Amanda Giorgis's Blog, page 3
October 15, 2021
October 2021 Newsletter
Spring is here in the southern hemisphere. The garden is growing apace, birds are building their nests and wildlife abounds. As I write, I can see 2 ducks and 5 rabbits on the lawn, and can hear the skylark’s song rising into the sky.
Mind you, we have had our fair share of storms in the last few days. It has been so cold that we rather regretted having cleaned the wood burner out and put the log basket away, and we had such strong winds that a lot of blossom has blown like confetti across the garden.
We have guests in our field! Our neighbour’s 4 Wiltshire sheep, have taken up residence, and they will soon be joined by 4 of this year’s lambs too. Wiltshire sheep shed their fleeces without the need to shear them. I am gathering handfuls of wool to use as garden mulch. I wonder what James Mackenzie would think of sheep who don’t need shearing?
Yes, I know it is meant to be ‘Bird of the month’ but…..
In a controversy as big as Australia entering Eurovision, the Long-tailed Bat (pekapeka-tou-roa) has been added to this year’s New Zealand Bird of the Year competition.
Now, the clever ones amongst you may be aware that a bat is not a bird. However, it does fly, it is our only endemic mammal and it is critically endangered. These criteria are enough for it to be considered alongside the current incumbent, the kākāpō and all the other favourites like Hoiho, Kiwi, Kaka and Tui.
This annual competition, run by Forest and Bird, is a chance to showcase our native birds and is well supported by politicians, sports personalities and celebrities. Read more about the competition here.
Book NewsThere has not been much time for reading this month, but I would like to recommend ‘Two Shakes of a Lamb’s Tail’ by Danielle Hawkins as a great book to dip into. It is written as a diary, but don’t expect any dry or dusty records of a day in the life of a vet. On a couple of occasions I have found myself laughing out loud at Danielle’s descriptions of her day. Somewhat embarrassing when you are sitting in the doctor’s waiting room. Thank goodness for a mask covering at least part of my face!
If you are looking for something in the Historical Fiction genre, you may find a bargain here – Fall for Historical Fiction
Mixed Blessings, the 5th book in the Applecross Saga, will be available in early 2022.
Competition NewsThis month I have a competition for you avid readers. It won’t be easy, and you will need to have read all four books in the Applecross Saga already, but I do have a prize of an Amazon voucher. There are 40 questions, and they run in order through the 4 books.Please submit your answers by email to amanda.giorgis@icloud.com by the end of October 2021. I will randomly select a winner from those who submit correct answers, and my decision is final. I’ll be in touch with the winner in early November, and I will print the answers in next month’s newsletter.
Hopefully, looking back through the 4 books will bring you up to speed in readiness for Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ – due out in early 2022.
Click here for the 40 questions – The Applecross QuizAn Applecross Companion
You will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs in The Applecross Companion. I will be adding more to the companion as time goes by, including updated information for Book 5. (no spoilers yet, though!)
It is still a work in progress, but you are welcome to dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include? Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions. I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
Finally, may I make a plea? When you have finished reading any of my books, please consider writing a review online, on the platform you used to buy the ebook, or on Goodreads, or wherever you can shout it from the rooftops! Not only does it help to increase sales, but it gives me a great boost of confidence as I write Book 5. Thank you.
September 14, 2021
September 2021 Newsletter
September 2021
The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga.
Home news
New Zealand has been plunged back into lockdown again in recent weeks. While this is a matter of great inconvenience to everyone (and we do take our lockdowns seriously in New Zealand), I have to say that life doesn’t change all that much at Applecross headquarters. No passing traffic, neighbours quite a long way away, but kind enough to keep in touch, and food (for humans, dogs and chickens) being delivered in a contactless way. We do miss the odd trip out for a good coffee, so I have been brushing up my rusty barista skills with our all new coffee machine. Flat white, anyone?
Bird of the month – The Grey Ghost
Famous for its ghostly grey appearance and bright orange wattles, the last credible sighting of the once common South Island Kokako in New Zealand was in 1967. Some years later the Department of Conservation declared it extinct, although this was altered to an official status of ‘data deficient’ when stories began to emerge of occasional glimpses in the dense West Coast bush.
Recently, a recording has been made of what may prove to be the kokako’s distinctive call. It is being analysed and cameras have been set up in the surrounding area of bush. It is probably the best evidence so far of the bird’s continuing existence.
Will there be a chance to see the resurgence of the Grey Ghost in my lifetime? We have managed to bring back the takahe, the kakapo and even the North Island kokako with his distinctive blue wattles. Oh I do hope someone claims the reward of $10,000 soon!
In the meantime, due to the lack of the real thing, I can only show you a photograph of a model in the Reefton I-site.
Read more about the hunt for the South Island Kokako here.
Book News
My own reading has been a bit haphazard lately, especially since I discovered the delights of borrowing ebooks from our local library. I’ve been dipping into some new authors for me, and can recommend ‘The Pretty Delicious Cafe’, by Danielle Hawkins. A light hearted, easy read with a good storyline, set in lovely countryside north of Auckland. Her descriptions of a busy cafe in a holiday area were all too familiar after my many years working in a cafe in Twizel.
Talking of north of Auckland, you must all read ‘Blood on Vines’ by a fellow author friend, Madeleine Eskedahl. Set in the vineyards around the town of Matakana, be prepared for a bit of a gory opening, but then sit back and enjoy the ride while we find out ‘whodunnit’. This is Madeleine’s first novel, and it is a cracker!
I always have difficulty putting my books into one single category. Yes, they are historical fiction, but they are saga, adventure and romance too. But there are two categories that Book 1, ‘The Wideawake Hat’ fits into perfectly, and that is True Crime (James Mackenzie’s trial, conviction and pardon) and Strong Women (you can’t get more resilient than our heroine Sophia).
If that’s your kind of reading, have a look at these two great special offers.
Historical Fiction : True Crime and Punishment
Strong Women in Historical Fiction
Lockdown may not be much fun, but it does give authors a chance for some uninterrupted writing time. I am well over half way into Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ now. I have been enjoying some research into the early days of the city of Christchurch too. Did you know that the streets, which are in a grid pattern, are almost all named after diocese or bishoprics of the mid 1800s? When they ran out of English dioceses, they started on the provinces. Hence we have Colombo, Tuam, Barbadoes, Armagh, Tuam and Cashel Streets, among others.
Mixed Blessings will be available in early 2022.
Finally, may I make a plea? When you have finished reading any of my books, please consider writing a review online, on the platform you used to buy the ebook, or on Goodreads, or wherever you can shout it from the rooftops! Not only does it help to increase sales, but it gives me a great boost of confidence as I write Book 5. Thank you.
An Applecross Companion
You will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs in The Applecross Companion. I will be adding more to the companion as time goes by.
It is still a work in progress, but you are welcome to dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include? Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions. I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
July 24, 2021
News from Applecross – July 2021
As it is the middle of winter too, I can honestly say I haven’t visited parts of the garden for several weeks. What a delight it was then, to find the first signs of daffodils coming up this morning. Spring may be just around the corner after all.
Our old girl, Jess, gave us a real fright last weekend. She had a bit of a seizure, and for a while we thought we would lose her. These things always happen when the vet has shut for the evening, we’ve just put the dinner in to cook and the rain is driving sideways outside! Nevertheless we got her to the emergency vet hospital, where she spent the next 3 days being cared for. Thankfully, she is on the road to recovery now.
Jess is our famous ‘cover dog’ from the paperback version of The Wideawake Hat, pretending to be James’ faithful collie dog. She’s a grand old lady of about 11 years old and is a little bit of a princess. She has thoroughly enjoyed all the extra attention she’s received this week!
WHALE (!) OF THE MONTHYes, I know it is meant to be Bird of the Month, but I wanted to acknowledge the passing of Toa, a baby Orca, who has captured the hearts of many New Zealanders these last weeks. Toa got left behind by his pod when he got stuck on some rocks near Wellington. Many kind folk gave up their time to try to rescue him and to find his pod again, but it was not to be. Toa passed away surrounded by those who had cared for him. Toa means ‘Be Brave’ in Māori. Kia okioki ia i runga i te rangimarie – rest in peace.
BOOK NEWSI have just finished reading The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. I thoroughly enjoyed it, not least because it is set in Oxford, Bath and Shropshire – all places I have lived over the years! It is a cleverly constructed, well written book and I thoroughly recommend it to you all. Touchingly sad in places, full of humour and insight, it follows the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary. Not a promising plot, you would think, but you would be very wrong. If you love words and their meaning, read it soon!!!~~~
Recently, I was invited to speak to the Friends of Christchurch Libraries at their lunchtime meeting. I really enjoyed telling them about the background of The Applecross Saga, especially as most of the 24 attendees had visited the Mackenzie Basin and knew something about the legend of James Mackenzie. It was a real pleasure to engage with such a well-read and interested group of people.
One gentleman told me he was keen to hear how I had come up with the name Applecross, because he had visited the tiny fishing village on the West Coast of Scotland. I’ve been there too – the road over the hills to get there is absolutely spectacular! The truth of it is that I needed a name that was of Scottish origin, but not too Scottish. We had Mackays and Mackenzies already. What better than a real place in Scotland, albeit it with an unusually English name!
~~~
There’s been some progress on Book 5 of The Applecross Saga in recent days, despite the distractions of a poorly dog. ‘Mixed Blessings’ is on track for publication in early 2022. I’m knee deep in research at the moment. The 1870s were busy years in New Zealand and I am really enjoying looking into the life of Julius Vogel, who instigated a period of great change, as well as Kate Sheppard, who is generally credited with leading the journey towards women in New Zealand being the first in the world to gain the vote.
Finally, may I make a plea? When you have finished reading any of my books, please consider writing a review online, on the platform you used to buy the ebook, or on Goodreads, or wherever you can shout it from the rooftops! Not only does it help to increase sales, but it gives me a great boost of confidence as I write Book 5. Thank you.AN APPLECROSS COMPANIONYou will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs in The Applecross Companion. I will be adding more to the companion as time goes by.It is still a work in progress, but you are welcome to dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include? Please do comment below, or email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions. I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
Buy the Applecross Saga
June 16, 2021
June Newsletter from Applecross
A 200-year storm passed our way a couple of weeks ago. We had 8” of rain (over 200mm) in two days and were cut off for a while because all the bridges and fords around us were closed. We even had the squawk message from Civil Defence on our phones to evacuate, although it turned out to be only for those north of the Eyre River, not us. There was a moment of panic while we wondered what to grab, and how we were supposed to leave without a helicopter! Other places around us lost bridges and suffered landslips, and the farmers have had a bad time rescuing stock and mending broken fences, etc. This photo appeared on our community Facebook page – it is usually a dry ford over which we drive almost daily. Not today though!
Egg update! All three little chooks are laying now. Our two cockerels spent a day or two sorting things out and we now have relative peace and harmony in the henhouse. Henry has adopted the three new girls, while Foggy has his older girls to care for. Note to readers – I do not recommend two roosters at a time, but as I am also determined to allow our chickens to live out their days in idleness and luxury, there was not much we could do when the young Henrietta grew up to be Henry. They rub along without too many fights and have plenty of room at our place to escape each other! Here’s the two boys – Foggy at the top, then Henry, keeping a watchful eye on one of his new harem!
Bird of the monthThis month’s bird photo is of a waxeye (sometimes called a silvereye too). We have a pair who visit our bird table regularly in the winter. For such tiny creatures they sure can put their food away. It took them just a morning to devour a pile of crumbs, a whole apple and a block of seed-packed fat.
Book NewsI am in the middle of a book tour, but I have yet to leave the comfort of my own home! In these days where travel is quite complicated, a virtual book tour sounds like a great idea. Please do have a look, drop into any session that takes your fancy and find out a bit more about me and my books. Leave me a message and you stand a chance of winning an Amazon voucher.
The Applecross Saga Book Tour and Giveaway
Good news – I have started writing the 5th book in the Applecross Saga. It has the provisional title of ‘Mixed Blessings’ and begins about 5 years after the end of ‘Three Cedar Trees’. Don’t worry though, I’ll make sure I tie up all the loose ends from Book 4, including what happens to poor Ben after his accident. It turns out to be a bit of a mixed blessing – hence the title! This time, it is the turn of the girls to tell their stories. So we will follow Heather, Adey Rose and Caroline as they transform from childhood into young ladies. Who do you think this may be on the cover? She’s tough and resilient and just about as hard to tame as the plant after whom she is named!
I cannot pass on this month without mentioning the shock news of the death of Lucinda Riley. I have mentioned her Seven Sisters series in previous months and had barely finished reading the 7th book when news came through of her death after a battle with cancer. Goodness, we have lost a great storyteller. All authors know how much effort is required to write a good book, and to do that while dealing with a debilitating illness is incredible.=============================================================
An Applecross Companion
You will now find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs in The Applecross Companion. I will be adding more as time goes by.It is still a work in progress, but you are welcome to dive on in there and take a look.
Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include?
Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions.
I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
Buy the Applecross Saga
May 24, 2021
Nothing is useful that is not honest
Nihil utile quod non honestum
So says the motto of the Christchurch Press Newspaper. The first copy of ‘The Press’ was published on this day in 1861 and it seems to me that such a motto is one that many a media outlet should note!
All six pages of the first edition are available here on the excellent ‘Papers Past’ website – a wonderful source of knowledge for aspiring authors of historical fiction in New Zealand. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/press/1861/05/25
This edition of The Press gets a mention in the 2nd book of The Applecross Saga, Shepherd’s Delight. As you can imagine, with no alternative means of knowing what was happening in the world, James and his friends would glean every bit of news and information from such a publication.
The photo shows the first Press Office in Christchurch at a time when the city barely existed. It is reproduced from The Press Archive/Stuff.
From ‘Shepherd’s Delight’ :-
“Edmund, always one to be interested in horses, pricked up his ears. “I have heard that people are getting together to race their horses,” he said to Guy. “I would love to see it, and I think my young boys would love to take part when they are older.”
“Well, would it be possible for you all to join me there?” replied Guy. “It will not take place until the spring – perhaps October, or November. The date will be announced in the new broadsheet newspaper from Christchurch, The Press, which comes out every Saturday. Though I have heard tell that a new broadsheet from Dunedin may come out later this year and be printed every day.”
Edgar made a mental note to tell his wife to order The Press. It sounded like something they would all like to read. “A newspaper that came out every day – whatever next?” he said, almost to himself.
“Ah, but I have the first copy of The Press here. Frewin brought it for me,” said Guy, fumbling through the pile of papers and photographs in his saddlebag. He pulled out a well-thumbed copy of the broadsheet from the previous Saturday, 25th May. “And the latest Otago Witness, if you would like to read it. You will make my load lighter if you keep them both.”
Like all those who live far away from their homeland, the men had a voracious need to find out what else was going on in the world. They were happy to accept these gifts from Guy and assured him they would be put to good use, with every word being read over and again. “But not tonight,” said James. “I am off to my bed now.” The other men rose to go to their respective beds, but Samuel, it seemed, had no desire to move.
“I’ll stay a while and read until this candle burns down,” he said. The others left him to it, James thinking to himself that those words made up the longest sentence Samuel had uttered since Carrie’s death. Time was healing, perhaps.”
May 4, 2021
News from Applecross May 2021
best-selling author of the Applecross SagaHome news
Well, I think you could say that our summer drought has come to an end at last. What a storm we had one day last week! The rain and hail falling so fast that it couldn’t drain away on our hard-as-rock ground. There are now a few patches of green showing on the lawn, but we really do need more rain soon, please.
New Zealand’s autumn weather is often a blessing of bright sunny days with cloudless skies. It may get cold at night (we’ve had heavy frosts already), but the days make up for it, stocking up our sunshine levels to see us through the winter. I promised you fresh eggs in the last newsletter, but we are not quite there yet. Rosie, Daisy and Ivy are still growing into young ladies and their red combs are showing up now, so it won’t be long. There’s such pleasure in collecting eggs each day, but I always try to say thank you to whoever laid it. Holidays
HolidaysIn April we took a little break from Applecross headquarters and headed west to Reefton. What a fascinating town it turned out to be. A gold mining community, thriving in the 1880s, so plenty of research material for my next few books. Reefton was the first town in New Zealand to have street lighting, even before New York apparently. As so many small towns do, its fortunes declined in recent years, but my goodness, the locals have certainly made the best of their history to encourage visitors. Even the litter bins have historical street scenes on them. We really enjoyed fossicking around the area looking for bits and pieces of industrial history, despite the heavy rain. (Note – it rains a lot more on the western side of New Zealand than it does on the East Coast!).In what is becoming a monthly update on all things ornithological, I could not help but share this photograph, taken at the ruins of Energetic Mine. This little S.Island robin got so close to me that I had to step back to fit him into my camera lens! I am rather pleased with the result though.
ReadingI am rushing through a repeat reading of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series at the moment. Who else is waiting with anticipation for 27th May when the story of the 7th sister is revealed? Sometimes reading a book more than once reveals things you didn’t pick up first time, and this is proving to be so. Perhaps I am a bit slow realising this, but apparently Pa Salt appears in the historical bits of all 6 books so far. Have you spotted him?
If you are looking for something purely historical to read, I have some suggestions for free downloads available at Historical Fiction for May
An Applecross Companion
You will now find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs in The Applecross Companion. I will be adding more as time goes by, although I am eagerly awaiting delivery of something that will make it a lot easier to include drawings. More next month about that!
It is still a work in progress, but you are welcome to dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think?
Any ideas of other things to include?
Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions.
I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
Stories from Applecross, the Box Set
Now, I have made the presumption that, should you be reading this, you have already purchased and/or read at least one of my books in the Applecross Saga. Therefore, you may not need to buy the box set, which contains the first four books in one special ebook package. I ask you, instead, to recommend it to friends and family. Available at a reasonable price, exclusively from KOBO at https://www.kobo.com/en/ebook/stories-from-applecross
April 6, 2021
March Newsletter
March 2021
The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga.Home news
There is much progress to report on the new kitchen at Applecross headquarters. Normal catering services have resumed with a fully functioning oven and hob. Things were slightly delayed by the late arrival of the drawer and cupboard handles (stuck on a ship, apparently), but otherwise we are, as they say, ‘cooking on gas’. Mr Applecross is much relieved that baking has resumed – he was getting quite grumpy with the lack of homemade cakes and biscuits!We have neglected the garden this year, although it has been so dry that nothing much has grown lately. Grapes have been harvested and frozen for wine making later on. We have more green beans than we can possibly eat and a glut of tomatoes, just when they are cheap in the shops too! But the big news is the arrival of Daisy, Rosie and Ivy, new additions to the flock. By the next newsletter we should be collecting their eggs.
Talking of birds, I couldn’t resist sharing a photo of our resident fantails, or piwakawaka, to use the Māori word for them. We seem to have a family of 9 of these little treasures who love nothing more than to flit around you whenever you venture outside. It is sheer ‘cupboard love’ though, they are after the tiny bugs flushed out by your walking. Tricky little blighters to photograph as they never sit still.
ReadingA busy month of book editing has left me with limited reading time, but I bought and devoured ‘The Tally Stick’ by Carl Nixon. Goodness, it is one of those storylines that stays with you, a confronting but gripping tale. Not for the faint hearted, but I do recommend it. Other reviews suggest that it leaves too many things unanswered, but I rather think that’s the point of the story. There were indeed many loose ends, and it is up to the reader to work out what else may have happened.I often take a month or so away from writing at this time of year, although I have to keep telling the fictional people of Applecross to stop bombarding my brain with ideas for the next book. During this time I am doing my best to read more, to actively seek out New Zealand authors and to buy real books (you know, the ones printed on paper!) from my local independent bookstore. If you have a local bookshop, please do try to use it. They, like other small businesses, have done it tough during the pandemic and would appreciate your support, and generally they are run by really nice people who have time to stop and talk.
It may be Autumn down here below the equator, but those of you in the Northern Hemisphere may be looking for a Spring read. Here are a couple of special offers for Historical Fiction running throughout April which may be of interest – and who cares what season it is, if the books are good?
Enjoy Spring Reading and Spring into Historical Fiction
An Applecross Companion
I have made some progress on providing a companion to the Applecross books. It is taking the form of a webpage accessible only to you, dear readers and subscribers. It is very much a work in progress at the moment, with the beginnings of a list of characters, but I hope to add more detail soon, including a map of the Basin and a glossary of Māori words and phrases.You are welcome to dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include? Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions. I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
Three Cedar Trees
Now, the observant among you may spot the addition of two little letters to the title of the latest book in The Applecross Saga! The Cedar Trees became Three Cedar Trees. A last minute change, but one which I think reflects the storyline better.Three Cedar Trees is now available as an ebook on all the usual platforms, a paperback on Amazon or direct from me in New Zealand (with the special kiwi cover design!) You can even buy a hardback version from Amazon!Buy the Applecross Saga
February 5, 2021
February Newsletter
We have been fitting a new kitchen at Applecross HQ so there has not been time for much travelling around this month. Once everything is finished (and I can’t wait for that), we are planning to follow the NZ tourism advice to ‘Do something new, New Zealand’ with a trip to Reefton and Hamner Springs before Easter.
In the meantime, and closer to home, our field has been cut for 11 bales of hay, the hedges have been trimmed by a giant James Bond like machine, our new chick babes are growing fast (three of these cuties will be joining our flock soon) and the tall Viper’s Bugloss weeds are very tempting for all sorts of birds, especially the greenfinches.
ReadingI have been busy putting the last few chapters of ‘The Cedar Trees’ together (see below) so there hasn’t been much time for reading. I’m ploughing on with Michael King’s ‘The Penguin History of New Zealand’, but can only manage a few pages at a time as there’s so much to learn about in every paragraph. I am so pleased to hear that New Zealand history is going to be compulsory in NZ schools soon, including the sometimes controversial early days of European occupation and the effect it had on the first Maori settlers. I am often horrified at kiwis’ lack of knowledge of their own past. I don’t understand why it has taken so long for those in power to realise our children need to know our story? Being aware of the past is the only way to make sense of the present and influence the future.
In between, I enjoyed ‘A Splendid Ruin’, by Megan Chan, a new author to me and a surprise find on Amazon. I am just about to start re-reading the first 6 books of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters in readiness for number 7. Who can fail to be excited by the prospect of finding the elusive 7th sister and solving the mystery of Pa Salt?
There’s far too many books on my ‘want to read’ list at the moment. Those with a New Zealand theme include Auē by Becky Manawatu, State Highway One by Sam Coley and The Tally Stick by Carl Nixon – hmm, there’s a bit of a crime/mystery theme going on there too, it seems!
1867Do you remember James, Edmund and Samuel reading the first edition of The Press and the Otago Daily Times in ‘Shepherd’s Delight’? It was an article in one of these publications that set Samuel on his fateful journey to the goldfields.
That was in 1861. The Press (based in Christchurch), is celebrating 160 years of publication this year. Each day up to the actual anniversary in May they are reprinting articles of interest year-by-year. Fascinating stuff, especially for an author who likes to include some true-life events in her stories.
Books 3 and 4, ‘Guy Pender’ and ‘The Cedar Trees’ are set around 1867. So here is the reprinted article for 1867. Imagine that dreadful man, Basil Drummond’s excitement at hearing of a real, live moa. Mind you, he would probably want to shoot it and mount its stuffed body in a museum!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/123888628/1867-a-real-live-moa-sighting
An Applecross CompanionThe trouble with a family saga spanning a long period of time is that you end up with a lot of characters. Add to that the propensity for the victorians to have large families, and it is all to easy to lose track of who is who.
A while ago, I began to write myself a list of all my characters, with a little description about each person. I wonder, dear readers, if you would appreciate having access to the document, perhaps as a page on my website accessible only to my subscribers?
I also think I should include a glossary of the Maori words and phrases I have used, and perhaps a rough map of the areas included in the books.
What do you think? Any ideas of other things to include? Please do email me at amanda.giorgis@icloud.com with any thoughts and suggestions. I do love hearing from my readers with feedback (good and bad, of course).
The Cedar TreesI typed the very last sentence of Book 4, ‘The Cedar Trees’ a week or so ago, and my goodness, it is a bit of a cliffhanger!
The hard work of proof reading and editing begins now, but we are aiming at a release date by Easter 2021. You will be able to pre-order the e-book version very soon.
If you are really quick, you are welcome to receive a free author review copy (ARC) in .epub format. But be quick – only the first 5 email requests will receive a free copy, on the condition that you will write an honest review on your chosen platform as soon as the book goes live. Emails to amanda.giorgis@icloud.com
In the meantime, it may be a good moment to catch up on the books 1-3. Visit the website to find out where to buy copies – https://amandagiorgis.com/buy-online/
December 14, 2020
December 2020 Newsletter
Season’s Greetings from James and Sophia Mackenzie, Edmund and Nancy Lawton, Samuel Morling, Guy Pender and his new wife Amelie, Lucy, Lizzy, Job, James senior, Betsy and Edgar Franks, Jane and Percy, Joshua and all the children of the basin, plus some characters you are yet to meet in the next book in the series (due out early 2021).
And, of course, a Happy Christmas for me too, Amanda Giorgis, the person who tries very hard to keep all those characters on the straight and narrow, falling in (and out) of love, following their dreams and getting into all sorts of adventures along the way.
The Applecross folk celebrate the Christmas of 1867 in Book 4, The Cedar Trees. My gift to you all for the festive season is a little taste of the next book, including a few hints of what is to come. I hope you enjoy it………..
The Cedar Trees, Christmas 1867
Back in the real world, I am tempted to say good riddance to 2020. It has not been a good year for most of us, although here in New Zealand we count our blessings for the freedom we have to move around and celebrate with our families and friends. There are signs of hope that 2021 will lead to better times.
In my part of the world, the days are long at this time of year, with temperatures rising by the day. Having grown up in the Northern Hemisphere, I will never get used to a sunny Christmas, although I can’t say I mind yummy new potatoes, fresh garden peas and scrumptious strawberries straight from the garden on my Christmas dinner table.
Wherever you are this year, stay safe and well, and here’s to a better year to come!
September 10, 2020
Doggy excerpts
Anyone who knows me will not be in the least surprised that dogs feature in all my books. The true story of Friday, the famous sheepdog, was one of the reasons I first became interested in the legend of James Mackenzie. Friday features in The Wideawake Hat and Shepherd’s Delight, along with her mate Roy and pups Ruby and Blue. Friday’s legacy lives on in the wee pup, May in Shepherd’s Delight and in Leda, Jakob’s puppy in ‘The Cedar Trees’ (to be published soon).
For all you dog lovers, I give you an occasional dog-related excerpt. The first is from The Wideawake Hat, and just a warning – you may need tissues for some of these……
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Some of you may recognise the ‘real’ dog in this image. Our Skye – the digital collie – never an easy dog to own, but much loved anyway, despite the remaining scars!
