Josephine Moon's Blog, page 16

The Nash Agency 2018 Writers Retreat

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I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting retreat, offered by my literary agent Haylee Nash of The Nash Agency.

The Nash Agency Writer’s Retreat 2018

When: Monday 3rd September to Thursday 6th September

Where: Cedar Creek Lodges, Mt Tamborine, Gold Coast Hinterland, Queensland

The Nash Agency is pleased to offer our first writers’ retreat.

Open to aspiring, self-published and traditionally published authors, our writers’ retreat offers the chance to hone your craft through sessions with bestselling Australian authors and experienced literary agents, one-on-one consultations with principal agent and owner, Haylee Nash, and engaging and challenging group workshops, as well as offering the space to focus on your writing in the perfect setting.

Here is just some of what you can expect from The Nash Agency Writers’ Retreat 2018:

* Masterclass with top ten bestselling Australian author, Rachael Johns

* Masterclass with international bestselling author, Josephine Moon

* Learn from Alex Adsett about the role of an agent, the importance of copyright and how to understand a publishing contact

* Hear from Haylee Nash about the state of the Australian book market, current trends in publishing and what publishers are looking for

* Polish your pitch to give your manuscript the best chance of snagging an agent and/or publisher

* Partial manuscript appraisals (on three chapters and synopsis), including a one-page report and 15-minute consultation with Haylee Nash

Click here for more information on ticketing, accommodation and more details about the presenters.

I hope to see you there!

Jo

Grieving the loss of a dog, and how I learned to help myself and others

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There are seriously so many photos I could show you of Daisy, but this one does capture her joyful-seeking nature so well, just hanging about in the sunshine, next to the blooming lavender she so loved to roll in, maybe thinking about the twelve pancakes she just stole from the kitchen bench, her eye probably on a pile of manure she’d like to tuck into next. A clown, through and through.

It’s taken me a long time to write this post. I usually write something whenever we lose an animal, but Daisy’s loss (on February 10) was so overwhelming that I simply couldn’t do it. But this post is not just about Daisy, it’s about dealing with grief for an animal that has been as much, if not more, a part of the family as any human, and it’s about supporting others during times of loss too.

In our society, there is a culture of not valuing animals as much as we value humans. The laws of our country consider them to be ‘property’. There are ‘minimum standards’ of animal care in our legislation but these are, in my opinion, not nearly adequate enough as they don’t even begin to take into consideration an animal’s emotional welfare (boredom, loneliness, despair, fear). Indeed, many people still believe animals don’t even have emotions. It’s little wonder then that we don’t have recognised grief pathways when one of our four-legged loved ones dies.

We have a lot of animals, so we’re always going to lose a lot (something that distresses me every time we do lose one and I realise I will have to endure this pain over and over). But there is also truth in the fact that not every loss is the same, just as not every human loss will impact us in the same way. For me, there has never been an animal that would break me down (and open) as much as Daisy’s loss.

So what do we do?

In the depths of my crippling pain, I found comfort in the book Buddhism for Pet Lovers, by David Michie, largely because it gave me very practical steps on what to DO after the loss of Daisy. In Buddhist philosophy, when any living creature dies, their soul goes to the bardo (the space between lives) for up to seven weeks, and during this time you can influence the future life of your loved one. This is not dissimilar to the Catholic tradition of saying prayers for the deceased. There were specific things I could do: dedicating actions of merit to Daisy’s fortunate rebirth; donating to charitable organisations; saying mantras; meditating; and holding her close mentally and emotionally, continuously sending energy of good fortune.

Out of the blue, my writer friend Kim Wilkins (aka Kimberley Freeman), made a donation to the RSPCA on Daisy’s behalf and when the notification came to me it meant so much to know it wasn’t just me holding this vigil for Daisy. Support often comes from the outer reaches of our circles, I’ve noticed. Of course, my mother was holding great thoughts for Daisy (her granddog) and some friends too. There were several friends who held long conversations (in person or online) with me, who knew the pain and could validate it. These conversations were so necessary, taken with time and care, and never with a hint of hurrying me on. All of them turned up at just the right time and I’m so grateful for their care.

Recently, two of my friends have lost animals and I’ve done the same for them, making donations in their name. I now have an action plan for myself and for my friends in the future. So here it is. This is how I will support my friends when they lose a treasured animal friend.

I will make a donation to an animal charity in their name.
I will send them a bereavement card, just as I would with the loss of a human.
I will light a candle for their animal and I will say a prayer/mantra for them to move through the spiritual realm with ease and find only good fortune on the other side.
I will dedicate good works of merit to their animal’s name for the same reasons.
I will offer support and I will listen, allowing as much time and space as is needed to grieve.

Perhaps this list may help you too, if you have recently lost a furry friend or you know someone who has. Rituals are the guide maps through the big moments of our life. By embracing some of these, we might be able to start to navigate our way through the long, dark night of the soul after our best friend is gone.

We had Daisy cremated. She currently resides in the back of the wardrobe because on the day her ashes came back I simply couldn’t face them. But I have been building a garden, slowly, and it is nearly ready for her plaque to go out there. Daisy was such a huge fan of lying in the sun in the garden. I’m sure she’d approve.

So You Want to Be a Writer, podcast

Want to know my top three tips for writing? Or how I manage characters and setting? Or maybe how to manage the light and shade in a story? I share all of this and much more on episode 231 of So you Want to Be a Writer.

Have you listened to the Australian Writers Centre‘s podcast series? It’s full of great information, tips and advice, as well as a regular guest speaker.

And this time around, I’m delighted to announce that it’s me! Click this link to hear the podcast.

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The first part of the podcast is a conversation with Allison Tait and Valerie Khoo and covers how to avoid the query stage with agents and publishers, then my interview comes after that at around 27 minutes. Happy listening!

Movie review, I Feel Pretty

Gorgeous and joyous. Take your teenage girls, take yourself. Amy Schumer shines in this romantic comedy, with clean, smart humour and so much delight. Four stars from me.

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Win Three Gold Coins in Audio

[image error]Share the love to Win! Three Gold Coins is available now as an audio book through Audible. Can you help me get it into the hands of someone who struggles to read text but would love to listen to a story? (Or indeed, if that is you, please nominate yourself!) Just tell me their name in the comments below. I have FIVE copies to give away! Winner drawn next Monday 30 April.

Win a Book Club in Box set of Three Gold Coins + Wine + Snacks!

[image error]Do you have a book club? Want to start one right now?

Here is a wonderful opportunity to have your next meeting’s event delivered to your door, with 10 copies of Three Gold Coins, two bottles of wine and quality snacks, as well as reading and discussion notes and advice on how to start a book club if you need it.

Good Reading Magazine says: “Three Gold Coins packs a mountain of heart, an abundance of tortured soul and a banquet of mouthwatering food.”

To enter, simply follow this link.

Good luck!

Literary Luncheon, Surfer’s Paradise, 26th May

Hello lovelies,

If you find yourself within driving distance (or hey, maybe even flying distance!) to Surfer’s Paradise next month, you might like to join me and fellow author Jenny Old at a literary luncheon at the Hilton hotel. Better yet, you can now make a weekend of it with a special discount package for accommodation if you’d like to stay over.

And best of all, the luncheon is hosted by VIEW, who funnel their fundraising activities into supporting the wonderful Australian charity, The Smith Family, whose aim is to ensure every child in Australia is able to access everything they need to have a quality education, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

I happen to sponsor a child through The Smith Family so I am delighted to be appearing here at this event.

We will have a chance to chat, books will be on sale and Jenny and I will be happy to sign them of course.

All the details are contained in the images below. Click on them for a larger view. Get your mum, sister, bestie on board and come and join us.

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Fancy a Writing Retreat in Tuscany? This might be your year!

As some of you may know, I discovered the story for Three Gold Coins while I was on writing retreat in Tuscany in 2016, with fellow writer and friend Vanessa Carnevale. Vanessa is once again running writing retreats in Tuscany this year and you have the chance to go! I asked Vanessa to tell us a bit about her, her work and the value of writing retreats.

Can you tell us a bit about your connections to Italy and what you love most about Italy?


I met my husband in Florence while holidaying over there in the late 90s and ended up living there for several years in my early twenties. I had a job in the city centre and started doing some freelance writing in addition to that. I’m enamoured by the history, the art, the culture, the food, the people! There’s always so much to learn and see over there and one of the things I love most, is the relaxed and much slower paced lifestyle. I’m very lucky that having family over there allows us to travel back as often as we can.


 
Your first book was set in Italy and your second in Australia. Would you like to share a little about the books and the research for both?


My debut novel, The Florentine Bridge, is set in Florence, and is about an artist by the name of Mia, who travels to Tuscany to find her passion for life again after experiencing a life-changing illness. The setting and its characters were informed by my time living in Italy. So I knew the Tuscan setting very intimately and while the characters, love story and storyline are completely fictional, writing the book was like taking a trip back down memory lane as I wrote about the places I had visited. I spent quite a bit of time researching renaissance art and painting which I love.

The Memories That Make Us, my latest novel, is set on a fictional flower farm in Victoria and is about Gracie, who after an accident, is left unable to recall most of the elements of her life, including her late mother and her fiance, Blake. It’s a story of self-discovery which follows Gracie’s journey as she rediscovers who she is after this big moment which turns her life upside down. For this book I did lots of lovely research into flower cultivation and the way flowers have a positive impact on emotion. Bonus for me is that I now have a beautiful flower garden and can enjoy freshly cut blooms any time I want!
What do you love most about writing retreats and how do you think they help writers?


Writing retreats are a wonderful way to nurture creativity. Getting away from the daily grind, and into an environment where you’re spending time alongside other writers who understand you is so refreshing and re-energising. For me personally, I find that supporting other writers gives me a deeper sense of purpose and in helping others I find my passion for writing amplifies. It’s a total joy and I am so proud of the writers who come along. I love being part of their cheer squad as they go on to make progress with their writing. For some writers, coming to a retreat might be a way of prioritising and taking action on a lifelong dream to write, and for others it might be a way of stepping away to fully immerse oneself in writing without interruption in order to make significant progress on a project.


Can you share a bit about your upcoming retreat(s) and how people can find out more?


I’m leading another two writing retreats in Tuscany this September and have availability for the second week which is from the 24th Sep – 1st Oct. They’re week-long retreats and we stay in a gorgeous 17th century villa not too far from the centre of Florence. Anyone who reads Three Gold Coins will be able to experience some armchair travel there!

Sydney catch-up

Dear Sydney readers! I’ll be briefly in your beautiful city next weekend (Sunday 15th April) and I’ll be having breakfast at Three Beans cafe in Manly between 8.30 and 10am. If you would like to come for a cuppa, a chat or have your book signed, I welcome your company! (Otherwise, I’ll just scribble notes on my next book and drink lots of coffee

Tuscan White Bean Soup — Recipe from Three Gold Coins

This is one of my favourite recipes that I developed while researching and writing Three Gold Coins. Perfect for these cooling nights!

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 large leek (or 2 small ones)

2 garlic cloves

1 potato (I use Dutch Cream potatoes all the time, just because I love them the best)

1 parsnip

Half a head of cauliflower

1 carrot (optional… it will change the colour of your soup, but it’s a good way to use up vegetables in your crisper!)

2 cans of cannellini beans

4 cups stock (I use lamb bone broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

The leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme (just pick them, wash them and use your fingers to strip the sprigs)

2 Tbs lemon juice

Method

Chop all your vegetables.

Fry your leek and garlic in olive oil under fragrant.
Add the rest of the your chopped vegetables and mix thoroughly, allowing to cook for a few minutes.
Add water just to the top of the vegetables and simmer for ten minutes.
Add your stock and cook for ??
Allow liquid to reduce a little if it seems to watery, otherwise proceed to blending.
Blend half your soup until creamy then return to the pot. (Or blend three quarters, or even the whole lot. It depends how you like your soup.)
Add your salt, pepper, thyme and lemon juice and heat through.
Serve with sprigs of thyme for garnish and a side of crusty bread