Justin Sheedy's Blog, page 9

DYMOCKS Bookstores GO LIVE with Online Write-Up for “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy

I’m thoroughly delighted to see that Dymocks Bookstores have posted their write-up for my latest book, Nor the Years Condemn , on their retail website. See the link...
http://www.dymocks.com.au/ProductDeta...

The book is now available on the shelves of Dymocks, George St, Sydney (with more stores to follow soon), and is also orderable from their website (above link) from anywhere in the World. Dymocks online write-up for Nor the Years Condemn as follows…

At the beginning of World War II, Britain was in the deepest trouble imaginable. 5 minutes flying time away crouched a monster. Alone against it, Britain called out to her Empire. For pilots. From all corners of that Empire, they volunteered. Only the best & brightest were chosen. Australian Daniel Quinn was one of these young men who came to fly against the monster. They had a 1-in-3 chance of survival.

“Nor the Years Condemn” is based on the true story 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.

With in-the-cockpit flying sequences that readers have described as ‘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.

My warmest thanks to Dymocks, especially to Book-Buyer, Ben Garland, at Dymocks George St, Sydney, who made the whole thing possible. — Justin Sheedy 2012.
http://crackernight.com/2012/05/19/no...

My book is also available at AMAZON in Print-on-Demand Paperback format. CLICK THE LINK...
http://www.amazon.com/Nor-Years-Conde...

To see the great reviews Nor the Years Condemn has so far received from Amazon readers, CLICK BELOW...
http://crackernight.com/2012/01/17/gr...

http://crackernight.com/2012/08/11/dy...

Successful Author Gives New (Struggling) Author a Leg-Up. Lisa Heidke Helps Justin Sheedy, Author of “Nor the Years Condemn”

Lisa Heidke, acclaimed Australian Author of 'Lucy Springer Gets Even', 'What Kate did Next', 'Claudia’s Big Break', and 'Stella Makes Good' has just done a really excellent thing to help me, a NEW Australian author.

We met at this last May’s Gloucester Writers’ Festival, and what a lovely moment that was (no wonder; Lisa is a living gem). She has just interviewed me re my latest book, 'Nor the Years Condemn', re its appeal to Women… Lisa’s literary blog post below…


WELCOME, JUSTIN SHEEDY!
(Posted on July 22, 2012 by Author Lisa Heidke on her Literary Blog.)

Sydney author, Justin Sheedy, and I met in May at the Gloucester Writers’ Festival and hit it off immediately. I particularly like his wicked sense of humour and am thrilled that Justin has taken time out to chat about his latest novel, 'Nor the Years Condemn' .

Lisa: Thanks for popping by, Justin. Tell us about the writing of 'Nor the Years Condemn'.

Justin: Writing is a world of creativity, hard work and fear. When I was writing 'Nor the Years Condemn' I feared, given its subject matter, that it might be considered a “boys’ book”…

It’s an historical fiction based on the true story of the young Australians who flew Spitfires against Nazi Germany in World War II. So it’s to my huge relief that this story of shining young men has proven a story with profound appeal for female readers. And the young men on whom my story is based really were the “shining ones”; to fly the iconic Spitfire they could be nothing less. And what do you get when you write about how the “best & brightest” of a generation ironically picked one of the fastest ways to die of the War? You get a heart-rending read.



My story’s main character is 20-year-old Sydney law student and rugby star, Daniel Quinn. Flanked by the often hilarious young men of his elite ilk, he leaves his peacetime life behind to fight tyranny in my portrait of doomed, brilliant youth. I’m passionate to tell their story as it’s Our story – a story in our great Anzac tradition though which remains untold and which is so exciting, so tragic, in a word so dramatic as to defy belief. Yet it’s true.

Lisa: When you were writing 'Nor the Years Condemn', what was your inspiration? Your hope for the story?

Justin: My hope with 'Nor the Years Condemn' is to bring to life this stunning chapter of our history by putting readers “in-the-cockpit” with white-knuckle flying sequences based on the things that young Australians actually DID. But more than that. 'Nor the Years Condemn' is equally a portrait 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. As per the title, it’s 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.

Lisa: Kathy Mexted, Australian pilot, media presenter, journalist and mother, recently reviewed 'Nor the Years Condemn'. As she began to read it, her own son had just applied for the modern-day Royal Australian Air Force. Kathy writes…

“I scrolled through the first couple of chapters and dissolved into tears when I got to the part about the recently graduated RAAF pilot arriving home for Christmas and greeting his mother. ‘…and in that instant she knew she had lost her Danny.’”

Lisa: Getting anyone to cry, especially a reviewer, is a huge endorsement.

Justin: I’m delighted that Kathy enjoyed what she calls my story’s “strong female characters”, particularly Daniel Quinn’s mother, a figure I was adamant to include as for every shining young man who flew a Spitfire there was a mother who had to let him go.

I also feature Daniel’s (first) girlfriends, both dominant characters within the story in ways that expose the underlying nature of war itself and its true “pawns”. The sexual aspects of the story also serve to highlight the extreme young age of its key characters, many of whom must go to war, tragically, without ever losing their virginity. Indeed, I intend the story’s sexual angles to highlight what its young characters SHOULD have been doing instead of going to war. (Those with a penchant for a degree of raunch should appreciate my based-on-fact portrait of “life’s-too-short” wartime England.) Though one of my personal favourite characters within the story is Virginie Piquot, a French girl in her early teens whose character serves to portray the nature of injustice, resistance against it, and the plight of the innocent victims of war.

Lisa: There really is something for everyone in your novel.

Justin: I hope so. 'Nor the Years Condemn' is a story of the magic of flight and, in addition to Kathy Mexted’s quite emotional response to it, she calls it “informative, entertaining and fast”, describing it as “moving along like a film”. Her verdict? “What a ripper!”



Lisa: And reader reviews have been positive too, again, not just from male readers but women too?

Justin: Yes, I had one from Rochelle Lancaster, Melbourne, who wrote: “Not only for the boys, everyone will take something away from this. Could definitely see this made into a miniseries or movie… very hard to put down.”

Lisa: Though 'Nor the Years Condemn' is an ‘Australian story’, it has also been well-received by international readers too… Some of the reviews…

Celia Byrnes from Iowa, USA, calls it “A gripping story of war, love, loss and survival.”

Denise Boneham from the UK writes: “I laughed and cried” and pleads for the Sequel.

Lisa: Is there a sequel in the works?

Justin: Yes, I am currently working on it!

Lisa: Great to hear. We’ll let Stephanie Speakman of Cape Cod, USA, have the last words: “A war story, a love story and, above all, an historically correct, beautifully crafted novel. The darkest days of 1943 are resurrected by the memorable characters as the plot moves from Sydney to London and the skies above. Five stars!”

Justin: All I can say is THANKS, girls. Especially to Lisa Heidke. Who is fabulous.

Lisa: Thanks Justin!

Nor the Years Condemn is now available at Dymocks, George St, Sydney, also as a print-on-demand paperback at Amazon and in all ebook formats at Smashwords. See all reviews mentioned plus many more at Amazon and at Justin’s blog, Crackernight.com...
http://crackernight.com/2012/07/22/su...
Lisa Heidke's blog...
http://blog.lisaheidke.com/?p=154

Happy Bookstore Customers Chatting with Justin Sheedy, author of "Nor the Years Condemn"

Dymocks Bookstore customer "Nick" with her copy of "Nor the Years Condemn" , Dymocks George Street Sydney, 3pm Saturday afternoon 14th of July. I was just wandering thru the store to check the new (3rd!) order of my book is on the shelves (it IS, yay!), and got talking to "Nick" about my latest book. A pleasure to meet and talk to this lovely lady.
http://crackernight.com/2012/05/19/no...

Podcast Interview with Justin Sheedy, Author of “Nor the Years Condemn”

Hear Kathy Mexted, Australian pilot, media presenter, journalist and mother, offer her heartfelt “Mother’s” response to my latest book, Nor the Years Condemn , on our recent podcast interview on the Plane Crazy Downunder Show hosted by pilot Steve Visscher. Click the following link to listen to the full interview podcast, Plane Crazy episode entitled “Moments in Time”.
http://crackernight.com/2012/07/08/po...

It was a thoroughly enjoyable conversation between the three of us, where Kathy portrays her quite emotional response to the book which she recently reviewed for Australian Pilot Magazine. Click the following link for her full review of Nor the Years Condemn .
http://crackernight.com/2012/06/18/an...
As the author of this story, an historical fiction based on the stunning true Australian story of how the best & brightest of a generation ironically picked one of the fastest ways to die of World War II – flying Spitfires against Nazi Germany, it’s particularly rewarding for me to hear the brilliant way in which someone like Kathy has engaged with the story. Kathy calls it “a gripping read which she just couldn’t put down”, going into full detail of how, as a mother, she so personally related to the book: Not only is Nor the Years Condemn a story of gripping World War II air combat, it’s also a tragic portrait of the fact that for every shining young man exceptional enough to fly a Spitfire there was a mother cursed to let him go. So it was an amazing coincidence that Kathy’s own son applied to join the modern-day Royal Australian Air Force at exact time she was reading the book.

In addition to this lovely response to the book from Kathy, as well as from many other female readers, it’s also a massive relief for me to hear, as testified to in the interview, that Kathy’s husband – a Qantas Pilot and World War II history buff – also fully engaged with the book and gave it his thorough ‘thumbs up’ from his particular ‘expert’ point of view.

So my most sincere thanks to Kathy Mexted, Steve Visscher and all at Plane Crazy Downunder for having me on their show.

Nor the Years Condemn is currently available at DYMOCKS, George St Sydney (see the link)...
http://www.dymocks.com.au/ProductDeta...
Also as a print-on-demand paperback at AMAZON, and as an ebook at SMASHWORDS.

Justin Sheedy, July 2012.

An Emotional Review of “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy in Australian Pilot Magazine – by Australian Pilot & Journalist, Kathy Mexted

BOOK REVIEW – Australian Pilot Magazine, issue June 2012.
NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
Author: Justin Sheedy
Reviewed by: Kathy Mexted

A non-flyer’s ten-year journey to unearth the story of Australia’s WWII fighter pilots has culminated in a self-published novel, which has redirected Kathy Mexted’s reading habits.



Review by Kathy Mexted

At the informed age of 21, I stood in the kitchen and announced to my mother that I was going to work in an embassy overseas for two years. She stopped peeling the potatoes and turned to face me with a forced smile. As the fifth of eight kids, I didn’t think she’d miss me that much.

Six months ago, my son waggled a RAAF application form under my nose, seeking a signature. I wouldn’t sign. I wanted to rewind, to our first house where we sat by the fire and watched “Space Camp” and he dressed in an astronaut suit and sunglasses and flipped his little chair on its back to talk to Houston while pushing imaginary buttons on an imaginary overhead console. Hadn’t we just finished paying for his swimming lessons? Hadn’t he just learnt how to ride a motorbike? L plates. A few flying lessons. Boarding school and year 12 looming. I stopped frying the onions and shrieked, “My first born? Why don’t I just give them your HEAD on a PLATTER?”

He laughed and waggled the form again, and I signed and felt like somebody was stealing from me. Suddenly I was my mother.

An hour later (the kids must have been feeding themselves by then), the electronic version of a book for my review plopped into my email. As I dialled the author, I scrolled through the first couple of chapters and dissolved into tears when I got to the part about the recently graduated RAAF pilot arriving home for Christmas and greeting his mother. “…and in that instant she knew she had lost her Danny.”

So a rather surprised Justin Sheedy answered the phone to “Hello, it’s Kathy Mexted, I just have to get a glass of water.” His timing had been perfect.

After that, “Nor the Years Condemn” sat on my shelf because I couldn’t bring myself to read it. Meanwhile my son enjoyed flying lessons, sat an RAAF entrance exam, topped his class for physics, and generally got on with life. It took me five months to pick up the book, and I read it in three days. What a ripper!

I’m not really one for war stories, but this fictional account of Daniel Quinn’s journey from university student, through his application, acceptance and training with the RAAF during WWII, right up to the end of the war in England, is informative, entertaining and fast. Not given to the normal long-winded indulgence of some novelists, Justin moves the story along more like a film, often replaying a scene to give the viewpoint from another side. A child on the ground, a priest, a medico, a commanding officer.

The nature of the story allows Justin to introduce many colourful characters, and include the background and emotions of Quinn’s family and neighbours, particularly his mother, who at one point is peeling onions at the kitchen sink and looks like she’s been punched.

As I occasionally quizzed my husband about certain aircraft, he would ask, “What’s the context?” I’d read a passage and he’d say, “Keep reading. You can’t stop now. They’re in the middle of the battle!” He was as hooked as I was.

So what makes a ‘non-flier’ want to write such a book?

Justin, like many of us prior to having our first lessons, is enamoured by the idea of the unnatural sensation of flight – something meant for birds. And secondly, as a history buff, to bring to life a memorable chapter in our history. The beginnings are very clear for Justin, who says, “It’s a story so impossibly dramatic and exhilarating, it seems like science fiction. It beggars belief, and yet it actually happened.”

Here’s how he described the beginning of the project.

“About ten years ago, I met a man in a department store in Sydney. He was wearing a striking lapel pin with very distinct gold wings. He said it was the badge of the Royal Australian Air Force Association. He’d been a Mustang pilot in Korea.

“With my own prior interest in such things, I immediately knew this man had flown ground attack missions, which in the Korean War – just as in World War II – was the most dangerous air combat job of all. It meant extreme low- level ground straffing, bombing and rocket firing on enemy positions all of whom were firing right back at you. And in Korea, the Mustang pilots had to fly at break-neck speed up river valleys while being shot at from above by North Korean and Chinese soldiers on the surrounding hillsides. The man confirmed that his job had indeed been ground attack but the most amazing thing was that he looked me square in the eye and said, ‘Justin. It was the best time of my life.’ And I thought, ‘My God. This kind and friendly sort of man had dished out death, must have passed within a hair’s breadth of his own death on countless occasions, must have seen close friends ripped from life and probably great friends too because they would have been top blokes – just like him, the type of really bright young men, the ones of exceptional character who were picked to become fighter pilots.

“And I thought, ‘I have to write about this. About this monumental irony that something so terrible can be remembered so fondly.”

“He even enthused to me, seriously, with a gleam of affection in his eye, how beautiful his Mustang had been – like a still-cherished first girlfriend. And I thought, ‘this is a story crying to be told.’”

Despite having only flown a few joy flights including in a Tiger Moth and a glider, Justin’s research included Kittyhawk, Lancaster, Liberator and Aircrew Oxford pilots and a Liberator gunner.

“I wanted to write a fiction story in a way to bring the true history alive for readers. But I wanted to write a story that would be faithful to the history on which it was based.”

Unusually for a war story, there are a few strong female characters including Quinn’s two girlfriends (one an admin officer and the other a spy), and his mother.

Justin says, “For every shining young boy who flew a Spitfire there was a mother with her heart torn out at having to let him go.”

NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN by Justin Sheedy is available as Print-on-Demand Paperback at AMAZON and as an eBook in all eBook formats at SMASHWORDS and at all major eBook websites and DYMOCKS nationwide.

See this Article at Crackernight.com
http://crackernight.com/2012/06/18/an...

AN ENTHRALLING READ – “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy – Review by Nathan Dickey, Texas.

AN ENTHRALLING READ - Nor the Years Condemn by Justin Sheedy

Review by Nathan Dickey, Waco, Texas.


"My interest was piqued when i saw it was about RAAF pilots in WWII, something we here in the US have to dig for and from my initial thoughts on the book, before it was read, I knew it would be very good. I had no clue though, that it would be even better than I expected. The story is an amazing read and I found the characters exceptional, each with their own unique personality. The way it’s written gives you a connection to the characters and the attention to detail is superb, adding to the realism and feel of the story. It is obvious the amount of time that was spent researching, little details pop out nicely, adding more depth to already intricate moments. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will read it again and again. I just couldn’t seem to put it down, time escaping me as I read late into the night, several nights.

Truly a story one can get lost in, as I surely did. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in aviation, WWII or the RAAF/RAF in the war.

Brilliant!"

My heartfelt thanks to the excellent Nathan Dickey. – Justin Sheedy, June 2012.
See this article at Crackernight.com
http://crackernight.com/2012/06/18/an...

NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN by Justin Sheedy is available as Print-on-Demand Paperback at AMAZON and as an eBook in all eBook formats at SMASHWORDS and at all major eBook websites and DYMOCKS nationwide.

5 STAR REVIEW of “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy – Review by Stephanie Speakman, USA

Another lovely Review of Nor the Years Condemn , this time by Stephanie Speakman of the USA, who purchased the book from AMAZON, where she gives the book a 5 STAR Rating…

WAR TORN SKIES

Justin Sheedy convincingly paints Sydney and London from a fighter pilot’s perspective. The story jinks like a Spitfire in Focke-Wulf’s crosshairs. An airman’s story and a love story, Nor the Years Condemn captures the essence of a time when life expectancies were short, when young men and women made the most from the moments they had as they gave their all to save the world they knew. Mateship was an unspoken assumption, and understatement a common denominator. Sheedy is totally at home in 1943; he knows the aircraft and their idiosyncrasies, the spirited thoroughbred of a Supermarine Spitfire, the unforgiving war horse of a Typhoon that could kill a pilot as easily as the enemy. He evokes blitzed London, its atmosphere of rubble, unexploded bombs, and dive-in-the-wall pubs contrasting sharply to the Sydney his protagonist, Daniel Quinn, left behind, brought to mind through family letters. An historically correct, beautifully crafted novel, Nor the Years Condemn leaves me anticipating Justin Sheedy’s next work. 5 Stars!

My most profound thanks to Stephanie Speakman.
Justin Sheedy, June 2012

Nor the Years Condemn NOW AVAILABLE AT DYMOCKS!


http://crackernight.com/2012/06/17/5-...

Latest Review of “Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy – ‘WOULD MAKE A VERY GOOD MOVIE’ – by Tim Bean

Veteran Film, TV and Theatre Writer & Performer, Tim Bean, who ordered Justin Sheedy’s latest book Nor the Years Condemn from AMAZON, has just penned the following Review of the book…

WOULD MAKE A VERY GOOD MOVIE.

“NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN, by Justin Sheedy, is an engrossing war novel set amid Britain’s fighter squadrons during WWII. In 1939, Daniel Quinn, 20, Sydney University 1ST XV Rugby star, applies to join the RAAF almost on a whim. It’s a whim which will have him flying a Spitfire over Nazi Germany with a one in three chance of survival. Told mostly from Daniel’s viewpoint, NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN details the misfortunes of war experienced by a generation of young pilots, the best of the best, most of whom will die young. Daniel faces his first flight, first kill, first love, first loss and first meeting with a young colleague old before his time. It’s a tense, well told story, gripping, from prologue to epilogue. (To those readers in the habit of skipping prologues, a word of advice: Don’t skip this one.) Justin Sheedy’s no-nonsense style of writing fits perfectly with his subject matter. The detailed research is obvious, yet there are no glaring information dumps. Instead, the exposition is so well integrated that it becomes part of the drama. In all, NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN is a very good read which, incidentally, would also make a very good movie.”


(Pictured, Author Justin Sheedy in Sydney's North Shore Times)

My huge thanks to Tim Bean. Please see Tim’s veritably iconic contribution to Australian Film, TV, Theatre and Cultural Scene at the link below.
http://www.timbeanproductions.com/
Tim’s incomparable insight recently provided me, as the author and cover-designer of the book, with a true ‘light-bulb-going-on’ moment re a potential improvement to the back cover of Nor the Years Condemn. Tim’s suggestion has resulted in an enrichment of the all-important experience for the bookstore browser of the book in being ‘drawn into’ the Key Character of the book, an experience richly promised by the front cover and which has now been made a reality, and to wide public approval.

Nor the Years Condemn is available as a Print-on-Demand Paperback at AMAZON, as an Ebook at SMASHWORDS and now at DYMOCKS BOOKSTORES.

JUSTIN SHEEDY, May 2012.
http://crackernight.com/2012/06/04/la...
NEW BACK COVER FOR NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN

“Nor the Years Condemn” by Justin Sheedy Now Available at Dymocks!

Thanks to Dymocks book-buyer, Ben Garland (praise his name!), Nor the Years Condemn by Justin Sheedy is now available on the bookstore shelves of Dymocks, George Street, Sydney. More stores to follow! Author Justin Sheedy will be appearing in-store over the next few weeks to talk to Dymocks customers about his latest historical fiction, Nor the Years Condemn, and the stunning (untold!) chapter of Australian history on which it is based. Justin would like to express his most profound thanks to all at Dymocks, especially book-buyer, Ben Garland, who, holding a copy of Nor the Years Condemn, pronounced, “I’ve got a really good feeling about this…” The book is available in the store’s Australian Fiction section.

The book was a major success at the recent Gloucester Writers’ Festival 2012, to which Justin was invited as a guest author, and where he won a prize for it. (Woo Hoo.) READ MORE BELOW...

Justin recently commented on the book: “The really rewarding thing about this book is that when I’m talking about it to people – at the recent festival, speaking & book-signing engagements over the last few weeks – I find myself talking to them not about the book itself but about the amazing true Australian history on which it’s based. People so engage with it as it’s their history, and a largely untold one. In a way, they really do ‘own’ this story. As Australians, we’re all richly aware of our Gallipoli story as it’s so central to our sense of national identity: At Gallipoli in 1915, such a very nation, we discovered who we are as a nation – a people who look after each other in the worst situation imaginable – in the midst of a heroic defeat whilst fighting for our imperial masters. “Nor the Years Condemn” tells JUST this kind of story, and one of iconic ‘Gallipoli’ magnitude yet one which, by contrast to our Gallipoli story, is unknown by many Australians. And it’s a story which is so exciting, so tragic, in a word, so dramatic as to defy belief. And all true. Plus, not a story of heroic defeat but one of stunning victory, albeit at a tragic cost.”

BOOK DESCRIPTION…

At the beginning of World War 2, Britain was in the deepest trouble imaginable. 5 minutes flying time away crouched a monster. Alone against it, Britain called out to her Empire. For pilots. From all corners of that Empire, they volunteered. Only the best & brightest were chosen. Daniel Quinn was one of these young men who came to fly against the monster. They had a 1-in-3 chance of survival.

Nor the Years Condemn is based on the true story of the youths who flew against the to-date unstoppable might of Nazi Germany. In their early-20s, they were out of necessity for the job at hand the most intelligent young souls, rendering the death of so many of them doubly heart-rending for the reader. Australian 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.

SAMPLE READER RESPONSES…

Nor the Years Condemn – Five Stars
Review by Michael High, Colorado Springs, USA.

“Nor the Years Condemn”: Where to start? The writing. Excellent. Everything flowed and, from the first chapter to the end, was fluid. Hints here and there as to what may happen in the future were freely dropped along the way. This kept me engrossed, kept me reading. The story. Again, excellent. The history behind these young men (and women), the planes they used, the circumstances surrounding this time frame, et cetera – all well done. I thoroughly enjoyed the “story” of each character and how they interacted with each other. There were some shockers in there; war is hell, no? I also liked the hint of “espionage” involved. “Nor the Years Condemn”, to me, was a fantastic read. I can but recommend this book to others and impatiently await Justin’s next work.

Should be a Movie
Review by Rochell Lancaster, Melbourne, Australia.

Not only for the boys, everyone will take something away from this. Could definitely see this made into a mini-series or movie. The author sucks you in from the start, it is very hard to put down. You can tell that the author did a lot of research when writing this book and is passionate about the story and characters. Hoping there will be a sequel.

In Appreciation of Nor The Years Condemn
Review by Martin Zitek, Sydney, Australia.

“Nor the Years Condemn” recounts the horrors of war as seen by one elite and effective unit of WWII. The author puts us there, in that time, by depicting: language, description of locations, the attitudes of the people and the spirit of the nation that would see it prevail through its darkest period of history. The reader is shown in clear, flowing narrative how war can touch us all, from the other side of the world, to the heights of the clouds. The characters feel so real, we are sure they must have existed. The flying is portrayed so brilliantly, we feel an ace fighter pilot must have possessed Justin’s head while he wrote this. The planes themselves become characters, even though mere machines, they became tools of victory and a symbol of ingenuity, technology and bloody determination. This is a testament to the research undertaken by the author and his wordsmithing we see as the end result.

From Andrew Landström, Sweden…
I really think it was good. I think a lot of social aspects go missing in a lot of novels about war like family, love and the main characters’ own feelings. Some authors seem not to be able to get the balance right. I think you did. I laughed out loud in some parts of the book as well as being moved almost to tears.

From Celia Byrnes, Iowa, USA…
Meticulously researched, our fictional character’s story is wholly believable, from descriptions of military training, learning to fly, airborne dog fights, war torn London, relationships formed and lost. A gripping story of war, love, loss and survival.

From Justin Osborne, Georgia, USA…
I give this book 10 stars.


NORTHERN DISTRICT TIMES FEATURE...
http://northern-district-times.wherei...
NORTH SHORE TIMES ANZAC DAY EDITION FEATURE...
http://crackernight.com/2012/04/25/an...
MORE HERE...
http://crackernight.com/2012/02/18/a-...
RADIO INTERVIEW...
http://crackernight.com/2012/04/19/ju...
Radio Presenter writes: “It is an amazing story of heroes, Spitfires and much much more, hear it directly from the author! You will be quite spellbound!”

With in-the-cockpit flying sequences that readers have described as cinematic, Nor the Years Condemn is also a story of the mothers cursed to relinquish their sons to war, of first love, of strategic deception and betrayal, of brotherhood and once-in-a-lifetime friendship on a knife’s edge. As per the title, it’s a story of shining young men destined never to grow old, and of those who do: the survivors ‘condemned by the years’, and to their memory of friends who remain forever young. The product of a decade’s research plus Australian WWII air-war veteran interviews, it’s based on an iconic (yet relatively unknown) Australian story in our great ANZAC tradition. It’s a book which, when Australians do read it, will make them even prouder of who they are.
http://crackernight.com/2012/05/19/no...

Justin Sheedy, Author of “Nor the Years Condemn”, Wins Prize at Gloucester Writers’ Festival 2012

Last week I attended the Gloucester Writers’ Festival 2012 as a Guest Writer and I’m relieved to say that it went really, really well for me. I met some truly excellent writers – I swear, did me heart good: really nice people, great to talk to and full of good advice and support.

Standouts for me included: Author Lisa Heidke, a lovely person & genuine life-of-the-party. Aleesah Darlison (who had to get her pen out of her purse 5 times to write down leads for me re further speaking engagements on my book, a publishing lead re ABC Books plus similar). Festival key-note speaker Susanne Gervay OAM who really took me under her kind & supportive wing from the very first. Authors Michael Pryor and Stephen Measday were also just great to be with: Highly successful, excellent to talk with and both just very nice blokes.



My talk on my book, Nor the Years Condemn, was really well received, all the copies of the book SOLD, and I won 1st Prize in a competition at the end of the festival – Pitching your Book to Publishers. No new publishing deal from that as yet but we will See.

The weekend ended for me with a nice bloke from the ABC enthusing to me that my book should be a TV series, that he’s in personal contact with authors Peter Fitzsimons and Paul Hamm, and that he’ll be in touch. From my experience, one never knows what might eventuate from interactions like that, but, again, we will See.

I had a truly brilliant time signing copies of the book for people over the course of the weekend, talking to them about the true Australian history on which Nor the Years Condemn is based: So many people had family connections with it (grandfather a Spitfire pilot, great uncle in World War 2, a schoolkid massively into Australian history, things like that.) This was one of the best experiences for me of the festival – these really warm & enthusiastic conversations with tons of people re the stunning untold Australian Story which was my inspiration to write this book. (!)

Nor the Years Condemn is available as a Print-on-Demand Paperback at AMAZON with great reviews, also as an ebook at SMASHWORDS in all ebook formats plus at all major ebook websites. Click here for REVIEWS of Nor the Years Condemn.

My massive thanks to Lindy Dupree, Director of the Gloucester Writers’ Festival, for inviting me to this excellent event, also to all at the Festival, and to the authors and festival-goers whom it was my privilege to meet. — Justin Sheedy, May 2012.

SEE PICS OF FESTIVAL HERE: http://crackernight.com/2012/05/13/ju...