Amanda Giorgis's Blog, page 2
February 4, 2023
Cocksfoot and Clover – available now!
Here in New Zealand all the talk is about the weather at the moment. In the north, unprecedented rainfall has left many homes flooded and roads blocked by landslips. While in the south, we are baking in exceptionally high temperatures.
Whatever the weather is doing at your place, there’s nothing better than to curl up with a good book. So get your copy of ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’, the 6th book in the Applecross series, available now from all the usual ebook outlets, or in paperback from Amazon or directly from the author.
Details on the website
I would love to hear your feedback, so please do consider leaving a review when you’ve read book 6, or contact me directly via amanda.giorgis@icloud.com
In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover.Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings?Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world.An extract….
“Good God, this is a tedious job,” John James broke into his father’s thoughts. “However did you manage back at the beginning?”“Edmund and I were younger and fitter, I suppose, and keen to make our mark on the land,” replied James.“Frank says we should be making the fences rabbit proof by burying wire below ground,” said John James.James was a little bit fed up with what Frank said, and Abe and Henry too. These days his son started almost every sentence with ‘Frank says’, ‘Abe thinks’ or ‘Henry reckons’. So far today, Frank had suggested burning off the land to reduce tussock grass clumps and keeping rabbits out by fencing, Abe was all for importing a new ram from somewhere up north and Henry thought they should buy a new plough. It was all very well for John James to correspond with these new friends, but he couldn’t help feeling that one needed a bit more experience before making such sweeping changes.“I hardly think we need to keep the rabbits at bay to that extent,” replied James. “We can shoot the odd one or two for the pot, and skin the rest for their soft pelts.”“Henry says the rabbits are becoming a real problem down his way,” answered John James. “They breed too well, and they are destroying the land with their diggings.”James thought that Henry could keep his lowland ideas to himself. What would he know of high country farming? However, not wishing to dampen his son’s enthusiasm, he replied gruffly, “Won’t come to that up here. Ground is too damned stony.”“You can say that again,” John James laughed as he pulled two more big round stones the size of his fist out of the hole he had been trying to dig. He felt like he had already made a pile of them bigger than the hole that had been created in the first place.The two men continued their work without further words for a while, the only sound the skylarks rising above them, augmented by the occasional curse as father or son hit a stone with the shovel, or found themselves tied up in a coil of wire. James eventually pulled himself upright, putting a hand in the small of his back to ease the ache before mopping his brow with the back of his shirt sleeve. The midsummer sun was strong, and almost directly overhead. Nearly time to stop for lunch. He cast a glance in the direction of home, hoping to see his wife carrying a basket towards them, and indeed there was someone coming, but it was not Sophia.It was Jakob, with a shovel over his shoulder and a wicker basket in the crook of the other arm. When he got within earshot, he called out, “I thought I would give you a hand this afternoon, and Mrs Mackenzie sent some lunch.”“Both you and your basket are welcome visitors,” said James. He leaned his shovel against the post he had just set upright and flopped down onto the grassy bank. “Now, let’s see what my wife has packed for three hungry workers.”There was a stone bottle filled with ale, which the men willingly shared by passing it round and taking a swig. No need to dirty the enamel mugs that Sophia had packed for them to use. Then, unwrapping the cloths that covered each item, James found three hearty chunks of raised pork pie, some wedges of a round crusty loaf and several thick slices of cheese. There were three apples loose in the basket, and he left the final package still wrapped up for now, knowing it would contain cake or biscuits, depending what had been baked in the Applecross kitchen that morning.There was barely a word spoken as they tucked into the delicious food. It was a good few hours since breakfast time, and they had been working hard and had the appetites to prove it. Eventually, James offered the flagon round once more before tipping back the last dregs himself. “Ah, now that’s better. I was ready for something to eat,” he said, settling back against the bank, with his feet stretched out and his hat tipped forward over his eyes. “Let’s have a few more minutes before we get back to work, eh?”James shut his eyes. The two younger men had not yet reached an age where they needed a nap after lunch, but they too stretched themselves out in the sun, chatting of this and that.“Heard from the Viners lately?” asked John James.“Not for a while,” Jakob replied. “They seem happy down there on the coast with Mr Viner’s sister, but I do miss their company. And Mrs Viner’s baking was nearly as good as your mother’s. Mrs Mackenzie asked if I would like to invite them for Christmas, but I doubt they will come. Too many unhappy memories.”“Yes, it will be a strange Christmas this year, remembering Grandpapa,” replied John James.“Is Heather coming home this year?” asked Jakob.“Yes, she should be arriving in the next few days with Caroline and Adey Rose. They will travel up with Uncle Samuel, I daresay,” replied John James. “She’s bringing that George Latham fellow with her again. He’s a bit of a drip in my opinion, but she seems taken with him, and you have to admit, they have a lot in common with their books and learning.”The two young men failed to see James’ wry smile beneath his hat. He couldn’t help agreeing with his son. George Latham certainly did seem a bit wet behind the ears.“Do you think they will marry one day?” asked Jakob. There was a time when Jakob hoped for Heather’s attentions, although he would never admit it to John James. But no longer. She was spoken for now, and he liked George Latham. They would make a fine couple.“I wouldn’t wonder,” John James replied as he studiously picked each seed head, one by one, from a tall piece of grass plucked from the bank.“He will need to speak to me first, if he wishes to steal my daughter away from me,” said James, pushing his hat back and beginning to get to his feet.The two younger men went to rise too, John James throwing the stripped stalk over the fence and saying, “You wouldn’t say no though, father, would you?”“Maybe, maybe not,” James replied with a twinkle in his eye. “Heather could do worse, I daresay. She isn’t one to follow in her mother’s ways. Domestic tasks were never her favourite thing. Do you remember that cake she baked? It was more burnt biscuit than sponge.”
January 15, 2023
The Latest News from Applecross
January 2023It is very nearly time for the 6th book in the Applecross Saga series to be added to your bookshelf, so this month’s news is (almost) all about ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’. Pre-order your ebook copy from Amazon or Kobo now. Available from other outlets and in other formats from 1st February 2023.
I would love to hear your feedback.
Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com or post a review online.
In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover.
Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings?
Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world.
COCKSFOOT AND CLOVER – An explanation …..
‘Why the title?’ I hear you ask. Well, the 6th book is set against a background of big changes in agriculture. Wool from New Zealand was widely used around the world and had made our farmers rich, but changes in the way wool was woven, and the over-grazing of much of our land, meant that things had to change. In the mid 1870s, we started growing wheat, and we moved over to farming sheep for their meat as well as their wool. It meant breeding a different kind of sheep because merino meat can be tough and fatty, and that created a need for good pasture. Tussock lands were ploughed up and re-seeded with a mix of plants that improved the soil for crops and fed the sheep. Seeds from England were used mainly, and the most common mixture was Cocksfoot and Clover, Timothy and Rye.
In fact, it is a mixture still used to this day. Only a few years ago our own little field was re-seeded in that way, and the 6 sheep who graze there at the moment are looking mighty fine on it too!
A teaser, not a spoiler
Samuel and his passengers were approaching the ridge above Applecross.“Samuel, you will stop, won’t you?” Nancy asked.“I always do,” Samuel smiled. He knew very well that Nancy would be anticipating the panoramic view of the Basin community from the vantage point at the summit of the track. As they climbed, the weather had been improving a lot, and now, as if on cue, the sun came out from behind the clouds, flooding the Basin in glorious golden light. Samuel pulled the horse to a halt, immediately jumping down to help Nancy and Edmund alight too. For a few moments, the bright sun dazzled them all, but as their eyes began to focus, the whole valley lay in front of them in all its glory. The three of them stood, silhouettes against the skyline, absorbing the view that Nancy had been waiting so long to see once more.Nancy took it all in from right to left, saving her old home until last as if it was the final chocolate in the box, the one with her favourite filling. Smoke rose from Ngahuia’s fire, the chapel and school stood quiet, the Penders’ house too, apart from the tiny figure of Rex chasing shadows in the garden. She could hear him yapping. The row of workers’ cottages, the home fields full of sheep, the old Applecross house, and the new, the yard where washing flapped in the breeze, Jack and Daisy’s house, then Lucy’s place, the orchard and finally Combe.“What the devil?” Edmund was saying. “Samuel get me down there as fast as you can. What on God’s earth has happened to Combe?
If all this talk of ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’ is too much, how about a special January sale of historical fiction from some of my fellow authors? From medieval times to the 2nd World War – there’s something free for everyone at Historical Fiction Freebies.
A chance to win a free copy of the audiobook version of ‘The Wideawake Hat’ – this time on Spotify!
If yours is among the first 10 emails I receive with a subject line of ‘Audiobook’, I’ll send you a redemption code to download the audiobook version of The Wideawake Hat, read by Su Melville, for FREE!
Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com
Subject Line ‘Audiobook’
(Please note – the voucher can only be redeemed via Spotify)
An Applecross Companion
Here you will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs, updated with the new characters for Book 6, plus a map of Mackenzie’s Basin.
Dive on in there and take a look.
Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
October 26, 2022
News from Applecross – October 2022
Book 6 of the Applecross Saga
An explanation …..The 6th book of the Applecross Saga is due for publication early in 2023. It has the title of COCKSFOOT AND CLOVER.
Why? I hear you ask. Well, the 6th book is set against a background of big changes in agriculture. Wool from New Zealand was widely used around the world and had made our farmers rich, but changes in the way wool was woven, and the over-grazing of much of our land, meant that things had to change. In the mid 1870s, we started growing wheat, and we moved over to farming sheep for their meat as well as their wool. It meant breeding a different kind of sheep because merino meat can be tough and fatty, and that created a need for good pasture. Tussock lands were ploughed up and re-seeded with a mix of plants that improved the soil for crops and fed the sheep. Seeds from England were used mainly, and the most common mixture was Cocksfoot and Clover, Timothy and Rye.
In fact, it is a mixture still used to this day. Only a few years ago our own little field was re-seeded in that way, and the 6 sheep who graze there at the moment are looking mighty fine on it too!A little taste of Book 6
In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover.
Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings?
Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world.Bird of the
The theme for this year is ‘Underbirds are Go!’ – showcasing the many critically endangered birds who don’t get as much attention as our rockstars – kiwi, kakapo and takahe.
Did you know there are only 40 Fairy Terns on our shores? They deserve a vote, as do our other ‘in serious trouble’ underbirds – Southern NZ dotterel, Wrybill, Grey duck, Australian crested grebe, Black fronted tern, Shore plover, Black stilt, Reef heron, Red knot and (the current leader), the teeny, tiny Rock wren.
Oh, how I wish I could vote for them all. It took a long time to whittle all 72 birds down to my favourite 5 (see below).
It’s not too late to cast your vote – https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz
Another chance to win!If yours is among the first 10 emails I receive with a subject line of ‘Audiobook’, I’ll send you a voucher to download the audiobook version of The Wideawake Hat, read by Su Melville, for FREE!Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com
Subject Line ‘Audiobook’
(Please note – the voucher can only be redeemed via the link you receive in the email and can only be played on the Authors Direct IOS or Android app. The app is available in UK, EU, Australia, Canada and USA.
Author’s decision is final.)An Applecross Companion
Here you will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs, updated with the new characters for Book 5, plus a map of Mackenzie’s Basin.Dive on in there and take a look.
Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
Buy the Applecross Saga
September 15, 2022
Accidental characters
Every now and then I introduce a character to my stories who plays a small role in another character’s thread, and then takes on a whole storyline of their own. I call them my accidental characters.
First there was Guy Pender – only introduced in Book 2, Shepherd’s Delight as the photographer who took the only known photo of Friday the collie. He became such a favourite that he ended up having his own complete book – Book 3, Guy Pender, and is now very much part of the Applecross community along with his lovely wife, Amelie and their growing family (and Rex the scruffy dog, of course).
Then there was Jakob (pronounced Yakob due to his Dutch ancestry), introduced in Book 4, Three Cedar Trees. Just a farmer’s son who swapped places with Freddie so that both boys could learn about other ways of farming. Somehow he accidentally grew into a firm favourite with his own stories to tell. He, and his faithful collie, Leda, have now made a home in the Basin. All we need now is for Jakob to find a wife! I am busy working on that one, although you may have to wait a few more months to see how that develops in Book 6, Cocksfoot and Clover, due for release in early 2023.
The Cedar TreesIn the meantime, while doing some research for Book 6 (more about that next time), we recently visited Elephant Rocks near Oamaru in New Zealand’s South Island. It reminded me that this was where Jakob sheltered for the night after falling in the river as he escaped from the terrible incident with a flock of sheep. Battered and bruised, he and Leda slept in the contours of a rock worn into shape by millions of years of erosion. It is an atmospheric place. I recommend you add it to your list of places to visit when touring the South Island of New Zealand. Hopefully, as there are lots of places to stay nearby, you won’t have to sleep under a rock!
Here is an extract from Three Cedar Trees :-
He had not accounted for the mist. The wet weather was on the change and warmer temperatures over damp ground were causing a ground mist to form, rolling gently towards Jakob and Leda as they walked on towards the setting sun. Very soon, they were surrounded, unable to see more than a few feet in any direction. Jakob could tell only that they were surrounded by rocks, some of which seemed to be like giant animals looming out of the mist at them. He moved from one to another, trying to find a crevice big enough to squeeze into, but they all seemed to have flat, weathered surfaces. Thinking that he had no choice but to hunker down against one such rock, he made one last attempt to find better shelter. He put a hand out to the next rock he saw, feeling along its surface, working his way around it in the gloom. He was rewarded by finding an almost circular crevice where water had eroded away at the base of the rock. The remaining cave like space was enough for a boy and a dog to squeeze in under cover, wrapped round on both sides by rocks too. It was the perfect sleeping place for a tired boy and his exhausted dog.
What greeted Jakob the following morning was a sight like nothing he had seen before. He found himself in a flat field beyond which were steep cliffs on two sides, almost as if the ground on which he stood had dropped down, leaving a jagged edge. Punctuating this green area were a variety of incongruously shaped grey rocks rearing up through the grass as if they were fossilised giants. Blown smooth by erosion, forming weird and wonderful shapes, Jakob could not help himself from running between them, reaching out to touch the smooth surfaces, dancing round them as if they would dance with him. To Jakob it was a magical, enchanted place. It was as if the rocks themselves were giving him hope, telling him to go forward, wishing him good fortune.
May 22, 2022
Eyes or Ears?
I have to admit to being a cynic when it comes to audiobooks. And yet…..A few years ago I would say, “Give me a proper book anytime,” when people suggested ebooks were here to stay. I can use a proper bookmark to keep my place (or, woe betide, turn the corner of the page down). I can flick back to remind myself who is who and what is what. I can read the end before the middle, if I so desire. And, when I’ve shut the finished book with a reassuring slap, I can place my book on a shelf and admire it, or pass it on to others to enjoy.
Then I embraced ebooks with a passion. How else could I travel around the globe with a ‘library’ in my hand luggage? How else could I whip out a story to read on my phone in the doctor’s waiting room. Reading at night became a real pleasure, without the need to turn on a light and disturb a grumpy husband. With the click of a button, small sums of money 1-clicked out of my account while words streamed down onto multiple devices for consumption as and when required. I could start reading on my laptop, switch to the phone when out and about and carry on on the iPad as my bedtime reading.
Bookmarks became just a click away, highlights and searches allowed for explanation and reassurance of storyline. No need to search through shelves in the bookshop as recommendations came my way by email every day, based on ‘your recent viewing’, of course.
Despite the ease of reading ebooks, the pleasure of real books remains. Proper books, with a shiny cover and the back page giving hints of what lies inside, eased carefully off the bookshop shelf to be chosen for their looks and feel as much as for their content. In recent times, it has felt good to support a local independent book shop, comforting to talk to the proprietor about loyal customers’ support and reasonable sales. I will admit to buying real books in support rather more than in necessity of late.
And there’s the point. Real books and ebooks are both OK. I can do either, or sometimes both at once. Like cinema and streaming, live sport and recorded highlights, there’s a place for both.
With that thought in mind, I recently made the decision to admit a third medium into my life and stepped hesitantly into the world of audiobooks.
“Oh, I can’t do audiobooks,” I hear you say. “They just make me fall asleep!”
And yes, they do. Indeed they do. If you sit down with a book or an ebook, you may well fall asleep too, may even get a black eye if you happen to be reading ‘War and Peace’ at the time. But the difference is that the book stops at the point where you fall asleep. Of course, you may have to flick through a few pages to find your place in a physical book, but your faithful ebook will sit tight until you swipe or click when you eventually wake up.
An audiobook, however, will just plough on, the narrator blissfully unaware that the listener is no longer listening. And, believe me, it is hard to remember the exact moment at which you fell asleep, so there is always a certain amount of rewinding and fast forwarding required. And then there’s those stupidly annoying headphone cable things that always get wound round each other and tether you to your phone or computer as if they won’t let go until you reach the last page. There were so many reasons to resist.
Until, that is, my husband bought me some wireless earbuds for Christmas. He likes watching the occasional action movie on TV. I do not. So I think it was his intention that I could lose myself in music while he watched all the blood and guts. It worked. Instead of leaving the room, I could stay by his side, listening to my kind of music, blissfully unaware of gunfire and explosion, not to mention expletives!
One tires of music after a while, so I considered trying an audiobook. My first one was borrowed from the library, downloaded on a whim one evening while Matt Damon fought to save the world against evil. I could easily write more about the joys of a local library, but that is for another occasion. For now, let’s just say I have fallen in love with Bolinda!
I popped in the earbuds, pressed play and concentrated on chapter 1. It was rather pleasant. Reminiscent of listening to the radio as a child, the lilting voice drove me gently along the storyline. I woke up to hear the narrator introducing chapter 5. I wound myself back, listening to chapter 1 again. Now, do I remember this bit? No, perhaps not, so rewind some more.
In the middle of chapter 2, the film finished. “I’ll make you a coffee,” I mouthed, being a dutiful wife. I hit pause, took out the earbuds and went to put the kettle on.
“Why did you stop?” said husband. “I think Bluetooth will make it as far as the kitchen.”
I pondered his words as I poured the coffee and fetched the bicuit tin. “Silly man,” I thought to myself. “What does he know?”
Dunking my second bicuit, a moment of revelation came upon me. I could have merely got up, walked to the kitchen, made the coffee, gone to the toilet and, very possibly, put the cat outside too (if we had a cat, that is). All the while, narrator lady would have carried on at the same volume, regardless of boiling kettles, flushing toilets and miaowing cats. At that moment, my world took a step sideways.
This was confirmed a few days later when I had some fairly urgent baking to do. Cakes needed making and cooling in time to go to a neighbour’s place for tea. But I had gone past chapter 5 now, and things were getting interesting. Did I have time to listen to the next chapter before I put the oven on?
“Stupid girl. You can do both at once,” my new audiobook brain said. It was a turning point. I creamed, beat, mixed and folded my way through the next three chapters, arriving next door with cakes made and cooled to the perfect temperature. What can sometimes be a chore passed by with the pleasure of a good story in my ears.
And so began my new life. Ironing, dusting, sewing, knitting, doing a jigsaw, baking a cake, getting the dinner, or even lounging in the bath. Walking the dogs, weeding the garden. All these things, and many more, can be accompanied by narrator lady (or man) reading you a story. I have not yet tried driving while listening (no earphones, of course), but I understand it works well. I think you may have to be prepared to pull over and reach for the tissues if things get a bit emotional though — you know, the bits in a book where the dog dies, or unrequited love blossoms, or whatever.
So, now I can’t consume audiobooks fast enough. Just like the real thing, I can buy an audiobook, but they are quite expensive. I can also subscribe to a provider for a monthly fee and download as many as I want (usually the first month is free too). Or I can use my local library to borrow audiobooks for nothing.
These days, when browsing the library online, my finger hovers over the ‘ebook’ button, but invariably errs towards the ‘audibook’ version. I am a convert, but I am not a zealot. There is still room in my life for real paper books and ebooks, for the times when all I want to do is read.
There’s only one thing I can’t seem to do while listening to an audiobook — and that’s NOTHING!Book 1 of the Applecross Saga, ‘The Wideawake Hat’, narrated by Su Melville, is available from all the usual providers.
Books 2-5 are also available exclusively on Google Play, with computer-generated narration by Anya. Not a patch on the real thing, but better than you might expect!
March 30, 2022
News from Applecross
The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga.All the news this month is about the release of Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ on 1st April. Here’s the synopsis :-
The girls are growing up. Not for them the daily grind of family life, not yet anyway. After all, it is 1873. Women have more opportunities than ever before, especially in New Zealand in an era of great prosperity and progress.
Five years have passed since we last visited the Mackenzies. Applecross sheep station is thriving, more people than ever have made it their home. There are changes everywhere, big and small, but James and Sophia remain the solid, dependable mainstay of life in the rural community. Until a dramatic incident rocks the very foundations of Mackenzie’s Basin.
We join Heather, Caroline and Adey Rose, daughters of the Basin, as they blossom into young ladies, find their feet in the burgeoning city of Christchurch and take their first hesitant steps into the world of romance.
However, the draw of Applecross is strong……..
I am really looking forward to hearing what you think of Book 5. Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with your feedback (good or bad), or post a review online. While listening to the audiobook version of Book 1, The Wideawake Hat, (available from all the usual audiobook suppliers), it occurred to me that the Applecross Saga would transfer to stage or screen very nicely. You know the kind of Sunday night serialised TV drama you can watch while relaxing in front of the fire with a nice glass of wine! Think Poldark perhaps? One day I will start the task of writing the script….
In the meantime, to give you a taste of who has arrived at Applecross since the end of Book 4, this is my idea of a cast list, to be printed in the programme of a West End theatre performance (a girl can dream, after all…..) :-
I know it is not polite to laugh at one’s own jokes, but I am secretly giggling about the description of George Latham as an ordinary man. I can’t wait for you all to meet him, and the old and new characters who have made Applecross their own little corner of Paradise.
Mixed Blessings is already available as a pre-order ebook on Amazon, Kobo, Nook and Apple Books, and as a paperback from Amazon. It will be available everywhere else on 1st April – not long to wait now!March 7, 2022
A Taste of ‘Mixed Blessings’
I always enjoy finding a section of the latest book which will give you a taste of things without too many spoilers. Here, Heather is thinking back over the last few years as she prepares for her 18th birthday celebrations :-
‘Mixed Blessings’ is available now to pre-order from Amazon, Kobo and Apple Books. It will be everywhere else on 1st April.
Anyway, back to that fateful day. It had not had a promising start. The three of them were in the kitchen at Applecross. Unusually, Caroline was there too, although she spent most of her time at Hither House once Uncle Samuel married Lizzy. But, on this particular day, Caroline had been there too. They would have been, perhaps, fourteen. The death of Mrs Nicol had, to some extent, been the end of their formal school days. Mrs Pender taught them foreign words in her front room while tending to baby Bea. Reverend Nicol had taken their studies outdoors, to sit under a tree listening to him reading out loud. Now, that had been a pleasure, though she lacked the concentration to take in all the words. There were so many distractions outside. The birds, an occasional butterfly, small crawling insects, not to mention the buzzing of bees.
Her own mother had assumed the role of teacher of all things domestic. How to place fresh sheets on a bed, how to clean a room, how to plan a menu. On this particular day they were making sponge cakes for tea. It was not going well. They took it in turns to measure butter and flour and precious sugar on the scales, using the eggs as balancing weights, a skill apparently passed on by the grandmother she had never known. Inevitably, Heather lagged behind while she considered what her grandmother would have been like, who on earth had first thought to crack an egg to make a cake and how sugar was formed into the powdery cake that was stored in an airtight container in the pantry. Nevertheless, all three cakes entered the oven looking more or less identical.
However, they certainly didn’t come out the same way! Two perfect yellow sponges emerged, to be placed on the rack to cool. Heather’s effort had not risen at all. It was more biscuit than sponge.
“Oh, Heather,” said her mother, “Why can’t you ever listen to instructions?”
“Feed it to the pigs, mother,” Heather had replied before dumping her apron on the table and stalking out of the room, slamming the door behind her. There was one place the Mackenzies sought out if they were in need of a moment to themselves, and that was where James Shepherd found his granddaughter a while later. Sitting on the flat stone next to Friday’s grave, sobbing her heart out.
James Shepherd had the sense not to say anything at first, just shuffling his granddaughter along to allow room for him to sit too. The silence was not uncomfortable and slowly the sobs began to ease.
“It’s just not fair, Grandpapa,” moaned Heather.
“I know, my dear, I know,” he replied, patting her knee gently.
There was a pause while Heather formed a question in her head. “Why can’t I concentrate on things?” she asked eventually.
Instead of answering the question, James Shepherd asked one of his own. “Tell me, Heather, what is your favourite word?”
Heather thought about that for a while. Beginning at the beginning, she ran the idea round her brain. Armadillo, Bombastic, Conquistador. Lovely words, but not her favourite. Desdemona, Elephant, Fumigation, no none of those. James didn’t rush her. He knew she would be considering all options. Gelatine, Hispaniola, Influenza…..
At last, putting a single finger to her cheek, she said, “I think I know what it is, Gamps.” She used her own special term of endearment for her grandfather. “I think it may be the word ‘Why?’”
James smiled, as if he had known the answer beforehand. He probably did. “Ah, now, I rather thought that’s where you would end up,” he said. “That’s the sign of an inquisitive mind.”
“I do like to know about things,” she replied. “I want to know where they come from, why they are what they are, and how we have come to see them like that.”
“Bravo, I couldn’t have put it better myself, dearest girl,” said James, clapping her on the back so hard she almost fell off the slippery stone. “The problem is, there are side effects of a mind like yours. It is a blessing, but a mixed one, especially in a woman.”
February 18, 2022
News from Applecross – February 2022
It is quite strange to hear someone else reading my words, but I think my narrator Su has made a mighty find job of putting character and emotion into the story. If audiobooks are your thing, I will have details of where to get your copy of The Wideawake Hat next month.
Bargain Time!
I am clearing room for a stock of book 5, so if you are in New Zealand and prefer the feel of a real book, I have a special bargain for you. Any of my current paperback books for $20 each, post free (usual price $30). Just go to my online shop to place your order. I’ll even sign your copy and include a free bookmark!
Offer only available in New Zealand.
A Writer’s Retreat
For a while now I have been struggling to find my perfect writing place. I don’t work well at a proper desk, but lounging on the sofa is not ideal either. We discussed plans for a ‘writer’s retreat’ in the garden, but our climate would make that a purely seasonal affair. So, we have re-purposed our smallest spare bedroom into a writing room. I have taken residence, surrounded by all the things I need for inspiration, including a nice view of the mountains. Now, you may say the table looks a bit low, but it magically lifts up to be the perfect writing height. So, from spare room full of junk to an author’s escape in just a day!
We have just returned from a precious few days staying at The Hermitage Hotel in Mt Cook village. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed some great walks in the mountains. Mount Cook is often called Aoraki these days, being the Māori word for our tallest mountain. It means ‘cloud piercer’, and it certainly did that for us. James and Sophia would see this very mountain as they go about their daily lives, and Guy and Freddie are building up a business of taking tourists into the area. No wonder people want to see it – it is a special environment indeed.
We walked the Hooker Valley on a very warm and unusually calm day. Reaching the Hooker Lake, we stopped for a picnic lunch surrounded by the mountains and with a view of the Hooker Glacier and the icebergs formed when the glacier calves. Stunningly beautiful, blissfully peaceful and altogether an amazing place.
Book NewsIf you are looking for something to read during February, you may find a freebie here – Discover Free Historical Fiction
I am really excited to tell you that Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ is ready for publication on 1st April 2022. To give you a taste of it, here is the synopsis :-
The girls are growing up. Not for them the daily grind of family life, not yet anyway. After all, it is 1873. Women have more opportunities than ever before, especially in New Zealand in an era of great prosperity and progress.
Five years have passed since we last visited the Mackenzies. Applecross sheep station is thriving, more people than ever have made it their home. There are changes everywhere, big and small, but James and Sophia remain the solid, dependable mainstay of life in the rural community. Until a dramatic incident rocks the very foundations of Mackenzie’s Basin.We join Heather, Caroline and Adey Rose, daughters of the Basin, as they blossom into young ladies, find their feet in the burgeoning city of Christchurch and take their first hesitant steps into the world of romance.However, the draw of Applecross is strong……..
Mixed Blessings is already available as a pre-order ebook on Amazon and Kobo, and will appear on other platforms shortly. More news next month. Pre-order ‘Mixed Blessings’ hereI have a limited number of ARC spaces available for Book 5. If you would like to get ahead of the pack and read a draft ebook copy, then please go to Mixed Blessings ARC. All I ask in return is an honest review on your chosen platform.
January 15, 2022
January 2022 Newsletter
The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga – January 2022.Happy New Year to you all. May 2022 be a year where the world recovers and moves towards normality once more.
It has been a busy January at Applecross HQ already, the hot weather a good excuse to stay indoors and get on with writing and editing Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’. In the cool of the evening, I like nothing better than to wander the garden looking for small changes. The bud that has become a flower or the fruit that has grown in size since yesterday. It is surprising what can alter in only one day.
Sad news on the chicken front. We lost Foggy, the randy old rooster to a heart attack. I will not go into detail, but let’s say he died doing what he loved most in life – not a bad way to go! His harem didn’t waste time on grieving, they were establishing a new pecking order with Henry, the other rooster almost immediately.
We’ve not been far from home over the summer break, but we do have a short break planned for early February, heading for Mount Cook. Do you think we may see James and Sophia as we drive across the Mackenzie? More on that next month.Bird of the month
I’m going for the obvious one here – this month’s bird is our famous kiwi. It is not a bird one generally comes across unless you are tramping the wild places of New Zealand, but on Rakiura, Stewart Island, right down at the southern tip of the country, there are a lot more kiwis than residents.
In one of those ‘Only in New Zealand’ moments, we all laughed at this New Year’s report submitted by the only full-time policeman on the island – https://www.police.govt.nz/news/ten-one-magazine/raucous-night-rakiura
Now the smart readers amongst you will realise that the photo below is not a kiwi. In fact, it is the same photo as last month, the teeny, tiny titipounamu. I’ve left it in place to celebrate the Hinewai nature reserve where we saw this wee floofball last month.
One male chick fledged, according to the humans who provided the nest site. We all hope he stayed safe in the terrible storm which hit the Banks Peninsula a few weeks ago. Goodness, what a storm it was, washing hillsides away and re-routing rivers. Our friends lost much of their garden, including tunnel houses and plants, but fortunately the raging water didn’t quite reach their house.
Book NewsIf you are looking for something to read during January, you may find a bargain here – Free Historical Fiction for the New Year
I am really excited to tell you that Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ is complete. Editing and formatting has begun and publication date is set for 1st April 2022. To give you a taste of it, here is the synopsis ;-
The girls are growing up. Not for them the daily grind of family life, not yet anyway. After all, it is 1873. Women have more opportunities than ever before, especially in New Zealand in an era of great prosperity and progress.
Five years have passed since we last visited the Mackenzies. Applecross sheep station is thriving, more people than ever have made it their home. There are changes everywhere, big and small, but James and Sophia remain the solid, dependable mainstay of life in the rural community. Until a dramatic incident rocks the very foundations of Mackenzie’s Basin.
We join Heather, Caroline and Adey Rose, daughters of the Basin, as they blossom into young ladies, find their feet in the burgeoning city of Christchurch and take their first hesitant steps into the world of romance.
However, the draw of Applecross is strong……..
Mixed Blessings is already available as a pre-order ebook on Amazon, and will appear on other platforms over the next week or so. More news next month. Pre-order ‘Mixed Blessings’ here
I have a limited number of ARC spaces available for Book 5. If you would like to get ahead of the pack and read a draft ebook copy, then please go to Mixed Blessings ARC. All I ask in return is an honest review on your chosen platform.
December 14, 2021
Christmas in Mackenzie’s Basin 1867
From ‘Three Cedar Trees’, Book 5 of the Applecross Saga.
Lizzy pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a dozen beautifully carved wooden bobbins for lace making, fashioned in the same style as the ones given to her in Fremantle during their voyage to New Zealand. Each one was slightly different, each one weighted down by three coloured beads strung on a wire loop.
“Goodness,” she gasped. “Thank you, Samuel, they are just wonderful.”
Carefully taking one of the bobbins from the box, she held it up to the light so that the three red beads glistened as if they were rubies. “How did Samuel have the time to make these?” she thought to herself.
“Oh, Samuel, you are so clever,” said Sophia. “I am sure Lizzy can’t wait to use the lace cushion you have made too. Perhaps we can all expect lace handkerchieves soon?”
“I will need to practice a bit first,” replied Lizzy.
“Come on, Aunty Sophia,” said Caroline. “It must be my turn next.”
Everyone was sitting in a circle in the Combe parlour, taking it in turns to open their Christmas presents. It being an unusually large group of people this year, Combe had been chosen to play host to the Christmas Day celebrations. The day had begun early, at least for the younger children, who had woken to find a stocking hanging at the end of their beds. Sophia, Nancy and Lucy, along with their extra helpers, Amelie and Lizzy, had been hard at work secretly organising an appropriate toy to fit into each stocking. Each child also had a book to read and a handful of precious nuts saved from the autumn harvest. Bertie, John James and young Sam had spent all morning pushing their toy trains around, getting under the feet of the ladies preparing lunch, while Polly, Grace and Lily played outside with their new spinning tops. Even Vicky and Nancy’s youngest, Ezra, both too young to appreciate Christmas yet, had new dolls to play with. Vicky’s a rag doll wearing a pretty blue dress stitched by Lucy, while Ezra’s toy was a soldier wearing a bright red jacket and smart black trousers.
The older children insisted on still having their stockings, although the toy was replaced by a new pair of long socks for the boys and stockings for the girls. It had become a tradition that the older girls received a diary for the following year. Even though they knew exactly what each stocking would contain, they still held on to the childish excitement of dipping into it to see what had been left for them. This year, Freddie and the twins had found a small notebook in their stockings, with a tiny pencil that fitted down the spine.
In all honesty, the presents placed in each stocking were cunningly designed to keep the children occupied for the morning while their mothers worked in the kitchen. Following their traditional pattern, luncheon was eaten outdoors sometime after midday, regardless of the weather. Neither Sophia nor Nancy had ever been able to adjust to Christmas in the summer. Even though it was normally a hot day, they were still inclined to prepare the traditional roast dinner followed by heavy plum puddings, which nobody really wanted to eat in such warm weather. As was usual, a wind had blown up as the feast came to an end, requiring a sudden rush indoors carrying plates and serving dishes into the kitchen before they got blown away.
Nobody minded coming indoors because they all knew that the next stage was opening their presents. Chairs were hastily arranged in a circle and the children given the task of distributing the parcels from under the tree. Of course, the youngsters found it really hard to wait their turn, especially Bertie and John James, who had spent a great deal of time under the tree that morning, feeling each parcel in order to guess its contents. Lizzy had been given the privilege of going first, mainly because the ladies knew exactly what was in the box, Samuel having been encouraged to give them a peek at his handiwork last evening. Caroline came next, followed by her brother and sister, then Samuel. So it went on, round the room, each person carefully unwrapping their parcel, exclaiming the contents to be just what they wanted, even if it wasn’t!
The older folk had not been forgotten either. Betsy Franks had come up trumps with a selection of handkerchieves for James senior, Job Nicol and Atewhai. Sophia had Atewhai’s ready to deliver the next day. The old Maori woman refused to join their party, but would, no doubt, be happy to accept a small gift, protesting, as she did every year, that Christmas was for pākehā, the white man, to celebrate.
There was no doubt that Lizzy’s lace bobbins were the star of the show, and Sophia was pleased to see Samuel’s obvious affection for Lizzy. Poor Lucy was the odd one out this year as her beloved Ned had reluctantly joined his brother in Marytown for the day. Sophia wondered briefly if there would ever be a Christmas when Lucy would find joy. It may be a few years ago now, but nobody could forget that dreadful year when that man Drummond had come to stay, shooting Lucy’s precious pheasants as if they were fair game. It had been a rather strained Christmas Day that year.
