Theresa Smith's Blog, page 161
July 23, 2017
New Release Book Review: Girl in Between by Anna Daniels
Book Description:
Lucy Crighton has just moved in with some gregarious housemates called Brian and Denise . . . who are her parents. She’s also the proud mother of Glenda, her beloved 10-year-old . . . kelpie. And she has absolutely no interest in the dashing son of her parents’ new next-door neighbour . . . well, maybe just a little.
When you’re the girl in between relationships, careers and cities, you sometimes have to face some uncomfortable truths . . . like your Mum’s obsession with Cher, your father’s unsolicited advice, and the fact there’s probably more cash on the floor of your parents’ car than in your own bank account.
Thank goodness Lucy’s crazy but wonderful best friend, Rosie, is around to cushion reality, with wild nights at the local Whipcrack hotel, escapades in Japanese mud baths, and double dating under the Christmas lights in London.
But will Lucy work out what she really wants to do in life and who she wants to share it with?
Girl in Between is a warm, upbeat and often hilarious story about life at the crossroads. Featuring an endearing and irrepressible cast of characters, it will have you chuckling from start to finish.
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My Thoughts:
Girl in Between was so refreshingly delightful and quintessentially Australian. It’s also not often I get to read a novel set in a town I’ve lived in – actually, this may in fact be the first! Often hilarious, but never overdone, I’d have to say that what I loved most about this novel was the legitimate use of Australian language and the representation of our regional lifestyle. So often now it seems the ‘Australian-ness’ is no longer present within new novels. Perhaps they are written with an international market in mind, or maybe its edited out before publication; whatever the reason, Girl in Between took me back to the way Australian novels used to always be and it made me feel like I was back in Rockhampton, a place I lived in for twenty years but reluctantly moved away from 5 years ago.
While it’s true I felt an immediate connection to this novel based on it’s setting, the story held itself up well against my high expectations. Anna has an effortless style that should be highly commended. It’s a real skill to write funny without falling into tiresome or canned at some point, but Anna’s humour was geniune and consistent throughout. She crafted some excellent characters and wrote some cracking dialogue to go with them. Rosie was brilliant and reminded me uncannily of one of my best friends, who will also tell you without batting an eyelid that she is ‘shit-hot’. The whole cast was excellent and well balanced too, but I particularly loved Denise with her Cher-isms, her new-age hobbies, her home hints catalogue buying, and her wonderful encouragement of Lucy, who really didn’t have a clue and needed all the encouragement she could get!
Lucy was frustrating and flaky, inconsistent and tiring, but I still found myself cheering her on and secretly hoping she would get her act together. I did get very cross with her while she was in London – I can’t really say why without spoiling the story, but the future that I was beginning to envisage for her just wasn’t going to be, so I had to pick myself up and get over that! It was easy to see through all of Lucy’s inconsistency though and understand that the root of all her troubles lay in her crippling self-doubt. It was like a cloud hovering over her, never letting the sun shine through. For this, I could forgive her plenty, and keep on championing her, because it’s sad to know that a successful young woman could be brought so low so quickly and so often. We can be our own worst enemies in life and I liked how Anna handled this, not only when Lucy was at her lowest point, but also when she was at her highest.
Despite all of the humour throughout Girl in Between, there were moments of poignancy that showcased Anna’s skill as a writer and gave us a hint of what’s to come in future works from her:
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I loved these moments within the novel, just as much as I loved all of the humour and incidental everday moments that were sprinkled throughout. I really hope Girl in Between is the first of many more novels from Anna Daniels. She is certainly a debut author to watch out for and I am more than happy to call Girl in Between my ‘feel good hit of the year’. I can’t wait to talk about it at bookclub!
Girl in Between is book 46 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
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July 21, 2017
Book Review: The Light on the Water by Olga Lorenzo
Book Description:
Recently divorced and trying to make sense of her new life, Anne takes her daughter Aida on an overnight bushwalk in the moody wilderness of Wilsons Promontory. In a split second, Aida disappears and a frantic Anne scrambles for help. Some of the emergency trackers who search for Aida already doubt Anne’s story.
Nearly two years later and still tormented by remorse and grief, Anne is charged with her daughter’s murder. Witnesses have come forward, offering evidence which points to her guilt. She is stalked by the media and shunned by friends, former colleagues and neighbours.
On bail and awaiting trial, Anne works to reconstruct her last hours with Aida. She remembers the sun high in the sky, the bush noisy with insects, and her own anxiety, as oppressive as the heat haze.
A superbly written and conceived literary work about the best and the worst aspects of family life, this story asks difficult questions about society, the media, and our rush to judgement. This is a thoughtful, provocative and unflinching novel in the tradition of Helen Garner, Joan London and Charlotte Wood.
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My Thoughts:
The Light on the Water was such a good read, from start to finish. I found myself dwelling on the subject matter quite incessantly throughout and for a good while after too. Olga’s style of writing is very engaging and quite honest in its portrayal of the inner workings of each character.
Despite this story being told entirely from Anna’s perspective, Olga skillfully allows the reader to see exactly who each of the other characters are, not only with regard to their relationship with Anna, but who they are as a separate person.
Olga’s portrayal of society within the framework of the accusation levelled against Anna is so entirely accurate. One only needs to reference real cases in Australia from the last 50 years to see evidence of this. Anna’s ongoing feelings of guilt over ‘losing her child’ and ‘being a bad mother’ were (and are) perpetuated by the expectations of a society that is unwilling to accept that sometimes children get lost. They get hurt. They even die. And sometimes, it’s nobody’s fault. But there is a demand that it be somebody’s, and who better to blame than that child’s mother.
There are moments encountered within this novel that pulled me up; I simply stopped reading and just sat there, contemplating the words, the ideas, and how I feel myself about what happened to this family. It’s an incredible novel and a great pick as a bookclub read, as there is no shortage of things to discuss with this one.
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July 20, 2017
New Release Book Review: The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman
Book Description:
If you could change the past, would you?
Thirty years ago, something terrible happened to Luna’s mother. Something she’s only prepared to reveal after her death.
Now Luna and her sister have a chance to go back to their mother’s birthplace and settle her affairs. But in Brooklyn they find more questions than answers, until something impossible – magical – happens to Luna, and she meets her mother as a young woman back in the summer of 1977.
At first Luna’s thinks she’s going crazy, but if she can truly travel back in time, she can change things. But in doing anything – everything – to save her mother’s life, will she have to sacrifice her own?
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My Thoughts:
You know that saying:
Sometimes the universes line up?
I never gave much thought to what that meant until reading this novel. The Summer of Impossible Things is so aptly titled, because everything the story is based on is…well, entirely impossible. Or is it?
I won’t pretend to have any grasp whatsoever on the concept of quantum physics. Even presented at its most basic level, my brain refuses to open itself up to the possibilities and theories. Nevertheless, this didn’t impede my enjoyment of The Summer of Impossible Things, and I think Rowan did a great job of presenting all of the sections containing anything physics related in an accessible manner. One aspect of the novel that worked really well for me was how Luna scientifically analysed all of the ‘impossible things’ that were happening to her. Despite knowing that time travel and universe hopping was impossible, she still tried at every opportunity to apply scientific reason. For me, this provided a good grounding within the story, giving it the anchor it needed to keep it from floating away into the realm of ridiculous. I’ve come to think of this novel as a time travel fairytale. If you check your reality meter at the beginning of the novel, you’ll enjoy The Summer of Impossible Things for what it is: a well thought out and entertaining story with plenty of tugging on your heartstrings moments.
Despite being a physicist herself, it takes Luna almost the entire novel to fully appreciate the ripple effect that comes from changing the past. She doesn’t seem to realise for quite some time that by changing the past, she not only alters the future of her immediate circle of interest, but that of others as well, even strangers she is unlikely to ever meet. This ‘universe retaining control’ aspect appealed to me greatly. We may like to think we are in control of our own destinies, able to spin the universe in the direction of our own whims, but Rowan turns this idea onto its head and presents an entirely different notion: that the universe made us. The universe is in control, not us. The universe has the last word. Every time. No exceptions. Despite being a science dunder-head, I liked this concept and enjoyed watching the story unfold within this context.
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The era Luna repeatedly steps back into is 1977, the year I was born. I got a kick out of this and thoroughly enjoyed Rowan’s re-creation of a late 70s Brooklyn neighbourhood. They say the devil is in the details and Rowan left nothing to chance. One of my favourite scenes was when Luna stood on the Saturday Night Fever dance floor, her excitement uncontained; I imagined myself feeling the same way!
Any review of The Summer of Impossible Things can’t be wrapped up without a mention of Michael and the ‘impossible love story’. I thought this entire romance was beautifully done. Michael was nothing short of divine. There was a beautiful serendipity about the way this panned out, reinforcing the previously mentioned ‘we are at the mercy of the universe’ angle. It just goes to show that faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust, can still go a long way.
The Summer of Impossible Things is a gorgeous cosy read that will keep you up reading late into the night. It’s well paced and the pages just fly by. Well done Rowan Coleman on another fantastic novel!
July 19, 2017
Book Review: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon
Book Description:
If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.
Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.
It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.
And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.
And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all…a love story.
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My Thoughts:
This is an incredible novel, so much more than what it seems from the outset, and definitely not another good girl fixes the bad boy read – far from it!
There is so much depth and emotion to this story, so many heartbreaking moments (and I really mean heartbreaking in the way that forces you to put the book down and ugly cry – that sort of heartbreaking), yet it remains hopeful throughout. It’s a real talent to pull that kind of balance off. Written by less skilled hands, this could have really come off as a depressing read.
With shades of The Horse Whisperer coming through, this is a great novel for those who love to read about the intuition of animals and their relationship to healing. Personally, I really loved this aspect of the story. I was also very taken with the mystical elements, although to prevent being a spoiler, I’ll say no more on this, other than it being very well handled and highly believable.
The criminal mystery throughout held every other aspect of the story together well, with a great conclusive twist that did not disappoint. Of course, given my tendency to never be able to see the wood from the trees in crime/thriller/mystery stories, this twist was a ‘wow’ moment for me. Another ‘wow’ moment was when I read the line that opens the novel (the one above at the beginning of the book description) within its proper context of the overall story. You think you know, but you really don’t! Enough said.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this novel. But have tissues ready. Consider yourself warned!
July 18, 2017
Behind the Pen: Lisa Ireland
Welcome to another Behind the Pen. Today my guest is the delightfully humble yet brilliantly talented Lisa Ireland. Lisa writes both heart-warming rural fiction and thought-provoking women’s fiction. Wait until you get further down into the interview…Lisa has shared some photos of her home office and it’s utterly divine!
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What is your favourite character from one of your novels and why?
This is such a hard question to answer. It’s like asking a mother to name her favourite child! If I had to choose I think it would be one of the four women from THE SHAPE OF US. I’m often asked if the women are based on anyone and I usually say that they’re not, but when I really think about it, I guess the case could be made that they all represent different parts of me. Mezz represents all my insecurities, Jewels is me on a good day (a very good day!), Ellie is who I’d like to be one day, and Kat’s story encompasses some of my greatest fears. So I suppose all of the women are pretty close to my heart. Jewels was the most fun to write, so if I can only have one I guess it has to be her!
How far has your writing career evolved from when you first began to write to what it is today? Is this in line with your initial expectations?
I think it’s fair to say it’s evolved a fair bit from the early days. I have always written – I produced my first publication for sale when I was six years old. My nanna paid me ten cents for it! I wanted to be a writer all through school but my teachers and parents didn’t think it was a realistic career choice. I went on to study law, journalism and finally teaching. I was a primary school teacher for many years – a job that I loved and I have to say is definitely a more stable career than writing.
I first started to write with the serious intent of getting published in 2004. At the time I was home on parental leave and I was also helping to care for my terminally ill father. I needed a creative outlet so I started an online writing course. It didn’t take me long to decide that publication was my ultimate goal. It took me ten years to be published in novel length, although I did have some shorter works published along the way. Initially I was squeezing writing in around my ‘day job’, so it was really more like a hobby or a passion than a career. Back then all I dreamed of was seeing my book on a shelf, but once I achieved that I found I wasn’t satisfied and I reset my goals.
I write full time now, which has always been my dream. I love my job but it is way harder than I ever imagined it would be. I spend a lot more time on administration and marketing than I would like. Approximately half my week is taken up with this type of work. The pressure to keep coming up with ideas and to meet deadlines also weighs heavily on me. I’m never confident in my writing and I always fear that I’ll never come up with another good idea! Job security is really non-existent in this industry so it’s not for the faint hearted. I guess what I’m trying to say is that even though this is the job I dreamed of, it is still a job. It’s hard work and some days are better than others! Some days I feel very lucky and other days I wonder what on earth I was thinking when I decided to leave my day job behind.
Your first published novels were all rural fiction, yet your latest release falls into a different genre, women’s fiction. Was this a deliberate shift or will you one day return to rural fiction?
My first three published books were rural romances and I’m now writing contemporary women’s fiction. I love both these genres as a reader so I guess it makes sense to write what I love to read. In the past I haven’t deliberately set out to write in a particular genre – I just wrote the story that was in my heart at the time and thought about the genre later on.
When I sold THE SHAPE OF US to Pan Macmillan it was part of a two book deal and the expectation was that my next book would be a similar length women’s fiction novel, so my 2018 book is another novel about friendship. My work in progress is also women’s fiction – a book about blended families and set against the backdrop of the New York Marathon. I also have a half written rural book that I would love to get around to finishing one day. So, I’m definitely not done with rurals forever, but for the time being women’s fiction is my focus.
What inspired your most recent novel?
THE SHAPE OF US was originally inspired by a relationship I formed online with a woman in the USA. We were both members of an online message board for women who’d suffered a pregnancy loss. Becky and I didn’t really have anything in common on paper but we just clicked somehow and we went on to have a wonderful friendship that continues to this day.
I wanted to explore the intimacy that can develop between strangers online. I chose a weight loss forum as the meeting place for the characters as it’s a setting that I’m familiar with and I thought that many women would be able to relate to the theme of body dissatisfaction. The perpetual cycle of weight loss and gain that many of us seem to be caught up in fascinates me and I wanted to delve into the societal pressures that push us to be constantly at war with our own bodies. Prior to writing the book I was always on some sort of weight loss program, but doing the research for the novel changed the way I think about my body. My greatest hope is that reading the novel might have the same impact on some readers.
What did you do when you finished this novel?
I really don’t remember. I remember once posting on Facebook that I was eating a mango in celebration of finishing a novel. It might have been THE SHAPE OF US, or it might have been HONEY HILL HOUSE, I honestly don’t know! Finishing a novel these days usually involves a glass of champagne at some point. I always plan to take time off at the end of the first draft, but in reality that never happens. There’s always something else to do – promote the previous book, or start the new draft. I’m not a quick writer so I can’t afford to take big chunks of time away from the keyboard.
How would you best describe this novel to a new reader?
I’m terrible at describing my own work! I guess I would like potential readers to know that this is not a book about weight loss. It’s a book about the importance of friendship and how finding your tribe can help you to love the skin you’re in.
Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone feels they recognise traits of themselves in one of your characters?
Not in my rural books, but definitely in THE SHAPE OF US. I have a close group of friends that I originally met when we all did an online weight loss program years ago. None of the characters are based on these friends, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying to claim bits of the characters as their own. They are always disbelieving when I tell them Jewels, Mezz, Kat and Ellie are definitely their own people. Fortunately my friends love the characters so it hasn’t been a problem.
Where do you normally write? Is it in the same place every day or are you an all over the place writer?
I almost always write the first draft at my desk in my office. This is mainly because I have issues with my back and my shoulder so I need to be careful about posture. I have a very comfy ergonomic office chair that I sit in. Unfortunately even the very expensive chair doesn’t stop me from slouching! I set a timer and try to get up every 45 mins or so to move around to try and offset this. I occasionally will write on the couch using my laptop, but when I do I usually end up sitting in an awkward position, which leads to trouble, so I try not to do this too often. If I find myself really stuck in the story I take myself off to a local café to write. A change of scenery can often work wonders.
What is your favourite childhood book? Did reading as a child have any bearing on your decision to become a writer?
Just one? I was one of those kids who read with a torch under the bedcovers. I devoured books. I remember my mum reading the Pookie stories to me when I was really little and I loved those. Then I moved on to Enid Blyton – The Naughtiest Girl series was my favourite of hers. She made me think boarding school would be fun! Little Women was another book that I loved as a child, but my absolute favourite was Anne of Green Gables, which I often reread even now.
Honestly I could go on and on and on! The pleasure I derived from reading as a child definitely influenced my desire to be a writer. Both my parents were avid readers and books were an important part of my childhood. Writers were my heroes and I desperately wanted to be one, but as a kid growing up in Melbourne’s western suburbs it just didn’t seem to be something that could happen to a girl like me.
What book is currently on your bedside table?
Too many to list. (Seriously!) I’m currently reading The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green and I’m eagerly anticipating The Way Back by Kylie Ladd, which is out later this month. I recently read The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth, which I just loved. My favourite read so far this year is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you have finished reading.
What attributes do you think you need to remain sane as a writer? Are there any particular things you routinely do for yourself to maintain your own headspace?
I think you have to be self-motivated, especially in the early days when you may not have a contract deadline to motivate you. No one else is going to write those words for you! I find being organised a definite bonus. I’m a goal setter and a compulsive list maker, which I think helps me to stay on track, and also justifies my addiction to pretty notebooks and journals!
I think writers need to enjoy their own company. Having said that, my writing friends are my saviours. I don’t know what I’d do without their support. I spend a lot of time communicating with my close writing friends each day—online and on the phone—which helps keep me sane.
I run most days to give myself some clear headspace, and also to get myself out of the house. Running is like meditation for me and I feel antsy if I don’t do it for a few days. I also drink a lot of coffee (which is probably why I feel so antsy all the time!) But seriously, my coffee addiction helps keep me connected to my community. I visit the same local coffee shop each day. The owners and staff now know me, as do many of the other regulars. Some days these people are the only ‘in person’ contact I have outside of my family, so they are an important part of my life!
Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people would know?
I really like Brussel Sprouts. I’ve never seen Star Wars or ET. My favourite film is Terms of Endearment and I sob every single time I see it. My last job before becoming a full time writer was as a Professional Organiser. I’m an inappropriate crier. My eyes fill up at the most inopportune times, like when someone praises my kids. (Parent teacher interviews are a nightmare for me!) Conversely, when something really terrible happens I can’t cry.
Now you know all my secrets!
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A huge thanks is extended to Lisa for joining in with Behind the Pen and allowing us to get to know her a little better. And how about that home office! No wonder she writes such fabulous novels, creating in a space so lovely and inspiring. To find out more about Lisa and her books, you can check out her website.
July 17, 2017
Book Review: Trelloran Seduction by Georgia Carter Mathers
Book Description:
It begins on the 300th day of 2195 on Volen …
There is no such thing as an individual. All the humans think of themselves as units with predetermined roles, and they do not grow old with their lovers. The females are sacrificed when they turn thirty, leaving their male counterparts behind.
Princess Kaitlau is a nymph who can take any form. She is also a refugee. She came to Volen through the charmed window after escaping her prison on Trellora.
King Ganim, the vampire who is thought to have created Kaitlau, must be punished. She had thought he loved her as a father, but that could not be.
Kaitlau has been observing a particular rebel killing priests on Volen. He is just the one to help her. But feelings for the rebel start to emerge when he agrees to carry out her assassination plans, and gradually as they work together, love begins to matter more than revenge.
This is a fantasy paranormal romance where Kaitlau and Pietah are just as likely to find white marble floors as stone cells. It is a place where the rebel’s touch jolts Kaitlau into accepting the notion of individuality and freedom.
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My Thoughts:
Trelloran Seduction is a unique and enthralling dystopian offering from debut author Georgia Carter Mathers. I was rather impressed with this story, it’s not your usual vampire tale, not by a long shot. Georgia has created a world where darkness reigns and while it’s total fantasy, parallels can be clearly drawn between our society and the one that exists in Trelloran Seduction.
This is a gritty read, at times confronting, but never drawn out. There are scenes which will reach deep into you and give your heart a good squeeze. The ending is hard fought for and lacks that element of perfect happiness, which is in my opinion, a very good choice that Georgia has made.
Despite the cover, which may appeal to teen readers, I think it’s important to disclose that this is not a YA novel. Themes and situations are for mature readers. I look forward to the continuation of this series and hope we don’t have to wait too long for another instalment.
Thanks is extended to the author, Georgia Carter Mathers, for gifting me with a copy of Trelloran Seduction for review. As an early beta reader of Trelloran Seduction, I was thrilled to see it as a finished novel. To find out more about Georgia and her books, visit her website, Dark Love Stories.
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Trelloran Seduction was read as part of my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
July 16, 2017
Writer Talks: Theresa Smith
How lovely to have been interviewed by Nadia L King for her blog. This is the finished interview which I’m thrilled to share with you.
I met Theresa Smith through the Australian Women Writers Challenge (#AWW17) – an excellent movement designed to raise awareness of writing by Australian women. She lives on the other side of country to me (of course) but I felt such a connection with her, I couldn’t wait to interview Theresa and find out more about her writing, reading and her passion for books. I hope you enjoy Theresas’ insights into writing as a journey as much as I do.
NLK: Can you please tell us about AWW and the work you do there?
TS: The Australian Women Writers’ Challenge joins with other movements aiming to raise awareness of excellent writing by women – the VIDA Count, The Stella Prize and the #readwomen hashtag. The challenge has entered its fifth year and is going from strength to strength. Founded and led by Elizabeth Lhuede, the team behind the scenes is made…
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Book Review: Home Field by Hannah Gersen
Book Description:
The heart of Friday Night Lights meets the emotional resonance and nostalgia of My So-Called Life in this utterly moving debut novel about tradition, family, love, and football.
As the high school football coach in his small, rural Maryland town, Dean is a hero who reorganized the athletic program and brought the state championship to the community. When he married Nicole—the beloved, town sweetheart—he seemed to have it all—until his troubled wife committed suicide. Now, everything Dean thought he knew about his life and the people in it is thrown off kilter as Nicole’s death forces him to re-evaluate all of his relationships, including those with his team and his three children.
Dean’s eleven-year old son Robbie is acting withdrawn, and running away from school to the local pizza parlor. Bry, who is only eight, is struggling to understand his mother’s untimely death. And nineteen-year- old Stephanie has just left for Swarthmore and is torn between her new identity as a rebellious and sophisticated college student, her responsibility towards her brothers, and feeling like she is still just a little girl who misses her mom. As Dean struggles to continue to lead his team to victory in light of his overwhelming personal loss, he must fix his fractured family—and himself. And what he discovers along the way is that he’ll never view the world in the same way again.
Transporting you to the heart of small town America, Home Field is an unforgettable, poignant story about the pull of the past and the power of forgiveness.
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My Thoughts:
Home Field is an utterly heart wrenching story about a family in crisis trying desperately to get on with their lives after a tragedy, yet failing each other miserably with each step. What most endeared this novel to me was the quiet unfolding. It picks you up in its initially shocking embrace and then lulls you, unfolding in a way that is so realistic, so easy to imagine, that you instantly feel a part of the characters lives, an inhabitant in their world.
The heart of this novel beats with forgiveness. It examines the many sides to guilt and how debilitating feeling guilty can be. It highlights the need for acceptance when understanding is absent and above all, it proves that time is the greatest healer of all.
There are moments of great pain throughout; yet even so, by the time you reach the end of this beautiful novel, you just know that this family is going to be all right. I look forward to reading more from this author and recommend Home Field highly to all and sundry – even if you weren’t a Friday Night Lights fan, you’ll still love this one!
July 15, 2017
Australian Women Writers Challenge Sunday Spotlight: Virginia Taylor and her Historical Fiction series Southlanders
Fans of historical fiction, particularly that which focuses on Colonial Australia, should check out this interview I did with Virginia Taylor for the Australian Women Writers Challenge blog. She has written a fabulous series titled Southlanders, set in South Australia during the colonial era of our history.
Welcome to Sunday Spotlight. Today we welcome Virginia Taylor, author of the Colonial Australia series, Southlanders. AuthorVirginia Taylor When did you start writing and what was the catalyst? I started writing twenty-six years ago. That was about a year after I discovered romance novels. After reading the first, I saw how I could get…
via Sunday Spotlight: Virginia Taylor — Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
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July 14, 2017
The Story Behind The Story: Emily Brewin on writing Hello, Goodbye
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing debut Australian author Emily Brewin on writing her first published novel: Hello, Goodbye. If you haven’t read Hello, Goodbye yet, you really should! It’s a remarkable novel that will open your eyes to a little known period of Australian history. Check out my review to find out more and read on to learn about the story behind the story.
Today we welcome Emily Brewin to the Australian Women Writers Challenge for an in-depth look at her debut novel, Hello, Goodbye. About Hello, Goodbye: It’s 1968 and free-thinking country girl May Callaghan’s world is turned upside down when she finds out she’s pregnant to her boyfriend Sam, who is awaiting draft orders. A profoundly moving…
via Focus on Debut Authors: Emily Brewin — Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
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Author Emily Brewin
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