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Be-Cause I Can

Because I can, I’m lending my voice to a number of good causes and I thought you might be interested to know about them. (If you’re an aspiring writer you might be REALLY interested to know about one in particular!)

Myrtle the Turtle and I have been meandering around the eastern states over the last few years, so I thought it was time we headed west. When an opportunity arose to attend the inaugural West Coast Fiction Festival in November, knowing my involvement would be supporting a good cause (Share The Dignity) it was decided to drive Myrtle the Turtle the 4,452 kilometres to Perth from the NSW east coast.

It’s a big drive, but along the way, while passing all those beautiful WA trucks carting hay bales to drought-stricken farmers in the east, I decided I wanted to do something more to help. So, I joined forces with author mate, Josephine Moon, as well as some publishing industry heavyweights, like Allen & Unwin’s Annette Barlow, to do our bit. We’ll be raising money to buy bales for farmers by auctioning ourselves off! That’s right! Writers with manuscripts will be able to bid for our services, raising money for a good cause in the process. This is an incredible opportunity to have YOUR work get the attention it deserves!

Taking part (and there are even more, I’m told) is: Annette Barlow (Allen & Unwin), Ali Watts (Penguin Random House) and Sophie Green/Sophie Hamley (Hachette), Lousie Allan, Lisa Ireland, Annie Seaton, Jenn J McLeod, Michael Trant, Melinda Tognini, Katie Rowney.

The manuscript assessment/mentoring opportunities will be auctioned off via eBay, starting on 15 October, auctioned in three rounds: Round 1: 15 October; Round 2: 17 October; Round 3: 19 October.

Okay… There’s another mission, of course. I’ve been doing it for a while now.

 You all know how much I enjoy visiting small country towns to talk to local book lovers. Well, my Paddock to Print campaign, which is about encouraging Australian readers to support home-grown storytellers by choosing Australian-made stories, is going gangbusters. Check out all the places I’ve been, so far.

What is the campaign about?

For years we’ve been hearing the manufacturing sector – clothing and food – tell us to buy Australian-made. I thought, why not encourage people to buy or borrow home-grown stories over the imported, big-name author books? It really is as simple as asking your library or books shop for suggestions.  If you enjoy big-name overseas authors, your local librarian or bookseller will be able to recommend a local/Aussie writer whose novels are just as compelling and well-written. So, please help spread the word and buy Australian made fiction. Here I am spreading the book love at Donnybrook, WA.

And here I am on the west coast – finally – in the lovely Margaret River region (for research purposes, of course).

If you’d like to know more about the #BuyABale Fundraiser, check out Josephine Moon’s website.

If you are in Perth, I’d love to see you. Prior to the Perth event in November, readers and aspiring writers will catch me at events in Busselton (Busselton Library, 2pm October 12) and in Kwinana at the Kooliny Arts Centre’s Stories on Stage (7pm, October 31) with the lovely, Monique Mulligan.

 

And somewhere in the middle I’m Writer-in-Residence at the Serenity Press Writers’ Retreat in Capel.

So, it’s all happening in the west. Then, come December, Myrtle and I will be making the trek back home to Coffs Harbour.

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Where cowboys meet the coast – WIN w/ the Christmas Blog Hop

This is my post in the fabulous Christmas blog hop, happening until Christmas Eve.
Thirty e-books to be gifted and a $150 gift card, too!
Plus, a Jenn J book to someone who leaves a comment on THIS blog. So don’t get so wrapped up in my story about cowboys that you forget to enter.
Comment and click below!!!!

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The Capricornia region in central Queensland (Australia) is, according to this tourism website, where cowboys meet the coast. Sounds like the perfect place to set a story, don’t you think? And I have the perfect title for it, too – A Place to Remember. In fact, it’s already written and I’m working hard with my UK publisher (Head of Zeus) to bring it to the world this April (in print and ebook), so keep an eye out.

While it’s a pretty special story, I feel obliged to ‘fess up about this novel – my fifth. To explain, I’ve recorded a video confession – an apology for disappointing my readers with my last four novels. As I said, the video (below) explains.

Now . . .  about this year’s Coastal Blog Hop book you can win – The Other Side of the Season.

The Other Side of the Season is my fourth novel and I’m taking readers from the country to the coast. Check out the blurb or watch this 40 second trailer.

 

 

 

And, speaking of videos . . . about that confession. Check it out on You Tube: https://youtu.be/uk9iet5ALq0

Thank you for blog hopping. Have a wonderful Christmas, wherever you are in the world. (Maybe let me know where you’re from in your comment.) I’ll be back where the book began, on the Capricornia Coast looking for those cowboys!

Now you’re here, increase your chances of winning by leaving a comment below, and also enter via the rafflecopter below to win 30 ebooks and a $150.00 gift card.
If you comment here, then Tweet or Facebook this blog post I will add a second entry.
Winners announced on Christmas Eve.
What a great present! What are you waiting for?

 

ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS BLOG HOP:   For more information and a list of all the authors involved:  Annie Seaton – organiser extraordinaire. 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

24th December: Prize Draw

More blogs to hop:
 Previous blog: I just read about E.E. Carter’s grandparents being itinerant workers who traveled around Queensland in their caravan. Great minds!
Next blog in the hop: TBC
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Turning points on my path to publication – UPDATE.

dream proverbMy path to publication – update!

With novel #4 about to hit the shelves in May, I am so glad to still be tripping down that yellow brick road, hand in hand with the wizards of publishing Simon & Schuster (Australia) and singing travel songs.

This crazy writing journey has not always light of foot and joyous. My path to publication hit some serious detours, but I picked up a few good tips and friends along the way and because the question most asked of me is “How did you get published?” I thought a re-post ad update from my February 2012 post on the subject a good idea. So if you are interested in watching paint dry, you might also enjoy this post about….

My Path to Publication (as posted in Feb, 2012)

It is a tradition within my writing association that those announcing their first sale/book contract follow the announcement with their ‘call story’. It’s meant to be a re-telling of that moment when a publisher calls and gives you the news you’ve been working towards and dreaming about since you could pick up a pen (or access an i-Pad, as is the case today!)

But I fear my call story might be like watching paint dry, as it was a long process with lots of emails and waiting in between for things to be finalised. (Thank goodness for agents!)

So I thought, if a call story is meant to inspire (as well as inform) then maybe I’m better to write about the turning points in my writing, when a few significant things happened to nudge me closer to my goal.

Grab a coffee, settle in and … come home to the country.

Many moons ago, when my sister (in real estate at the time) listed the house of ‘a famous author’ and happened to mention to said author, “my little sister wants to write romance novels”, the ‘lovely lady and owner of said house’ (Valerie Parv was her name) gave my sister some magazines called Hearts Talk, and a message. “Tell your sister to join RWA.”

Turning Point #1 – I joined Romance Writers of Australia.

Recuperating after major surgery, I spent  seven weeks writing my first Danielle Steel meets Nora Roberts novel. Of course I was going to be THAT famous! Then over the next two years I entered RWA’s Valerie Parv Contest – twice – as well as many other contests.

Turning point #2 – I entered lots of contests – not to win (I was too green) but to get feedback. (Winning/placing was a bonus.)

Turning point #3 – Bootcamp 109, April 2009 – I think.  This RWA initiative with the  fabulous Rachel Bailey and Nikki Logan (et al) made me realise:

  1. I am not alone.
  2. This writing caper is bloody hard.
  3. There’s no reason why success can’t be mine.

I now had two manuscripts which I subbed and subbed (with various calls for more chapters). But all I got was the big R – rejection.

Turning point #4 – This IS a business. Analyse the market. See what’s selling. Plan, strategise, set goals.
Rural romances were really starting to take off a couple of years ago. Okay, I thought, can I do that? I’ve never  harvested a crop, sheared/shorn (see I can’t even tell how to say it) a sheep, rounded up brumbies, or branded a cow. But I could brand myself!

 

Turning point #5 – Work out what you CAN write about and create a theme/brand. We’ve heard it before. Write about what you know. Well, I know about small country towns and all the colourful, quirky characters. I am part of a small community (moving from the city to run a cafe business which I’d never done before. I could do anything – right!) I’d experienced the difference between country and city. (I was a city girl who’d craved to get back to her country roots for years.)

Hey, coming home to the country! Does that sound like the theme for me? (In 2016 I’m taking readers from the country to the coast.)

seachange5

Next, I took a ‘leaf’ out of Nikki Logan’s strategy and established a brand. (Nikki is a fantastic example of branding with her ‘nature’ theme and she has been such a positive influence.)

So two years ago (or so) I created my Come home to the country….small towns, big hearts theme.

Okay, now I needed to write something. Amazingly, once I had my brand, my ‘voice’ seemed to develop all by itself (with a little help from Lisa Heidke who really showed me what ‘a fresh voice’ was all about).  Bronwyn Parry and Helene Young had already taught me how to plot a page turner. (There have been many other influences over time, of course: Dianne Blacklock and Monica McInerney – whose books my readers will enjoy.)

Turning point #6 – Stop trying so hard, glue bum on seat and write.
The glue was NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. With my brand and my voice knocking to get out, I sat down in November 2009 and wrote my first draft of House For All Seasons.

Turning point #7 – Lightning (yes, Annie Seaton editor extraordinaire, I said ‘lightning‘) bolts flashed and I decided I am a writer of Australian contemporary fiction. (I still say it with trepidation!)  I don’t write romance novellas and the like (and I admire those who can fit high emotion in with so few words allowed).  I was trying too hard. It took me years to figure out what I wrote and what it was called. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Was I single title, ‘with romantic elements’, mainstream fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction… Aren’t they all the same, I would cry.

Aaaaarrrggghhh!!!!

But this was a turning point for me.

Turning point #8 – a milestone birthday. Nothing like growing a year older to give you a shove. I was giving myself one year, telling myself if I hadn’t sold, I would give up on publishing and just write for myself.

Phew! Just made it in time. Now here I am.

I won’t go on, but thanks for indulging me (if you got this far). If you fell asleep and your coffee is now cold – sorry! If I’ve inspired you to write, go check out all those people I mentioned, and if you want to follow my path, join RWA, go to a writers conference, study the market, write what you know, and never give up.

Your success could be just around the next birthday.

 

Come home to the country…

Small town stories. Discover them. Love them.