Tag: reading

Categories
Uncategorized

The Tea Chest is alive!

My novel, The Tea Chest, is alive!

Last week I had the fabulous fortune of going to Melbourne and sharing high tea with a gaggle of fabulous women, booksellers in the independent book world. And to my complete surprise, a tier of reading copies of The Tea Chest greeted me upon arrival. I lost the power of speech for a good five minutes! Luckily, there was champagne and delectable goodies to revive me.

Reading copies are given out to booksellers and reviewers prior to the book being finalised and going on sale. So the cover is still not the final cover and the words do not include the final edits. But, gosh, how exciting it was.

I also had the pleasure of staying in the charming Windsor hotel, which was delightful.

Thank you to everyone who came to meet me, hear about my book and share tea. I always knew booksellers were special people but I like you all that much more again.

20131106-113742.jpg

20131106-113808.jpg

20131106-113823.jpg

Categories
Uncategorized

GenreCon Wrap-up

gc-2013-web-banner

I was at GenreCon in Brisbane on the weekend, just for a day on account of my young child, and sadly missed out on the cocktails and karaoke, which were responsible for a number of red eyes on the Saturday. I was in a bit of a state myself, actually, having just lost my beloved Golden Retriever, Goldie, and I had several vague conversations with people, where words simply would not make their way from my brain to my mouth. Apologies if you were on the receiving end of one of these uncomfortable conversations.

Here are the highlights from that day, during the moments I was actually engaged with life.

  • Chuck Wendig was a special guest at a session on planning and prioritising writing around the complications of life and gave a hilarious account of what it’s like to have multiple book contracts and a toddler running around while trying to work, something I can empathise with wholeheartedly. Gracie Macgregor was also a guest there and equally funny in her accounts of writing and motherhood.
  • It is always delightful to chat to the lovely and funny, Anna Campbell, who managed to cheer me up for a few minutes. Thanks, Anna.
  • I caught up with a former work colleague, a fellow editor where I worked at John Wiley & Sons, Victoria Steele, and her friend, romance writer, Christina Brooke.
  • The food. Can I just say how amazing the food was at GenreCon? Seriously. Great job.
  • I sat in on a workshop with Damon Cavalchini on preparing for reading from my book, The Tea Chest (out in April 2014). I picked up some great tips, including thinking about what I would do if it suddenly began to rain on me in the middle of my reading (has anyone created an Iddy-Biddy-Book-Umbrella?), and also, the benefit of having my own source of light, such as a book light.
  • And it’s always a delight to hear Kimberley Freeman (Dr Kim Wilkins) speak on all topics related to writing.

 

Well done to Meg Vann and Peter M Ball for organising such a great event. I look forward to staying for the festivities next year too.

Categories
Uncategorized

A shameful secret

I have a confession to make.

In the spirit of Liane Moriarty‘s latest novel, The Husband’s Secret, I have decided to reveal a shameful secret. Actually, just to be self-indulgent, I will reveal two secrets.

First, Bold and the Beautiful is my guilty pleasure. I’m watching it right now! (I know, I know…)

Husband'sSecret_AusBut not only that, I have for the first time in my entire life done something awful. I skipped to the end of The Husband’s Secret to find out what the secret was. Yes, it’s true. Why? Because the tension in this book is utterly excruciating and I actually thought I might DIE if I didn’t relieve just a little of the pressure from this intense and masterful tale.

Around seven years ago, I was sitting with a group of fellow editors. We all worked in a publishing house in Brisbane and we were talking about books (of course) and do you know what? Half of the people in that circle confessed to regularly skipping to the end of the book to find out what happens to decide if it was worth reading. Half!!!! As an aspiring author, I was distraught! And these were editors, no less. They should know better!!!

But here I was, just a few days ago, lying in bed, well past bedtime, in writhing agony of the unknown and what did I do… exactly the same.

Shame, Josie, shame.

If you’re into compelling secrets, fantastic writing, clever dialogue, humour and very human tales, you won’t be disappointed in Liane Moriarty’s latest offering. Though I certainly do not recommend it for reading before bed. Not if you ever want to sleep before turning the final page.

Categories
Uncategorized

A Writer’s New Year Resolutions

Back to work for me today and I’m thinking about my resolutions as a writer (and reader).

1. I’m not going to read anything I’m not LOVING.

I shudder with the memory of reading this book. No more! Books I love only!
I shudder with the memory of reading this book. No more! Books I love only!

I am a slow reader so I invest a considerable amount of time in a book. All too often, I have kept plodding through a book I didn’t love because (a) I paid for it; (b) I was convinced it must get better; (c) I made a compromise with myself and thought, hey, maybe I’ll learn something from this; or (d) because I am just plain stubborn and like to see things through.

Well, NO MORE. Life it too short and my reading time too precious to be bogged down in something I’m not loving one hundred per cent. Gone are the days when I had to read something (for university, for example). I’m sure I’ve never quite recovered from the torment of reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

2. I’m going to put my writing first.

I’ve spent years writing books and all too often the practice of writing has had to take a backseat to something else–other people, running a horse rescue charity, having a ‘real’ job and making money, and stupid things like housework.

Well, NO MORE. This year, things got serious. This year, I will no longer be a starving artist. This year, I have a job. A REAL job. As a writer. How great is that? 🙂

3. I’m going to decorate my writing room.

This is something I think about doing each year, but never seem to get around to.

Well, NO MORE. This year, I’ll have pictures. Lanterns. Props. Maps. Wall planners. Flowers. Silk. And tissues at hand to mop up the drool from the cat purring in my lap.

So today I take my new year’s resolutions and march forward into a wonderous year of writing. Happy authoring one and all!