Archives by Tag 'Culture'
To Blog or not to blog?
Today’s blog guest is one of the few bloggers I visit religiously. Her posts are funny, sassy, informative and relevant, plus she has a stellar line-up of visitors. Please welcome debut Carina Press author Rachael Johns who’s novel ONE PERFECT NIGHT is about to hit the shelves! So Rachael, to blog or not to blog… [...]
Time to give
The best part of Christmas is book shopping. Today was no exception! I’ve come home laden down with wonderful new stories and I’m only sorry I can’t read them all before I give them away… That would be wrong wouldn’t it… Still it would be nice… Ok, ok, I’ll behave…. promise… So, here’s the list. [...]
Australian Women Writers 2012 National Year of Reading Challenge
Australian Women Writers 2012 National Year of Reading Challenge Keen on romance, fantasy, crime, YA, literary, mainstream women’s fiction? Contemporary or historical? Memoir, other nonfiction or poetry? Whatever your preference, whether you’re a fan of one genre or a devoted eclectic, the 2012 Australian Women Writers Book Reading & Reviewing Challenge invites you to celebrate [...]
Fiction or Faction
Did you ever going looking in the back of wardrobes to see if you could find a way into Narnia? I did. Frequently. I’ve stopped now… Two unrelated posts on Face book and a friend’s blog made me pause this morning and contemplate how some stories become part of our ordinary world. Kylie Griffin posted [...]
What Qantas did for Australia
It’s a funny old world. A week ago the average Australian probably didn’t even know what Fair Work Australia was, let alone how it impacted on them. Since Alan Joyce staged his company ‘stop work meeting’, most Australians are now experts on our Industrial Relations laws. Over the last three days I’ve had animated (and [...]
Dave Delaney – Aussie Bush Poet
For me Bush Poetry is an integral part of the Australian landscape. It’s as important as the Simpson Desert or the Great Barrier Reef, as Aussie as a game of Two-Up on Anzac Day, and as colloquial as ‘g’day’ or ‘she’ll be right’. I’ve never been brave enough to write a bush poem, but I [...]
At Home with Monica McInerney
Today I welcome Monica McInerney to my corner of the web. I’ve been a devoted reader since I discovered one of her early stories, ‘Spin the Bottle,’ and now have a collection of her wonderful warm stories. She’s taken time out from her busy schedule to chat today. Monica, congratulations on your 2011 Romantic Book of the [...]
It’s all in the timing
Phew, what a week! Monday I hit ‘send’ and the latest draft of Burning Lies, book three in my Border Watch series, hurtled off through cyberspace to my agent. I’m waiting to hear her verdict, trying not to be too anxious… Tuesday I packed my bags, mowed the grass, and passed my yearly aviation medical. [...]
It Takes a Village
Today my guest is Sophie, the lead character in Christine Stinson’s wonderful new novel, IT TAKES A VILLAGE, released by Pan Macmillan. I read Sophie’s story on flights to and from Sydney recently and could only be grateful I had empty seats next to me both times. I cried and laughed and cheered with Sophie. [...]
Happy 1st Birthday Aus Lit!
A couple of weeks ago I had a fascinating chat with Steve Rossiter, the man behind The Australian Literature Review. He was in Cairns scoping out the writing scene up here. After our chat he headed south to Mackay to launch the latest Aus Lit Anthology – Basics of Life. I was surprised how young [...]