Justin Sheedy's Blog, page 7

"Nor the Years Condemn" by Justin Sheedy Accepted by the Iconic GLEEBOOKS, Sydney!

My latest book “Nor the Years Condemn” was This Day accepted by the iconic Australian bookstore, GLEEBOOKS – Glebe Point Rd, Glebe, Sydney. Available In-Store now. And it’s HARD to get accepted by this store. As Every Author Wants To. And That’s the truth. It helped that I’m a local to this iconic store, also that I’ve had locals helping me with upcoming media coverage of the book. I suspect, and it’s just a Suspicion, mind, that I MAY be doing something Right… At least locally. REVIEWS OF “NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN” at the LINK.
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Author Justin Sheedy Invited to Speak at Sydney Jewish School

I had a brilliant Australia Day signing copies of my book "Nor the Years Condemn" at Dymocks Bondi Junction. (The store asked me back for NEXT Saturday!) Highlights of the day included signing a copy for a lovely lady who turned out to be the Principal of Masada College, the famous Sydney Jewish school, who asked me if I'd like to give a talk on the book at the school. (!) I said "YES, PLEASE" and told her about the following excerpt from the story, the very moment at which the Holocaust is revealed to the Australian fighter pilots who flew & fought to end it. See the LINK... http://crackernight.com/2010/09/15/gh...

ALL Copies of my book SOLD OUT at today’s In-Store Book-Signing Event!

ALL copies of my book "Nor the Years Condemn" SOLD OUT today at my Dymocks North Sydney event. ON to my Australia Day in-store book-signing event at Dymocks Bondi Junction this Saturday. See the LINK: http://crackernight.com/2013/01/14/au... (Massive thanks to Dymocks North Sydney manager Sandra Wigzell and her most excellent staff - 3rd time they've had me.)

A Letter to All Publishers who rejected my book

I just sent the following to all Major Australian Publishers who rejected my book. "Just a quick note to let you know that my latest book (which with fair consideration you opted not to publish in 2012) BROKE DYMOCKS IN-STORE SALES RECORDS IN 2012 and still doesn’t have a major publishing contract. With the book’s now proven commercial success, you may at this time consider giving it one. (You know you want to…) Please see the below breaking press release for my upcoming Australia Day in-store event for the book – the public can’t get enough of this great Australian story, plus Rave Reviews, Latest News, John Laws Show, Writers’ Festival, Media Coverage, it’s all there with Sparklers. Thanks for reading – Justin Sheedy, Author ‘Goodbye Crackernight’ and ‘Nor the Years Condemn’"

http://crackernight.com/2013/01/14/au...

Australia Day In-Store Author Event! Justin Sheedy at Dymocks Bondi Junction, Saturday 26 January, 2013

This Australia Day rising Sydney author Justin Sheedy will be signing copies of his latest book, “Nor the Years Condemn”, at Dymocks Bondi Junction. The timing for the event is perfect as “Nor the Years Condemn” is a ripping historical novel based on the true and till now untold story of the young Australians who, in World War II, crossed the planet to fly Spitfires against Nazi Germany. In their late teens and early-20s, out of simple necessity for the job at hand they were the best & brightest of a generation – the loss of so many such exceptional youths rendering “Nor the Years Condemn” the truly heart-rending read that it is.
http://crackernight.com/2013/01/14/au...

Since publication, “Nor the Years Condemn” has been received by readers as a classic portrait of the Australian national character as it so often shines in time of war. Sheedy’s inspiration to write it was to tell an Australian story of Gallipoli magnitude yet of which, by contrast to their Gallipoli story, most Australians are unaware: A story in the great ANZAC tradition of young people from a young nation looking after each other in the midst of the worst situation imaginable yet, by contrast to the Gallipoli story, not one of heroic defeat but of stunning victory, albeit at tragic cost. “Nor the Years Condemn” brings to life the saga of the ‘first-time Aussie backpackers’ who stood up, volunteered and flew as Australians against the evil incarnate of Nazi Germany and did so much, and so brilliantly, to defeat it – and defeat it they did.

With in-the-cockpit flying sequences that readers have described as ‘brilliant’ and ‘cinematic’, “Nor the Years Condemn” is also a story of the mothers cursed to relinquish their wonderful sons to war, of first love, of strategic deception and betrayal, of brotherhood and once-in-a-lifetime friendship on a knife’s edge. It is a story of shining young men destined never to become old, and of those who do: the survivors ‘condemned by the years’, and to their memory of friends who remain forever young. In 2012 Sheedy broke Dymocks in-store event sales records – no doubt due to his passion to tell a Great Australian Story. For that’s what “Nor the Years Condemn” is: A story that, when Australians read it, will make them even prouder of who they are.

Date: Saturday 26 January, 2013
Time: From 10am all day or while stocks last
Venue: Dymocks Bondi Junction, Shop 5051 Westfield Bondi Junction, 500 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction
Cost: Free!
Bookings/Enquiries: (02) 9387 7622 or bondi@dymocks.com.au

1939.
Daniel Quinn was 20.
Rugby star. Law student. Loving son and brother.
He would leave his normal life behind to stop a monster.
He would fly a Spitfire.
On his wing, the best and brightest of a generation.
They had a 1 in 3 chance of survival.

NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
is their story.

LATEST NEWS ON NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN – IN-STORE SALES RECORDS SMASHED
http://crackernight.com/2012/12/26/sa...
REVIEWS OF NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
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NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN NOW AVAILABLE AT DYMOCKS GEORGE ST SYDNEY, DYMOCKS MACQUARIE CENTRE, CHATSWOOD, NORTH SYDNEY, BROADWAY, BONDI JUNCTION, ROUSE HILL & CAMBERWELL (VIC) stores.
http://www.dymocks.com.au/ProductDeta...
ALSO AT BERKELOUW BOOKS PADDINGTON, THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, AS A PRINT-ON-DEMAND PAPERBACK AT AMAZON AND AS AN EBOOK IN ALL EBOOK FORMATS AT SMASHWORDS AND THROUGH ALL MAJOR EBOOK WEBSITES.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

SALES RECORDS SMASHED! In-store book-signing by author Justin Sheedy, Dymocks Broadway, Saturday 22 December 2012

Sydney author Justin Sheedy was delighted to close a highly successful 2012 with yet another sell-out book-signing in a series of such sell-out events throughout the year for his latest book ‘Nor the Years Condemn’.

On Sat 22nd December Sheedy began his day at Dymocks Broadway in central Sydney at 10am, signing copies of his book for store customers, sharing with them his passion for the great Australian story on which ‘Nor the Years Condemn’ is based. Sales of the book were so lively that all copies of the book sold out by mid-day, requiring Sheedy to race away and return with all available boxes of the book. Which then sold out. Sheedy was informed by store staff at the end of the day that he had in fact smashed all existing records for in-store event sales, a delightful end-note to a very happy day and writing year.

Sheedy had only just spent the day previous, Fri 21st December, at a similar in-store event at Dymocks North Sydney, a day beginning at 8am with a local film producer on the spot to speak with the author about a possible docu-drama based on ‘Nor the Years Condemn’. During the day Sheedy was delighted to meet and chat with Caroline Lowry, manager of Dymocks Books brand-new publishing arm, D-Publishing, who was on hand to witness Sheedy’s in-store event style in action. At the end of the day Sheedy expressed his sincere thanks to Dymocks North Sydney owner Sandra Wigzell and her exceptional staff for inviting him to this return visit to the store following on from a Fathers’ Day lead-up book-signing in August.

It has indeed been a successful year for Sheedy. ‘Nor the Years Condemn’, his second book, was published in January and promptly saw him invited to the Gloucester Writers’ Festival 2012 (resulting in a lovely interview of Sheedy by prolific Australian author Lisa Heidke). In May, ‘Nor the Years Condemn’ was stocked by Dymocks George Street Sydney who, thanks to the inspired insight of Dymocks book-buyer Ben Garland, have since re-ordered the title no less than 7 times. In the months to follow Sheedy was invited to a series of promotional civic & school talks and in-store events beginning with Dymocks North Sydney and Chatswood.

The pace of success then went up a notch for the author with his interview on the iconic John Laws Show which led to the first of Sheedy’s sell-out book-signings at Dymocks George Street Sydney – a special Remembrance Day weekend event including bagpiper and ‘The Last Post’ on trumpet – FULL STORY & PICS by Emmy Etié HERE.
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This day was closely followed by another sell-out event at Dymocks Macquarie Centre, the author’s day there concluding with a centre customer stopping to inform him that he had signed her copy of the book recently at Dymocks George Street and that she had ‘absolutely loved it from start to finish’.

During the year Sheedy has received the warmest reader responses and press reviews for ‘Nor the Years Condemn’, opening with a feature in the Byron Bay area Northern Star newspaper, then in Sydney’s Inner West Courier, Central Magazine, Parramatta Sun PS Magazine, Anzac Day issues of Sydney’s Northern District Times and North Shore Times, podcasts and radio interviews on Triple-H FM and NSB FM, also RRR FM and 2CCR FM, a heart-felt review by media presenter/pilot & mother Kathy Mexted in Australian Pilot Magazine, the year closing with the Northern District Times’ second glowing review of the book. During the year Sheedy was additionally delighted to be commissioned by the prestigious New South Wales Writers’ Centre to pen an article on his experience as an emerging Australian writer for the NSWWC Members’ online magazine. Most fittingly did the Centre entitle Sheedy’s resulting effort ‘The Power of Perseverance’, an article which was hugely well received by his fellow authors. Click the link to read...
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Readers of ‘Nor the Years Condemn’ are, as you read this, begging Sheedy for the sequel, which he is half-way through writing: ‘Ghosts of the Empire’ will be published in 2013 – but only after the author can absorb the overwhelming amount of historical and technical advice and support he is currently being showered with by kind souls from all over the globe. Sheedy would like to express his profound gratitude to ALL who have encouraged and supported him in 2012. See below for an introduction to ‘Nor the Years Condemn’ – now available at Dymocks George Street, Dymocks Macquarie Centre and North Sydney, Chatswood, Broadway, Bondi Junction, Rouse Hill and Camberwell stores, also Berkelouw Books Paddington, The Australian War Memorial, as a print-on-demand paperback at Amazon, as an ebook at Smashwords and all major ebook sites. The book is also available at Epping Library, Hornsby Library and The Stanton Library North Sydney to whose staff Sheedy is eternally grateful for their ongoing support. (Sheedy’s first book was ‘Goodbye Crackernight’, also available at Amazon, Dymocks, and through all good bookstores.)
http://crackernight.com/2012/12/26/sa...

TWO Sell-Out Book-Signings In a Row! Author Justin Sheedy Looks Forward to His NEXT

Well, folks, after 2 sell-out book-signings in a row (thank me lucky stars) I’m looking forward to my next in-store event for my latest book "Nor the Years Condemn" at Dymocks North Sydney Fri 21 Dec. I cannot adequately thank ALL who have supported me in my last 2 events – click the links below for full story & pics - particularly the STELLAR Collette McGrath for her PR efforts, also Emmy Etié for her lovely photos.)

SELL-OUT at Dymocks Sydney
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SELL-OUT at Dymocks Macquarie
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The “North Shore Goes to War” theme is explained in the Nor Shore Times article featured below - an ANZAC Day feature re my local area ancestry so integral to my research for “Nor the Years Condemn” - this poster currently on display in the North Sydney Stanton Library who have just put the book on their shelves.

I so look forward to meeting & chatting with all Dymocks North Sydney customers on Friday December 21st and to sharing with them my passion for the stunning true Australian Story on which my book is based.

“Nor the Years Condemn” - a portrait of the young Australians who flew Spitfires against the all-conquering might of Nazi Germany. In their late teens and early-20s, for the job at hand they had to be the ‘shining ones’, rendering the death of so many of them doubly heart-rending for the reader. Daniel Quinn, flanked by the often hilarious young men of his elite ilk, leaves his peacetime life behind to fight tyranny in this portrait of doomed, brilliant youth.


NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN NOW AVAILABLE AT DYMOCKS BOOKSTORES – GEORGE ST SYDNEY, DYMOCKS NORTH SYDNEY, BROADWAY, CHATSWOOD, MACQUARIE CENTRE, BONDI JUNCTION, ROUSE HILL & CAMBERWELL (VIC) Stores!
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LOVELY Newspaper Article on Latest Novel “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy

AUTHOR’S SECOND A HISTORICAL WRAP - Northern District Times Wednesday 5 December 2012
Article by Robbie Patterson / Picture by Robert Kennard

THE brave tales of Australian fighter pilots in the throes of war, love and youth have been immortalised in Justin Sheedy’s latest novel, Nor the Years Condemn. The book follows on from the success of his first book, Goodbye, Crackernight, which detailed his 1970s childhood in North Epping. His historical fiction book depicts the heroism of young Australians who trained as fighter pilots for the British Empire in World War II. Struggling to find a publisher to pick up the story earlier this year, Sheedy pursued publication through a print-on-demand system. “Publishing companies move slowly but surely, and I decided to publish it myself while I wait for them,” Sheedy said. However, the story has already generated interest through online buyers and Dymocks retail book stores. The Dymocks George St outlet has already placed orders for the book six times. The author attributes the book’s popularity to its focus on a largely untold chapter in Australia’s wartime history. “I’ve tried to put readers right in the cockpit with them, but Nor the Years Condemn is also very much a mother’s story as for every shining young man who flew a Spitfire there was the poor mother cursed to let him go,” Sheedy said. Readers have described the cockpit sequences as ‘brilliant’ and ‘cinematic’. “It isn’t just reading about the history but the young Australians who made it,” he said. Sheedy will be hosting a book signing at Dymocks Macquarie Centre on Saturday at 10am.

I’m truly looking forward to this Saturday at Dymocks Macquarie – particularly as I grew up in the very area. Link to Full Crackernight.com Blog post on event HERE...
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My most profound thanks to Collette McGrath for acting as my PR Agent-extraordinaire in securing the above article in The Northern District Times, Sydney on this, my latest book. Collette truly does deserve a medal for all her help in promoting Nor the Years Condemn over the last many months, securing a plethora of radio & print interviews in the lead-up to various of my in-store book-signing events. Huge thanks also to The Epping Library (particularly to Library Manager, Sue) for their support of this Dymocks Macquarie Centre event on Sat 8 December – just as they went out of their way to support my first book, Goodbye Crackernight , both my books now stocked at the Library – also to Northern District Times Editor Colin Kerr for his enduring & brilliant support of my writing – way back to Crackernight . Colin is a Gem of a Man, and recognised as such. - Justin Sheedy, December 2012.
See Full Crackernight.com Post HERE...
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“Nor the Years Condemn” Author Justin Sheedy at Dymocks Macquarie Centre Sat 8 December!

Fresh from his Remembrance Day weekend SELL-OUT book-signing event at Dymocks George Street Sydney – FULL STORY & PHOTO-SHOOT AT THE LINK, author Justin Sheedy will now be signing copies of his latest book Nor the Years Condemn at Dymocks Macquarie Centre on Saturday 8 December from 10am.
http://crackernight.com/2012/11/17/dy...

Particularly as he grew up in the local area, Sheedy very much looks forward to sharing with Dymocks Macquarie customers his passion for the great Australian true story on which Nor the Years Condemn is based: the stunning saga of the young Australians who crossed the planet to fly Spitfires against Nazi Germany in World War II. Sheedy is honoured that the book has just been accepted by The Australian War Memorial.

Sales of the book certainly seem to have been swelled by Sheedy’s recent interview on the John Laws Show, with so many book-lovers engaged by the prospect of reading an Australian story of ‘Gallipoli’ magnitude yet, until now, unknown by most Australians… At Gallipoli in 1915 Australia discovered its ‘national identity’ – a breed of young people looking after each other in the midst of the worst situation imaginable, a heroic defeat. Nor the Years Condemn tells a story in this very same ANZAC nation-defining tradition yet, by contrast to the Gallipoli story, not one of heroic defeat but of stunning victory, albeit at tragic cost, of how the best & brightest of an Australian generation ironically chose one of the fastest ways to die of World War II – and won it.

The product of 10 years’ research and WWII aircrew veteran interviews by Sheedy, his inspiration to write Nor the Years Condemn was to bring alive an untold chapter of Australian war history through the descriptive powers of historical fiction. A truly ‘ripping yarn’ of (very) young men flying Spitfires into air combat, Nor the Years Condemn is also ‘a mothers’ story’, as for every shining young man who flew a Spitfire, there was also a mother cursed to relinquish her wonderful young son to war, just one factor that renders Sheedy’s story such a heart-rending read.

To Sheedy’s avowed relief, this, his second book, has received since publication in early 2012 the kind of reviews he long dreamed of yet never expected. To read them, CLICK THE LINK.
http://crackernight.com/2012/01/17/gr...

Sheedy is very much looking forward to signing copies of Nor the Years Condemn for customers of Dymocks Macquarie Centre on Saturday 8 December and NOW at Dymocks North Sydney on Friday 21 December. See DYMOCKS EVENTS online for further details.
http://www.dymocks.com.au/LiteraryEve...

Nor the Years Condemn is currently available at Dymocks George Street Sydney, Dymocks Macquarie Centre, Dymocks North Sydney, also Chatswood, Rouse Hill and Camberwell (VIC) stores, through Dymocks Online, also as a print-on-demand paperback at AMAZON, as an e-book at SMASHWORDS and at all major e-book websites, and at The Australian War Memorial. For reading excerpts of the book, CLICK THE LINK.
http://crackernight.com/2010/02/10/ju...
http://crackernight.com/2012/11/25/no...

“Nor the Years Condemn” Author Justin Sheedy Dymocks Books December In-Store Events!

Fresh from his Remembrance Day weekend SELL-OUT book-signing event at Dymocks George Street Sydney – FULL STORY & PHOTO-SHOOT AT THE LINK BELOW, author Justin Sheedy will now be signing copies of his latest book Nor the Years Condemn at Dymocks Macquarie Centre on Saturday 8 December and at Dymocks North Sydney (a triumphant return visit!) on Friday 21 December – the final full shopping day before Christmas.
http://crackernight.com/2012/11/17/dy...

On Remembrance Day weekend, the timing was perfect for Sheedy’s in-store event at Dymocks George Street as the symbol of Remembrance Day, the Red Poppy, is also the symbol of Sheedy’s book (pictured), which has just been accepted by The Australian War Memorial. Sheedy now looks forward to sharing with Dymocks Macquarie & North Sydney customers his passion for the great Australian true story on which Nor the Years Condemn is based: the stunning saga of the young Australians who crossed the planet to fly Spitfires against Nazi Germany in World War II.

Sales of the book certainly seem to have been swelled by Sheedy’s recent interview on the John Laws Show, with so many book-lovers engaged by the prospect of reading an Australian story of ‘Gallipoli’ magnitude yet, until now, unknown by most Australians… At Gallipoli in 1915 Australia discovered its ‘national identity’ – a breed of young people looking after each other in the midst of the worst situation imaginable, a heroic defeat. Nor the Years Condemn tells a story in this very same ANZAC nation-defining tradition yet, by contrast to the Gallipoli story, not one of heroic defeat but of stunning victory, albeit at tragic cost, of how the best & brightest of an Australian generation ironically chose one of the fastest ways to die of World War II – and won it.

A truly ‘ripping yarn’ of (very) young men flying Spitfires into air combat, Nor the Years Condemn is also ‘a mothers’ story’, as for every shining young man who flew a Spitfire, there was also a mother cursed to relinquish her wonderful young son to war, just one factor that renders Sheedy’s story such a heart-rending read.

To Sheedy’s avowed relief, this, his second book, has received since publication in early 2012 the kind of reviews he long dreamed of yet never expected. To read them, CLICK THE LINK.
http://crackernight.com/2012/01/17/gr...

Sheedy is very much looking forward to signing copies of Nor the Years Condemn for customers of Dymocks Macquarie Centre on Saturday 8 December as well as at Dymocks North Sydney on Friday 21 December. See DYMOCKS EVENTS for further details or CLICK THE LINK:
http://crackernight.com/2012/11/18/no...

Nor the Years Condemn is currently available at Dymocks George Street Sydney, Dymocks Macquarie Centre, Dymocks North Sydney, also Chatswood, Rouse Hill and Camberwell (VIC) stores, through Dymocks Online, also as a print-on-demand paperback at AMAZON, as an e-book at SMASHWORDS and at all major e-book websites, and at The Australian War Memorial. For reading excerpts of the book, CLICK THE LINK.
http://crackernight.com/2010/02/10/ju...