Category: MY BOOKS

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A Guessing Game, A Book To Win, A Blog To Hop

While many, many people have inspired me in some weird and wonderful ways over the years, there is a group of Australian authors who have definitely influenced my writing.

Call it cocky, quirky or crazy, I used to amuse my ‘unpublished’ self by writing an author into each novel, never imagining:

a) I would be published and

b) the author – with title – would escape an editors red pen.

Guess what? I AM published (soon) and the author’s name DID stay in the final version of House for all Seasons, out March 1. (Pre-order here).

But which author gets a mention?

HINT: It can’t be Lisa Heidke and Bronwyn Parry as I have already included them in novels yet to be published — like this.

From The Simmering Season (coming 2014)

Maggie refused to get up before she’d read at least three chapters of her latest Lisa Heidke novel. The author had a knack of portraying motherhood and the every day, showing real woman struggling to balance work, family and dreams, just like Maggie. Only in fiction there was a guarantee of happy ever after.

Bronwyn Parry features in one of my favourite (and earliest) works – which means it may never see the light of day!)

From MOSAIC…

Throwing open the flap on her knapsack, Gina took a quick inventory: denim shorts; a black, cheesecloth top; beach towel; the super, scrunch-it-up-all-you-like jacket she’d owned for years; her new digital camera and the latest Bronwyn Parry novel.

So… are you a smartie? Can you correctly guess which author made it into House For All Seasons?

Any one who leaves a correct guess on this post today (Thursday 24-01-13) will automatically get one extra entry in my Australia Day Blog Hop Book Giveaway -starting Friday 25 at 12 noon (AESD) – on this blog. So leave your guess now and pop back on the weekend, read the Australia Day Blog Hop post, and you can double your chance of winning.

If you want another hint, you will find the author’s name on this list (my ‘most read’ Goodreads data).

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ELEVEN…I think I’m a real writer

Eleven months to go…

I’m celebrating my countdown to May 2013 with a look back at June’s 50ks in 30 Days and I’m happy. By the time you are reading this I will have hit the 50,000-word mark in book 3 of my Seasons Collection.

Given my two books (contracted to Simon & Schuster in January this year) both started as a writing challenge project, and both were at full first draft by the 50k word count, I’m confident of being on track with this story. (This achievement is despite being up to my neck in my volunteer role as Registrar for this year’s RWA Conference on the Gold Coast.)

This publishing caper is all still a bit surreal. May seems so far away. But if all goes to plan, I might just have book 3 ready around the time book 1 is released. Wouldn’t that be nice! Now if I can only keep my mojo going (and book 4 is now a kernel with potential) I think I may have overcome my fear that I’m not a real writer at all, but a one-book wonder.

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The Lucky Seven – Jenn J McLeod

There’s this ‘thing’ going around. It’s called “The Lucky Seven” and the clever Juliet Madison has tagged me.

The challenge: Post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction.

I have chosen lines from my debut novel House For All Seasons (release date May 2013) a story about four women reconnecting with their country roots.

The Golden Rules of this challenge:

  • Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
  • Go to line 7
  • Post on your blog or Facebook page the next 7 lines, or sentences, as they are – no cheating
  • Tag 7 other authors to do the same

So here goes: House For All Seasons, Page 77, line 7:

‘As for me,’ he said, taking Sara’s hand. ‘I prefer a more traditional hello. Welcome to my home.’ He tugged her arm, pulling her down until he could kiss her on both cheeks, lingering a little longer than tradition, in Sara’s estimation. ‘Come on in.’

The affectionate welcome had set a kookaburra amongst the butterflies in her stomach. Will was fast becoming Sara’s constant companion, if not in person by day, then in her mind each night in bed when she closed her eyes and imagined she was sixteen again, and brave.

Well, there it is. Now it’s back to Facebook to tag some 7 writer friends to do the same. Seven very different but wonderful authors.

Bronwyn Parry, Helene Young, Lisa Heidke, Anita Heiss, Jaye Ford, Christine Stinson, Dianne Blacklock