Lauren Dawes's Blog, page 13

Australian Author Month: Dale Lorna Jacobsen

Dale Lorna Jacobsen


 
Like many creative people, I am not 'just a writer'.

When I'm not in front of my computer (or notebook) I can be found in front of my spinning wheel, embroidering, knitting, doing tapestry, sewing, reading, gardening, bush walking, birdwatching, taking photos, playing my hammered dulcimer or English concertina, doing Sudoku and crosswords, even watching telly.








Four Fast Fun Facts about Dale..
1. Always wanted to be a journo - now I am a feature writer for "Hinterland Times" magazine

2. I love expeditions - especially to Antarctica (new iBook coming soon)

3. I live in the bush and have a neat little hut just for writing

4. Life is good!


Where to find Dale...
Website | Facebook | Amazon | Blog


  "Yenohan's Legacy"





Fran, a thirty-something chisel-wielding woman  encounters a group of men restoring a High Country hut in Namadgi National Park. She inveigles her way into the work party, a weekend that changes her life as she pieces together the story of Yenohan, a young aboriginal girl, and the Thompson family who built the hut.












Where to find " Yenohan's Legacy"

You can  get a  copy direct from Dale's website

Australian Author Month: Melissa Gijsbers

Melissa Gijsbers


My name is Melissa Gijsbers and I’ve wanted to be an author ever since I was in High School. I won some awards in year 11 & 12 and English was one of my best subjects, however, back then, Creative Writing wasn’t an acceptable career path. (Wow, I sound old saying that!) Instead, I went to uni to study journalism.

As it often does, life got in the way, and I had to go to work full time, then took time out to have my two gorgeous boys. My creative writing journey was put on hold, but I was still writing.

Around 2006, I started my first blog. The earliest blog post I still have is from 2008. Since then, I have blogged on a number of topics, from business to writing to parenting to whatever else I felt like. I have also written articles for a variety of websites.

In 2011, I started writing fiction once more, starting with a series of flash fiction as well as dusting off some of the children’s book manuscripts I’d written in high school. I joined the 12×12 in 2012 and the Chapter Book Challenge that same year, rediscovering my love for writing fiction, especially for children.

Now I write a variety of different genre including picture books, novels for children, flash fiction, blogs, and non-fiction.

In 2014, I had 3 flash fiction pieces published in Teapot Tales: a collection of unique fairy tales, 3 stories in Jingle Bells: tales of holiday spirit from around the World, and two stories in Tales by the Tree: a collection of holiday flash fiction. This is just the beginning.



Five Fast Fun Facts about Melissa..
1. I was a missionary kid, like Sam in Swallow Me, NOW!, living in Nepal for 3 years

2. I don't like the taste of coffee, but I do like the smell

3. We have a pet blue tongue lizard called Jazz

4. I have wanted to be an author ever since I was a kid, my dream came true last year

5. I read Gone with the Wind when I was in year 7!

Where to find Melissa...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog


  "Swallow me, NOW!"


All Sam wants to do is to fit in at her new school.
Feeling alone, and desperately trying to find her place in the world, she concocts an AMAZING story -
BUT it backfires on her, and she becomes known as the ‘Evil Genius’s Daughter!’ 
Can her life get any worse?





Where to find "Swallow me, NOW!"

You can also get a signed copy direct from Melissa's website
Giveaway (Within Australia Only)

Australian Author Month: Rochelle McDonnell

Rochelle McDonnell

Two Fast Fun Facts about Rochelle...

1. I love music

2. I think sitting in a crowded place studying the people around me is fun. If they're interesting enough, they will end up in one of my books.

Where to find Rochelle...
Website | Facebook

  "Muffled Sounds"


  Death danced in victory snatching with glee the final breath. Caught in the grip of its power, he was delighted by its swiftness. His movements calculated, choosing his victims with care, a mercy killer, culling weakness and embracing his calling.

 The one who knows, who has seen and experienced the touch of his hand, holds the memory, a memory deeply buried in confusion and fear.

 As Doctor Adrienne Jewels works with Kyle to untangle the memory and piece together the real and the imagined, her work is challenged, her life threatened and her own sanity questioned. Reaching for the familiar touch of Mozart, in need of his embrace and the gentle caress of the familiar, she holds him closely. Soaring with the flute and riding the cadence of the strings, untangling her own fears and uncertainties, she is free to awaken the memory that has triggered Kyle’s disassociation and unmask the mercy killer.

Where to find "Muffled Sounds"


Giveaway (International)

Australian Author Month: Graham Whittaker

 



Graham Whittaker







Three Fast Fun Facts about Graham...
I am maleI write a lot under female namesI like writing romance novels


Where to find Graham...
Website | Facebook | Amazon| Booklocker | Trove


  "The Girl from Kosovo"


 

When Nikita Tarasov is buried alive and critically wounded during the war in Kosovo, a voice, named Andy, tells her amazing stories about a little boy and a lighthouse, keeping her calm. Shortly after being rescued by a psychopathic Serbian Nationalist, Max Lomax, Nikita becomes the darling of the world's press. Now, trapped in a world of drugs, human trafficking and prostitution, Nikita promises to escape her "Guardian" and find the mysterious Andy.







Where to find "The Girl from Kosovo"


Also find it at Booklocker



Giveaway (International)

Australian Author Month: Max Davine

Max Davine

Born in a suburb of Frankston, Victoria, in 1989, Max Davine grew up in Melbourne's inner eastern suburbs, with the first ten years lived in a house which also accommodated his parents, sister, uncle and grandparents on his mother's side. Simply put; he was never short of hearing good stories. 

Having studied acting for three years with Peter Kalos at the Melbourne Actor's Lab, Davine returned to his lifelong pursuit of writing with a new, sensitive touch and keen ear for language demonstrated in his two previous works; "Terra Domina" in 2012, and "Angel Valence" in 2013, both published by ASJ Publishing.


Four Fast Fun Facts about Max..
Free dives and photographs underwater life.Studied acting for three years.Grew up in a stud farming community, which was slowly developed into a suburb.Lives in Geelong.

Where to find Max...
Website | Goodreads |Amazon


  "Dino Hunt"


Jimmy Reeves is a down on his luck wildlife wrangler, his career once saw him traveling the globe, working on relocation programs and starring in documentary films. Now, he and his business partner Paul Franciscus are lucky if they can get a gig wrangling bulls in Arizona. Until one day, when they receive a massive advance payment from a mysterious company based in Florida. In return, they are to do what once brought them glory the world over; trap and relocated endangered animals.

Little do they know they're not going to the Everglades to trap alligators, they're going through time and space to rescue great, big dinosaurs! But others have come to pillage the Cretaceous world for it's natural resources, and to enslave and exploit the prehistoric inhabitants. They are ruthless, they are well equipped, and they will stop at nothing. It's up to unwitting Reeves to make a stand not just for the dinosaurs, but to save his own life, teaming up with an alluring paleontologist and a helicopter pilot nicknamed “Crash” to save the land of the forgotten from human annihilation.

Where to find "Dino Hunt"

Australian Author Month: Brian Kavanagh

Brian Kavanagh

Brian Kavanagh is the author of the Belinda Lawrence Mystery Series.

He lives in Melbourne, Australia.



Four Fast Fun Facts about Brian..
1. Australian filmmaker 2. Born and live in Melbourne, and loving it!
3. Fan of Agatha Christie mysteries and the mischievous Mapp & Lucia series by E.F.Benson.
4. Have a collection of first editions by author, Fergus Hume author of Mystery of a Hansom Cab.


Where to find Brian...
Website | Goodreads | Twitter


  "Capable of Murder"


An old lady's decaying body is found lying at the bottom of the stairs.
The police believe it was simply an accidental fall that killed great-aunt Jane.
But was it?
When the young Australian Belinda Lawrence inherits her great-aunt's ancient cottage and garden on the outskirts of Bath she is convinced it was murder.
Her unexpected legacy comes shrouded in mystery.
A secret room.
Unknown intruders.
A hidden ancient document.
And then a second terrible killing.
Suddenly Belinda Lawrence is plunged into a terrifying mystery.
Half of the village seem Capable of Murder.
And if she can’t find out who the killer is, she may be next.

Where to find "Capable of Murder"


Also find it at Vivid Publishing & on Readings



"The Embroidered Corpse"


In a quiet English village two bodies are discovered.

Both murdered.

But it is the manner of the death that most startles amateur detective Belinda Lawrence.

They were both slain in a way that perfectly replicates the death a medieval English king.

But why?

There appears to be no motive for so elaborate a crime.

But after she stumbles across a mysterious ancient tapestry, Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitby are drawn into a terrifying conspiracy involving a bizarre religious cult, an enigmatic academic, a group of secretive monks -- and a mystery that dates back nearly a thousand years old.

And it soon becomes apparent that 'The Embroidered Corpse' will not be the last dead body - Belinda's own life is at stake. 



Where to find "The Embroidered Corpse"



Also find it at Vivid Publishing & on Readings
 


Capable of Murder Giveaway (Australia Only) The Embroidered Corpse Giveaway (Australia Only)

Australian Author Month: Lilly Barrett

Lilly Barrett

I'm a debut Aussie author from outback Western Australia.

I always planned to write a book when I retired but I had some time on my hands so I thought I'd make a start and see what happened and 140,000 words later Eternally Mia's was born and then I had the bug and couldn't stop, so I continued their story in Forever Noah's which is due for publication in June 2015.

I have a wonderful husband, two grown independent daughters and 2 very spoilt fur babies plus a menagerie of assorted birds, chickens, fish and cats.

Nobody had any idea that I was writing a novel and had published it before I told my family, who were astounded that I'd done it without their knowledge.

My husband's now waiting for me to make my first million dollars so that he can buy that villa in Tuscany that he's always wanted.


Five Fast Fun Facts about Lilly..
I have 2 gorgeous little dogs who my daughter say I spoil more than them. I used to be an RN in an OR. I've been to Europe and loved it. I don't like flying. I love my pool in summer

Where to find Lilly...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon


  "Eternally Mia's"

 
Mia  loved her fiance until she found him screwing his young clerk over his desk.
It was at that point that she decided that being alone with a brood of cats was a much better option than a man.
Her new boss Noah Byrne has other ideas. He wants her from the moment he sees her in his office and what Noah wants, Noah gets.
Mia eventually gives in to her blonde god who resembles Thor, but is fate about to step in and destroy their happiness when Mia is abducted by a madman hellbent on revenge for his son's death?
Forgiveness is in short supply after the worst day of Mia's life and they need to be able to move forward together to build a future, but that's easier said than done.
Can there be a happily ever after?
Sometimes love isn't enough.

Where to find "Eternally Mia's"



Giveaway (International)

Australian Author Month: Jennifer Scoullar

Jennifer Scoullar


Jennifer has always harboured a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Her house, which was left to her by her father, is on a hilltop overlooking valleys of messmate and mountain ash. She lives there with her family. A pair of old eagles live there too. Black-tailed wallabies graze by the creek. Eastern spinebills hover among the callistemon. Horses have always been her passion. She grew up on the books of Elyne Mitchell, and all her life she's ridden and bred horses, in particular Australian stock horses.

Five Fast Fun Facts about Jennifer..
I once hitch-hiked around Australia.I have five horses, four dogs and five cats.Although I'm right-handed, I can write fluent mirror writing with my left hand.I have published five rural fiction books with environmental themes.My new novel is coming out with Penguin sometime next year.


Where to find Jennifer...
Website | Facebook | Twitter

  "Turtle Reef"

Unlucky-in-love Zoologist Zoe King has given up on men. Moving from Sydney to take up an exciting new role in marine science in the small sugar town of Kiawa is a welcome fresh start. Zoe  is immediately charmed by the region's beauty – by its rivers and rainforests, and by its vast cane fields, sweeping from the foothills down to the rocky coral coast.  And also by its people – its farmers and fishermen, unhurried and down to earth, proud of their traditions.

Her work at the Sea-Life Centre provides all the passion she needs and Zoe finds a friend in Bridget, the centre's director. So the last thing she expects is to fall for her boss's fiancé, cane king Quinn Cooper. When animals on the reef begin to sicken and die, Zoe's personal and professional worlds collide. She faces a terrible choice. Will protecting the reef mean betraying the man she loves?

Where to find "Turtle Reef"
Penguin Books Australia

Giveaway (Australia Only)

Australian Author Month: Naomi Eccles-Smith

  Naomi Eccles-Smith

Naomi confesses that the best word to describe her is: whimsical. Forget about "the girl next door" and think more along the lines of "the girl from the next galaxy over" and you'd be closer to the correct personality categorization. She is an unequivocal day-dreamer, anime enthusiast, partisan of fantastical things, and unshakable devotee to story-telling.

In addition to writing, Naomi sings, draws, reads, plays console games, does the occasional concept art commission, and works with rescued animals. Her love for absorbing fabulous, unforgettable stories is only out-shined by her love for creating her own.

Currently, she lives with her equally peculiar sister, two wild but wonderful nephews, cheeky little niece, her adorable, fun-loving cats, Kyo and Yuki, and a blessedly tolerant housemate on the Gold Coast, Australia.



Five Fast Fun Facts about Naomi...
1- I'm a dedicated gamer girl
2- I have a loud laugh
3- I'm regularly making up my own jargon
4- I love happy endings
5- A cat's purr is one of my favourite sounds

Plus 5 more because she's just that fun...

1- I dream almost every night (mostly weird dreams)
2- I love movie soundtracks
3- Characterisation is my favourite part of writing
4- The Scottish accent is my favourite accent
5- My driving peeve is people NOT using their indicator lights 
Where to find Naomi...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube

 
Kin Seeker

The dragons have mysteriously vanished from the lands of Valadae-except one. With no memory of his past, or what happened to his kin, Laeka'Draeon begins the daunting quest for answers, well aware the stakes are more than personal. If the dragons fail to return and restore the waning magic of the legendary towers of Klonnoth Aire, the consequences could bring about the return of an ancient and devastating enemy. The peace between the eleven allied kingdoms hangs in the balance, and only Laeka'Draeon can set things right.  






Where to find " Kin Seeker"



Also available from Smashwords & from her website

Giveaway
(International)

Australian Author Month: Keith McArdle

  Keith McArdle

Keith was born in Sydney, Australia, in the winter of 1978. Joining the Army as an infantryman at seventeen, he soon learned what the real world was like. It was a very different place. He has had short stories published in the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force newspapers, the Australian Army magazine, 'Incoming!', as well as The Townsville Bulletin.



Five Fast Fun Facts about Keith...
1. I'm passionate about Viking history.
2. I'm clumsy.
3. I enjoy writing.
4. I enjoy reading.
5. I love Australia.
Where to find Keith...
Website | Facebook | Twitter

 
The Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell 
(Unforseen #1)

Australia has been invaded.

While the outnumbered Australian Defence Force fights on the ground, in the air and at sea, this quickly becomes a war involving ordinary people.

Ben, an IT consultant has never fought a day in his life. Will he survive?

Grant, a security guard at Sydney's International Airport, finds himself captured and living in the filth and squalor of one of the concentration camps dotted around Australia. Knowing death awaits him if he stays, he plans a daring escape.

This is a dark day in Australia's history. This is terror, loneliness, starvation and adrenaline all mixed together in a sour cocktail. This is the day Australia fell.

 
Where to find " The Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell"


Giveaway
(Australia Only)