscript Prize
This is a new biennial prize to be awarded to an unpublished manuscript, from 5000 to 70000 words for a readership of children over 8 years. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with an advance against royalties.

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, I interview a guest writer. This week, I'll be interviewing Lee Kofman, author of The Writer Laid Bare.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My recommendations
The Asparagus Wars by Carol Major
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
The Eulogy by Jackie Bailey
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. My new novel The Watchful Wife will be out in July 2023 and I'd love discuss it with your book club. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting My new novel, The Watchful Wife, is out on 4 July 2023. You can pre-order it from Allen & Unwin here or at your favourite bookshop.

You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

Questions? Email me  You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
  | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

Our mailing address is:
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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Published on May 22, 2023 22:18

Hope to see you at Scone Literary Festival this weekend!

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/running-with-ivan-9781460761335.do

Dear Friends
I've been on the move this week: four days in Melbourne, now three days in Hobart and then the weekend in Scone for the Scone Literary Festival. I'm excited to be off to Scone, not only because I'll be facilitating two great panels: Pathways to Publication and Girls, Boys and Everything in Between but also because I'll be doing my first gig as a children's author as part of the Story Circles event. Please come up and say hi if you'll be at the festival.

Today marks the release of One Illumined Thread by Sally Colin-James. It's the most engrossing and beautifully written historical novel spanning two thousand years. I highly recommend it - let me know what you think.

I hope you can make it to Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. If you're in central Europe, simply click on this link to join my Zoom conference room at 10am tomorrow morning. For those of you in Australia, just click on the link, as usual, at 8pm tomorrow evening.

*** Thanks to Abbey's Bookshop for choosing Running with Ivan as this week's children's book recommendation.

NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

A COUNTRY OF ETERNAL LIGHT

Paul Dalgarno a-country-of-eternal-light-m.au/book/https://www.abbeys.co 9781460763100.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Margaret knows she's dead, but she doesn't know why she keeps reliving certain segments of her long life. She watches her twin daughters, Eva in Madrid, Rachel in Melbourne, and sometimes her husband Henry in Aberdeen. There's something complicated going on in her afterlife, as she finds herself randomly witnessing events of the past, stretching from 1945 up to 2021. There's also something she can't quite grasp, some truth she can't see, a blind spot that she keeps circling, as she ping-pongs from one time in her past to another. Slowly a picture is built up of a woman and her life, her small triumphs, her great loves, her errors of judgement... It is a meditation on family, and grief, and the fleeting nature of time, on how death unhinges and life knits together. An engrossing mosaic of a book! Lindy

Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.
FOR CHILDREN

RUNNING WITH IVAN

Suzanne Leal

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Leo Arnold is desperately unhappy. His father has remarried a nice woman who has two thuggish bullying sons of about his age. He has lost his home, his mother died two years previously, he has to start in a new school where he doesn't know anyone except his step-brother who is determined to make his life a misery. He does make one new friend, and also discovers a talent for running and an elderly coach who trains him for competitions. But one day as he is trying to find a quiet space of his own in the new house, Leo uncovers a locked storeroom and more importantly, the musical box that belonged to his German mother. In turning the key, Leo suddenly finds himself in 1934, where he meets Ivan, a young boy from Prague; but just as suddenly finds himself back in his own time. As Leo tries to escape his unhappiness, he seeks the solace of the music box, which sends him back to Ivan's increasingly dangerous times... An engrossing, well-crafted, historically accurate novel that doesn't underplay the horrors of WWII but which celebrates true friendship, courage and determination, and which has a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended for ages 10-13. Lindy

RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. One day a week I have the splendid honour of helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop where I bolster my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You can also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Ransacking Paris,A year with Montaigne and friends
by
Patti Miller (2015)
Australian author Patti Miller teaches writing and Ransacking Paris is well suited as a text for a lesson in memoir. Miller weaves an account of a year spent in Paris with investigations into the act of perceiving, the limits of self-awareness and the audacity of imagining an audience for our inner reflection. As the subtitle suggests, Miller’s recollections are sifted through the work of French memoirists, not just Montaigne but others like de Beauvoir and Rousseau, forming a tempting prospective reading list. This book is indeed part love letter to reading and urges the reader to seek out the knowing and release that Miller describes when she “came upon the sentences [she] had been waiting for”. Miller’s memories would be enough on their own but the addition of these great French works all but make certain that the reader will have their own piercing moments of understanding while spending this year in Paris.
NEWS

Scone Literary Festival
For the love of words
10 - 12 March 2023

Running with Ivan launch
at
Pitt Street Uniting Church
264 Pitt St, Sydney
at
5.30pm on 23 March 2023

For catering purposes, please reply to this email if you'd like to attend.

Writing Competitions

3 April 2023: Write It Fellowship
This initiative by Penguin Random House Australia looks to discover and develop unpublished writers, with a focus on those writers from socio-economically marginalised backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, First Nations or CALD writers, or writers with a disability.

30 April 2023: Best of Times Short Story Competition
Enter humorous short stories of any theme up to 2500 words.

1 May 2023:The Writing Prize 2023
The Writing Prize will be awarded for the best writing on the question: Why is 'A Voice to Parliament' important and how will it be of benefit for Australia. The Writing Prize is for Australians forty years and under. The winner will receive $10000 and have their writing featured on www.writing.org.au

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

Open call-out: School Magazine submissions
The School Magazine is open for submissions, seeking quality children’s literature for ages 7-12+.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, a guest writer joins us.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

Questions? Email me  You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
  | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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Published on March 08, 2023 03:44

Congratulations to shortlisted friends of Thursday Book Club!

Dear Friends

The shortlists for the 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards have just been announced and I'd like to congratulate those friends of Thursday Book Club whose works have been selected:
Mothertongues by Ceridwen Dovey and Eliza Bell (Penguin Random House Australia)The Eulogy by Jackie Bailey (Hardie Grant Books)On the Line by Joseph Ponthus, translated by Stephanie Smee (Black Inc.)Wanderer by Victor Kelleher (Christmas Press)The Singer and Other Poems by Kim Cheng Boey (Cordite Books)

You are invited to the launch of

Phoenix and Ralph
by
Barbie Robinson & Ian Robertson
Thursday Book Club regular, Barbie Robinson, is the co-founder and co-principal of Living Arts Canberra. She also writes beautiful picture books. Her new book, Phoenix and Ralph, is illustrated by Ian Robertson and is the story of bushfires and regeneration, hope and resilience and... two friendly magpies. Phoenix and Ralph will be launched at the The Book Cow in Kingston tomorrow evening at 5.30pm and you are all warmly invited. You can RSVP and pick up a copy of Phoenix and Ralph here.

Thursday Book Club prize draw
Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers, Fabián Jaimes Arias and Libby Glenn have won a copy of my new novel, Running with Ivan.

Thursday Book Club ticket winner
Thanks to Roaring Stories and BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival, Ravi Samuel is the winner of a double pass to see crime husband and wife duo Nicci French in conversation with Candice Fox tonight at the Royal Oak Hotel in Balmain. For those of you who missed out, there are still tickets available for purchase here.

I hope you can make it to Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. If you're in central Europe, simply click on this link to join my Zoom conference room at 10am tomorrow morning. For those of you in Australia, just click on the link, as usual, at 8pm tomorrow evening.

NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

MOLLY AND THE CAPTAIN

Anthony Quinn
https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/molly-and-the-captain-9781408713228.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- The mighty Quinn is back with his best book since Freya. Three separate stories all linked by a painting. Beginning in the Georgian period and told in an epistolary fashion (maybe a nod to Richardson's Clarissa) and concluding in the 1980's. This is a story about art, friendship and love told with Quinn's unique style and wit. His love for his characters really shines through and being a bit of a romantic leaves the reader at the conclusion of the book with a comforting glow. Greg
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.
FOR CHILDREN

AESOP'S FABLES

Caroline Lawrence, Robert Ingpen

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/aesops-fables-9781913519902.do

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Retold by Caroline Lawrence and illustrated by Robert Ingpen, this splendid volume of classic morality tales is given new life and vivid realisation by two highly acclaimed creators. Told in a lightly conversational manner these little stories of talking animals and visiting gods still contain great truth and wisdom. Enhanced by expressive and carefully rendered illustrations in muted realistic hues, this is a collection to treasure for any age! Lindy

RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. One day a week I have the splendid honour of helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop where I bolster my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You can also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Report from the Interior
by
Paul Auster
(2013)
This rescue from the op-shop shelves was motivated firmly by the “authors I really ought to read” category of convictions. Report from the Interior is a memoir in four parts. The first part, a series of independent detailed memories from Auster’s childhood, was a slow start; the remembrances lack piquancy and I wondered if a Less Important Writer would get away with their publication. The second part is more daring and more successful. Presented under the heading Two Blows to the Head this section comprises two lengthy plot and character outlines of films formative in Auster’s growing up. The third part is based on letters written during the first part of Auster’s adulthood and relays experiences of adventure, romance and study while the Vietnam draft and university protests shaped Auster’s consciousness. The last part presents archival photographs to illustrate the stories of the prose sections. I confess the literary point of Auster’s breathlessly long sentences and paragraphs remains lost to me, but in the end I loved this book and look forward to unboxing more Auster treasures.
NEWS

Nicci French in conversation with Candice Fox
Tonight - Wednesday 1 March 2023 - at 7pm
The Royal Oak 36 College Street Balmain

Join Nicci Gerard and Sean French – the married writing duo behind Nicci French – as they talk to Candice Fox about their new crime fiction, The Favour. You can book tickets here.

Scone Literary Festival
For the love of words
10 - 12 March 2023

I'm looking forward to being a guest of Scone Literary Festival next month. I'll be part of the Community Storytelling event as well as moderating Girls, Boys and Everything in Between with Daisy Turnbull, Chanel Contos and Tom Harkin and Pathways to Publication with Rae Cairns, Jo Riccioni and Stacey McEwan. With Sally O'Regan at the helm, it promises to be a terrific festival. You can find out more here.

Writing Competitions

1 March 2023: Sorrento Creative Writing Prize
The Sorrento Creative Writing Prize is open to Australian Citizens or residents aged 18 and over, who have not had their work published by a commercial publisher. The winner will receive $5,000 and their writing will be featured at the 2023 Sorrento Writers Festival.

1 March 2023: Growing Up Indian in Australia Anthology Submissions
Submissions are open for this new Black Inc. non-fiction anthology, edited by Aarti Betigeri. Writers from a range of ages and experiences are invited to apply.

5 March 2023: Kill Your Darlings: New Australian Fiction 2023
Emerging and established Australian authors are invited to submit unpublished fiction between 2000-6000 words.

3 April 2023: Write It Fellowship
This initiative by Penguin Random House Australia looks to discover and develop unpublished writers, with a focus on those writers from socio-economically marginalised backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, First Nations or CALD writers, or writers with a disability.

30 April 2023: Best of Times Short Story Competition
Enter humorous short stories of any theme up to 2500 words.

1 May 2023:The Writing Prize 2023
The Writing Prize will be awarded for the best writing on the question: Why is 'A Voice to Parliament' important and how will it be of benefit for Australia. The Writing Prize is for Australians forty years and under. The winner will receive $10000 and have their writing featured on www.writing.org.au

31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.

Open call-out: School Magazine submissions
The School Magazine is open for submissions, seeking quality children’s literature for ages 7-12+.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, a guest writer joins us.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My recommendation

Phoenix and Ralph by Barbie Robinson

Your recommendations

Noela A
Creative Differences and Other Stories by Graeme Simsion
The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

Ravi S
The Cockroach by Ian McEwan
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor .

Susan S
Le Mystere d'Henri Pick directed by Rémi Bezançon
Les Souvenirs by David Foenkinos
La souplesse du chat by Kristen Rivers
La Papeterie Tsubaki by Ito Ozawa

Barbie R
Bellevue by Alison Booth
The Wakes by Dianne Yarwood
A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin
The Isabelle Stories by Jane Godwin

Hazei H
Violeta by Isabel Allende

Katrina D
Ransacking Paris by Patti Miller

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

Questions? Email me  You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
  | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

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Published on February 28, 2023 20:56

Events and giveaways!

Dear Friends
I really love Saturday mornings: a sleep-in, then coffee and newspapers in bed. Last Saturday morning was particularly good, for when I opened up the Sydney Morning Herald and headed straight for Spectrum - as always - I got a surprise: Running With Ivan had been chosen as Fiction Pick of the Week in a review that opened with these words:
Suzanne Leal’s debut children’s book is a time-slip novel.
It’s as fully imagined an adventure as Ruth Park’s Playing Beatie Bow,
with the same timeless potential.
Of the authors who have shaped me from childhood, Ruth Park would have to be at the top of my list. I lovedPlaying Beatie Bow and Callie's Castle and lost myself in The Harp in the South and Poor Man's Orange. So to have Running With Ivan compared to Playing Beatie Bow has kept me smiling all week.

*** HarperCollins has two copies of Running with Ivan to give away to members of the Thursday Book Club community.

To be in the draw, simply reply to this email by Monday 27 February with the name of the author who has most shaped you.

Next week the witty, charismatic best-selling author, Candice Fox, is in conversation with the husband and wife crime-writing team known as Nicci French - one of only two events in Sydney before they head off to Adelaide Writers Festival. The event is on at 6pm on Wednesday 1 March at the Royal Oak Hotel in Balmain. You can book your tickets here.

*** If you'd like to be in the running for free tickets to the event, all you have to do is reply to this email with a book recommendation for us.

I hope you can make it to Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. If you're in central Europe, simply click on this link to join my Zoom conference room at 10am tomorrow morning. For those of you in Australia, just click on the link, as usual, at 8pm tomorrow evening.

NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

CLARKE

Holly Throsby https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/clarke-9781760878740.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Barney Clarke wakes up one hot morning to find his backyard is going to be excavated by the police searching for a long-disappeared local woman, Ginny Lawson. He was unaware that his new rental was her last address; but his next door neighbour Leonie has been waiting six years for this very thing to happen. She has long had her suspicions that her friend was a victim of domestic violence, but Ginny's popular and well-regarded husband has protested his innocence of any wrong-doing. Barney and Leonie begin a tentative friendship, not asking the obvious questions about other missing women in their lives - where is Barney's wife? Why is Leonie looking after her nephew?
I've enjoyed Throsby's previous novels (Goodwood; Cedar Valley) all centred around a southern highlands/south coast shire and set in the early 90s, but this one is her best so far. Community and connections are important to her stories, and this one explores the quiet hurts of ordinary lives and the gentle possibilities of moving past them with a tenderness and regard for the characters that makes them feel very real. Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.
FOR CHILDREN

INTO GOBLYN WOOD

Anna Kemp, David Wyatt

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/into-goblyn-wood-9781398503830.do

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Hazel was left at the Ditchmoor School for the Wretched when she was two. She has a pendant which can't be removed, a deep attachment to animals and nature rather than other people, and one dear friend, Pete. When he is kidnapped as they try to escape into Goblyn Wood, Hazel finds herself in a realm of odd creatures, whose magical power is gradually draining away – it's not just Pete who needs her help! She also discovers who she really is... A rich and lively world with great characters – but be warned (or be thrilled!) this is the first of a trilogy! Ages 8-12 Lindy

RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. One day a week I have the splendid honour of helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop where I bolster my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You can also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Certain Admissions
by
Gideon Haigh
The artefacts of a murder investigation are ideal to vividly furnish an account of an earlier time and place. Haigh does this masterfully in this true story of a 1949 Melbourne murder, sprinkling primary documents throughout the vivid narrative. I am a regular true crime podcast listener and this case has all the necessary ingredients: documents, doubts, and charismatic characters. We learn that true crime as entertainment is not an exclusively contemporary phenomenon. Describing the significant popular interest in the case at the time, Haigh writes that by 1950 the “description of death by violence had become a consumer good”. Haigh works hard to bring forth a comprehensive account of the convicted John Bryan Kerr; if only the killed Beth Williams lived long enough to leave behind a book’s worth of remembrance.
NEWS

Nicci French in conversation with Candice Fox
Wednesday 1 March 2023, 7pm - 830pm
The Royal Oak 36 College Street Balmain, NSW 2041

Join Nicci Gerard and Sean French – the married writing duo behind Nicci French – as they talk about their new crime fiction, The Favour! You can book tickets here.

****If you'd like to be in the running for a free ticket to the event, just reply to this email with a book recommendation for us.

Scone Literary Festival
For the love of words
10 - 12 March 2023

I'm looking forward to being a guest of Scone Literary Festival next month. I'll be part of the Community Storytelling event as well as moderating Girls, Boys and Everything in Between with Daisy Turnbull, Chanel Contos and Tom Harkin and Pathways to Publication with Rae Cairns, Jo Riccioni and Stacey McEwan. With Sally O'Regan at the helm, it promises to be a terrific festival. You can find out more here.

Writing Competitions

26 February 2023: Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize
Queensland Poetry presents Australia’s only open-age prize for an unpublished poem by an Indigenous writer.

28 February 2023: The Writer's Space Fellowship
NSW-based writers with a disability or who are D/deaf are invited to apply for one of 12 fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers' House.

1 March 2023: Sorrento Creative Writing Prize
The Sorrento Creative Writing Prize is open to Australian Citizens or residents aged 18 and over, who have not had their work published by a commercial publisher. The winner will receive $5,000 and their writing will be featured at the 2023 Sorrento Writers Festival.

1 March 2023: Growing Up Indian in Australia Anthology Submissions
Submissions are open for this new Black Inc. non-fiction anthology, edited by Aarti Betigeri. Writers from a range of ages and experiences are invited to apply.

5 March 2023: Kill Your Darlings: New Australian Fiction 2023
Emerging and established Australian authors are invited to submit unpublished fiction between 2000-6000 words.

1 May 2023:The Writing Prize 2023
The Writing Prize will be awarded for the best writing on the question: Why is 'A Voice to Parliament' important and how will it be of benefit for Australia. The Writing Prize is for Australians forty years and under. The winner will receive $10000 and have their writing featured on www.writing.org.au

Open call-out: School Magazine submissions
The School Magazine is open for submissions, seeking quality children’s literature for ages 7-12+.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, a guest writer joins us.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My recommendation
50 Risks to Take with your Kids by Daisy Turnbull

Your recommendations

Noela A
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland
A World of Curiosities: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, 18) by Louise Penny
The Bookbinders of Jericho by Pip Williams

Ravi S
The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson

Fabian J
The Swimmers directed by Sally El Hosaini
Wings A Short Film by José Villalobos

Gillian H
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

Dina D
Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason

Katrina D
Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford
Mortals: How the fear of death shaped human society by Rachel Menzies and Ross Menzies

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting You can buy Running with Ivan here

You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible

Questions? Email me  You can buy The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret and Running With Ivan online and from your favourite bookshops, including

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do

https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/

https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/

Booktopia

Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
  | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2023 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 21, 2023 22:58

Three launches...and you're invited!

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/leila-and-the-blue-fox-9781510110274.do

Dear Friends
Thanks so much for all your good wishes and messages. It's been exciting to watch the acceptances roll in for my book launch next month. I haven't thrown a party in ages and I'm really looking forward to celebrating with you. For those of you who missed it last week, here's the invitation. For catering purposes, simply reply Yes to this email if you'd like to attend.

**** My thanks to Abbey’s Bookshop, who will be the official bookseller at the launch. There's a 15% discount for pre-orders (full price at the event). If you'd like to get your copy of Running with Ivan (also The Teacher’s Secret, The Deceptions) signed without waiting in line at the launch, you can order online at Abbey's. To have your book personally signed, enter the promo code SIGNED (all caps). Chose the shipping option Pick Up In-Store and Abbey's will have your signed copy waiting for you to collect at the launch. Use the Order Notes for instructions on how you want it signed.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to being a guest of Scone Literary Festival next month. I'll be part of the Community Storytelling event as well as moderating Girls, Boys and Everything in Between with Daisy Turnbull, Chanel Contos and Tom Harkin and Pathways to Publication with Rae Cairns, Jo Riccioni and Stacey McEwan. With Sally O'Regan at the helm, it promises to be a terrific festival. You can find out more here.

I hope you can make it to Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. If you're in central Europe, simply click on this link to join my Zoom conference room at 10am tomorrow morning. For those of you in Australia, just click on the link, as usual, at 8pm tomorrow evening.

NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION

IN SEARCH OF PERFUMES
Dominique Roques

https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/in-search-of-perfumes-a-lifetime-journey-to-the-sources-of-natures-scents-9781914495168.do
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Roques has worked as a sourcer and producer of the natural ingredients used in high-end perfumery for decades. This lushly written, sometimes unashamedly romantic book tells of his travels around the world hunting down these exotic essences. Rose fields in Bulgaria, cinnamon groves in Sri Lanka, jasmine plots in India, true lavender of Provence, frankincense harvests in Somaliland, rosewood forests in French Guiana, sandalwood plantations in Kununurra, vetiver crops in Haiti and more! Roques tells not only the story of the ingredients, but the women and men who work growing and supplying them; he is interested in their lives and their working conditions, wanting to only deal with ethical practitioners. Part travelogue, part history, this fascinating book is wholly entrancing. Lindy

Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.
FOR CHILDREN

LEILA AND THE BLUE FOX
Kiran Millwood Hargrave

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Leila lives in London with her aunt and cousin, while her mother lives in Tromso where she studies the effects of climate change on Arctic fauna. One of her projects is tracking an Arctic fox, and when Leila is finally brought to Norway to see her mother after six years apart, she finds herself swept up on an expedition. Leila feels unwanted, and confused and angry by her mother's seeming indifference. As the story progresses Leila identifies with the blue vixen as they are both searching for a place to settle beyond the bad memories of their pasts. Splendid illustrations enhance the text, which deals sensitively with difficult topics - forced migration, melting ice-caps, broken families - and yet ultimately offers a sense of hope and home. Lindy

RESCUE READS

I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. One day a week I have the splendid honour of helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop where I bolster my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You can also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.

Madame de Pompadour
by
Nancy Mitford
Part of my reading life is devoted to my ambition to one day be described as a noted Mitford buff. While my obsession covers all five of the literarily prolific sisters, my affection is concentrated on the non-fascist aligned of the aristocratic siblings making headlines in twentieth century Britain. Nancy Mitford is best known for the achingly dry-witted fictional works Love in a Cold Climate and The Pursuit of Lovebut she also wrote several works of historical biography including this one of the influential mistress of France’s Louis XV. I read the revised 1968 version that comes in coffee-table book form with coloured plates of Versailles artefacts and other treasures of the time. Mitford often bemoaned her lack of education but this work certainly appears learned and is undoubtedly wonderfully written. I have made the touristy pilgrimage to the Palace of Versailles and thought it confronting in its vulgarity. Mitford is less judgemental of her subject matter, indeed she puts Madame de Pompadour’s best foot forward, and leaves the reader grieving her death alongside the King in the book’s final chapter.
NEWS

Western Sydney Crime Anthology Launch
6.30pm 22 February 2023
41 Hunter Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150

Join BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival and WestWords to celebrate the launch of BAD Western Sydney; a new collection of crime short stories and micro-fiction set in the urban sprawl of Western Sydney, launched by renowned Australian crime writer Candice Fox. The launch is free to attend.

Launch of My Last Drink by Ross Fitzgerald
6pm Tuesday 21 February 2023
The Olsen Gallery
65 Jersey Rd Woollahra

Thursday Book Club guest and well-known historian and author, Ross Fitzgerald is extending an invitation to our Thursday Book Club community to the launch of his new collection, My Last Drink: 32 Stories of recovering alcoholics. Ross Fitzgerald and gallery owner Tim Olsen will be speaking at the launch.

Writing Competitions

18 February 2023: Embellishment Story Callout
Voices of Women is seeking submissions of unpublished short monologues and narratives written in the first person by women all around the world, with shortlisted writers to receive $100 and selected submissions to be performed in live shows and podcasts in Australia and more

20 February 2023: Text Prize for Young Adult & Children's Writing
Awarded annually to the best manuscript written for young readers, the $10,000 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing aims to discover incredible new books by exciting authors.

22 February 2023: Red Room Fellowship
The Red Room Poetry Fellowship was established to foster poetic and professional development of an individual within the wider poetic community. Valued at $10,000, this opportunity is open to applications from all previously commissioned poets.

1 March 2023: Sorrento Creative Writing Prize
The Sorrento Creative Writing Prize is open to Australian Citizens or residents aged 18 and over, who have not had their work published by a commercial publisher. The winner will receive $5,000 and their writing will be featured at the 2023 Sorrento Writers Festival.

1 May 2023:The Writing Prize 2023
The Writing Prize will be awarded for the best writing on the question: Why is 'A Voice to Parliament' important and how will it be of benefit for Australia. The Writing Prize is for Australians forty years and under. The winner will receive $10000 and their writing featured on www.writing.org.au

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, a guest writer joins us.

Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID:852 104 2343

Password 886 196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My recommendation
Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery

Your recommendations

Noela A
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Paris: A Love Story by Kati Marton

Ravi S
A World of Curiosities: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, 18) by Louise Penny
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
All the Broken Places by John Boyne
Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie
Lessons by Ian McEwan

Fabian J
The Very Hungry Worry Monsters illustrated by Lara Ede

Louise R
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

Hazel H
Joe Cinque's Consolation by Helen Garner

Dina D
Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason
Phosphorescence by Julia Baird

Katrina D
Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
You think it, I'll say it by Curtis Sittenfeld
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Scrublands by Chris Hammer

Judy M
The Tilt by Chris Hammer
The Jane Austen Remedy by Ruth Wilson

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here. Click here for my Zoom Meeting You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback

The Deceptions Paperback

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Audible