Sunday Salon: Aussie authors mini reviews

My reviewing goal for the last couple of years has been to review all historical fiction and all Australian authors I read. It turns out I am a bit behind on both of these! August is also Aussie Author August so today I am doing two mini reviews for Aussie books I have read recently! I was going to be doing three mini reviews, but I had so much to say about the third book that it became a full review which I will post later this week!

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConnaghey

Confession time. I am part of a read on a theme book club. There are times when we are choosing the next theme that I may nominate themes that would force me to read something I already have on my schedule. This month is one of those months given that this book was one that I chose to read for a GR Summer Challenge prompt. The theme that we chose was "environment" which I feel would probably work for any of Charlotte McConaghy's books

When a woman is washed up on the shore of Shearwater Island, an isolated island not far from Antarctica, it complete turns the lives of the four inhabitants upside down. Once upon a time, this was an island that was home to many researchers, but now it is just home to Dominic Salt and his three children Raff, Fen and Orly. They too are packing up to leave. Their last task is to take the essential seeds from the world's largest seedbank to save them. The rest are going to be left to Mother Nature. Shearwater is now too dangerous for human occupation with the sea levels rapidly rising. 

As Dom and his family nurse the woman, Rowan, back to health, she begins to notice that there are a number of things that don't make sense. He's lying to her, and she doesn't know what about. Then again, she hasn't been honest about why she was trying so hard to get to Shearwater either. There are layer upon layer of secrets that need to unravel before we get to the end of the book

All of the characters in this book are damaged by various events from their lives, and we see them trying to make sense of the world that they love as it is being torn apart by forces outside their control. There is grief, a lot of grief, anger, feelings of betrayal at what they are being asked to and so much more.

Charlotte McConnaghey is an author who I have wanted to read for a while. Now that I have read one of her books I am absolutely going to have to go and read them all. I will say I was quite surprised by the ending of this book. I hope they don't all end in a similar way.

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

This is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series and Ern and his partner Juliette find themselves at a private bank in a small country town. The reason they are there is that they have decided to set up a detective agency so that they can be paid for solving crimes. However, things take a turn when their visit to the bank turns into a hostage situation. It soon becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

Given that they are all locked inside the bank, when a body is found, it is clear that someone inside the bank is a murderer, but who and why.

Right from page 1 we know that Ern has managed to get himself into another deadly situation. The question is, will he be able to survive long enough to tell us the whole story so we know exactly who the murderer was, and who stole what!

There was at least one decision that Ernie makes that made me go.....huh? Why would he do that! Some days I feel sorry for Juliette, but I guess that she knows what to expect from Ern by now!

I had nominated this as one of my 20 Books of Winter. Hopefully by the time we put together next year's list there will be another Ernest Cunningham that I can read and enjoy!

Italy and Forever by Leonie Mack

This is the fourth, and sadly, the final book in the Adventure Weddings series (also known as the Wedding Planners series) which features characters who work at two companies that undertake an unusual merger. When an adventure travel company combines with a wedding planning company, the service that the new company offers is weddings set in unusual destinations, often with some adventure sports mixed into the wedding plan.

Throughout the series, we have heard about the employees of the new company and seen them meet their loves. Ginny is happy for her loved up friends, but she has not been as lucky. As a result, she has decided that she isn't going to try anymore and she is going on a dating band. After all she has a wedding to organise, all while doing double duty as bridesmaid!

The wedding is for mountain climber Andreas and her friend and colleague Sophie who we met in the first book in the series. They are getting married in Northern Italy, an area of extreme mountainous beauty and crystal-clear lakes. The biggest headache that Ginny has is that she needs a wedding photographer and she has run out of options.

Rhys is a photographer but not usually of weddings. He loves taking photos in extreme situations and nature photos but not of people. Rhys prefers to work alone, and comes across as being very grumpy, and he exasperates Ginny quite regularly. When he finally agrees to do the job, he knows that it is going to be very challenging. What Ginny doesn't know is that Rhys had an accident years before which has left him with a condition which certainly explains why he is the way he is!

What Ginny doesn't expect is for her constant annoyance with Rhys to transform into a powerful attraction which is hard to resist. After all, she is on a dating ban, and he is all sorts of wrong for her. Not only is he always grumpy, he is also a good deal older than her. 

As for Rhys, he was very hurt when his last serious relationship ended. He is not averse to the idea of a flirtation with Ginny but he has plans that he hasn't shared with anyone, so there is no future in it. They are wrong for each other on so many levels, and yet, they work.

Now, Ginny is juggling keeping her growing attachment to Rhys a secret, weathering the unusual wedding traditions that the groom's friends seem to be insisting must be part of the wedding, and hope that the groom can resist the call of the nearby climbable mountains. It's a lot!

Given that it is the last book in the series, we do get to see all of the characters we came to love, and the unusual Italian settings that are so important to this series. 

I have now read twelve books by Leonie Mack and I look forward to each new one as it comes up. I love that she writes about more unusual settings, such as this area of Italy and that she often includes outdoor activities like the mountain climbing. I am never actually going to go mountain climbing but I do enjoy reading about it! Now that this series is done, I am excited to see what Leonie Mack comes up with next!  If you love books with great settings, humour, and good characters, please give Leonie Mack a go!

Here are my reviews of the other books in this series (although it doesn't look like I reviewed the third book. Whoops!)

An Italian Wedding Adventure

A Winter Wedding Adventure

An Italian Island Love Story

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and also counts for Aussie Author August. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

Rating 4/5

Kate Forsyth guest post

I am very excited to welcome Aussie author Kate Forsyth to my blog today! I am currently reading Bitter Greens and really, really loving it! As soon as I was contacted about her book, I knew that the mix of historical fiction and fairytale retellings was something I wanted to read!

Kate Forsyth’s Twelve Most Spell-Binding Fairytale Retellings ever (and One Dark and Strange and Powerful)

I have always loved fairytale retellings, and will buy one as soon as I see one, particularly if it has a gorgeous cover. Today, for your reading pleasure, I have chosen twelve beautiful, romantic and spellbinding books for you, plus one which – like the thirteenth fairy who fails to be invited to the christening party – is dark and strange and full of power.

 The Glass Slipper by Eleanor Farjeon

I read this retelling of the Cinderella fairytale while walking home from primary school one day and was so entranced I walked straight past the turnoff to my street. I might have kept walking for hours if a neighbour hadn’t driven past and honked me back to reality.

I love this book so much that I named my daughter Eleanor after the writer, with her pet name being Ella after the heroine. The Glass Slipper is full of wit and charm and whimsy and word play, the prose dancing like poetry. After I left my primary school, my one regret was that I hadn’t smuggled the book out of the library in my school bag and kept it.

Years later, I found it in a second-hand shop and fell upon it with squeals of excitement. This is very much a classic children’s book, published in 1955 – the Prince does no more than kiss Ella’s hand – but it is so full of joy and innocence, it will always be one of the most magical books of my life.

For 8+



The Stone Cage by Nicholas Stuart Gray


A beautiful retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale, told from the point of view of the witch’s cat, this is an absolute classic fairytale retelling. Reading this as a child is what first made me think of writing my own Rapunzel tale – I wanted to make my heroine a little feistier than Nicholas Stuart Gray’s sweet and loving Rapunzel.

What I love most about this book is the personalities of the witch’s cat and the witch’s raven – one is arrogant, selfish and smart-mouthed, the other serious-minded and scholarly.

For 8+

Cold Iron by Sophie Masson

Published as Malkin in the US, this is a retelling of the English fairytale ‘Tattercoats’, interwoven with elements of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream’. ‘Tattercoats’ is a Cinderella type story, about a persecuted heroine, but in this book it is not the sweet and maltreated Tattercoats who is the heroine, but the brave and feisty serving-girl Malkin, and her friend, the goose-boy Pug. Cold Iron is a small book, but packed to the brim with personality. Sophie Masson writes with a light, deft touch, lavishing attention on her minor characters and on the scenery, so that the book gleams like a little jewel.

For 8+

Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill

This is a wonderful fresh take on the Pied Piper legend, which explores why the Piper may have lured away all the children of the town of Hameln and what may have happened to them afterwards. The primary protagonists are Mari and her little brother Jakob, and the land they have been taken to is a place of wild magic, fearsome beasts, and an ancient curse than must be broken if they are ever to escape. The writing is beautiful, and the story itself gripping and suspenseful. I’m surprised this wonderful book is not better known.

For 8+

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

I thought, from the title, that this must be a Cinderella- retelling, but it is in fact ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’ which Jessica Day George has re-told in this sweet and atmospheric novel. Even though Jessica Day George has done a classic retelling here, in a fantasy otherworld very much like Europe, and with the plot line adhering closely to the original tale, she has done it with a light touch, a sense of humour, and just enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. A captivating fairytale retelling.

For 8+

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Since being made into a movie with the beautiful young Anne Hathaway, Ella Enchanted is possibly the best known retelling of Cinderella. As always, though, the book is much better than the movie, being filled with humour and surprise and intelligence.

At birth, Ella is given the gift of obedience by a well-meaning but air-brained fairy called Lucinda. The gift is more of a curse for poor Ella, and so she sets out to find Lucinda and undo the spell. She has all sorts of adventures along the way, some of which include a prince, a pumpkin coach and a glass slipper, but Gail Carson Levine takes great delight in twisting the known elements of this most popular of tales to give it new life.

12+

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl was Shannon Hale’s first book, and launched her career. It is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers story ‘The Goose Girl’, which is one of the lesser known tales but still filled with a few gruesome touches, like a dead horse’s head that talks.

Ani, a crown princess, can talk with birds and animals, but her talents are not appreciated in the royal family. When Ani is sent off to marry the prince of a neighbouring kingdom, her treacherous maid-in-waiting schemes to take her place. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl while she tries to find a way to reclaim her rightful palace. With some surprising twists and a satisfying ending, this is a lovely romantic retelling, suitable for children or adults.

For 12+

North Child by Edith Pattou

Known as East in the US, this beguiling book is a retelling of a traditional Norwegian fairytale ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’, which is an Animal Bridegroom type story.

Rose was born into the world facing north, and as a north child, superstition says that she will be a wanderer, travelling far from home. This prophecy is fulfilled when she rides away on the back of a white bear to a mysterious castle, where a silent stranger appears to her night after night. When her curiosity overcomes her, she loses her one true love, and must journey to a land east of the sun and west of the moon to save him.

For 12+

A Curse As Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

I love fairytale retellings that are set in the real world, at a real time in history – somehow they make the fairytale seem so much more possible. A Curse As Dark as Gold was one of my favourite reads last year – a beautiful, romantic retelling of the well-known Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, set in a British wool town during the Industrial Revolution. This story is really brought to life by the atmosphere of the mill, the heroine’s family home which is being threatened with closure. It also has a really charismatic and surprising villain, which helped add suspense and surprise to this well-known tale.

For 12+

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis

I had adored C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series as a child and so one day, while staying with my great-aunts, I found this book on a bookshelf and sat down on the floor to look at it. The first line reads: ‘I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods.’

Entranced, I read on to the end, devouring the book in a single sitting. Till We Have Faces is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, which is not properly a fairytale, except in its obvious similarity to Animal Bridegroom tales such as ‘Beauty & the Beast’ and ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’. It is, however, still one of my all-time favourite retellings.

For 16+

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

This is a heart-rending retelling of ‘All-Kinds’-of-Fur’, the Grimm tale about a king who falls in love with her daughter and seeks to marry her. Known under different names in different cultures, it’s probably best known as Tattercoats, Catskin, or Donkeyskin. In some versions of the tale, the princess manages to outwit and escape her lustful father, before hiding herself in the skin of a wild beast and working in the kitchen of the king of a neighbouring country. In time, the second king comes to recognise the princess hidden beneath the filthy furs, and marries her.

In Robin McKinley’s novel, the daughter does not escape until she has been raped by her father, making this one of the most powerful, and ultimately redemptive, novels ever written about incest.

Robin McKinley has written many other beloved fairytale retellings, including Beauty and Rose Daughter (both retellings of ‘Beauty & the Beast’) and Spindle’s End (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty), but I think Deerskin is her most powerful and compelling.

For 16+

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

A retelling of the Six Swans fairytale, this was Australian author Juliet Marillier’s first published book. Although she has written a number of gorgeous, spell-binding fairytale retellings since – including Heart’s Blood (‘Beauty & the Beast’) and Wildwood Dancing (Twelve Dancing Princesses),

Daughter of the Forest is still my favourite. It is set long, long ago, in Ireland, and begins when Sorcha, the seventh child of the family and the only girl, is only a child. The whole atmosphere of the book is filled with romance, enchantment, beauty and danger, making it one of the best retellings ever written (in my humble opinion).

For 16+

And the thirteenth fairy tale is:

White As Snow by Tanith Lee

Tanith Lee has been called "the Angela Carter of the fantasy field" for her dark and sensuous prose. This is one of the strangest and yet most compelling fairytale retellings I’ve ever read. It is so filled with violence and despair, it is almost unreadable in parts. Yet somehow it haunts the imagination afterwards, giving new depths to the well-known story of Snow-White, and taking it very far away from Disney territory.

Arpazia is the queen cold as snow who gives birth to a daughter with hair black as night and lips as red as blood ... but she hates her daughter, who was conceived when she was raped by her father’s murderer, the night his castle was taken and sacked. The daughter Coira grows up alone and unloved, longing for her mother’s attention. But Arpazia is drawn to the dark and bloody old ways, and has no time for her daughter – indeed, she hires someone to kill her. He is the manager of a travelling sideshow which features seven midgets who dress up as the Seven Deadly Sins ... and so the story goes on, with each scene blacker and more grotesque than the scene that came before. This is not a fairytale for the light-hearted, let alone for children – but it does show the amazing ability of fairy tales to contain many different levels of meaning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate Forsyth is the bestselling and award-winning author of 25 books for children and adults, translated into 10 languages.

Her latest book for adults, Bitter Greens, interweaves a retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale with the scandalous life story of one of its first tellers, the 17th century French writer Charlotte-Rose de la Force. Australian Bookseller & Publisher described Bitter Greens as “magnificent” and said that Kate “has an extraordinary imagination”.

You can read more about her at www.kateforsyth.com.au .






This post may be of interest to anyone participating in the following challenges:

I'm here....and there!

Whilst I am here blogging today (the Library Loot post is scheduled to go up later today), I am also at Booklover Book Reviews as the guest for April as part of the Aussie Author Challenge.

I vent a little bit about something that bugs me about book titles and I spotlight Margo Lanagan!

Thanks again to Jo for the opportunity to guest post!

Weekend Cooking: MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish

Last year I posted about going out to eat tapas at Movida Aqui - good weather, good food, good company, good times!

In that post I mentioned that there were a couple of Movida cookbooks. I had actually borrowed one of them from the library not long after going to eat there but it was when my oven wasn't working and as I looked through I didn't really find much to make. I suspected that I possibly hadn't given the book a fair go so I reborrowed it. This time, I had a lot more success in terms of finding recipes that had my mouth watering.

The book itself is a lovely object. The paper is thick with a matt finish - kind of rustic really - with lots of photos of not only some of the recipes but also artistic photos of various ingredients and the occasional photo of the original Movida restaurant.

One of the things that I love when I read a cookbook that features food from another culture is how the author connects with that particular food or regions. In this case, Frank Camorra is of Spanish descent and talks about growing up in Australia with Spanish parents who brought many of their Spanish traditions to life during his childhood. He also talks about travelling through Spain finding new recipes and ideas to bring back to the restaurant that he planned to open and how they have adapted some of these recipes for restaurant use.

There were quite a few recipes that I think I am going to have to try including Patatas a lo Pobre (Slow-Cooked Potatoes with Onion and Capsicums) and Pollo al Chilindron (Pyrenees Chicken with Paprika, Tomato and Capsicums). I am intending to borrow the next cookbook and see what is in that one too. I can see myself reborrowing this one again as well. Or heck, maybe even buying it! I was also thinking that it must be time for me to head back to the Movida tapas bars and try a few new tasty treats.

Today I thought I would share a recipe for Torrija. In the introduction to the dessert section, the authors say that this recipe is usually only eaten at Easter in Spain, "but here in Australia, untied from the bindings of tradition, we are free to make this and other festive desserts at any time of the year." In the introduction to this recipe, Frank Camorra calls this "extreme French toast - beautiful, golden slices of fried bread soaked in a cream and citrus infusion and slathered in honey and sherry syrup." He shares that his mother used to make a huge batch with the intention that they would last all Easter but they would be gone by the end of the day! Apparently they are also good with vanilla ice cream and a little glass of Pedro Ximenez sherry.

Torrijas (Fried Milk Pudding Dusted with Cinnamon and Honey)

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) milk
1 litre (35 fl oz/5 cups) pouring (whipping) cream
rind of 2 oranges, cut into large strips
rind of 2 lemons, cut into large strips
175g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
2 loaves 2-day-old pasta dura or other firm crusty bread, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick slices)
480g (1 lb 1 oz/1 and a third cups) honey
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) oloroso sherry
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
180 g (6 and a quarter oz/3 quarters cup) caster (superfine) sugar, extra
6 eggs
100g (3 and a half oz) unsalted butter

Put the milk, cream, orange and lemon rind, sugar and two of the cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan over low heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to lukewarm (this should take 30-45 minutes).

Strain the lukewarm milk mixture into a shallow bowl, large enough to hold all the bread. Soak the bread in the milk for 30 minutes.

In another saucepan make the jarabe by heating the honey, sherry, remaining cinnamon sticks and 250ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water over high heat. Just before boiling point, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. The syrup should still be quite runny, but thickened slightly.

Make cinnamon sugar by sifting the cinnamon and extra sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Lift the bread from the milk and drain for a few seconds before placing it into the beaten egg. Cover the bread very well, as this will form a seal and keep the flavoured milk and cream in the bread when fried.

Cook the bread, in two batches, for 2 minutes each side, or until golden, adding more butter as needed. Remove the bread from the pan and briefly drain on paper towel. Dust the fried bread with cinnamon sugar. Place in a non-metallic tray in a single layer adn cover with the jarabe while still warm.

When ready to serve, pile the torrijas high on a serving plate and spoon over a little of the residual jarabe.

Note: This recipe makes a lot of torrija, but it is a traditional family dish - for a large family.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. For more information, see the welcome post.

Currently reading: Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

I should be at book club tonight discussing this book. There are two reasons why I am not. The first is that I am only half way through the book despite the fact that I was very pleased when this was announced as the choice for this month. I actually went and heard Geraldine Brooks talk when she came to Melbourne last year and she also signed my copy of the book so it was a great excuse to finally actually read the book!

The second and most important reason is that it is the school holidays and the boy invited a friend over for a sleepover. He then rang and asked if it is okay and my answer was not really because I was going to be out tonight and at work tomorrow. It turned out that the friend was already in the driveway - fait accompli. I figured that it would be best if I actually was at home at least tonight.

I am just over half way through the book and I am enjoying it. I generally like Brooks' writing but I have, in the past, had issues with her endings. It will be interesting to see if that is the case with this book. I am kind of wondering about the title, Caleb's Crossing. Yes, there is an important character called Caleb but his story is not the main focus of the book as such. The main character is a young girl, Bethia, and so far she has had more than her fair share of hardship. I just reread my post about her visit last year and am reminded that she actually talked about the reason for using Bethia as the narrator during her talk.

Below are the synopsis and the trailer:

In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. From the few facts that survive of his extraordinary life, Geraldine Brooks creates a luminous tale of love and faith,  magic and adventure. 


When Bethia Mayfield, a spirited twelve-year-old living in the rigid confines of an English Puritan settlement - and the daughter of a Calvinist minister - meets Caleb, young son of a Wampanoag chieftain, the two forge a secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. 


As Bethia's father feels called to convert the Wampanoag to his own strict faith, he awakens the wrath of the medicine men. Caleb becomes a prize in this contest between old ways and new, eventually taking his place at Harvard, studying Latin and Greek alongside the sons of the colonial elite. 


Fighting for a voice in a society that requires her silence,  Bethia becomes entangled in Caleb's struggle to navigate the intellectual and cultural shoals that divide their two cultures. 


Once again, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks brings to vivid life a shard of little-known history, and through Bethia and Caleb explores the intimate spaces of the human heart.

Sunday Salon: Announcing....

Normally for this particular Sunday Salon (being the first one in April) I would bring you my reading stats for the month of March, but I have far too many other things to talk about so that will have to wait until next week.

First up, some Historical Tapestry news.

On Monday, Australian author Kate Forsyth will be guest blogging as part of the blog tour to celebrate her new book, Bitter Greens. The book is a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale set in 17th century France and Venice! And there will be an international giveaway as well!

From April 9 to 16, we are going to be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic with Titanic week.

There are going to be guest posts, book reviews, giveaways and more, as well as some brief facts of what was going on in relation to the Titanic 100 years ago each day. These have actually already started!

Later in the year we will also be having another exciting event. A few years ago we had Jean Plaidy Season and then Anya Seton Season. This year, we are pleased to be hosting Daphne du Maurier Season.

Again, there will be guest posts and book reviews and more.

You can also be involved. Do you love Daphne du Maurier? Or maybe adore a specific book that she has written? Are you an author who has been influenced by the work of Daphne du Maurier? If so, we would love to have you guest posting for us as part of the season. Either leave a comment on this post and we will contact you or send an email to us at Historical Tapestry.

Today is also the start of Aussie Author Month which is an initiative that was started last year by a group of bloggers and booksellers who wanted to have a month long celebration of all things bookish and Aussie! It also ties in nicely with the Australian Women Writers Challenge!

There is now a number of ways you can participate - there is a dedicated Aussie Author Month blog, you can follow on Facebook, or if Twitter is your game you can follow the #ausbooks.

On the blog there are some posting prompts if you are interested, and also details of how to donate to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

*Important Note* - all fundraising is being done through Go Fundraise and no money should be collected by individual participants. The Aussie Author month fundraising page can be found here.

I am working on a feature for later this month and will be linking up some of my reviews as well! If you are interested in signing up whether it be for just a couple of posts or for lots of posts then click on this link! We hope you will join us!

Here is a link that will show you the posts that I linked up to Aussie Author Month last year!

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan

Yellowcake brings together ten fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking short stories from the extraordinarily talented author of Black Juice, Red Spikes and Tender Morsels.

Normally on a Saturday I do a Weekend Cooking post, and given that the title of this book has cake in it, I really thought about including this post as Weekend Cooking, but really there is not a lot to do with food in this book, and the term yellowcake is often associated with uranium, so the link would be tenuous at the least! Instead, you get a straight review.

Margo Lanagan is an author I had heard a bit about before, and had recommended to me a few times by various people. When I saw that she had a new short story collection coming out, and it coincided with Aussie Author Month in April, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to try a new to me author. I am now a fan, and I am trying to track down as much of her work as I can find.
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This is a collection of stories that have been published in various places over a number of years, with only one being previously unpublished.

Bearing in mind that at this stage I have only read the ten stories in this collection, Margo Lanagan seems to see the world a little differently than the rest of us and has an extremely fertile imagination. All of the stories in this collection are standalone, some of them show a world that is recognisable as being allied to our everyday life, but others are completely different. Some of the stories are poignant, others are confronting, and some are dark, but all of them are supremely crafted.

This wasn't a short story collection to read one after the other. For the most part I read a story and then took time to think about it before moving onto the next, so as a result it took me a while to read the whole collection. Whilst I love to read a book that I just can't put down, there is also something ultimately satisfying about taking your time and savouring each individual story. Yellowcake is definitely a collection to be savoured.

Here are my thoughts about each of the stories in the collection:

The Point of Roses - young kids meet some Travellers and play a game where the travellers have to guess what three items that Billy has bought with them. What they don't realise is that the residue from the three items settles over the Billy's family as well, forcing his grandfather Corin to reevaluate his life including his feelings for his wife and the way he has interacted with his children. One of the three items was a rose as referred to in the title of the story, and one of the items was a spinning ashtray. My dad had one of the spinning ashtrays when I was little, and my sister and I used to love spinning the ashes away. Makes me shudder a little to think about that now! Loved this story.

The Golden Shroud  - What happens when Rapunzel's hair takes on a life of it's own. So much fun!

A Fine Magic - a young man is rebuffed by two sisters and takes his revenge in a most unlikely fashion.The story features a carousel, and the rhythm of the storytelling definitely had me seeing and feeling the music and the motion of a carousel in motion.

An Honest Day's Work - Interesting story about a monster that is bought in from the sea and then large groups of men need to get to work on dismembering.  I didn't dislike it, but felt more disturbed by this one.  It was interesting to read that this story was inspired by the ship breaking that is done in India. Old ships that have reached the end of their life are taken to this coast and are slowly dismantled, removing all the items that can be reused. I had seen this mentioned before in Jojo Moyes book Ship of Brides, when one of the characters is travelling along the coast and sees the ship that she travelled to the UK on as a war bride.

Into the Clouds on High - only new story in the collection, and had an ethereal quality to it. Marcus's mother has been preparing him for this day, the day when she can literally no longer keep her feet on the ground.

Night of the Firstlings - retelling of the first Passover and the Exodus. I liked this one a lot, especially the final scene. I must confess that I had never thought about the fact that the floor of the Red Sea would have been anything other than smooth walking before.

Ferryman  - this was the first story I read out the collection - instantly made me think of the song Don't Pay the Ferryman. Sharon is going to follow in her father's career footsteps, but what happens when he is the ferryman who rows the dead across the river Styx.

Heads - didn't like this one as much as some of the other stories mainly because it was quite confronting. It is however a powerful piece on the effect of war, particularly on the young.

Living Curiosities - A man visits the circus to see all the freaks, and yet he ends up being the one who is observed. There are also ghosts, and a somewhat maniacal circus owner.

There were several quotes that I thought about posting from the collection, but I just loved this one, which also features the carousel.

And there in the golden glow I sat high-headed above the hats and feathers and turbans of the ghoulish crowd turned away from me. I wished the light were as warm as it looked; I wished the music were filling my ears. I dreamed - hard, as if the vehemence of my dreaming would make it happen - that my shiny black horse would surge forward beneath me, and that I would be spun away from this place and this night, lifted and lowered instead past Lake Geneva, past Constantinople, past Windermere and Tokyo Palace and Gay Paree, past Geneva again, and the Lake, again and again around the whole picturesque gilt-framed world, for as long as ever I needed.

Eyelids of the Dawn - a behemoth, that happens to be a suburban shopping centre complex, awakens and feels the need to wash itself clean of the human fleas by taking a dip in the ocean. This act is witnessed by two people - a young woman trying to settle her baby during the night and a milkman doing his early morning rounds.

Expect to hear more about Margo Lanagan on my blog in the future!

This book counts for both the Aussie Author Challenge, and Once Upon a Time V (short story peril)

Sunday Salon: Aussie Author Month wrap up

Last week I didn't post a Sunday Salon post because I was struggling to think of what to post and therefore I took a week off. This week, I have three posts running around in my head, but in the end it was an easy decision on which one to write about!

It is hard to believe that it is May already, and that Aussie Author Month is over, for this year at least.

Every year, one of my blogging goals is to read more Aussie authors, and Aussie Author Month has definitely helped me to work towards this goal. I might not necessarily have read them this month, but I have got several new authors that I am intending to read soon.

The other thing that happened this month is that I really discovered short stories, and these two things are linked, because I thought that short stories would be the best way to introduce myself to as many new authors as possible in a short period of time. I didn't post about as many of them as I would like, but definitely enjoyed reading them more than I expected to. I may get to post about some more of them eventually.

So here's a recap of my Aussie Author Month.

Guest posts from Tansy Rayner Roberts, Sara Foster and Elisabeth Storrs.

Recap of Australian Romance Reader's Convention Part 1 and Part 2.

Reviews: Relentless Adaptations by Tansy Rayner Roberts (short story), Ransom by David Malouf, the Carmine Island stories from Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres.

In addition to the authors mentioned above who were all new to me authors, I also read Sarah Mayberry, Heather Boyd, Stephanie Laurens (yes, I know, as a historical romance reader it is way past time that I have read her), Thoraiya Dyer, Sean Williams, Stephanie Campisi, Peter M Ball, Simon Brown, Margo Lanagan and Gabrielle Wang.

Just a couple of things to finish up!

The winners of the giveaway of two copies of The Wedding Shroud by Elisabeth Storrs are:

Maja and Bree

I have sent an email to each of you. Once I have your contact details I will forward those on to the publishers and get your prize on it's way to you!

Finally, thank you to everyone who participated in Aussie Author Month by posting, commenting, tweeting, donating to the Indigenous Literacy Project (it's not too late to donate to this excellent cause), posting on our Facebook page, and thank you to the other organisers for asking me to be part of it.

I look forward to Aussie Author Month being back, bigger and better, next year.

Teaser Tuesday: Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang

It's only fitting that for this final Tuesday of Aussie Author Month that my teaser for Teaser Tuesday comes from an Aussie author. It is also fitting that the day after Anzac Day, the book is set during WWII. 

The teaser comes from page 122 of Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang:

Slowly, carefully, she tucked the pouch into the corner of her suitcase. But at the same time she made a promise to herself: no matter what had been predicted, she was going to fight for JJ, fight to keep him, fight for their future together.

Isn't the cover on this book gorgeous! Even more so when you realise that the image comes from a photo of the author's mother!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out  all about it, and how to join in!

Book Trailer: Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

I am not sure why, but I happened to be looking at the events section of one of the local bookstores here (whose website I don't visit very often) when I noticed that they had an event with Geraldine Brooks coming up soon! A quick email to one of my friends who likes bookish type events, and I have now booked for A Conversation with Geraldine Brooks! Can't wait!

In the meantime, here is the newly released book trailer for Caleb's Crossing. If you would like to know more, see the Q and A that I posted a few weeks ago.

Aussie Author Month: Elisabeth Storrs guest post **includes giveaway**

I am very excited today to welcome Elisabeth Storrs to my blog as part of Aussie Author Month to talk about her book and about getting the word out about her debut historical fiction novel! I am even more excited to be offering a giveaway of two copies of her book (with the gorgeous cover!). By the way, if you are interested in finding out more about Elisabeth's book, head over to Historical Tapestry, where Elisabeth wrote a fabulous guest post including lots of images of Ancient Etruscan art for us a while ago!

Elisabeth's Storrs first novel, The Wedding Shroud, is set in early Rome and Etruria, and was researched and written over a period of ten years. It was released last September by Pier 9 /Murdoch Books in Australia and New Zealand.  Elisabeth is currently writing the sequel which will be released in 2012. She lives with her husband and two sons in Sydney.

The ancient world has always held a fascination for me. It must be in my genes because one of my fondest memories is that of my father telling me stories about the Greek gods. As a kid, I also found a book in our house that had been handed down from generation to generation within my family entitled The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens. It was published in 1892.

This book has a leather cover, the spine frayed so that the webbing that binds the folios is exposed. The pages are mottled, yellowing. It is a treasure. Inside, the lives of the fickle, adulterous, benevolent or malevolent deities are revealed; their bickering and flaws similar to mortals but their ability to bless, curse and manipulate man’s fate, divine.

Discovering Berens was not enough. I want to read such tales in the language of those times. Nerd that I was, I eagerly studied Latin at school and then Ancient Greek at university while also learning the history that gives context to such literature. It was wonderful to at last be able to translate parts of the works of classical authors and philosophers such as Livy and Homer, Plato and Socrates, Euripides and Julius Caesar.

The greatest impact upon me was that of the poignant tale told by the Roman poet Virgil of Trojan Aeneas, and Dido, the queen of Carthage. How tragic their love was! For Aeneas, fated to found Rome, deserted Dido causing her to throw herself upon a pyre in despair as his ship sailed away.

My novel also tells a love story between two people from different worlds: Rome and Etruria (a civilization in Italy that predated the Roman republic.) A young Roman girl, Caecilia, is married to Mastarna, a nobleman from the Etruscan city of Veii, to seal a truce between two implacable enemies. She is determined to remain true to her Roman beliefs but finds herself grappling with conflicting moralities when she discovers a sophisticated culture that offers her independence and pleasure. She is also introduced to a mystical religion which gives her the chance to defer her destiny. And so the gods play their role in Caecilia’s life as she strives to woo the goddess of fate and avoid the demons of the Afterworld.

I researched the early Romans and Etruscans for ten years, sitting up reading history books into the night while setting aside two to four hours every week to write the novel. In that time I had to juggle the ups and downs of raising young children and running a business so I always looked forward to escaping into ancient times. I now have a contract to write the sequel so the chance to once again delve into the worlds of Rome and Veii is irresistible to me.

As Australia is such a small market, it was hard to find an agent and a publisher so I was lucky that Pier 9 was prepared to give a debut writer a chance. Promoting the novel has also proven to be quite a challenge. I’ve set up my own website www.elisabethstorrs.com which explains my journey and the inspiration for the book. I’ve also ventured into the world of Facebook and Twitter. I hope to start my own blog although the deadline for the sequel beckons! Local libraries have been very supportive in providing a venue for me to speak and I’ve enjoyed giving author talks to book clubs as well. Gaining publicity in the media, however, is very hard for an unknown novelist and so I was delighted to discover the blogging world with its wonderful community of historical fiction lovers. Ironically I’ve found it difficult to be reviewed in Australia; instead the most encouraging reviews have been from reviewers and bloggers in the USA which is fantastic. At present The Wedding Shroud can only be found in Australian and New Zealand but is available online at such retailers as www.dymocks.com.au,  www.booktopia.com.au, www.qbd.com.au, www.thenile.com.au  and other Australian online bookstores.

As for the myths of Greece and Rome, I still keep Berens beside my bed, a little piece of family history as well as a great resource. Sadly my father died a few years ago without reading my book. I think he would have liked learning about Etruria, I hope you will too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elisabeth is pleased to have two copies of The Wedding Shroud available to win for Australian readers! If possible, it would be great if the winners could review the book within two months of the competition to help spread the word. In addition, Elisabeth is always happy to be interviewed or provide guests posts as well so if you are interested in hosting Elisabeth please contact her through her website. 

To enter the giveaway click on the link to the form below. The giveaway is open to Australian residents, and will close at the end of Aussie Author Month - April 30.

Entry form

And in closing, here is the trailer for the book!

Sunday Salon: ARRC wrap up - Part 2

After last week's wrap up post of the Friday and Saturday of ARRC 2011, this week I am going to tell you about Sunday, at least what I can read of my notes!

I should note that this wrap up is in no way comprehensive. I am just attempting to give a taste of the sessions that I attended. If I was to type up all the notes I have, I would not only be here all night typing them up, but I am pretty sure I would lose readers!

The morning started at 9.30 on Sunday. I had gone to bed relatively early as I was trying to get my voice back, but I know that there were some hard partyers who struggled to get to the first session on time. It is yet another sign that I am getting old that just thought of that is tiring to me!

Cindy Gerard

Cindy Gerard was the third of the key note speakers, and was our US guest. She is a writer of romantic suspense, and the only one of the key note speakers that I hadn't already read.

She started her speech by declaring that Anna and Nalini had stolen her thunder, as she was going to talk about Australians in romance until Anna did that, and then she thought that she might speak about writing series, until Nalini did!

Cindy was funny and entertaining, and enjoyable to listen to even though she was a bit worried about speaking to readers not only authors. In the end she gave a speech on success. First though she talked a little about her road from reader to published author. She was very naive in that she sent her first manuscript to LaVyrle Spencer because she had answered some fan mail some time before. As a result of the feedback that she was given, Cindy joined Romance Writers of America.

Most of what Cindy talked about was about having the ability to confine, control and dominate self doubt, no matter whether you are talking about being a writer or about whatever avenue you are following in your life. She never knows where in the process self doubt would hit - could be starting a new book, could be in the copy edits, but it happens at least once in every book. What she has learnt is that she thought she was the only writer who felt like this, but it is true for a lot of them.

What she know she should do is eat security for breakfast and self doubt for lunch. the most important thing is to give yourself permission to be who you are and who you aren't.

She finished with saying despite the battle with self doubt she loves publishing, loves other authors, and loves readers. Even with lower than lows and higher than highs she is proud to be a romance writer.

Concurrent Session 3 - Up & Coming Authors

Left to Right in the picture:

Helene Young
Heather Boyd
Shannon Curtis
AB Gayle
Maggie Nash 
Jenny Brassel

This was another small session that ended up having really good interaction between the authors and the attendees, and I have to say that Jenny Brassel did a fabulous job of moderating the panel. She had loads of questions ready for the panel. I am not going to go through all of the responses, but they encompassed topics like

• What made them want to become a writer
• Were they a reader or a writer first
• What would you never write
• If you were not writing romance, what would you write
• What is your absolute favourite book and why
• Describe one of your character that you love
• What authors influenced you most
• What is the favourite book you have written?

Some of the conversation related to e-reading, what do readers want to see when it comes to promotion for up and coming authors, how do you find out about new books, what are deal breakers for readers in terms of content and where do you want to be in 5 years. I am pretty sure that one of our panellists wanted JR Rowling to be cleaning her bathroom, but I am not going to tell you which one!

I came away from the session definitely wanting to read more from most of these authors, and having thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between the panellists and the audience.

Concurrent Session 4 - Historical Romance

Anne Gracie

The final concurrent session that I attended was a conversation between Anne Gracie and Anna Campbell introduced by Jenny Brassel, and this was a very entertaining and fun session. You can tell that Anne and Anna are good friends and they just bounced off each other throughout the session. They started the session talking about how they met at a cocktail party where there was no food.

Anne and Anna both talked about the difficulties of getting published. For example, Anna had submitted her books as Regencies and been told that they were no longer being published. What she should have called them in her queries was Regency historicals. One of the most surprising things about being published for the first time was how much promo there was to do, but conversely it is lovely to hear from readers, especially when a story can reach people across the world.

Anne Gracie is a teacher, and she admitted that before she started writing it, she used to dismiss the genre, and even after writing it, she only stopped calling it fluff because she had a letter which showed her that it can touch people in ways you can't imagine when you write it.

As I mentioned in last week's post, Anna Campbell is a very funny speaker, and even in this more intimate setting this proved to be the case, as the audience was left laughing several times

Anna and Anne both talked about where ideas for certain books came from. For Untouched (Anna Campbell) the idea came in the bathroom when she was picturing a Sleeping Beauty in reverse, where the prince was the captive, and for Unclaimed Courtesan she had been reading another book where something happened that just wouldn't happen. She was going through King's Cross (which is an area notorious for gangs, prostitution etc in Sydney) the morning after the night before and seeing the people there had the idea playing in the back of her mind.  Anna thought she was writing romantic comedy (which if you read any Anna Campbell books is definitely not the case).

There is obviously a lot of mutual admiration between these two authors. One thing that made me need to pick up an Anne Gracie book is that she cries at her own writing! I am such a sook myself that this endeared her to me a lot!

Anna Campbell said that she loves that Anne's books are funny, but that they turn on a sixpence emotionally. They are not all funny or all emotional.

Something that struck me as very true is when Anne was talking about the combination of voice and world. She rightly pointed out that even that both Anna and Anne write novels set in the Regency, there is no way you could ever confuse an Anne Gracie novel with an Anna Campbell one.

At this point, the two authors moved on to talking a little bit about the craft of writing. Anna talked about using music to get into the mood for writing, and that each book quite often has just one song (always instrumental) that takes her to that world. Anne said that she generally doesn't have song but for Midnight's Wild Passion there was a Muse song called Undisclosed Desires that she equated to a romance novel in 3 minutes.

Anne does use collage as a tool, and she handed around pictures of some of the collages she has done. The pictures don't necessarily reflect the way the characters look but will definitely reflect their attitudes. She also wrote the novelisation of the Tudors series and so had a collage for that one too.

There was a bit of discussion about titles and covers, and about how they are often changed during the creative process, often to include current buzz words. Some times publishers get covers right, and some times they don't. We did get to see a few international covers, some of which were very surprising!

Towards the end of the session, there was a chance for the audience to ask questions. One that was asked was about historical accuracy in romance. Anne Gracie responded saying that she writes historically plausible rather than historically accurate. One comment from Anna was that our view of the past is sometimes much narrower than actual history, but she has had to change scenes which were accurate but wouldn't fit reader expectations. People like to catch authors out, and some times it does happen. Anne talked about one such example where she got something that she thought that she knew incorrect. She had researched what she didn't know, but it turned out that she didn't know something she thought she did.

Anne Gracie makes jewellery to match up with her books, and as part of the closing of the session some of these were given out, as well as lots of other prizes!

Closing Session

The closing session was one where the delegates got to choose who was on the panel. The lucky authors answering audience questions were:

Anna Campbell
Cindy Gerard
Keri Arthur
Nalini Singh
Lexxie Couper
Helene Young

Questions from the floor were asked including

• If you weren't a writer what would you do, which had Cindy Gerard bursting into song (and she was very good!)
• Dealing with deadlines (Nalini - warn editor that might be late and work with them. Don't leave it to the last minute) Cindy did suggest that her excuse this time might be her trip to Australia
• What couldn't you write? (Keri Arthur couldn't write straight romance - she needs dead bodies)
• Do they read the last page of a book when they are reading (otherwise known as killing fairies)
• Do they have a 50 pages rule before putting down a book they are not enjoying?
• What's the secret to becoming a NY bestseller (CG - luck, timing, fairy dust and need the publisher to step up to the mat. KA - luck and a good story. NS - regular output to build momentum. CG - have to be a consummate professional.)
• Lexie was then asked about pros and cons of epublishing - really close connections with your readers, but this is time heavy.
• Social Networking (NS - use intelligently as can be a huge timesuck.
• What do they like to read, and how many books at a time.

And after a few formalities, that was the end. Certainly most of the delegates that I spoke to were looking forward to the next one, which is a good sign. Here's hoping that there will be ARRC 2013 to look forward to, and well done to the organisers of ARRC 2011.


P.S I am also claiming this post for Aussie Author Month, as with the exception of Nalini Singh and Cindy Gerard, all the authors mentioned in this post are Aussies!

Aussie Author Month: Sara Foster - Writer on Tour

Before being published, I didn’t think much about the reality of touring and promoting books. Back then, writing felt like some kind of sublime struggle, a solo quest to set my imaginings on paper and shape them into the best stories they could possibly be. A lot of the time my search for the right words and phrases seemed like sifting sand, but now and again I would turn up something new – a stone? a gem? – and add it to my pile, until words became chapters and chapters became a book. I spent a lot of my free time in this solitary combat, turning my brain in on itself, driven by a determination that came from a place very deep inside me, one that seems to understand me better than I know myself. 

And then, publication! After a year of editing – which is a whole new level of brain sumo. And, of course, publication means publicity, which involves putting your pen down, sometimes for long stretches of time, and talking instead. My first public engagement – ever – was talking to 150 people in Winthrop Hall at UWA as part of Perth Writers Festival. I was so nervous that I mostly read from a script, something I repeated for much of the weekend. However, in my last event of the festival I was paired with two inspirational Australian women writers. Next to me was Anita Heiss, whose gregariousness and humour quickly charms any crowd. And beside her sat Liz Byrski, who might have been sitting in her lounge room, so assuredly did she lean forward and engage the audience, with no visible prompts, just an air of calm clarity that made you feel instantly at ease. 

 

After that, I wanted to be like both of them! I tend to believe that pretty much anything is possible when you set your mind to it – but I soon realised the folly of this ambition. Because the real reason I was inspired by them was because they seemed so unafraid to be themselves. What I actually needed to do was to encourage myself to be less guarded – to be unafraid of being me, not just in my writing, but in public speaking too. It was more about unravelling the knots I had tied around myself. That’s what I decided to aim for. 

This year I’ve done fourteen events so far for my new book. I’ve talked to groups numbering from five to eighty. I’ve had a wonderful amount of positive feedback. I’ve also watched one lady nod off repeatedly while I was talking, had one or two people leave mid-speech (hopefully because they had somewhere else to be!), and experienced a couple of people ripping into my book to my face. It was all a learning experience. Sometimes I’ve been as nervous as hell, but on other occasions I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn’t write scripts, I just had prompt notes to hand, but I barely used them. I’m a work in progress, but I think I’m heading in the right direction. The irony is that just as you get used to life in public, you’re back to the solitary confinement of writing again. But for all its ups and downs I still don’t want it any other way.

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Thank you Sara for your post today!

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend one of those fourteen events, and no, I wasn't the person who was falling asleep! Sara was warm and gracious, spoke well and read from Beneath the Shadows, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! 

To find out more about Sara and her books, please visit her website.

Here are local bloggers with Sara at the event.