Amber Jakeman's Blog, page 4
April 3, 2024
A lighthouse, a launch and a survey
What an honour to be granted a writing residency at Lighthouse Arts, an initiative of the Hunter Writers’ Centre, based in Mulubinba, also known as Newcastle.
My thanks also to Port Authority NSW and the City of Newcastle!
The lighthouse is above Nobby’s Beach (Whibayganba), right on the edge of Australia’s east coast.
Australia is one of the world’s largest islands and smallest continents, with a tradition of storytelling more than sixty thousand years old!
I’m excited about the revival and richness of Aboriginal languages, and am humbled by the generosity of so many of our fellow Australians with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage who are willing to share their culture with us, after already sharing so much.
How fortunate I am to be able to dwell on such things, along with the rich symbolism of lighthouses. I hope in June to produce something worthy of this opportunity.
Sunset Beach, the third novel in my Escape to the Coast series, continues to take shape.
Meeting readersI loved meeting readers, fellow authors and book lovers in Sydney, Melbourne and rural Victoria recently!
Amber Jakeman (left) with New York Times best selling author Cathy Maxwell in MelbourneShoutout to Melinda and Jeff Shelley of @123read2me, seen below with me at the Clunes Booktown Festival. Their charity has regifted almost a million kids’ books to children in Victoria who might have no other books in their lives. Melinda said new Victorian schools have beautiful libraries but no budget for books! Is this true?
With 123Read2Me founders Jeff and Melinda Shelley123Read2Me has partnered with Rotary Australia, Lions Clubs, CaringKids and Kiwanis Clubs. They have donation bins in some Coles, Bunnings and Bendigo Banks branches.
They need a 1,000sm warehouse in Melbourne. As a public benevolent institution, there are tax advantages for a generous supporter. “With a larger warehouse we can sort more books, and open a book shop and cafe to fund our operations,” Jeff said.
“A $5 donation to 123Read2Me will provide a new book for a child who doesn’t have a book. “We have just partnered with Mission Australia and we’re looking forward to supplying free books to their extensive network across Australia.
“We give free books to playgroups, kindergartens and schools in disadvantaged areas across Australia.
“Thanks to the generosity of Victorian Freight Specialists (VFS) and DHL we are shipping pallets of books where they are needed.”
“Literature is the bedrock of society,” Melinda said. “If we don’t have literature, it’s game over!”
A surveyWarmest of welcomes to my newest VIPs and deepest thanks to those of you who’ve been following me for some time. Your loyalty is a gift. I cherish every reader, and I welcome your feedback.
To help me improve my work and find more readers, please take a look at this one-minute Amber Jakeman VIP survey. Responses are anonymous.
You’d be most welcome to email me at amber@amberjakeman.com with further feedback.
Save the dateMidnight Beach will be officially launched at a wonderful “#beachread” event in Kincumber on the NSW Central Coast on Friday 7 June at 5.30pm for 6pm. Would love to see you there! More details will follow…
Some free and affordable sweet readsOnce again, I’m happy to introduce to you other “cosy” authors who write uplifting endings.
The author of the month is P Harlowe, and the book is Unsuccessfully Trying to Kill You!
The author writes: Meet Cindy, who accidentally stumbles upon a crime scene.
In the quirky neighborhood of Sunshine Meadows, things aren’t always what they seem. Meet Cindy, an ordinary woman who accidentally stumbles upon a crime scene and finds herself thrust into the wacky world of Chameleon Protocol. Little does she know, her new home is a hotbed of undercover antics, and every neighbor she encounters is hiding a secret.
Download your free copy of Unsuccessfully Trying to Kill You.
Hope you enjoy browsing this collection of sweet stories, including a few of mine.
April spotlight on sweet romance
Clean romance only (starting 8 April)
Happy reading!
March 1, 2024
The romance of pearls
Strings of pearls, of thoughts, of words …
Rarely does life run smoothly for any living thing, but from a bit of grit, great beauty can grow.
Layering lustre, adding meaning …
Through time, these iridescent orbs, born of the pearl oyster, have symbolised purity, fertility, wisdom, understanding, class, sophistication, power, commitment and resilience.
I chanced upon this moment of enhancing a wedding veil with pearls at Joli Bridal while in LA recently, and it sparked a whole new series of scenes, plot points and characterisations in my latest work in progress, Sunset Beach.
Strangely, pearls don’t feature in my House of Jewels series, though the five books are studded with other gems and jewelery, and an antique coral ring is pivotal in Midnight Beach, my latest offering.
Five stars for Midnight Beach!I am indebted to generous reviewers and readers. Deepest thanks for your interest and loyalty, including asking about my books at your local libraries and bookstores!
“This is a must read but be prepared to stay up late and not get all the chores done because it is impossible to put Midnight Beach down. 5 stars.” Trudi from the US
”This story is a romantic one that simmers in the background, rounding to quite a boil over at the end. Extremely clever plotting skills from Amber as she feeds you with little tidbits you are wanting more of. I smiled at the ending as I’m pretty sure you all will too. Five stars.” Pauline from New Zealand
“Intense … enjoyable. 5 stars.” Gail from the US
“I was deeply moved by Midnight Beach and how a love so powerful could ride the waves of time; survive the prejudices and maybe get a second chance. This lovely dual timeline, takes us to the past but then moves us forward to the present to resolve the issues and obstacles Nola and Kento faced. Leaving us with a glittering ending filled with hope for their future. A heart-warming read. 5 Stars 
” Cindy L Spear Enjoy Cindy’s full review.
Taylor Swift was in Sydney the day I dropped some signed copies of Midnight Beach to the wonderful team at Galaxy Bookshop above iconic Abbeys Bookstore, opposite the QVB. Clearly TayTay also thrives on blue, love songs and love stories!
EventsWe are just days from the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney at the Sydney Boulevard on 90 William Street on Sunday 10 March 2024, and in Melbourne at Ibis Melbourne, 15 Therry Street, on Saturday 16 March. You can book your ticket for ARR2024 here.
While in Victoria, I’m excited to take part in the Clunes Book Town Festival on 23 and 24 March. If you’re nearby, please come and say “hi” whether or not you plan to buy.
Some free and affordable sweet readsI’m pleased to introduce to you other authors who write uplifting endings. Vote one “joy”!
Feature author of the month: Dineen Miller
Brewed to Be Messy
“She could be the girl of his dreams”
Dineen’s blurb: Emily’s the full package—gorgeous, talented, confident. Plus, she’s the new pastry chef at the local bakery.
Me? I’m a coffee nerd and as shy as they come. So what did I do? I regaled her with trivia as a way to break the ice.
But now I fear I may have bored her to tears and lost my shot at that date. She’s a goddess, and I’m a mere mortal who admires her from afar.
Will she give me a chance to show her my wit, or will she throw out any thoughts of dating me like stale bread?
Download Brewed to be Messy for free.
Christian sweet and clean reads
Lucky in Love sweet and clean reads.
Happy reading!
February 3, 2024
The month of love
A shopkeeper told me that nobody spends money in February when their Christmas chickens come home to roost (don’t mention the turkeys).
How perfect is it, then, that Valentine’s Day should fall this month, because the best things in life are free, and surely they include love.
As that most popular of books, the Bible, reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
Picnics are also free, so may you find somewhere special to share a romantic picnic with your sweetheart!
Thank youIt is always a great honour to be given the limelight, and I thank Jackie Claridge-Wood of the Global Girls Online Book Club for hosting me as Author for the Day on her popular Facebook site earlier this month.
Jackie approached me out of the blue at Book Fair Australia last year. What a generous soul! Thrilled to have been invited back as an Associate Author for the rest of the year. Thank you, Jackie!
Greetings to my new VIPs, and deep thanks to those who have followed me for some time, including those who’ve shared reviews and recommended my books to others who enjoy feel-good fiction.
Here’s the link to download a free copy of my House of Diamonds, which you are more than welcome to share with your friends, family and book club pals.
I was very fortunate to spend some time in Colorado recently as the guest of good friends. It was frosty outside (the lake was frozen) but cosy inside, with sunlight streaming in, great conversations, hot chocolate and plenty of book joy! #gratitude
Please browse my books to see if anything appeals, including the latest, Midnight Beach, released earlier this year. Your local bookshop should be able to order via print on demand.
Warmest thanks to those of you who have shared five-star reviews of Midnight Beach! (See excerpts on my Books page.)
In honour of Valentine’s Day, my House of Diamonds, House of Hearts and House of Spades ebooks will be on sale for just 99 cents each in the US throughout February.
And please don’t forget you can ask for all my books at your local library. What a great way to share precious resources and stretch our own!
Come and say ‘hi’ whether or not you plan to buyIt’s not long now until the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney at the Sydney Boulevard on 90 William Street on Sunday 10 March 2024, and in Melbourne at Ibis Melbourne, 15 Therry Street, on Saturday 16 March. You can book your ticket for ARR2024 here. You’re welcome to pre-order my books to avoid disappointment, as demand can be strong.
While in Victoria, I’m excited to take part in the Clunes Book Town Festival on 23 and 24 March. Please come and say “hi” whether or not you plan to buy.
Guest author spotlightStuck with My Protective Billionaire by Gina Cooper
The blurb: Forget happily ever after, love is a mirage for Anna Brown. When her engagement falls apart, she’s not sure she’ll ever find true love again – until her bother’s billionaire best friend, Trevor Larson, returns to town. The childhood crush Anna has had on him is reignited, and when her ex shows up wanting her back, Trevor is there to help. But will Anna be able to leave behind her brother and small town for a chance at a future with Trevor, or will her dreams be shattered once more?
Download Gina’s book for free.
Some free and affordable sweet readsKeep love in your heart forever
Happy reading!January 3, 2024
Happy New Year!
A new day, a new year, a fresh start — the whole bowl of cherries …
Whatever the pleasures in store for you this year, may you enjoy them in full.
Announcing Midnight BeachDrum roll! Midnight Beach is here, hot off the presses yesterday!
While Midnight Beach is the second in my Escape to the Coast series, following Summer Beach, these books may be read in any order.
Midnight Beach: the blurbHow long will true love wait?
In scenic Burradeer Bay, the midnight beach keeps secrets.
When a plan to sail away with her forbidden love goes awry, Nola waits faithfully for Kento’s return.
Decades later, after one too many clashes with Bronte, her high school dropout niece, Nola questions her own life choices, and flees.
A distinguished man arrives, and an antique coral ring links the past with the future.
But remorseful Bronte and frenemy Jasper can’t find Nola.
Will Nola miss her second chance at love?
Midnight Beach is a small town beach read and a tale of forbidden love and soul mates, featuring two love stories for the price of one!
Buy the Midnight Beach e-book.
Buy Midnight Beach paperback (from Amazon Australia).
Buy Midnight Beach paperback (from Amazon in the US).
Buy MIDNIGHT BEACH e-bookBuy MIDNIGHT BEACH paperback (Australia)Buy MIDNIGHT BEACH paperback (US)Can you find my books?Finding my paperbacks should be easier than ever for you this year. With readers all over the world, my books are now available globally, printed on demand through Lightning Source.
Please ask at your local bookstore or library, or search in your local Amazon or e-book store. Would you please let me know if there’s an issue?
Meet me onlineYou’re more than welcome to join me on Facebook on 6 January (Sydney time) (which is 5 January in the US) when I’ll be blogging all day and some of the night, about books and writing, as a guest author with the Global Girls Online Book Club!
Please feel free to invite any friends and family members who might enjoy feel-good fiction. I’ll be giving away some free copies of my books.
SeriesThe Escape to the Coast series follows my House of Jewels series.
My thanks to Australian Romance Readers Association for the opportunity to share with readers how my series emerge: ARRA guest blog on my series.
Romance increasingly popularHow interesting to see young readers are swooning over romance!
Come and say ‘hi’ whether or not you plan to buyI’m looking forward to meeting readers at the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney at the Sydney Boulevard on 90 William Street on Sunday 20 March 2024, and in Melbourne at Ibis Melbourne, 15 Therry Street, on Saturday 16 March. You can book your ticket for ARR2024 here.
ARR2024 general admission (all-day entry) tickets are $40 and VIP tickets (all-day entry plus goodie bag plus souvenir booklet) are $85. You’re welcome to pre-order my books to avoid disappointment, as demand can be strong.
While in Victoria, I’m excited to take part in the Clunes Book Town Festival on 23 and 24 March. Please come and say “hi” whether or not you plan to buy.
Some sweet free and affordable readsIt’s always a pleasure to help promote the works of other authors you might enjoy, and this month, I’m pleased to feature Cathy Shouse’s free book, Her Billionaire Cowboy’s Twin Heirs: Christmas in Fair Creek.
Here’s Cathy’s blurb:
All she’s ever wanted was another baby and he’s got two that landed unexpectedly in his life. He’s wounded by a bad break-up with someone only interested in his money.
Single Mom Annie York and eight-year-old Chloe live above the diner, where she works for her cousin. She’s given up on finding love and is hiding a secret. She’s a subpar housekeeper, in the extreme. When Annie has a surprise reunion with Caleb Galloway from high school, they must join forces to care for his sister’s twin babies.
He’s a cowboy with everything in its place. She has no idea where anything is. But seeing Annie with his niece and nephew has him wondering whether he belongs right next to her. Can Caleb and Annie find a way to become a family and have a happily-ever-after in their future this Christmas?
Download Cathy’s book for free.
Other sweet and wholesome book lists which might interest you:
Find all my booksHappy reading!
AmberDecember 3, 2023
Wishing you all the joys of the season
As the northern hemisphere cools, here in the south, summer unfolds with the roses.
I’ve been working behind the scenes to improve distribution options for my paperbacks.
You can now ask your local bookshop to order them in via Ingram Spark and Lightning Source, world-wide printers and distributors.
Most libraries will also order new books for their readers. If you enjoyed House of Diamonds and would like to read the sequels, House of Hearts, House of Spades, House of Clubs and Full House, you can ask your library to purchase them for everyone’s enjoyment.
My e-books will be discounted by 30 per cent throughout December for international library suppliers Bibliotheca and Baker and Taylor, so please let your librarians know that my e-books are more affordable than ever this month.
Even Summer Beach is available at the same discount for libraries, and who can resist a beach read and rock star romance?
Libraries are treasure troves — the keepers and curators of cultural memory, shared through the magic of the written word. They are places to browse and places to learn. Shoutout to all librarians! (Psst. Have you “met” Sondra in House of Hearts? Librarians change lives!)
Library distributors in all Australian states are now aware of my titles, so your local library should be able to easily order my paperbacks and/or ebooks. You’re welcome to let me know how you go, wherever you may be in the world!
Cover revealMidnight Beach will be available early in 2024. Here’s a sneak peak at the cover!
Meanwhile, I’m fine-tuning all the words, so grateful to the beta readers whose feedback helps me improve each draft.
Here’s the Midnight Beach blurb:
How long will true love wait?
In scenic Burradeer Bay, the midnight beach keeps secrets.
When a plan to sail away with her forbidden love goes awry, Nola waits faithfully for Kento’s return.
Decades later, after one too many clashes with her high school dropout niece, Bronte, Nola questions her own life choices, and flees.
A distinguished man arrives, and an antique coral ring links the past with the future.
But remorseful Bronte and frenemy Jasper can’t find Nola.
Will Nola miss her second chance at love?
Please email me if you’d like an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of Midnight Beach.
I’m indebted to generous readers who enjoy my work and share recommendations with friends and family and leave reviews, helping others to find my books.
You might like to pre-order your e-copy of Midnight Beach.
Come and meet me!I’m looking forward to meeting readers at the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney at the Sydney Boulevard on 90 William Street on Sunday 20 March 2024, and in Melbourne at Ibis Melbourne, 15 Therry Street, on Saturday 16 March. You can book your ticket for ARR2024 here.
ARR2024 general admission (all-day entry) tickets are $40 and VIP tickets (all-day entry plus goodie bag plus souvenir booklet) are $85.
While in Victoria, I’m taking part in the Clunes Book Town Festival on 23 and 24 March! Please come and say “hi” whether or not you plan to buy.
An end of year saleI’m excited to announce that all my e-books will be discounted by 50 per cent and promoted on @Smashwords as part of their 2023 End of Year Sale, starting on 15 December.
Feel free to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates and links to the promotion. #SmashwordsEoYSale #Smashwords
Some free and affordable sweet readsChristmas stocking sweet reads!
Bookspry sweet and clean reads
Blanketed in love sweet and clean reads
Enjoy your festive season!May you rest, rejoice and replenish your energy with old and new friends, treasured family, fine food and time to dream.
You’re more than welcome to gift a free copy of House of Diamonds to a friend or family member by sharing this link with them.
Happy reading!
AmberNovember 4, 2023
Thank you
A warm welcome to my newest VIPs and deep thanks to loyal followers for keeping in touch!
What a joy to meet readers and writers at the recent Book Fair Australia, including three beautiful readers from Brazil, Galaxy Bookshop Manager Allison Rogers, Aussie author Penelope Janu, fellow writer Jo Jukes, and New Zealand authors Nikki Perry and Kirsty Roby.
Writers need readers. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading my books, please share my details with them.
If you know of anyone interested in translating my books, would you please let me know?
Purple prose and the wonder of wordsPurple prose is defined as writing which is so long-winded and fancy it’s practically impossible to understand.
In this case, though, it was the smoke and ash of Vesuvius that rendered 2,000-year-old papyrus scrolls illegible – until late last month.
Their first word to be translated? “Purple”!
Enjoy this New York Times account.
Younger readers fall for romanceMeanwhile, the popularity of romance continues to grow, with younger readers unafraid to admit they enjoy the genre, and bookstores bringing out romance reads from the shadows and into the spotlight.
Read this account.
‘Cosy’ fictionWhat a joy to discuss “cosy fiction” with fellow authors Meg Vertigan and Alison Ferguson at the recent independent writers’ festival in Maitland!
We explored intersections between crime, mystery, romance and sci fi writing, and how a “cosy” read, like feel-good fiction, assures readers of positive resolutions.
How fortunate we are to be able to celebrate creativity and the value of stories together! My thanks to all associated with @IFMaitland.
Some free and affordable sweet readsClean and Christian sweet reads
Pumpkin spice romances (sweet and clean)
Thankful for love (sweet romance)
Happy reading!October 9, 2023
A story of love as Australia votes
As Australians prepare to vote “yes” or “no” at next Saturday’s referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Yaegl matriarch and elder and internationally renowned Anglican Minister the Reverend Aunty Lenore Parker shares a story of love.
Reverend Aunty Lenore Parker is an internationally renowned Yaegl elder and matriarch and ordained priest who served on the committee advising the Archbishop of Canterbury for nine years, the Anglican Consultative Council, and continues to advocate for peace and understanding.
Aunty Lenore recently invited interested friends to afternoon tea at Maclean Showground Hall, overlooking the Clarence River.
Almost 100 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people turned up to hear Aunty Lenore’s stories from her childhood and discuss the Voice.
Her nephew played a didgeridoo to begin the event, then Aunty Lenore shared her faith in God as “the River of Life who unites all people through love”.
Here is a record of what was said, shared here with Aunty Lenore’s kind permission:
Aunty Lenore asked the audience to stand and “remember all our people, the ancient, the old and the new that have walked this ancient land, the old people who trod this land for so many thousands of years. We are still treading this land.”
“What is land?” she said. “It’s living. It’s pulsating. I can feel there’s a new vibration in creation, moving us and calling us forward. The Great Spirit of this Ancient Land wants us to be united, not divided.
“On behalf of all our beautiful old people who have gone before us, it’s an honour and a privilege to be able to share our stories of the past.”
Lenore spoke of the Clarence River, also known as Biirrinba, “that ancient river that never runs dry, it is running through us. It awakens us to do that new beginning, to walk together as one through life, body, mind and spirit…
“The mountains, the rivers, hills and the land, created for everyone to see, have been created in love. I want to acknowledge our people. Through their stories that they have shared with us … We are a part of the one story of this ancient land. The land unites us.”
Aunty Lenore’s story:I am Lenore Parker, nee Randall. Lots of families lived on Ulgundahi Island.
When my mum brought me home from hospital, she said my grandfather and his daughter moved out of their tin shack so mum, dad and I could move there. My cousin told me all the kids were playing in the mud, and went to run up to give me a hug. My dad brought a bucket of water for the children to wash their hands. One by one they were allowed to give me a cuddle. My mum told me my first cradle was the top of the chest of drawers.
Mum also told me, the year I was born, a big flood came. The Government moved us from the island to Ashby, where we lived until my eighth birthday.
I remember being given an Ashby purple bike for my birthday. My two cousins got on the bike and rode it down the hill, where the Ashby sawmill is still. They went for their ride and came back home before they got into trouble.
We lived in a community of love and family. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents watched over us. They protected and shielded us so nothing could hurt us.
When the government moved us from the island, in the Aboriginal Protection Board days, each family had a big army tent. When my family grew, dad and the others built a tin shack with mats on the dirt floor made of potato sacks. They would cut them open to put clothes in them to make quilts. Then they became the curtains, the doors, the windows and cover for us.
When we look back now over that very simple, humble beginning, we didn’t know who was rich and who was poor, because no one talked about money in those days.
In the wider community were the farmers, and our people would go and do the farm work and housework. Some of the women would walk from Ashby to some of the homes in Maclean to do domestic work. Sometimes families were kind; sometimes there was segregation and they told me that they couldn’t eat in the family home. They would have to eat outside and, afterwards, wash all their plates in a bucket outside.
As a child, I didn’t see black or white, just kindness. There was no Centrelink. Everyone who was able, had to go out and work.
Back to my eighth birthday. I had a dream of a big toadstool, or mushroom, and fairies. It was the mystery and wonder and delight of a child; a magical time for me, living over there with the aunts and uncles and grandparents.
In Aboriginal ways, my father was the youngest of the men. When his brothers and sisters had passed, it was his role to take over the father role. Dad’s sister died, so he took care of her family. Someone had to be a parental figure for them.
I started kindergarten in 1951 when I was six, and with all the other kids, would walk up from Ashby Mill to Maclean police station and there was a ferry to Maclean Public School.
My Mum wanted to find out what this school was like, because she hadn’t been allowed to go to the mainstream school. They had to go to the Aboriginal school on the island.
Seventy years ago, my Mum started going to the P and C meetings. Mum would be there, so shy. For the first time, she had left the place she called home. She walked up and said “I don’t know what to do”. Two beautiful non-Aboriginal women told her “you sit down here and have a cup of tea with us and have a chat about our kids”. Mum said she did that.
After we left Ashby in 1952, when my sister Elizabeth was born, they moved us back to the island, where the school had been partly damaged because of the floods. A few wooden homes and our galvanised tin homes were there, with a kitchen and bedroom. Outside, our families would make a toilet and laundry with a tank for our water supply.
There was a big billy goat that would frighten us kids. We’d run in screaming to one of the homes, with billy goat gruff after us.
My beautiful aunt, who was a great cook, would cook for the men as they left to go to work for the week in the canefields, where they would live in barracks. My Aunty cooked to set them up for a few days.
The men would come home, and other cane cutters from Cabbage Tree Island and Coraki. Everyone had work to do and something to bring home to their families, weekly or fortnightly.
These memories of the men coming home from a week of cane cutting, covered in black soot … Young men have no idea what work is!
Once a month the manager would bring important people to see us, like a nurse or someone else. They would give us medicines. They felt they had the right to walk into our homes and run their fingers over things to see if there was dirt; lifting up the bed clothes to see if there were clean sheets for the children to sleep in.
I didn’t realise what was going on as a child, but now as an adult, when I smell disinfectant, I remember our homes being inspected. A lot of our old people who have passed, they still carried the traumas. If they didn’t have a clean house, their children would be taken away. Their homes were spotless.
They only shared that with us when I was grown up. It was as if they were paralysed in fear, because of living under control of the manager. Our people tried to give him respect, but it wasn’t returned. We had no rights. They weren’t allowed to continue their language, their culture and ceremonies. They were stripped of their identity. You couldn’t marry who you wanted to marry. The manager felt he had the authority to choose who you could marry. Those who disagreed with him were banished from living on the island, and separated from their families.
There were five Randall boys on the island from 1917. Before that, they lived on a plot of land shared with them from the Australian Church of England, at Southgate, on a farm with my grandfather and grandmother. The earliest photograph I’ve seen of my people on the island was taken in 1904. Until 1962 we lived with restrictions that were placed on our people. My grandfather and his second wife were married in the Grafton Anglican Cathedral, the first Aboriginal people to be married in that church. Grandfather must have been a man of great significance to have been accepted in this way.
Now I’ll talk about my school days. I loved school. Walking to school, my friends would all be waiting for me, calling “Lenore, Lenore” as I walked along the fence and I’d call “Carol, Christine”! We were excited to see each other, especially after the school holidays. Kids don’t see colour. They just see their friends.
When I started high school, we’d go by rowboat – with two women, with one paddle each, rowing the children from the island to Maclean, and home again.
I remember those days – fun memories of elderly people who showed us the way, the strength and the resilience. They would say to us … “one day there will be a time when we all will be free to come and go”.
There was always food on the table, wild duck from the swamp or another wild bird, a big pot of soup with dumplings. Families shared what they had. As our stories were shared by their parents, of what life was like on the island, our children still hold those stories which they now tell through art and dance and songs and theatre. I call Ulgundahi Island the sacred heartbeat of the Yaegl people, where we shared and lived life together as a family and as a community. It was a place of love.
My grandfathers, men of great integrity, were the disciplinarians of us all. It didn’t matter whose child you were, they could still catch you. The boys got into more trouble than the girls. With our grandmothers, these elders were seen as the leaders. There was very deep respect and love for them. They showed us how to live a life that was about caring and sharing. They showed us the rights from wrongs. They were our first teachers.
There were trailblazers, my older cousins… About 70 years ago, they left Ashby and went to Singleton Bible College, and to Burwood Bible College, leaving Ashby to go down to the big city. How scary that must have been.
They were the trailblazers for our beautiful young people, our role models for the gift of faith.
It was so great to see them when they came home to the island on holidays. We would have church together under the shade of a gum tree, sitting on a log. On my eighth birthday, I said “yes” to following God. I heard my uncle reading from the Bible, saying “for God so loved the world that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”.
In the early 1900s, the emphasis of the church was on restrictions, but later, when we moved back from Ashby to Ulgundahi, after I was eight, the message of the church also came from beautiful lay people from the different denominations, including one of my uncles, and it wasn’t as restricting. They brought God’s love to his people.
Questions and answers
Q: Did the Yaegl people sing hymns in their own language?
Lenore: We didn’t know we were Yaegl. It was like when Jesus was stripped of his vestments to carry the cross. We were stripped of our identity, of everything our people knew. They weren’t allowed to do anything with that old knowledge, the old ceremonies. My grandfathers, even though they had restrictions on them, they still managed to show us the right way to live.
How rigid things were. In NSW, no one was allowed to speak language, not even on the way to school or with the other children who were there. All that was taken away. They lost their identity and culture. Now, today, we are learning of that ancient gift, of language, and the gift of our culture and ceremonies.
This gift of culture is so rich. DJ playing the didgeridoo… We hadn’t heard any of this. It wasn’t a part of this place. I didn’t know that there was Aboriginal spirituality. Christian faith, what was shared of God. A lot of our kids don’t go to church now, but now as an adult, since I have been working with the church and thinking about the richness of how these two ancient symbols become one.
In the year 2000, my daughter (award-winning artist Frances Belle Parker) rang me and told me of the vision she had of the rainbow serpent coming up out of the ground and the tongue forming the crucifix. How do these two ancient symbols meet? We can talk about the rainbow serpent here. Around Australia, we hear other people talking about the rainbow serpent. I was flying home and saw the river glistening; the colours of the rainbow in the river and I realised that the rainbow serpent is the great creator’s spirit, the river of life.
The river brings new life and all goodness. We all have our own faith story to tell. How often do we sit and share our views on spirituality? Young people can teach us a thing or two. I see a lot of the young don’t have the privilege that we have now as the elderly. We have had a pathway, but they are still looking for a pathway. Where can they go if we are not going to open our hearts to them and listen to the young as they share their stories?
Q: It is difficult to reconcile how much religion has taken away from your people.
Lenore: I can’t separate this great gift of life and love of our grandparents and my cousins. When they came home from Bible College, they had a voice to share with us, and it wasn’t about hatred. It was the beautiful gift of faith and their journey that is life-giving to me, that empowers me on my faith journey.
One of our cousins would bring the Reverend Gaden to us from the Anglican Church in Maclean, to see our living conditions on the island, where there were floods every year. He wanted a better space for us to live where we didn’t have to move from year to year. We loved living on the island but because of the river and floods, the families were moved to higher ground, where we would stay for around six weeks. When we stayed at the showground, we had so much fun. We didn’t have to go in that rowboat to get to school.
New homes were built for the community. Some of family went to Yamba, to Pippie Beach, and some stayed at Hillcrest in Maclean, and we were so grateful.
Q: Tell us about the Voice.
Lenore: It was always about love, not about segregation. Our old people didn’t have a voice. Because I heard their stories and lived with them through a lot of their struggles, I can share my experience … If you have no connection with an Aboriginal person, and don’t know about the Aboriginal story, you wouldn’t know why you are voting “yes” or “no”. The Australian story is a shared history of its peoples. The non-Aboriginal side has been told, but the Aboriginal story wasn’t available to the rest of the Australians as it is now. It hasn’t been acknowledged.
Q: What message would you like to share with everyone in the room?
Lenore: It’s not about the poll. I believe this is about the Great Spirit of this ancient land that is calling all our people to walk towards a better future for all our children and for everyone, Indigenous people, non-Indigenous people, and for all the peoples who come into this land as they make a new life in this country.
Two hundred and fifty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people came together to form the Uluru Statement from the Heart. How many times would you hear of so many people from many different language and cultural groups, coming together, speaking from their heart to us!
I believe that this is a spiritual journey we are on. Any time I go to gatherings like this, I feel the vibration of the land. All creation will be joining in with this new song of love.
Q: What do we do if we can’t get the Voice up?
Lenore: I’d like to think we come together as one again and talk about the next step as a local community… Something has to happen. It’s a new beginning for this ancient land. When you hear the stories of this ancient land, we can all come together with a new song, and sing together, and glorify the Great Creator Spirit with our words.
Q: How would you help someone who doesn’t understand, or who is on the fence?
Lenore: I’d ask everyone to read the question. It’s all there. This is the Aboriginal people asking you this question. If you are Indigenous or non-Indigenous, and you don’t vote “yes” it will be okay.
There are unhealed hurts of the past. This land and her peoples are in grief because of all of the traumas of the past.
How can we bring healing and wholeness to everyone and to the land? There’s only one way. Sit and talk and go out of our comfort zone. Listen to all Australians, the old and the new.
The First Fleeters didn’t come here on their own terms. They were forced because they stole a potato or something similar. They came here with their own baggage and they had to work, together with Aboriginal people, to stay alive. The only voices to be heard were the ones who were given the power from England. There are many stories we haven’t unpacked. It’s time to hear everyone’s stories.
Q: What happens if there’s a “no” vote on Saturday?
Lenore: This is a really good beginning, a fresh beginning. You can’t stop change. Everywhere around the country, this is about local people getting together and supporting each other.
We can do it regularly, whether it’s a “no” or a “yes”. If we are doing that, it will become a “yes”. It takes time. … It’s about us getting together and doing it; not about the politicians. Around the fire, and everywhere, let’s walk together.
I will have another afternoon tea. This is a people’s movement.
MagpiesOne of my aunts spoke of the magpies, black and white birds, eating a little, turning one ear to one side to hear what that side is saying, eating some more, then turning the other ear to hear the other side.
Image courtesy Rob E and UnsplashA prayer of loveAs an adult, I see a church with no walls. This land is God’s ancient cathedral. The only door is your heart. With love, mercy and compassion for each other, everyone is welcome.
God calls us His people, not black or white, born of the spirit, not Jew nor Gentile, walking together in the one true light.
Remember the love of the elders. We lost so much, but there’s no hatred. There’s forgiveness and love. We are regaining culture and mutual respect. Every year we have a reconciliation luncheon and share.
May we surge forward with love and forgiveness, so love will show the way, so this ancient river will join up with all the rivers, right around this ancient land, to become the sacred river. We, the people, are the river, the river of life that still flows, bringing love and respect to all.
May the god of holy dreaming lead and guide all peoples in this ancient land.
May that river truly hold each one of us in love as we leave this place and go forward in love and peace, regardless of how people are voting, because we are all Australians.
We are AustralianAunty Lenore invited everyone to stand and sing the chorus of the Seekers’ song, I am Australian. Everyone held hands and sang, then enjoyed afternoon tea together.
Why Lenore is voting “yes”.On October 14th, I will cast my vote in our national referendum with a resounding YES.
My name is Lenore Parker, and I stand before you as a proud Yaegl matriarch. I am a mother, aunty, grandmother, sister, and friend to many in the Lower Clarence.
Through the stories of my Elders, grandparents, and parents, I have personally lived through the struggles and injustices experienced by my people. The first 22 years of my life were marked by the dehumanizing classification of Aboriginal people as flora and fauna, a dark period that only changed with the overwhelming support for the 1967 referendum to include Aboriginal people in the national census.
Throughout my life I have seen many national bodies established for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. One by one, these have been dismantled leaving us without a united body to represent us or for us to have a say on policies affecting us.
My upbringing on Ulgundahi Island, nestled in the middle of the Clarence River, was marked by restrictions on our freedom including curfews and boundaries that dictated our movements.
The island’s mission manager, appointed under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909, controlled every aspect of our lives—where we could live, who we could marry, and even what we could eat.
Our cultural practices, including language, dance, hunting, and ceremonies, were suppressed, leading to the loss of invaluable aspects of our heritage.
When I first heard of the Uluru statement from the heart, I knew that was a gift from God. Over 250 Aboriginal people came together to present a path forward. I see in it the great creator spirit of this ancient land, beckoning all Australians to listen deeply to the wounds and traumas of the past. I see it as a recognition of 65,000 years of dreaming, a true gift from God.
I also acknowledge the wealth of stories and cultures brought by migrants and new Australians to this land. As I listen to their stories, I can see the richness of their stories and their cultures.
On October 14th, I will be voting YES.
I yearn for us to share our culture with you, to walk alongside you.
I want us to have a seat at the table, and have a say on matters that affect us.
In saying “yes” Australia will not lose 250 years of colonial rule, but instead gain 65,000 years of Aboriginal knowledge and culture.
A YES vote means two things:
Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First People of Australia.
The establishment of a voice that will guide the government on issues affecting Aboriginal people.
A NO vote, on the other hand, preserves the status quo. My people will remain voiceless. Our cultures and beliefs, the precious gifts that they are, will go unrecognised and undervalued.
Voting NO does not endanger your homes, your backyards, or your businesses. A NO vote ensures that things stay the same for us.
I implore all Australians to embrace this historic opportunity to right past wrongs, to honour our rich heritage, and to forge a more inclusive future.
On October 14th, cast your vote for justice, unity, and a brighter tomorrow. Join me in voting YES, so that together, we can build a stronger and more equitable Australia.
October 2, 2023
The black (mud) moment
Firstly, some upcoming news and events.
Many readers have asked whether my books are available as audiobooks, so I’m delighted to let you know that my House of Diamonds is now available as an Apple Audiobook. You can listen to the preview here.
If you’re not already listening to Apple Audiobooks and you’d like to purchase the audiobook for yourself or someone else, please follow these instructions for your Apple device (phone or iPad or Mac). Then search for House of Diamonds and scroll down to the audio version. Happy listening!
Come and meet me!I look forward to meeting readers and other authors at Book Fair Australia coming up on the weekend of 14 and 15 October at Sydney Showground.
On 21 October at 3pm, I’ll be part of a Cosy Fiction panel at the Maitland Independent Writers’ Festival. I’d love to see you there!
Next year, please join me at the Australian Romance Readers’ Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney on Sunday 10 March and in Melbourne on Saturday 16 March.
Meanwhile…Did you hear that a bookstore named The Ripped Bodice has opened in New York? Enjoy this New York Times account which includes what readers love about love stories, including the “hit of joy” and “guaranteed happy ending.”
Meanwhile, far from cities, in spaces so vast they defy capture by camera, I’ve been afloat on a boat, at the mercies of the winds and tides, in awe of nature.
In Queensland’s Great Sandy Strait and beyond, my hero has navigated shoals with tides running in both directions at once, along with headwinds and repairs to key equipment.
In quiet night anchorages we’ve admired infinite stars and in busy ports, we’ve met adventurous souls who’ve explored waterways of the world.
At sea we’ve witnessed breaching whales, dolphins playing in our wake and the slow birth of islands.
As with any good novel, our cruising holiday included a fair share of adventures. Fresh from rowing ashore for a stroll and aquamarine swim at pristine Rainbow Beach, we found ourselves marooned at low tide by 300 metres of black, oozing mud.
Half way across, pulling the dinghy and oars, we sank in it up to our knees. Step by gluggy step, extracting and replanting each foot time after time took equal effort. A hawk circled.
In a novel, this would be called “the black moment” when all is (almost) lost.
Four hours later, covered in mud and laughing with relief, we scrubbed off the goo and reflected that people pay good money for mud baths – an activity now excluded from our bucket list.
We were grateful to avoid a face to face encounter with this dingo at K’gari, the world’s largest sand island formerly known as Fraser Island and a vast and timeless sliver of sand between the Pacific Ocean and Queensland’s Great Sandy Strait, its flora and fauna built up over millennia.
K’gari means “paradise” in the language of the Butchella people who lived on the island for thousands of years before Eliza Fraser was shipwrecked there in 1836.
The dingo boarded another vessel close to shore and retrieved a plastic bag from it before trotting away!
Further north, we visited Lady Musgrave Island at the southern end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
As if in a nonsense story by Lewis Carroll, the island’s trees live for thousands of years, resprouting from the side when blown over by typhoons.
It’s named after American Lady Musgrave, wife of a former Queensland Governor, who held tea parties here in the 1880s to raise money to empower young women.
Beneath the water, we were fortunate to snorkel and drift among turtles and intricate coral, blue starfish, big black-lipped clams and thousands of tropical fish of every shape and colour.
Whatever your own adventures, I wish you every joy and success.
Love Match chatI was delighted to interview Aussie rural romance and romcom author Clare Fletcher about her latest release, Love Match, at Better Read Than Dead bookshop in Sydney’s Newtown.
We discussed genres, diversity, inclusivity, own voices, the writing life and much more over tea, scones and sparkling wine with other readers and writers. What a joy! Brava, Clare!
Some free and affordable sweet readsSweet books (opens soon. Please revisit in a few days if the link is not yet live.)
Keep in touchPlease feel free to follow me on Goodreads, Instagram and Facebook to enjoy uplifting photos and other feel-good fiction news.
Happy reading!
PS: That’s me, below, at last year’s Book Fair Australia. This year I’ll also have Summer Beach for sale. Come and say “hi” whether or not you plan to buy!
September 3, 2023
Celebrating feel-good fiction
Here I am with romance writing buddies Giselle Farina and Jo Jukes at the recent Romance Writers of Australia 2023 conference in Sydney. Note the coffee cups!
With the theme “all that glitters,” the conference gave us a wonderful chance to network as we honed and celebrated our efforts to write and share our stories of hope and hearts and uplifting endings.
Warmest thanks to all who contributed to a fun and fulfilling weekend for hundreds of writers, including me.
You might enjoy this recent Sydney Morning Herald feature on the current popularity of our genre.
Launch invitationPlease join me for a chat with Aussie author Clare Fletcher about her latest rural romance, Love Match, at Better Read Than Dead on Saturday 23 September 2023 from 3pm to 4pm.
Readers loved her 2022 debut novel, Five Bush Weddings, and Love Match is a joy — a generous read, with many surprises!
Book here for the talk, tea, scones and bubbles — a bargain at just $5.00.
A tiny forest is bornA dear friend tells me authors may never know what influence their books will wield.
Imagine how thrilled I was to discover that one reader of my House of Spades novel was inspired to reforest parts of her old dairy farm with local rainforest plants! I imagined a few small seedlings, but she recently walked me through two planting sites of nearly 3,000 new trees!
The original “Ross and Flame Regeneration Site” was funded by the Riparian and Habitat Recovery Funding Project funded through the Australian Bushfire Recovery Package for wildlife and their habitats.
Another planting (on the creek flat) involved volunteers from the “Rainforest 4 Foundation” and also “Stone and Wood” Brewery. Deepest thanks to all the volunteers and all involved!
In the past couple of years, this part of the world was devasted by fires and two floods, and the road was only recently repaired. Deepest thanks to all the volunteers who planted them!
While visiting, I absolutely relished the opportunity to hide away for nearly a week in the farmhouse that inspired House of Spades. This has allowed me to write and edit a large part of my next book. I’m beyond grateful.
For those who might not yet have read House of Spades, it’s a “runaway bride” novel, a rural romance and a seasoned romance, featuring an older hero and heroine.
House of Spades asks whether love can blaze later in life. It takes readers to the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland, where serial single Flame Rhys accidentally rekindles a widower’s passion for life, for his land and for love.
But how can Ross Archer convince Flame to stay with him, when every other lover has let her down? And will a dark secret spoil it all?
To celebrate the planting of all these new trees, I’ve discounted the House of Spades ebook by 75 per cent for this month. It should cost you no more than a dollar or two, depending on where in the world you live. I very much hope you enjoy it!
Buy House of Spades ebookBuy House of Spades paperback (Australia)Buy House of Spades paperback (US)Find free and affordable feel-good reads
Once again, you are warmly invited to take advantage of the following offers from me and like-minded authors:
Please feel free to follow me on Goodreads, Instagram and Facebook to enjoy uplifting photos and other feel-good fiction news.
Happy reading!
August 4, 2023
Summer Beach finds its place
In Sydney’s cold winter, what a joy to see print copies of Summer Beach in the Galaxy Bookshop above iconic Abbeys bookstore in Sydney’s CBD! Allison kindly agreed to be photographed in her floral headdress, literally ahead of spring, as she placed my latest novel in their display of enticing new releases.
I’ve written before of the special place bookstores hold in my heart. Thank you, Allison, Craig and the Galaxy team, and everyone who works with books. Novels add such value to carbon! They are our precious food for thought. (You can find those stocking my paperbacks at the foot of my home page.)
Thanks also to Cindy L Spear who interviewed me about Summer Beach for her thought-provoking website. She asked me about the themes the novel explores.
Themes continue to emerge. So far they include the power of employers over employees; the complex and invisible defense systems our minds adopt to protect us from harm, and the fact that these may themselves become harmful to us; and the importance of generosity and creativity.
Other themes in Summer Beach include the changeable nature and power of memory; and the interconnectedness of our lives. Read Cindy’s full interview.
Enormous thanks once again to readers who share positive comments about my books! Some, about Summer Beach, appear below.
Praise for Summer Beach“I really enjoyed this novel from cover to cover and read most of it in one sitting as I could not put it down. As with all of Amber’s novels, there is always more than meets the eye. These are not just feel-good fiction stories. They cover rich and diverse themes exploring the behaviour of people… Amber delves into the layers of a person’s heart and peels away the facades. She observes and explores in her stories, the reasons people do what they do. …
“This novel oozes love, kindness, friendship, neighbourly care, courage and emotional healing. I highly recommend this heart-warming and uplifting story, no matter the season. 5 Stars ” Read Cindy’s full review.
“I so enjoyed this easy read feel good story … Hello rock star fans, where are you hiding? because I have news for you, this is very much up your alley way… I was totally invested in this book… 5 star review/rating.” Pauline
“Amber’s done it again. She has intrigued us, beguiled us and left us longing for more. Apart from the joyful and relaxing belief that Summer Beach will have a happy ending, the superb prose is a wonderful testimonial to the delight of the descriptive word.” Annette Billingham
“Summer Beach is the first in Amber Jakeman’s new series Escape to the Coast trilogy and I can’t wait to read the next one. As always Amber does not disappoint and has written a sweet, romantic, clean inspiring love story that was great from beginning to end…
“Summer Beach is a sure winner with every possibility of finding its way to the Hallmark Channel to be presented as one of their starring Saturday Night Romance Movies. Please do not pass this one up but instead put it on the top of your reading list.” 5 stars from Trudi
“If you want a great summer read look no further. Absolutely loved this wonderful book & once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.
“This is one of those cosy feel good reads we all like to curl up with now & again. Beautifully written with a lovely interesting storyline & definitely one to lose yourself in…” 5 stars. Sandra
Buy SUMMER BEACH ebookBuy SUMMER BEACH paperback (Australia)Buy SUMMER BEACH paperback (US)You can find the Summer Beach e-book here and the Summer Beach paperback from Australia here.
Escape to the coast
I am loving returning to the bays, river mouths, lagoons and beaches of the NSW coast as I research and write the sequel to Summer Beach.
Midnight Beach will ask how long true love will wait, and will feature two great love stories, a yacht, two shops and a mystery in the fictitious backwater of Burradeer Bay …
For now, please enjoy this snap of two kangaroos (above) seen out and about on my daily walk along the Oyster Channel at Yamba, near where the mighty Clarence River meets the sea!
Thank you, ARRA!What an honour to be featured in the latest Australian Romance Writers Association newsletter!
Free and affordable sweet readsOnce again I’m delighted to share links to promotions by like-minded authors.
Find a free copy of House and Diamonds and similar books at this Book Cave link until 19 August and at this Women’s Fiction Free-For-All link.
You’ll find Summer Beach in this mix of fresh Summer Releases and in this Take me to the Beach promo, and in this clean reads promo.
These clean romances offer a touch of mystery and include my Summer Beach and Full House, while this It’s never too late for love promo offers my House of Spades, House of Clubs and other seasoned romances.
Spot Summer Beach and House of Hearts in this feel-good fiction mix, and enjoy Love’s Confection. Here’s another sweet, clean bundle and another.
Clean and wholesome romance giveaways are very popular this month with readers also invited here and with this mix.
Those who enjoy small town and rural romances might enjoy this mix.
You’re always welcome to share this free House of Diamonds link with friends and family in case they’d like to download it for free.
An invitationAs thousands of you have now read House of Diamonds, some more than once, and I work hard to keep my books affordable, I warmly invite you to read another of the tales from my House of Jewels series or share any of my books with your friends and family. (Please find my books to make a selection. All my books are “standalones” so can be read in any order.)
Happy reading!
