Spring is here (and I'm old as)

I'm just sitting in our apartment in Brisbane looking at the cloudless sky and contemplating my birthday coming up. It's a big one, and my family is throwing me a party tonight at the local pub, just to make sure I'm aware of it. I never imagined I'd ever be this old, but then I didn't think I would write a book either. 

As some of you are aware, I'm having a book launch in New Zealand in September. It's been two years in the making, so I'm launching both novels at once. The Rototuna Library in Hamilton is organising it for me, and hopefully a few people will turn up. If not, I'll have lots of biscuits to keep me going.

In July I went to my friend and editor's launch of her true story about convict Hannah Rigby, entitled 'One Free Woman'. It was fascinating, and Jane gave me some inspiration for my own event. It was held in the Police Museum in Brisbane, which was fitting. They have free talks there every Sunday and I highly recommend them.

The details of my event can be found on my Facebook author's page, but for those who don't use social media, it's on Saturday 27th September at 1pm at this stage. I won't do pre-registration as that stops last minute guests attending. And like I said, you need to be there or be square—the choice is yours.

Another event I attended recently was the monthly meeting of Women Writers Queensland. I can't always get to these since I tend to cross the Tasman a bit, but they now do it on Zoom so people from overseas or the Back of Burke in Australia can tune in. They usually have a presentation of some sort, and this one featured Virginia Miranda, a successful Flash Fiction author. She organised a workshop, and I must say that as a short story/flash fiction writer I make a good novelist. Despite what people say, I can't get my thoughts down in 1500 words, let alone 200. One of the shortest flash fiction stories I believe was written by Ernest Hemingway. It has just six words, but speaks a thousand: 

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

A discovery I made whilst researching for my third novel got me quite excited, although it doesn't take much sometimes. I've been trying to find the graves of two of my main characters, Colin and Catherine Greenwood, and, thanks to a diligent person on Findagrave, who took photos of every gravestone in a cemetery at Eastbourne in England, I ended up with three for the price of one—Colin, Catherine and his wife Elizabeth in the one plot.

Colin, Elizabeth and Catherine Greenwood

As usual this month I've listened to a number of audiobooks, mostly crime and thrillers but not all. They are:

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke

His and Hers by Alice Feeney

The Cleaner by Paul Cleave

Lilac Ink by Jean Grainger

Both His and Hers and The Cleaner are available to watch, although I'm not sure I'm game. It's a bit different when you're just listening!

My last piece of news this month, which also got me excited, was finding out my third book has been accepted by Lighthouse Pr NZ Book Publicity. They will pitch it to radio and magazines, and if it does ok it will help sales of my first two. I have to finish it yet though! They wanted to see the first three chapters so I suppose that means it's not too bad so far😉

 www.lighthousepr.co.nz

That's all for another month folks. My next blog will be from NZ. Until then,

Arohanui xo