Amber Leaves **SPOILER ALERT**
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My special release day blog is both a dedication and an apology!
The dedication first …
“To Dad—my moral compass—for letting me travel my own path through life, for loving me no matter how I strayed, and for letting me make my own choices even when you didn’t understand them.”
These words might make more sense after reading the novel (and to those who know me). Suffice it to say, Simmering Season examines the impact of the choices we make and the paths we take. For my lead character, Maggie, a school reunion brings home more than memories when the past and present converge with the unexpected to form the perfect storm, blowing the lid of a lifetime off small town secrets.
While Maggie is facing stormy times – fictionally speaking – my gorgeous dad has endured his own perfect storm this past year. Many of you will remember I lost Mum 12 months ago, two weeks before my very first book launch. But there was my dad on my big night, alone in the crowd and proud as punch.
Well, it’s my turn to be proud of him – for all he’s achieved, all he’s taught me, and, more recently, all he’s endured while coming to terms with losing the woman with whom he’d shared 60 years of married life.
Although the first draft of Simmering Season was written some time ago and well before my own experiences – a story in which Maggie’s dad is coming to terms with loss, while the onset of dementia is stripping him of his treasured independence – the editing process last year came very close to home, mirroring reality in so many ways.
On a happy note, Dad inspired my love of music, and despite his efforts to teach the piano, it turned out the computer was my keyboard of choice. Writing Simmering Season, however, has allowed me to combine both passions and finally show Dad some of his amazing talent did manage to rub off. (At least I hope you agree something rubbed off when I release the Simmering Season song I wrote – the recorded version coming to a blog post soon!)
Now … about that apology.
I did that thing every writer dreads. I forgot to thank someone for their contribution in the acknowledgements last year. I remember the day I realised that House for all Seasons had gone to print and I’d left out one important name.
With Simmering Season I can now correct that omission. As I thank my many writer friends who show their support everyday by sharing the love, especially early readers of this novel, Annie Seaton and Tracey Alvarez, I am able to FINALLY acknowledge the special author friend who was instrumental in helping me through an early (frantic) draft of House for all Seasons and without that help Simmering Season would not exist today.
With that job done, I thank you – lovely readers – for getting this far down a very long but important (to me) blog post and hope you enjoy Simmering Season.
Watch the trailer…
Click to tweet or: Read a chapter, buy the book.
[Tweet “Watch out! It’s here. Simmering Season. Out now. @simonschusterAU @curtisbrownaus http://wp.me/p1zse7-1uz”]
Oh, and if you got this far, you might like to leave COMMENT AND WIN A COPY of Simmering Season or House for all Seasons. Your choice.
Oooops! Looks like I forgot to sign up for the 2013 Australian Women Writers Challenge. I signed up last year but failed miserably. I read books but did not review. (Well, I did have a good excuse. My first novel, first editing, first everything year kind of had my attention – and I don’t multi task too well these days.)
But now House for all Seasons is out there I am back to reading. So….
I have signed up and will be doing reviews on Goodreads, The Reading Room (and Amazon if I can) with links from this page.
Zoe’s Muster – Barbara Hannay – Goodreads
A Stranger In My Street – Deborah Burrows – Goodreads or The Reading Room
Blackwattle Lake – Pamela Cook – Goodreads or The Reading Room
His Brand of Beautiful – Lily Malone – Goodreads or The Reading Room.