Greetings from the (not so) Sunny Coast

Kulangoor tiny home

Here I go again, last day of the month, just managing to stick to my self-imposed timetable for blog/newsletter updates. This time around enjoying a Mothers Day/Neil's birthday lunch organised by our daughter, up in our tiny home in Queensland, Australia.

The most newsworthy thing this month would have to be my writing retreat in Coromandel, NZ. For those who don't know, it's a beautiful, wild and woolly region of the North Island, which I'm embarrassed to say I had never explored until last week. Here are some pics:

Thanks to stephanieparkyn.com for organising and to hikeandbike.co.nz for an awesome day out. I learned a lot and made new friends from Australia and New Zealand, whilst testing my 'endurance' in the bush .

The next NZ time away will be in Gisborne (Tairāwhiti), where I will attending a three day hui run by one of our legendary Māori authors, Witi Ihimaera. I was rapt when I found out I had secured a spot as there are were only 50 available. The program will involve various workshops and outings, but because I'm not intrepid I shall be staying in a motel room rather than on the marae. A wimp? Yes, correct.

Some of you may have seen a post on my facebook author page (facebook.com/donnagoodacrebooks) that I'm offering my ebook for free on Bookfunnel for a limited time. I was inspired by my latest US$.15 royalty payment for an ebook on Amazon Kindle. I'd rather have people read it for nothing than make enough for... um ... a single piece of gum? Some paper clips? A pencil? Anyway, this is the link:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7zowquyi2g

Time for another pic. This typo always gives me a laugh. (If only it were true).

Lol

As usual I've listened to a few more audiobooks, but the one that stands out is 'The Freedom of Birds' by writer/environmentalist/retreat organiser Stephanie Parkyn. See link to her website above. A fellow historical fiction author (but much better), Steph paints a captivating and graphic picture of what it would be like growing up in a theatre troupe as a child in Paris during the Napoleonic Wars. Well worth a look.

Finally, since it's now 02/06/25 and well over my deadline, I'll finish off with a poem written by my friend Glenn, with whom I went to uni many decades ago. He nicknamed me Domba Kembradook, for reasons I've forgotten, but the Domba has followed me ever since:

My dear Domba Kembradook

Please write another book

Your family's stories do enthrall

And leave the reader wanting more

A trilogy would seem to me

A perfect literary symmetry

Mothers Day flowers xo

PS: I'm 10k words into 'Unbroken Spirits', aiming to be finished by the end of the year. The next blog update should be from somewhere in Toronto, if all goes according to plan. How could it not? xx