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LOUISE CUSACK

~ Crazy, sexy, love…

LOUISE CUSACK

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Rainy weather is writing weather

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by louisecusack in About Writing, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

creativity, rain, rainy weather, writer's block, writing

This was my morning (thanks to Lisa at Blainey for my beautiful coffee cup).

pablo(5)If you’re not a writer yourself, you might not realize that writing and water are intrinsically linked. It’s one of the reasons I moved to the beach, so I’d have those crashing waves. The sound of running water (having a shower, hosing the lawn) can loosen up the most stubborn writers block. So rainy days are a gift to writers, no matter where they live.

But don’t imagine you have to be a professional to benefit. Anyone can have their creativity triggered, so if you’re stuck indoors on a rainy day, don’t mope. Pull out that journal you’ve been meaning to start, or create a blog. Rain is creativity pouring down, so don’t waste it! Tap into that abundant stream and let your own ideas flow.

Note: a dressing gown and slippers will earn you bonus points, as does a pet curled up at your feet.

Happy writing!

Kangaroos by the Coral Sea

23 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by louisecusack in Inspiration, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

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coral sea, inspiration, kangaroo, kangaroo family, Queensland coast

In the aftermath of Cyclone Marcia roaring down the Queensland coast, we’ve had some delightful visits from kangaroos, and I had to share a clip of this family crossing the road near my place. The joey on the road with his paws up to stop a car (which did stop) is particularly cute:

(Apologies for the dirty window and unsteady camera. I’m learning!) You wouldn’t think wild life would inspire love stories, but trust me, this does!

Guest Post: Sophie Masson’s Russian Inspiration

05 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by louisecusack in Guest blogs, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Russia, Sophie Masson

Sophie portrait blue and redI’m really excited to welcome one of Australian’s best know fantasy authors Sophie Masson to my blog, so she can share details of her exciting travels in Russia and how they inspired her latest novel TRINITY: The Koldun Code (Book One). I’m always interested to see the link between an author’s lifelong fascination and the story it produces. But first a little about Sophie:

Born in Indonesia of French parents, and brought up in Australia and France, Sophie Masson is the award-winning author of more than 50 novels for readers of all ages, published in Australia and many other countries. Her adult novels include the popular historical fantasy trilogy, Forest of Dreams (Random House Australia). Sophie has always had a great interest in Russian myth and history, an interest reflected in several of her books for younger readers.

Louise: Welcome to the blog Sophie. Please tell us about what inspired the Trinity series:

Sophie Masson: Trinity grew out of my long fascination with Russia and its amazing culture. I’ve been enthralled by it since I was eleven and read Jules Verne’s thrilling Russian-set adventure story, Michel Strogoff. Progressing rapidly as a teenager to Russian novels, with side excursions into Russian fairytale and folklore, and influenced also by my French father’s interest in Russian icons and Russian music, my interest grew and grew.

But though I dreamed of visiting Russia, the Iron Curtain made it seem just that, a dream. Even after the Soviet regime fell, the hurly-burly of personal and professional life stymied the idea of a trip, and the horror stories of the 90’s, with the threat of gangs and street violence, didn’t help either. But still I kept an abiding interest in Russia, and finally in 2010, we decided there was no time like the present—and booked the big trip!

Spooked by warnings about not going there on our own (outdated warnings, as we soon found out!)we decided to go on a cruise, rather than by ourselves as usual. Despite our reservation about group tours, the cruise proved to be not only enjoyable but the perfect introduction to the country, giving us not only a taste of a fair number of places, from the great cities of Moscow and St Petersburg to marvelous historic provincial towns and villages, but also exposing us to grand natural scenery and unusual sights that you only get while traveling along waterways rather than roads.

Uglich kremlin (citadel or castle)

Uglich kremlin (citadel or castle)

In some ways it was like being back in the pages of Michel Strogoff, where so much of the hero’s journey had been by water, and it touched me very deeply. Everything was so vivid, each sensual impression, each small experience, each casual conversation and observation worthy of being recorded in my writing journal. One afternoon, in the lovely small town of Uglich, on the Volga, sitting in a hot room in the little wooden kremlin (the word means citadel) by the side of the river, not far from the gorgeous cathedral of St Dimitri on the Blood (which appears in Trinity), I actually burst into tears as I listened to a four-man choir singing traditional Russian songs in glorious, unaccompanied male voices. Tears of deep pleasure because of the beauty of the voices and the surroundings: but also tears of disbelief. It seemed almost incredible to be in this country which I’d imagined for so long that it had become a part of my deepest personal references. Far from not measuring up to those imaginative expectations, however, the reality of Russia had exceeded them: so that even the great ugliness which existed alongside the fairytale beauty became an indispensable part of an unforgettable experience.

Lily of the Valley seller who inspired the character of Mrs Feshina

Lily of the Valley seller who inspired the character of Mrs Feshina

As soon as I got home, I began work on the research and planning that was to culminate in the creation of Trinity: The Koldun Code. But I wanted to return to Russia, to further enrich the novel, and this time also with enough Russian to get by. Enrolling in an excellent online course called Russian Accelerator, I discovered to my delight that I found it quite natural to learn it (being bilingual, in French and English, certainly helps!) and so when we went back to Russia in 2012, I was able to be the family spokesperson in everyday interactions—this time I was with my husband, sister and nephew. This time, we’d decided to focus on Moscow, which we’d loved back in 2010 and wanted to know better. So we rented an apartment for two weeks on Tverskaya Ulitsa, or Tverskaya Street, only three blocks or so from the Kremlin and Red Square, and right across the road from one of Moscow’s biggest and best bookshops. Magic!

St Basil's cathedral, Moscow

St Basil’s cathedral, Moscow

Every day was an adventure, discovering more and more of the city as we trekked on foot and by metro from central sites to those much more far-flung. We went to the circus, to the ballet, to open-air concerts, to beautiful parks, museums, fabulous patisseries and colourful markets. We took side-trips into the countryside with a Russian friend. We drank fabulous vodka and indifferent wine and ate really well and cheaply too in little restaurants and cafes and at home in the flat, using the most wonderful ingredients from the markets and supermarkets. We combed through the fantastic Izmailovo flea market where you can pick up the most amazing and interesting bargains in antiques, artwork and crafts. And all the time, my writing journal was filling with more and more ideas, glimpses, vignettes which would make their way eventually into the book, and indeed the series. Including magic and the supernatural: for Russia, where many people still believe strongly in the uncanny and unseen, has got to be one of the world’s most natural settings for fantasy!

Louise: I’ve always wanted to go to Russia and now I’m inspired! If you’d like to know more about the fantasy novel that grew out of this adventure, here’s The Koldun Code book blurb:

Trinity Koldun Code coverAn unexpected encounter with a handsome stranger in a Russian wood changes the life of 22-year-old traveler Helen Clement forever, catapulting her into a high-stakes world of passion, danger, and mystery. Tested in ways she could never have imagined, she must keep her own integrity in a world where dark forces threaten and ruthlessness and betrayal haunt every day.

Set against a rising tide of magic and the paranormal in a modern Russia where the terrifying past continually leaks into the turbulent present, Trinity is a unique and gripping blend of conspiracy thriller, erotically charged romance and elements of the supernatural, laced with a murderous dose of company politics. With its roots deep in the fertile soil of Russian myth, legend, and history, it is also a fascinating glimpse into an extraordinary, distinctive country and amazingly rich culture.

The Koldun Code is the first book in the Trinity series by Sophie Masson.

Today is the release date of the print version of The Koldun Code, and you can also purchase it as an ebook. If you’d like to catch up with Sophie online, you can do that several ways, on her Website, Blog, Facebook or Twitter. And if you’d like to win a print copy of The Koldun Code on Goodreads, you can enter that competition HERE.

I’d also love to hear if there’s a place that’s always fascinated you, and why. Did you ever go there? Did it live up to your expectations? Please feel free to drop that into the comments below. I’m always looking for new locations to be inspired by!

Guest post: Louise Cusack on da Vinci, strangers, and writing

28 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by louisecusack in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Find me over on Sophie Masson’s blog today talking about my obsession with Leonardo Da Vinci.

Feathers of the Firebird


LouiseCusackToday my blog features Louise Cusack, author of the Time Trilogy and many other books, with a fascinating post that delves into her interest in ‘strangers in a strange land’–and the amazing Leonardo da Vinci!

Charming, talented and unfortunately dead

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated obsessed with the life and work of Leonardo Da Vinci – an Italian who died 500 years ago. Not only was he the painter of iconic works like the Mona Lisa, he made landmark medical discoveries in skeletal structure and the functioning of heart valves. He came up with the idea of tanks, submarines and winged flight devices, and was renowned for cartography, hydrodynamics and botany. But wait, there’s more: he was handsome, charming, intelligent, musically talented, and a vegetarian who abhorred cruelty to animals.
I mean, really, has there ever been a more perfect man?
So many accomplishments, such…

View original post 608 more words

Hapless Heroes cover reveal

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by louisecusack in Reading, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

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contemporary romance, cover reveal, Goddess and the Geek, hapless heroes, hunky heroes, Marriage and the Mermaid, romantically challenged, Sex and the Stand In

I’ve got shiny new covers for my Hapless Heroes ebook series, and I’m excited to share them:

Marriage and the MermaidGoddessFeatureSex and the Stand In

If you love contemporary romance with hunky heroes who are romantically challenged, these stories will make you laugh, sigh and swoon. All the details and purchase links are on my Hapless Heroes webpage. Enjoy!

Coping with rejection

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by louisecusack in About Writing, Inspiration, Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

head and heart, manuscript, manuscript submission, Marie Forleo, rejection, turning rejection around, writing

Business woman crying head in handsWriters submit manuscripts and get knock backs. It’s a fact of life that even multi-published authors have to deal with. Unless you’re Stephen King or JK Rowling (which I’m not) there’s a chance that your latest offering won’t be adored by the first publisher who looks at it. Intellectually I know that. But the heart and the head don’t always agree. When I started off in this business twenty years ago, rejection felt like this to me:

What? My precious baby isn’t what you’re looking for? How could you say that? I slaved over that manuscript. I poured my life-blood into it. I just offered you my heart on a platter and you stabbed it. Several times. Soon to be followed by: Does this mean I’m a crap writer? Maybe I should just stop kidding myself. Publishers know what they’re talking about. I’m just a woman sitting in her pajamas drinking too much coffee, fantasizing about worlds that don’t exist. I should get a day job. Something I’d be good at. Because I’m clearly no good at this…

Thankfully time has moved on, and many, many rejections have helped me re-frame my reaction to a “Thanks, but no thanks,” email. I’ve learned that publishers see lots of manuscripts that are of “publication standard” and from among them they have to choose something that not only suits the line of books they’re publishing, but also knocks their socks off. For most publishers, the choice to take on a book is quite subjective. I can’t have any control over that. I can only offer my best work and have faith that it will (eventually) fall into the right hands. Which of course it does.

Now I’m more likely to think this when I get a rejection email:

I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to consider my story seriously. I understand that not all publishers or even all fantasy readers will love my work. I’ve seen the different reactions to a novel at Book Clubs. So what I’m looking for is the one publisher who adores my story so much that they’ll advocate for it with their marketing department and fire them up with enthusiasm enough to spill over into their interactions with bookstores and online resources. I’m sorry you’re not that person, and that you’ll miss out on the unique opportunities my story offers. But I wish you well as I continue my search, having patience that the Universe moves in perfect timing. All is well in my world…

Yes, it’s a bit Pollyanna, but it works for me, and not only with writing, but personal relationships and other business dealings I might have. I’m not an “I’ll show those bastards!” type of girl. But if you are, you are going to love this latest offering from Marie Forleo who I thoroughly recommend as an inspiration and a resource for women in business. Her reaction to a patronizing comment is priceless:

I wonder, how do you cope with rejection in your life? Does it fire you up? Have you got any tips on how to turn it into motivation to keep going?

Australian Romance Readers Association Book Signing in Sydney 9 August 2014

28 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by louisecusack in Uncategorized, Writers on the loose

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arra, book signing, romance, rwa, sydney

ARRA2014signing

Along with 70 other authors who have romance in their novels, I’ll be participating in the Australian Romance Reader’s Association mass book signing on Saturday 9th August 2014 from 5-6pm at the Pullman Hotel in Olympic Park. If you’d like to attend, you can purchase tickets here. I’d love to see you there!

Inspiration from magical places

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by louisecusack in About Writing, Inspiration, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

beauty and the beast, creativity, fairy tale, fairytale, fantasy, fantasy romance, inspiration, inspire, music as inspiration, romance, the voice, the voice australia, writing

It’s no secret that fairytales inspire me. They have for all of my reading life, but it never ceases to amaze me how an old fairytale that I’ve adored as a child can come back to me in a different format and engulf me in magic all over again.

Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite fairytale, because of its darkness, its inherent romance, and the transformational quality of the character development. I was fortunate to have the latest Disney version come out when my children were young, and I can remember watching it again and again, not just because the animated character were cute and endearing, or because I couldn’t help putting myself in Belle’s shoes and wanting to tame the beast, but because the song, Beauty and the Beast made me cry, every time I heard it. Embedded within it is everything I love about that story – the prince trapped inside the body of a beast, confronted with the delicate beauty of Belle, imagining she’d never even want to look at him, let alone fall in love with him. It inspired me to imagine my own stories with tortured heroes and clever, resourceful heroines who must work with magic – dark and light – to find their happily ever after.

That one song inspired more fantasy plotlines and characterization out of me than probably any other I’ve heard.

So you can imagine how overwhelmed I felt when I was watching The Voice Australia and completely out of left field, two of my favorite competitors lined up in a battle to sing Beauty and the Beast together. It was an inspired move by their coach Ricky Martin (who I adore) and the result is stunning:

I’ve had the song in my mind ever since, playing on a loop, happily inspiring more story ideas, and who would have imagined I’d find inspiration to write fantasy novels while watching a singing competition!

If you’ve ever had inspiration delivered unexpectedly please do share in the comments below. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

 

Thirty-seven years ago, in a galaxy far, far, away…

01 Thursday May 2014

Posted by louisecusack in Inspiration, Reading, Uncategorized

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Tags

carrie fisher, fangirl, happy, harrison ford, mark hamill, movie, news, sci fi, star wars, star wars VII

Yesterday I heard some news that made me happy – not in a passing Hey, that’s cool kind of way, but a deep down bone-and-sinew kind of happy, the sort of happy that’s so strong and exuberant I went to sleep thinking about it and woke up this morning still thinking about it, still smiling. The sort of happy that confirms irrevocably that inside my chest beats an unabashedly geeky, sci-fi fangirl heart.

Disney (who now own the Star Wars franchise) announced that it has brought Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill back together to create Star Wars VII. I was out when I heard, having coffee with my writer pal Helen Lacey when she got news of it on her phone, and we were both stunned and thrilled, having shared a passion for sci-fi for twenty years. But as I went home to write and the day wore on, I became more and more happy, and couldn’t stop the snippets of memory that came to me from the distant past – thirty-seven years ago when I bought the first Star Wars novel, read it eleven times, then months later saw the very first Star Wars movie.

StarWarsCover  StarWarsBackCover

I remember that opening night so well. A lot of the dialogue from the paperback I’d read was replicated in the screenplay, so scenes I’d visualized as a reader were coming alive in front of me and I was mouthing the words along with the characters – fabulous lines like Leia saying to Luke on their first meeting, “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” And Han, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” That movie came along at a time when I was young and impressionable and it touched me in some deep place that has been lying dormant and is now happily awoken.

LouiseValentine2

I’ve lived and breathed the Star Wars Universe for decades, feeling breathless excitement every time I heard the fabulous John Williams opening music and saw the crawl rising up the screen:

I adored the developing romance between Han and Leia, and in the second movie when he said “You like me because I’m a scoundrel. There aren’t enough scoundrels in your life,” I was hooked. And when she said “I love you,” and his reply was only “I know,” I loved him even more. So much adventure, so much romance, such real relationships. Then when the prequel series came out years later I grieved for the lack of believable romance, the lack of relationships, and the kiddification of it all. I remember distinctly going to the cinema and watching the last movie of that prequel series, Revenge of the Sith and thinking as the opening credits rolled, “This is the last time I’ll ever see a Star Wars movie for the first time.” I’m not ashamed to admit I teared up. George Lucas had said he wasn’t doing any more. The movie franchise was closing, and I grieved for that too.

Then yesterday came something I’d never imagined might happen, something so wonderful I could scarcely believe it: Ford, Fisher and Hamill back together with writer Lawrence Kasdan who created the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. And so, so important to me, John Williams composing. The integrity these guys will bring to the project just makes my heart sing, in a teary kind of way.

Storytelling has been so formative in my life, but some stories and some characters mean more than others. I can tell from my bliss that these characters – Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker – are part of the fabric of my life, and to see them as characters thirty years on will be like meeting beloved old friends. I’m sure I’m not the only geek girl out there who’s blissing over this news. I’d love to hear if it touched you too.

Her beauty and her terror, the wide brown land for me

11 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by louisecusack in About Writing, Inspiration, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Australia, Australian writing, Cyclone Ita, Dorothea Mackellar, environment, inspiration, maelstrom, My Country, writing process

I’ve grabbed a line out of one of Australia’s most popular poems. My Country by Dorothea Mackellar, and here’s the context:

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!

I’ll post the complete poem at the end of this blog if you’re interested to read it, but the gist is that young Dorothea is being dragged around Europe by her father and is desperately homesick for Australia. Her English friends don’t understand, so she writes the poem as a form of explanation. I’ve always adored it, and it’s no coincidence that I’ve ended up living near one of our ‘jewel seas’, the Coral Sea. But it’s the beauty and the terror of our country that’s always inspired me as a writer, and when I met an agent in New York years ago who said, “I love Australian authors, their writing has such zest” I understood why. When the snake in your backyard or the spider in your boot might kill you, your life – and your writing – take on a different quality.

Earlier this year bushfires raged across the southern states of Australia, destroying property, taking lives, and decimating wildlife populations.

Bushfire HuddlingUnderAJettyTas Only a few months ago, so much of our country was scorched. Where I live has seen two devastating floods in the past five years, and today Cyclone Ita, a Category Five cyclone (the highest rating) is crossing the Coral Sea, driving a wall of water in front of its 80km core. It will ride roughshod over the Great Barrier Reef and cross the coast at beautiful Cooktown, 1600 kilometers (approx 1000 miles) north of where I live. It’s estimated to reach landfall at 5pm local time. That’s 5 hours from now.

Cooktown

Cooktown

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

Cyclone Ita will undoubtedly create irreparable damage to land, property, wildlife and possibly human life, although authorities are taking every precaution, evacuating residents into reinforced shelters before the winds reach 100km an hour. At its height, winds are predicted to be over 300km an hour. Even for someone who’s grown up in Queensland with the expectation of at least one good cyclone a year, this is beyond my imagination.

Cyclone Ita

Cyclone Ita 11 April 2014

And yet, I know it’s happened before and will happen again. Living in Australia is a lottery. Every region has its unique dangers and its incomparable beauties, and if you grow up here you learn to appreciate one and have respect for the other. Is it any wonder that Australian authors bring some of that “edge” to their writing? I look back now at my fantasy series Shadow Through Time and the maelstrom I envisaged raging across four worlds, and can easily see where I’d found my inspiration!

That thought got me wondering about other parts of the world, and how those landscapes and climates affected the writing done there? I’d love to hear about how your environment affects your writing in the comments below. And simply because I adore this poem, here is My Country in its entirety (first published in 1908):

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die –
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold –
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land –
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand –
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Dorothea Mackellar
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