Tag: Australian Author

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Vanessa Carnevale – Portrait of an Author

The Memories That Make Us is a delightful romance story. Meet the author. Vanessa and I are on a mission to bring the ‘lost memory’ story back into fashion!!

Q: Vanessa,as pose and composition are important factors for a portrait, choose what kind of ‘look’ would you like for your portrait.

  1. On a chaise lounge (Kate Winslet/Titanic style)?
  2. Fully clothed in a rocker (Whistler’s Mother style)?
  3. A close up of your face (Girl with the Pearl Earring style/Mona Lisa)?
  4. In all your formal finery befitting your ‘authorly’ status (Regal style)?
  5. Other?

I’d say 3, or a variation on 1 where I’m lying on a hammock on the beach in the Maldives reading a book, living the perfect life in a place that quite literally, feels like paradise. (I visited the Maldives on my honeymoon and would so very much love to go back again one day. Maybe for my portrait!)

Q: *Snap* I just took your photo as a reference for my portrait of you. Tell us where you are and what you’re wearing. (Be honest.)

I’m sitting in the alfresco with a cup of tea, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine, and a gentle breeze. I’m wearing a t-shirt, comfy pants, and my hair is pulled into a messy bun. Totally glamorous!

Q: Given a choice, what precious item would you want to be included in a portrait of you?

I don’t tend to have strong attachments to things (though I do love teacups, and of course books) so I’m not really sure! Does a smile count? In all honesty, I’d probably be more concerned with choosing the perfect background for it. Somewhere beautiful and relaxing. Maybe by a lake in a beautiful garden setting or something!

Q: With acquired savant syndrome* featuring in my next novel, I’m curious . . . If you were to wake up from a coma one day to find yourself totally obsessed and a genius (in something other than writing, of course) what would you want it to be? (music, painting, languages, maths, touching your toes while typing, etc)

I really wish I hadn’t given up piano lessons when I was a young girl. I should have listened to my mum! I’d also love to be able to paint watercolour (like Mia in The Florentine Bridge) so it would be either one of those things. One day I’d really like to do some watercolour classes. I find painting to be very relaxing, and helpful for my creativity.

Q: If you happened to wake up one day and be a genius with a paintbrush, whose portrait would you want to paint and why?

Oprah’s! I love her and find her and a lot of the guests she interviews very inspiring. Could you imagine the conversation one could have with Oprah while working on her portrait?! Yes, I’d definitely love spending time with Oprah. After I do my painting lessons of course. In case the genius thing doesn’t happen.

Q: Your preferred medium would be?

  • Oil on canvas
  • Watercolour
  • Pencil/Ink
  • Pastels
  • Kiddy crayons

Watercolour! I love the gentleness and fluidity of it. I follow Melbourne artist, Louise De Masi on social media (I have a few of her botanical prints in my study) and she makes it look so easy.

Q: Picasso once asked the question: “Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?” In my next novel, the artists says to 58 y.o Ava, “A mature person has depth of character and it’s their layers, built from life’s lessons that interest me the most—when wisdom replaces curiosity and experience replaces youthful exuberance.”

Q: What two traits would you hope an artist captures in a portrait of you?

I can’t wait to read this book! What a lovely line. This is such an original question that has given me much to think about. I think our eyes say a lot about us, and I’m quite the dreamer, so I’d probably be gazing up at the clouds thinking about my next book. I also like to think I have a lot of love to give, and love is precious, so somehow, maybe the amazing artist might find a way to convey that, too. And of course, I’d want it to radiate happiness, too.

Q: Because every fireplace deserves a portrait, in whose house would you hang a portrait of you as a surprise and what would they say?

Probably my mum’s because she’s the only one who would probably get excited by it!

Q: Keeping in mind that lucky recipient of your portrait, how would see yourself framed?

  • Minimalist or no frame at all – just the canvas (take me as I am)
  • Modernist – chrome, nothing too fancy
  • Sophisticated – warm, wood, old world
  • Flamboyant – go all the way and gilt-edged!

Sophisticated! (Looks at her t-shirt and comfy pants! Ha!) Really, I chose this one for the warm, wood, and old world qualities. That feels like a good fit for me.

Q: Finally, if someone was to add a plague/title your portrait, how would it read?

A: Just my name would do!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Vanessa Carnevale is a freelance writer and novelist who has contributed to The Green Parent, The Huffington Post, Muse, and Italy magazine, among others. Her debut novel, The Florentine Bridge, was published by MIRA in Australia in 2017. She was a finalist in the Best New Author category for the AusRom Today Readers Choice Awards 2017. She lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When not writing, Vanessa loves to travel and often finds inspiration for her stories in locations outside her hometown of Melbourne. She is also the creator and host of Your Beautiful Writing Life retreats held in Australia and Tuscany, Italy. She loves tea, and flowers, and often dreams of escaping to the country.

YOU CAN PURCHASE A COPY OF The Memories That Make Us here. (http://bit.ly/2neuMb1)

Connect with Vanessa on her website: www.vanessacarnevale.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/vanessacarnevalewriter 

If you enjoyed Vanessa’s post, why not share it? Or you might like to subscribe to my newsletter for, well, news! (right)

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Now… Before you go, I have some more author portraits to celebrate the release of my 5th novel (ebook now available) and print on March 19 in Australia/NZ and April 5 overseas.

Check out my Book Room for info about A Place to Remember.

 

*Acquired savant syndrome, in which a person acquires prodigious capabilities or skills following dementia, a head injury or concussion, epilepsy or other disturbances.

 

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Author, Tess Woods, Writes To Her 18 y.o Self #giveaway

So Tess,

You’re eighteen – finally old enough to go out clubbing after five months of university purgatory where you were the youngest. Here’s some life pointers from your forty-three year old self:

  • That guy you’re in love with? Babe, he’s just not that into you, he never will be and he’s actually a bit of a tool. Let it go! Now that guy who is your great friend but you don’t want to risk the friendship by taking it to the next level? Yeah, him. I’m here to tell you the friendship dies anyway, so go for it – when he tries to kiss you in a few months at The Metro, let him!
  • Stop freaking out about your hair. They’re about to invent this thing called GHD – it’s a ceramic hair straightener. Sit tight, it’s coming and it will solve all your problems.
  • Ignore your dad when he tells you that no man will want you because you’re too opinionated and strong willed. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The relationships you have will be with men who love you for your strength of character so don’t question that for a minute. Also God is sending you a daughter called Lara as karma for your strong willed nature, just you wait!
  • Some serious stuff is going to go down between your mum and dad. Hang in there, I promise it will all be okay in the end and the fears and worries you’ve been carrying around like a lead weight in your gut for your whole life about the situation at home will all be resolved in the next few years. It’s going to get really ugly first, but you’ll all come out the other side just fine.
  • Take your Ventolin inhaler everywhere, don’t be lazy with it.
  • Don’t waste any time worrying that you won’t get married and have children, I know this is the main thing you want in life, so let me tell you, it happens okay? Now go and live it up, you’re young, go have fun with your friends and forget about finding Mr Right! Btw, the first two guys you think are Mr Right are actually your practice runs. The third one is the keeper!
  • You’ll still be super close to your childhood bestie when you’re in your forties. I know you’re worried now because you’ve gone to different universities and she’s hanging out with actors while you hang out physios and doctors but through thick and thin, she’s going stick with you forever and she’ll be right beside you in your darkest moments.
  • Eat less crap. You’re forming bad habits and I’m paying the price here!
  • When you fail your first year of university and are completely devastated, don’t be, you’re about to have the most amazing year ever and you’ll be really glad you failed.
  • Guess what, you still love Sting and Pat Cash at forty-three! And they are both still HOT!
  • When your friend Jess tells you that she feels like her life is pointless and then goes to get in her car – DO NOT let her get in that car. Take her for a coffee or you’ll be heartbroken forever.
  • Brad Pitt doesn’t marry Gwyneth Paltrow, I think you should be prepared for this.
  • That passion you have for human rights will only get stronger with time. You do great stuff here, you should be proud! And they free Nelson Mandela, he becomes the leader of South Africa – no shit!
  • Stop aiming for perfect, it’s never going to happen. You will continue to make monumental stuff ups, lots of them. It’s always okay in the end.
  • Finally, don’t throw anything out. All your old crap will become retro this and retro that. Hang onto everything and wait for eBay to get invented.

Love from your much-older-ever-so-slightly-wiser-still-mostly-hasn’t-got-her-shit-together-yet-self!

Tess Woods- smaller photoLove at First Flight Print CoverAbout Tess Woods:

Tess Woods is a physiotherapist who lives in Perth, Australia with one husband, two children, one dog and one cat wo rules over all of them. Her debut novel, Love at First Flight, first released as an eBook in April 2015, received worldwide critical acclaim, hit the best-seller charts in Australia and was voted Book of the Year in the AusRom Today Reader’s Choice Awards 2015. Tess was also top ten nominated as Best New Author. Love at First Flight is the first HarperCollins Australia digital book acquisition to be given a print release in August 2016. Tess’s short story, Destiny in a Day was released in the anthology Hot Stuff: Surfing Love and she is currently putting the finishing touches her second full-length novel, Beautiful Messy Love. When she isn’t working or being a personal assistant to her kids, Tess enjoys reading and all kinds of grannyish pleasures like knitting, baking, drinking tea, watching Downton Abbey and tending to the veggie patch.

You can learn more about Tess on her website www.tesswoods.com.au or you can connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

WIN! A signed copy is up for grabs.

Leave a comment or share online to go into the draw.

[bctt tweet=”What advice does @tesswoodsauthor give her 18 y.o self? #LetterToMyself https://www.jennjmcleod.com/blog/a-letter-to-myself-author-list” username=”jennjmcleod”]

Wanting to honour the lost art of letter writing through this blog series, I also opened my fourth novel with a character writing a letter. And not just any letter. It’s a story — perhaps the most important he’ll ever tell.

The Other Side of the SeasonReady for a sea change

Life is simple on top of the mountain for David, Matthew and Tilly until the winter of 1979 when tragedy strikes, starting a chain reaction that will ruin lives for years to come. Those who can, escape the Greenhill banana plantation on the outskirts of Coffs Harbour. One stays—trapped for the next thirty years on the mountain and haunted by memories and lost dreams. That is until the arrival of a curious young woman, named Sidney, whose love of family shows everyone the truth can heal, what’s wrong can be righted, the lost can be found, and . . . there’s another side to every story.

CLICK for more or leave a comment below for Tess.