Tag Archives: writing

The Month that was … March 2023

Leave a reply

What I watched

We had the pleasure of seeing the latest musical masterpiece from Schitt’s Creek writer, David West Read. Rob Mills and Casey Donovan are two of the cast amongst many other talented performers. The story about Ann Hathaway challenging her playwright husband Shakespeare to reconsider his usual tragic endings and imagine what might happen if Juliet doesn’t die at the end of Romeo and Juliet?

It was highly entertaining, energetic, funny and terrific soundtrack. It was one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen.

It’s still playing at The Regent Theatre in Melbourne and this is a must see production so buy your tickets and go.

Reading

My reading this month as been mixed although you might detect a theme of seven. Quite unintentional…or is it? Watch out for my reviews in coming weeks.

Interview

I was honoured to be interviewed by the Canadian Macedonian Historical Society about A Perfect Stone. An interview by zoom can be challenging especially when you are in different time zones and daylight saving comes into play. But nevertheless, I think the audience who participated were enlightened about where the story of A Perfect Stone came from (my husband’s Macedonian family) and the fact that 38000 children were forcibly removed from Northern Greece during the Greek Civil War.

Even though it was published in 2018, The Perfect Stone is still read right around the world and that still amazes me.

Some pics below of me trying to answer a questions and a reading.

Until next month…

The Month that was December 2022

Leave a reply

December was as it is for most people, a busy time although we did have a sneaky trip down to the beach at Lorne, two and bit hours south west from Melbourne. The weather? Well, that was cold but nice and sunny as you can see from the photos. The birds were out and about too. The water was flowing at Erskine Falls after all the rain we’ve had. The weather now has only just begun to warm up with a hot New Years Eve. Still, I can’t complain.

Christmas and the New Year period was spent with family and friends and I admit to losing track of the days. But who doesn’t?

Reading

My reading for December was solid enough so watch out for my reviews.

Check out my review for Red, White and Royal Blue

Writing

I’ve been sitting on my latest novel, The Palace Hotel and have begun planning another short story collection which weaves around a central incident.  But it’s slow going as my head is still in holiday mode.

Happy New Year.

Until next month…

The Month that was … July 2022

Leave a reply

There was a lot of in-the-field research done this month with a visit to Far North Queensland for my new novel, The Palace Hotel.

My trip started in Cairns and then from there we drove through the Atherton Tablelands, then back down to the coast to Mission Beach, through Townsville and onto Airlie Beach and the beautiful Whitsunday Islands.

I explored cane fields, tropical rainforests and small historic towns, all the while imagining what it might have been like in 1948, for my protagonist, Ellen when she arrived in the fictitious cane field town of Sugar Creek looking for her cane-cutter, fiancé. I also wondered about my other character, young GP, Dr Dana Janssen and how she settled into this same town, fifty-two years later only to discover that nothing is as it seems. Surely, their paths cross?

Yes, it’s another dual time-line, dual character novel in the making.

A truly glorious trip of more than 700 kilometres with the added bonus of catching up with some friends at the end.It can’t be all work and no play and like the patrons of The Palace Hotel, one must enjoy a gin and tonic at the end of a long day. Scroll through the pics below for a little peak and watch out for more on the progress of my WIP, The Palace Hotel.

Reading

I thought I might have done a little more reading but travelling left me time for only one book and that was Still Life. Watch out for my review in August.

Until next month…

The Month that was … March 2022

Leave a reply

Autumn in Melbourne is truly beautiful at the moment. So where did those days in March go?

We had enjoyed a short stay in the Yarra Valley with friends. Just an hour away, it is Victoria’s premier wine country destination. We stayed at Meletos which is a little boutique hotel in the middle of the valley surrounded by vineyards and mountains. Highly recommended if you get the chance.

Events : Book Groups

I attended two book groups this month as a guest. The first group did my book, A Perfect Stone. Since I’d written this one four or five years ago, I was nervous that I might have forgotten some of it. After all when a book is done, I don’t tend to revisit it again. Luckily, I was able to handle the multitude of questions. Some even asking how and when I began my writing quest. I was amazed by the interest in what I’ve done so far. Curiosity about the writing process as well as the book itself filled two hours easily. I really had nothing to worry about.

The second group read my recent book, The Good Child. They were equally curious with their energetic discussion about the main characters, Lucille and Quin, what they felt for them, as well as the structure and process of how it had been written. Since this book is set in Victoria some of which is in the late 1980’s it meant even more to this group of readers who were very familiar with the actual events of that time.

I really enjoy attending book groups and am humbled constantly by readers responses.

If you’d like me to attend your book group either in person or virtually, let me know via my contact details.

Reading.

I haven’t read as many books this month but watch out for upcoming reviews during April. If you’ve missed any, check out my previous book reviews.

Writing

I have spent the month refining and working on the plot of my next novel, The Palace Hotel and am wondering if the title is apt. Another title I’m considering is The Barmaid and The Doctor after the two main characters, Ellen and Dana. Perhaps another idea I’m playing with is The Missing Cane Cutter or the Jilted Barmaid. Lots of options but The Palace Hotel is the working title for the moment.

Stay tuned for more on this new historical mystery story set in the cane fields of Far North Queensland.

Until next month…

My Book Anniversary

4 Replies

They say time flies but I had no idea how much until I began to look back to 10 March 2016 when I published my debut novel, Climbing the Coconut Tree.

My writing journey began two years earlier when I was inspired to write a fictionalised account of a double murder which occurred on a little-known place called Ocean Island. You can read more about how it started here.

What is Climbing the Coconut Tree about?

Set in 1948, eighteen-year-old Bluey Guthrie leaves his family in Australia to take the job of a lifetime on a remote island in the Central Pacific. Bill and Isobel, seasoned ex-pats help Bluey fit in to a privileged world of parties, dances and sport.

However, the underbelly of island life soon draws him in. Bluey struggles to understand the horrors left behind after the Japanese occupation, the rising fear of communism, and the appalling conditions of the Native and Chinese workers. All this is overseen by the white colonial power brutalising the land for Phosphate: the new gold.

Isobel has her own demons and watches as Bill battles to keep growing unrest at bay. Drinking and gambling are rife. As racial tensions spill over causing a trail of violence, bloodshed and murder, Bluey is forced to face the most difficult choices of his life.

I’m proud of my debut and in the years since, I’ve written and published three more books.

Out of Nowhere: A collection of short stories published in 2017

A quirky and delightful mix of short stories taking the reader into unexpected territory.

A Perfect Stone published in 2018

A sweeping tale of love and loss, an old man’s suppressed memories resurface after a stroke. He finally confronts what happened when, as a ten-year-old, he was forced at gunpoint to leave his family and trek barefoot through the mountains to escape the Greek Civil War in 1948.

The Good Child published in 2021

Rich in detail and epic in scope, The Good Child is a powerful novel of emotional and financial resilience, loss and unexpected friendship between two women.

So yeah, I guess I’ve been a little busy. No wonder time has flown.

The Month that was … February, 2022

1 Reply
Wedding bouquet of Australian native flowers

An exciting month of celebration for my daughter’s wedding. There is nothing quite like a big celebration in the middle of a pandemic which only serves to make it all the more special. In the week before we bunkered down to make sure a covid 19 case wouldn’t ruin things. It didn’t and all went well for a fun-filled day and more than a few sore heads the next day

Reading

I managed to keep my reading on track with the following books. Watch out for reviews in the coming weeks.

58538776
see my review
35657511. sy475
60178256. sy475
55457493. sy475

Writing

I’ve continued to work on my manuscript The Palace Hotel – refining characters. Like my earlier novels, The Good Child and A Perfect Stone, this latest one is also an historical fiction with dual time-lines and dual characters. The time lines are 1948 ( I can’t seem to get out of that year) and 2000 with the female characters, Ellen and Dana. It’s a mystery with murder and mayhem so stay tuned.

Watching

This will be a little controversial but I tried to watch Succession, I really did. I managed eight episodes and couldn’t take anymore. I’d heard it was well written, with great acting and was a black comedy. Maybe it’s me but I thought the dialogue was try-hard, repetitive and monotone. I hated each character and saw no development. Some of the business-practices seemed so far out of touch it was unbelievable. Yes, I know that it is satirical but I couldn’t buy into it at all. Take a look at Veep. Now there is best practice and I’m afraid Succession is just a poor cousin to that brilliance. Sorry to all Succession fans but it was not for me.

Until next time…

The Month that was … January 2022

6 Replies

Welcome to my monthly blog with a round up of what’s happened in my corner of Melbourne. I hope you enjoy it.

It was a shaky start to the year when my husband caught Covid-19 and I was forced to isolate in the same house. We, like many thousands, waited in long queues for testing and searched for non-existent rapid antigen tests. Fortunately, our house is big enough and he was accommodated in the back part of our home previously occupied by our children. And it wasn’t long before he was feeling better.

Isolating for seven days and caring for my husband did leave me time to concentrate on my next book, The Palace Hotel (a working title). I managed to finish the first draft and I can’t tell you how excited I am. Of course, as any writer knows that’s only the beginning not the end with relentless, editing and rewriting to come, but I’m happy the plot and characters are all worked out.

Isolating coincided with a long stretch of hot weather in Melbourne. Ruggs, our cat fell ill and we thought the end had come to her little 22-year-old life but she revived and is as energetic as ever.  Perhaps she caught covid?

I managed to read a few books and get a head start this year on my Goodreads challenge. I was disappointed that I didn’t reach my goal last year so have been conservative this year. Under plan and over deliver always makes me feel that little bit better. Reviews will come out in the next few weeks although you can check out my review for Lucky.

After coming out of isolation I was raring to go and headed out with my daughter to see Moulin Rouge. The vibrancy, energy and music was outstanding and well worth masking up to see it. If you haven’t had a chance, and live in Melbourne try and see it.

And in case you’re not aware, The Good Child has been out in the world since November 15, 2021 accompanying readers all over Australia. Here are two pics sent to me.

Photo sent to me by Alan Forsyth On a plane to Queensland
Pic by Andrew Richards A summer day in Mount Martha

Readers responses for The Good Child so far have been overwhelmingly positive. Check out reviews on Goodreads

Until next time…