Theresa Smith's Blog, page 149

New Release Book Review: The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories by Charlaine Harris

The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories…
About:

For the first time together in one volume, here is the complete short story collection starring Louisiana’s favorite telepathic waitress, Sookie Stackhouse—from #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. New fans can fill in the gaps in their Sookie lore while old friends can revisit some of their favourite moments and characters. From investigating the murder of a local fairy to learning that her cousin was a vampire, from remodeling her best friend’s house to attending a wedding with her shapeshifting boss, Sam, Sookie navigates the perils and pitfalls of the paranormal world.

Belly up to the bar at Bon Temps’s favourite watering hole and hear stories that will make you wish Sookie never left, including…

“Fairy Dust”

“One Word Answer”

“Dracula Night”

“Lucky”

“Gift Wrap”

“Two Blondes”

“If I Had a Hammer”

“Small-Town Wedding”

“Playing Possum”

“In the Blue Hereafter”

This definitive collection is the perfect binge read for people who like their stories with bite!

 

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My Thoughts:

I am a massive fan of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known more commonly as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, and as such, I was first in line to one click this newest instalment, a complication of all the Sookie Stackhouse short stories into the one volume for first time ever.

Now, it’s important to note that none of the stories published in this new release are actually newly written. They’ve all been published before in a variety of other volumes and formats. Neither the publisher nor the author have hidden this fact, yet a whole tribe of people on Goodreads are screaming about being duped and ‘ripped off’ – perhaps they should try reading the product description before buying said product. And if they don’t like the idea of an author making money off her own work — the horror!! — then perhaps they could, well, just not buy it.

Out of the ten stories included in this edition, I’ve read five of them in a previous compilation titled, ‘A Touch of Dead’, but it was many years ago and frankly, I don’t particularly care. They’re just as enjoyable the second time around, as are the other five I had never encountered before.

I’ve enjoyed revisiting Bon Temps and its inhabitants once again — it’s been too long between mysteries. While Charlaine has indicated throughout the volume where each short story is placed within the order of the series, it’s not really necessary to worry overmuch about reading them that way, unless of course you are very new to the series and still back in the earlier novels — there could be a few spoilers for you in that case.

I’m a bit of a lazy reader in the sense that I don’t like having to search for the stories I want to read, so compilations such as this will always appeal to me. If, like me, it’s been a long time between sips for you and Sookie, then I highly recommend this volume of nine short stories plus one novella. It’ll have you fanging for more.

*(See what I just did then…vampire jokes! #notsorry)*

 

The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories is published by Hachette in Australia and the UK and is available in both print and ebook.

 

Origin of the Writer: Maggie Ray

Origin of the Writer is a series of essays giving emerging writers the opportunity to share their writing journey so far.

 

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“I’ll give you a title,” my classmate said as she pushed a fresh sheet of lined paper at me. “Then you write a story using that title.”

Her brown eyes shone with excitement, proud of her own cleverness, while a heavy rain battered loudly on the classroom windows behind her. We were having recess indoors.

“Okay,” I told her with a shrug, grabbing a pen.

At eleven years old, I’d never held any interest in writing. We wrote plenty in school, of course, but I’d always struggled academically, and writing was no exception to that. I was willing to try, though.

“I fell off the Eiffel Tower,” my classmate said.

Okay, I thought. Interesting title.

I started scribbling at the page. My classmate’s enthusiasm was infectious, and my curiosity was piqued, since I’d never considered the possibility to writing for fun before. But the bell abruptly rang within minutes of us starting our game, signalling the end of recess, and I had to put my story away.

It stayed on my mind, though. For the rest of the day. All the way home. Until I could sit at our computer desk and just… start typing.

Over the course of the next few months, I ended up with a story over a hundred pages long. None of it any good, I’m sure, but it didn’t matter. I had discovered something about myself. It sounds funny to say, but I guess I fell in love with writing before I ever fell in love with reading, which I’m sure is a bit backwards. But I can even remember being kindergarten age and scrawling aimless swirls onto lined pages, imagining that I was writing stories in cursive. So, maybe writing was always my thing and I just didn’t know it?

 

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Although it wasn’t a smooth start. My first attempt at a “book” ended up getting lost in a computer crash, never to be seen again.

But I didn’t get discouraged. I rolled up my sleeves and started over.

Would you believe me if I said I got to over a hundred pages AGAIN, only to lose it all in a computer crash AGAIN?

I definitely learned my lesson the hard way, and now I back up my work religiously. (But, of course, I’ve never had a computer crash on me since. Because life is funny that way.)

Today, I have twelve completed books, not to mention multitudes of uncompleted ones, and, honestly, I don’t know what to do with them all. The stories just keep coming and I’m drowning in ideas, while my husband, who is also a writer, encourages me to self-publish, but I’ve never had the courage to really put myself out there.

Until now.

So, here I am, world. Trying to emerge, as the lovely Theresa put it. Just a young woman cursed with a writer’s voice in her head, hoping to find a small space in the infinite realm of the internet that she might fit in. I’ve taken the risk. I’ve self-published my novella, Violent Violet, a contest-winning romantic drama about a woman trying to survive her abusive marriage, while resisting the possibility of another life—another man.

 

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“Where is he taking me?” reads the opening line. “Is there a place where husbands can take their wives after she’s tried to kill him?”

It is a bit dark, I suppose. A bit mysterious, even. It might be different from the kind of stories you’re used to, but I’ve sent it off into the world, because I have dreams of figuring out this whole “self-publishing” thing—dreams of exploring the romance genre in new ways—and dreams of writing novellas specifically for the hustling millennials of the modern world, so you can carry love stories in your back pocket and find them right at your fingertips.

Because, wouldn’t that be nice?

Anyway, I will close with a big thanks to Theresa for this wonderful opportunity, and a hope that the world will be as happy to meet Violent Violet as she is to meet you. As for myself, I’ll be locked away in a dark room somewhere working on her sequel, Violet Brigitte, or any other number of stories since I can never seem to work on just one at a time.

 

For more info or buy links, please visit: www.authormaggieray.com

Or give me a follow at: www.instagram.com/maggierheann

 

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New Release Book Review: Into the World by Stephanie Parkyn

Into the World…
About:

In the midst of the French Revolution, in 1791, unwed mother Marie-Louise Girardin takes one last look at her baby son before thrusting him into the arms of her friend, the revolutionary Olympe de Gouges. She must escape, and only the most daring plan will bring her both the anonymity she needs and the independence to return one day for her son.

Marie-Louise disguises herself as a man and joins a voyage of exploration employed as a steward on the Recherche, one of two ships commissioned to journey to the Great Southern Ocean to find the missing explorer La Perouse.

Protecting her identity throughout, Marie-Louise forms friendships among the eccentric naturalists. But tensions rise between the royalist officers and the revolutionaries, and Marie-Louise’s position becomes precarious when she discovers someone on board knows the secrets of her past. When the expedition docks in Java, chaos erupts as they learn of King Louis XVI’s execution and are imprisoned by the Dutch. Marie-Louise seems certain to be unmasked. Will she ever return to France and be reunited with her child?

Inspired by a true story, Into the World is a compelling novel of the amazing life of Marie-Louise Girardin battling perilous seas, her own self-doubt, and finding unforeseen loves on a journey to reclaim her child.

 

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My Thoughts:

What an extraordinary adventure this novel offers its reader. Fiction inspired by fact, debut Australian author Stephanie Parkyn offers us a tantalising version of one woman’s history under the shadow of the French Revolution. When revolutionary Marie-Louise Victoire Girardin finds herself destitute and left with an illegitimate baby, she reluctantly leaves her newborn and sets sail disguised as a man to work as a steward on a ship commissioned for rescue and exploration in the Great Southern Ocean.

Now, all of this is historical fact: Marie – who she was and what she did, the ship, the mission, even many of the supporting characters. While the author has created a version of history that is fictitious, she does so with a level of authenticity that would be difficult to challenge. And this novel tells so much more than Girardin’s story. It’s an account of the French Revolution from the perspective of a revolutionary and a woman, oppressed and without rights entirely. It tells of early exploration of the southern ocean, such an incredible undertaking, in an era so early within the global history of exploration. I loved the replication of the miniature of life on a ship: diseased and rotting flesh, the rodents, the fetid water and vermin infested provisions; living in such close quarters for so long, enemies and friends alike. Stephanie has created an incredible story that I was hard pressed to put down each night.

The emotional investment I had in Girardin’s story was extremely high. The challenges of a woman disguised as a man being on board a ship full of men were not played down and it was this frank realism that set this story up for success. I enjoyed the relationships Girardin formed over the course of the journey and found myself frequently affected emotionally by these attachments. But it was most definitely Girardin’s observations of the journey and the places they encountered that elevated this novel to a unique height:

“They see us shoot their birds, take their water and chop down trees to mend our boats. We give nothing in exchange for that. She saw that no one, neither the officers nor the naturalists, understood. It did not occur to them to offer payment for their trespasses. To take the necessities of life from this land was as natural to them as breathing.”

Girardin’s position as an oppressed member of her own society seemed to afford her the clarity of observation that her fellow travellers were devoid of.

There wasn’t a page of this novel that I didn’t enjoy. Into the World is an excellent novel of historical fiction: based on enough fact to be plausible blended with enough fiction to ensure an engaging story right the way through. Stephanie Parkyn offers an exciting new voice to Australian literature and I am so looking forward to reading more from her in the future – very near future, I hope!

And now, to end, I will leave this review with my favourite line:

“The tide washes the beach clean every day.”

 

[image error]Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy Into the World for review.

Into the World is book 73 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

Quick Shots Book Review: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Bitter Greens…
About:

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love…

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens…

After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the centre of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

 

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My Thoughts:

History and fairy tale magic weave together in this stunning novel of betrayal and redemption by one of my favourite authors, Kate Forsyth. The scope of this novel and the interlocking lives of its characters is truly breathtaking, a testimony to Kate’s finely tuned skill as a master storyteller.

The setting is so rich in detail that I could virtually taste and smell the surrounds. The character development is intensely intricate, the motivations of each of the key players apparent and entirely justified within the context of their individual experiences. This is a novel that will sweep you up in its embrace, the kind of story you will want to get lost in for hours at a time in order to fully experience and appreciate the depth and detail. There are many moments where the lives of each of these characters intersect in ways you would have never anticipated; and many more moments that will leave you winded from the emotional heights that Kate pushes her characters to.

At the core of this story, to my mind, is the notion of release and redemption. Release from the shackles that bind a person to a life they had never intended to live and redemption from the acts they have committed while in the grips of those shackles. I adore this novel and despite reading and loving all of Kate’s historical fairy tale offerings, Bitter Greens remains my favourite, set apart at a height I doubt any other novel will ever reach.

My Reading Life: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a novel that repeatedly shows up as a favourite for so many readers and writers. In fact, in my own interview series, Behind the Pen, many interviewees have cited Little Women as a childhood favourite. Likewise, in the Australian Women Writers historical fiction Sunday Spotlight interviews, a standard question I ask is whether or not the interviewee has a favourite book from childhood and whether or not that book has influenced them in any way as a writer.

The most popular answer is — no prizes for guessing — Little Women.

 

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But I can totally relate because it’s one of my favourites from childhood and it most definitely influenced my own writing dreams.

Yet while the story is much loved, and the main character of Jo is almost always everyone’s favourite, many people seem to have an attachment to Little Women that goes deeper than simply enjoying the story. I am no exception to this.

I still own my battered copy of Little Women, gifted to me on my 10th birthday from my mother, which was significant in itself as up until this point I hadn’t realised she’d even noticed that I liked to read. It still remains a mystery to me to this day that she made such an articulate choice as she certainly hadn’t read it herself and lay claim after to not even knowing at all what the novel was about. I’d say it was a bargain bin pick that accidentally paid off.

Even so, five months later, my mother took my sister and me to Belgium – the country of her birth — where we were to live with our great aunt for four months while my mother toured Europe like the back-packing 20-something she so clearly wished she still was. I took Little Women with me. My great aunt’s living room seemed as good of a place as any to get lost in what fast became – and still remains – one of my favourite novels.

Consequently, Little Women has an experience attached to it for me that makes it all the more meaningful. A beyond the story component that was accidental, but makes the novel all the more treasured because if it. Reading under the watchful – and entirely creepy – gazes of the many taxidermied birds and rodents scattered around my aunt’s living room. Sunny afternoons riding with my sister on a borrowed bicycle to a flowered field where I would read chapters to her while she made chains with the many floral weeds that grew wild wherever there was grass. Stormy days up in the attic dressing up in my ancestor’s discarded finery, both of us pretending to be March sisters. The two of us were as much of a unit as the sisters in Little Women.

 

 

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August 1987 Belgium – Two little Australian girls connecting with their Belgian roots

 

I have culled many books over the decades but I still have that same copy of Little Women. It flew part way across the globe with me, bounced along cobbled Belgian streets in a bicycle basket, crossed the English Channel, bumped along French country roads, and visited a Dutch fun park. It has moved many times with me and been read to several other little women. It is the one single thing I still have left over from my childhood and represents adventure and good times in what was quite often a whirlwind of turmoil and angst.

Stephen King has been quoted as saying:

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

How very true that is.

 

“I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday.”

― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

New Release Book Review: Stone Circle by Kate Murdoch

Stone Circle…
About:

Is the ability to read minds a blessing or a curse?

When Antonius’s father dies, he must work to support his family. He finds employment as a servant in the Palazzo Ducal, home of Conte Valperga. Sixteenth-century Pesaro is a society governed by status, and Antonius has limited opportunities.When a competition is announced, Antonius seizes his chance. The winner will be apprenticed to the town seer. Antonius shares first place with his employer’s son.The two men compete for their mentor’s approval. As their knowledge of magic and alchemy grows, so does the rivalry and animosity between them. When the love of a beautiful woman is at stake, Antonius must find a way to follow his heart and navigate his future.

Stone Circle explores themes of class, rivalry and spiritual growth.

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An excerpt:

Antonius watched the blue and amber flames as they crackled upwards, repeating the same patterns into infinity. He felt his body move to the rhythms, and realised they all moved in tandem around the fire. The music, the flames, and the night were as much a part of them as the blood coursing through their veins. The pace quickened and they followed, twisting and turning with fluidity.

Antonius’s mind was clear and untroubled. At the same time, he watched Giulia’s russet hair swing across her back and the long line of her slender white arm as she moved with perfect grace. He felt the eyes of many upon him, but he was not afraid. It was a sense of being held in the embrace of the observation, as if he were returning to the home of a friend that was as familiar as it was strange. Glancing at Giulia, he saw she scattered herbs into the flames. His nose twitched as their combined scent wafted towards him—sage, elderflower, cloves, and others. Three crystals were then released into the fire—purple, white, and gold. Several loud cracks erupted into the air and multi-coloured sparks flew, with a hiss and a whine. In a low voice Savinus chanted. It was a mellifluous language he had heard during the rituals at the blue cave. He spread his arms in an outward motion, as if clearing away smoke.

 

My Thoughts:

Stone Circle, an historical fantasy novel set in Renaissance Italy, is the debut offering by Australian painter turned writer, Kate Murdoch. Mystical elements converge with historical superstitions and romantic notions in this atmospheric coming of age story about two young men vying for the attentions of one woman while also competing for the top position as apprentice to a highly revered seer.

While historical fiction is my favourite genre of all, I generally avoid fantasy like the historical plagues I read so much about. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed fantasy novels in the past, it’s just that I find them more often than not overly complicated to follow. Combining history and fantasy is to my mind, a big call, yet Kate has pulled it off very well. The story is authentic to its historical setting as well as being deeply atmospheric in terms of mystical content. I particularly enjoyed the sections that detailed the study of alchemy and prophecy.

I did find the story to be rather fast paced, and while this in no way impeded my ability to follow the events, I do think it impacted on both character and plot depth. It seemed at times as though Kate was holding back and I longed for her to have just dug in a little deeper. But I’m used to historicals that are longer and more explorative so my expectations may simply be in line with that. I also found at times there was a bit of head hopping within scenes. These are minor issues though when you consider the fantastical scope and historical detail of this novel, particularly within the framework of it being a debut offering.

I’m quite looking forward to seeing what Kate will produce for us next as I think she shows a lot of promise within the historical fantasy genre. She has a deft hand when it comes to setting scenes, particularly those that involve nature and mystical conjurings. Overall, Stone Circle was a very enjoyable read and I wish Kate all the best for success with its release and eagerly await her next novel.

 

 

[image error]Thanks is extended to the author and Fireship Press for providing me with a copy of Stone Circle for review.

Stone Circle is book 72 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

 

The Author:

[image error]Kate Murdoch has exhibited widely as a painter both in Australia and internationally and was a finalist in a number of prize shows before turning her hand to writing. In between writing historical fiction, she enjoys writing short stories and flash fiction. Her short-form fiction is regularly published in Australia, UK, US, and Canada. She has also completed another novel, The Orange Grove, about the passions and intrigues of court mistresses in 18th century France.

Behind the Pen with Juliet Madison

Today I am delighted to welcome Juliet Madison to Behind the Pen, sharing a few of her favourites.

Over to you Juliet! What is your favourite…and why…

 

Character from one of your books?

With 15 fiction books published and so many characters to choose from that is a really tough question! There are many characters I have soft spots for, but I’ll go with April Vedora from April’s Glow, because she has been through a lot of trauma including a limb amputation, having an alcoholic father, and a relationship breakup with her fiancé after his paralysis from their car accident. Yet, she is determined to put her life back together and create her own happiness. She also speaks before she thinks, which is amusing sometimes, and isn’t afraid to be honest and be herself.

 

 

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Scene from one of your books?

Another tough question, can I mention two? One is funny and one is serious. The funny one is when my character Kelli in Fast Forward has been catapulted to the future and tries to squeeze into (and then out of) a special ‘slimming body suit’ but ends up getting it stuck over her head and face with her arms stuck up in the air… it was such fun to write and many readers have commented that it’s their favourite scene too! Another scene that comes to mind as memorable is from “Sound”, book 2 in my YA series The Delta Girls, when the character Serena is playing violin for the boy she likes, while sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean which she and her family dedicated to their father who went missing nine years ago. I was so immersed in writing the scene I could just about hear the melody and feel her sadness at missing her dad.

 

Movie of all time?

Dirty Dancing because it has a bit of everything in it and a compelling conflict-rich romance, and I love dancing. I also love The Sound Of Music!

 

Book that you always keep a copy of and recommend to others?

Dying to be Me, by Anita Moorjani. It’s non-fiction, a memoir about a near-death experience, but so much more. A great true story that can benefit everyone, reminding us to just be ourselves and live our lives fearlessly.

 

Fashion accessory that despite having plenty of, you still keep collecting?

Scarves. And I don’t even live in Melbourne.

 

Drink that you enjoy everyday?

A naked hot chocolate with almond milk from The Healthy Chef, it’s a mixture of cacao, carob, cinnamon, vanilla, and maca. The naked part refers to the name of the product, just to clarify

New Release Book Review: The Long and Winding Way to the Top by Andrew P Street

The Long and Winding Way to the Top
50 (or so) songs that made Australia…

 

About:

Australia likes to celebrate its musical heritage, but there are so many stories that haven’t been told.

‘Andrew tells us things about the songs that we might not know and things about the songs that no one should ever know. He does it with intelligence and humour, not to mention an acid wit.’ – Jimmy Barnes

Which band is Australia’s premier act for drunk men to hug to? Which dance floor smash owes its existence to an elderly Canadian stand-up team? How does housing affordability threaten Australian rock? Which surprising artist is technically Australia’s arguably-more-successful Beatles? Which of our alternative national anthems were written by Americans? What ultra-Australian song cut ‘Vegemite’ from its lyrics for being too on the nose? And most importantly, what’s with all the bagpipes?

Andrew P Street-writer, critic and obsessive Australian music weirdo-tries to answer these and many, many, many other questions you never thought to waste time asking in this history of Australia in 50 songs (or so). Deeply cheeky, unashamedly nostalgic and endlessly enthusiastic, this is a dive into our national playlist from the birth of rock’n’roll to the reign of Australian hip hop and just about everything in between.

‘Andrew P Street is a ridiculously infectious writer. His tone can be sharp and impertinent and he can be quirky but in the end he is authentic, original and writes his astute observations with beautiful clarity.’ – Lindy Morrison, the Go-Betweens

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My Thoughts:

Let’s just get this out of the way right from the get go: The Long and Winding Way to the Top is not just a book, it’s an experience. And if you’re anything like me, this experience will embrace all members of your family and possibly your immediate neighbours as you listen to the soundtrack on repeat at high volume while informing anyone who happens to be within shouting distance a plethora of random music facts about bands said listener has never even heard of. And then there’s the trip down memory lane, revisiting all of those special moments experienced throughout the ages, giving said listeners mentioned above a glimpse into a bygone era filled with adventures they could never hope to replicate with their lame music of today. Teenagers; they have no idea on what they’ve missed by not being alive during the 80s and 90s.

 

Yes, it’s safe to assume that I liked this book. A lot. And I really mean it about listening to the soundtrack. A link to the Spotify playlist is included in the front of the book and it enhances the reading experience immensely. And if you think you’re one of those people who will be content with just reading the book thank you very much, I got to chapter 6 and caved. The Real Thing beckoned and that was it. My ear drums have been well and truly worked out over the course of this weekend and I’m incidentally more than ready for a round of pub rock quiz.

 

Trips down memory lane aside, this book is a fabulous study in Australian history through the music that has defined our years since the late 1950s. I studied pop culture as part of my Journalism degree (many years ago now) and I would have loved a resource such as this to have been part of the reading list. In fact, how awesome would it be to have a unit of Australian history in high schools that related key political and social changes to the music of the eras. And if you think it’s not possible to get a sense of a country’s history and identity through music, then you really need to read a copy of The Long and Winding Way to the Top because Andrew P Street has demonstrated the plausibility of this with vigour. There are some pretty momentous stories behind many of our favourite songs and ripple effects that will make your heart swell (and then retract and shrivel, depending on what chapter you’re in).

 

Less about which songs were picked and more about the bands who sung them and the effect they had on Australia at the time of release, this book offers a lot of thought provoking material. It’s also very funny, particularly the footnotes sprinkled liberally throughout. Andrew P Street is an excellent writer: sharply witty, often hilarious, and deeply intelligent. Without mentioning any names, I intend on buying a copy of this for a certain D-A-D for Christmas, which is oddly one of the highest compliments I can pay to an author. Books for D-A-D are highly vetted lest he think I’m giving him ‘bloody rot to read’ (which happened once, a very long time ago, so long ago now that he’d be hard pressed to remember the offending title). As a keen muso from way back and a dedicated Eagle Rocker (before the pants dropping addition to the dance — THANK GOODNESS!) I’m fairly certain D-A-D will love this book as much as I did.

 

Despite being a muso head myself (like father like daughter), I did have a couple of ‘what song by who’ moments within this book, not to mention the odd ‘oh no, I can’t believe he included that song’. However, Andrew easily justifies each selection with a wealth of reason as to the meaning of the song within the context of it being a game changer. Doesn’t mean I necessarily liked the song thereafter, but I could certainly see his point. Anyway, all inclusions of crap songs can be excused given that a whole chapter was devoted to worshipping Powderfinger and the special mention made of a certain curly haired ukulele-strumming Melburnian towards the end. Andrew knows good music. FACT. Also, anyone questioning the validity of The Horses by Daryl Braithwaite as a timeless classic should consider this: Two weeks ago, I attended a year 12 formal (which I do every year as a high school staff member) and the song to close the evening was The Horses and they all knew the words! The Horses is here to stay and that’s the way it’s gonna be little darlin’.

 

The Long and Winding Way to the Top is a great book. I can’t be more explicit than that. If you enjoy music then you’ll enjoy this book. So too will your D-A-D and your M-U-M. Maybe not your kids, but hey, if you run the playlist through enough times you never know, they might start singing The Horses and then request it for their year 12 formal in a few years time.

 

Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Long and Winding Way to the Top for review.

 

The Author:

Andrew P Street is the author of The Short and Excruciatingly Embarrassing Reign of Captain Abbott and The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat. But before he ventured into political commentary he was a music journalist. He’s been published internationally in NME, Rolling Stone, Time Out, GQ, the Guardian, and Virgin’s Voyeur in-flight magazine. Locally he’s appeared in pretty much every masthead with a freelance budget, from the Sydney Morning Herald to Elle, the Big Issue and Australian Guitar. He also played in an Adelaide band (or two), The Undecided and Career Girls.

Origin of the Writer: Karen Alexander

Origin of the Writer is a series of essays giving emerging writers the opportunity to share their writing journey so far. 

 

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The year 2017 has been the beginning of a new chapter for me, filled with all of the rich textures that life has to offer. I devour books – my preferred reading genre being historical novels, followed closely by mystery, murder, mayhem and intrigue – and have dreamt for years of being able to write, recently enrolling into two writing courses: one on writing short stories and one on writing crime fiction. I am almost finished my very first manuscript, after which I will then feel as though I can class myself as an emerging writer. Toooot toooot …coming through!

 

This is how my story goes. In 2006, I was diagnosed with terminal incurable cancer. Needless to say, I haven’t been to a doctor in over nine years. I am currently fully focused on writing about my emotional journey through surviving cancer and I now feel well placed to offer my knowledge to others if they have the will to overcome. By telling my story, I want to inspire others when they are told there is absolutely no hope. I am about to discover and learn about the time consuming process of endless editing and re-writes before my current manuscript is completed. I then plan to focus on writing novels, and trust that my personal journey in life has given me the insight to guide me on how to write compelling and emotional stories, although not half as traumatic as living the real deal, I hope!

 

My background, and what I now call my extraordinary life, has been a patchwork of adventures and misfortunes. I was born in Queensland and lived eight years in Papua New Guinea as a child. When my family returned to Australia, I completed my schooling and then as a young adult, I spent nearly three years as a governess in the Queensland outback near Julia Creek, Charters Towers and Longreach. After working in mining towns for thirteen years, I accepted a voluntary retrenchment and returned to study, knuckling down to achieve an MBA, specialising in Project Management, which led to running my own consulting business for three years up until being diagnosed with cancer.

 

My journey through surviving cancer has taught me:

– How to heal

– How to find peace

– How to become the person I was always meant to be

I have started a blogging site and you can follow my story at Courage and Conviction.

 

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Karen’s Writing Space

 

***This essay was edited and reformatted from the original submission which was written up as a letter. Some parts were ommitted in order to suit the theme and intent of Origin of the Writer***

New Release Book Review: Six Ways to Sunday by Karly Lane

Six Ways to Sunday…

About:

When city naturopath Rilee Summers meets gorgeous farmer Dan Kincaid, sparks fly. A whirlwind romance follows, and the next thing Rilee knows she’s married and living on her husband’s family property in a small rural community.

Never one to shy from a challenge, Rilee is determined to win over her in-laws and the townsfolk of nearby Pallaburra, but her city ways and outspoken views only seem to alienate her further.

Opening her own naturopathy practice has always been her dream. Although Pallaburra isn’t Sydney, and despite the fact she’s not exactly inundated with new clients, she’s not ready to give up. Things get even worse for Rilee when she champions the issue of teen pregnancies in the deeply conservative town.

Worn down by the ill-will towards her and what she sees as Dan’s lack of support, Rilee flees the station to think about the future. Can her marriage survive – or is she destined to leave Dan and move back to the city?

Six Ways to Sunday is a rip-roaring tale about a woman determined to stand up for her convictions even at the risk of jeopardising the future she envisaged with the man she loves.

 

 

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My Thoughts:

While city girl to farm wife is by no means a new premise for a novel, Karly Lane’s clear passion for rural Australia, along with her intelligent interweaving of serious rural issues into the storyline, elevates Six Ways to Sunday into a class of its own. I loved this novel. No use beating around the bush – I loved it, couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. Really, I could have kept on reading for the same amount of pages again. Karly’s warm wit combined with her authentic rural ‘voice’ is just so engaging. She knows how to tell a story and she knows how to tell it well.

 

There is a lot going on in Six Ways to Sunday and I could relate to all of it, living in a remote community myself and also working in the education sector with teens. The issues raised within this novel have a definite ripple effect that will have rural readers nodding their heads in agreement and understanding. Karly backs up her stance on the issues raised with evidence and intelligence as well as a clearly laid out path towards possible solutions. In amongst all of this, there are other more personal things going on for each of the characters and I love how Karly manages to merge the community issues with the personal ones. Rilee is a wonderful protagonist and I truly enjoyed her journey through being a new bride to a considered wife, as well as her transformation from city girl to country community member. The supporting cast were a lively and entertaining bunch, authentic and uniquely rural without being cliché.

 

Six Ways to Sunday is a novel you can’t go wrong giving as a gift this Christmas or simply selecting for yourself. It’s entertaining, romantic, contemplative, and will also tug on your heartstrings more than once. Five solid brightly shining stars from me!

 

[image error]Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of Six Ways to Sunday for review.

Six Ways to Sunday is book 71 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

 

[image error]The Author:

Karly Lane lives on the beautiful Mid-North Coast of NSW in Australia. A certified small town girl, she is most happy in a little town where everyone knows who your grandparents were. She writes women’s fiction – everything from romantic suspense to family sagas and life in rural Australia.