16 Tuesday May 2017
Posted in Reading, Uncategorized
Are you a romance-loving Kindle Unlimited subscriber who’s looking for new authors to read? Click on the picture below to find a heap of new Kindle Unlimited books, everything from cowboy and medical romances to paranormal, erotic, sci-fi and romantic suspense. Not to mention, a heap of contemporary romances to linger over while you’re enjoying some delicious “me time”.
19 Friday Feb 2016
Posted in Contest, Uncategorized
Tags
$20 amazon, amazon gift card, Contest, facebook author page, husband sit, husband sit contest, reading
If you’ve read HUSBAND SIT – Jill and Finn’s madcap romance – (and made it out alive!), I’d like to invite you to my latest contest where you can win a $20 Gift Card from Amazon.
Pop over to my Facebook Author Page, click on the GIVEAWAY tab and you’ll find the Rafflecopter form. Answer a simple question from the book and in a few short weeks you could be the winner!
Note: Facebook is not responsible for this contest. One winner will be chosen randomly from the entries by Rafflecopter. The contest will remain open till 31 March, 2016.
11 Tuesday Aug 2015
I want to defend Go Set a Watchman, because I loved it, and because I’m tired of reading superficial OMG Atticus is a racist slams by people who aren’t even commenting on the story itself.
Nikki Gemmell’s column To mock a masterpiece in the weekend Australian magazine a fortnight ago said of Watchman and its author: “It’s a dated mess of a book and damaging to her legacy,” as well as “Watchman is nothing more than an off-cut, a scrap of cloth from the sewing room’s leftovers basket.”
I couldn’t disagree more.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books, and I re-read it often, simply to spend time with Scout, Jem and Atticus (who I’ve always had a crush on). Go Set a Watchman picks up the story when Scout (Jean Louise Finch) is 26, and yes, it is replete with ramble and unnecessary diversions into the culture of the time (which, by the way, I found fascinating). So it could have used a structural edit. However, I found its commentary on human nature profound – and despite the ramble, I consider it to be a far more mature and hard-hitting book than Mockingbird. In fact, I felt as if Scout was a grown up in Watchman, forced to confront the grey areas of life that were studiously avoided in Mockingbird where everyone turned out to be either “good” or “bad”.
I know Watchman was written first, and Lee’s editor told her to write another version of the story where the characters were younger. I can’t help wondering if this was because racism is so baldly exposed in Watchman, and perhaps that was too much for the readership of the time to cope with. So we got the watered down version, Mockingbird.
Either way, I understand that readers who adored Atticus Finch would be shocked to discover he’s a racist. I was stunned to discover that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father.
But I got over that, and I’m sure readers of Watchman will get over this too.
So here’s another slant on the story. Maybe Harper Lee intended readers to be shocked by that revelation, and every bit as angry as Scout is when she yells at Atticus about it. But I also suspect that we’re supposed to listen to Uncle Jack when he points out to Scout – none too gently – that by not trying to understand her father or her fiancé, just railing against their attitudes, she’s being a bigot. 
I might be missing something, but it seems to me that every reader who carries on about Atticus being a racist (when they are not) is likewise being a bigot. And it’s not as if Atticus wants Scout to be a racist. He’s fine with her being “color blind” as Jack calls her non-racism.
Atticus isn’t a monster. At the end of the day, he will always uphold the law, so he’s not about to let Klan members beat up on anyone. For those readers who bothered to finish the book, the point Lee was making wasn’t that racist = bad, because that’s self-evident. The point was that bigot = unhelpful.
In this particular moment in history, I honestly feel we need this book, because bigotry is so widespread. It’s about time we stopped saying to racists, “You’re wrong and you have to stop,” (displaying our bigotry). Instead, we could try to understand why they might think that way – unpack the baggage and see if there’s a different discussion we could be having, because You’re wrong and I’m right isn’t fixing racism, any more than it fixed sexism, religious intolerance or speciesism.
Go Set a Watchman is a raw read. There’s none of the gentility of Mockingbird about it. But I liked that.
This book isn’t for everyone, but I would ask you to read it for yourself. It changed the way I think about bigotry. I thought bigots where those people who didn’t believe the right things (the things I believe in). I was wrong. I hope to see more grey in the future.
And I would LOVE to hear your opinions of the book and the hype around it in the comments below.
08 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in About Writing, Inspiration, Reading
Tags
da vinci, Isaac Assimov, reading, robot, Silk, Will Herondale, writing, young adult
Who doesn’t love Leonardo da Vinci? There’s so much to admire, from his curiosity about the world around him to the exquisite beauty of his paintings and the meticulous detail of his mechanical inventions. In 2009 a traveling exhibition of his machines came to Brisbane and I was so fascinated by his mind, they had to throw me out at closing time. His accurate sketches of the construction of the human body (courtesy of illegal autopsies) and his insights into how blood pumped and lungs work worked, were centuries before their time. And his observations about the movement of wind, water and animals continue to be awe-inspiring, even 500 years after his death.
Leonardo was awake to life, looking at the mundane through eyes that were so fresh, people have since speculated that he was either an alien or a time traveler. But assuming he was a man of his time, he clearly believed that he could make advances in knowledge, despite his lack of education, and he did. In spades. One of his inventions that really inspired me was his robot knight (my brain loved the science and my romantic heart loved the chivalry). I’d grown up reading Camelot and all the sci-fi classics, including Isaac Asimov’s many robot stories (I, Robot and Bicentennial Man are two of his better known). So I loved the idea of robots that could think and feel. I was also obsessed with space travel and followed NASA avidly, becoming thrilled all over again when space engineers studied Leonardo’s sketches to help them design “anthrobots”, complex robotic space explorers they planned to use on the International Space Station and on future Mars missions. In comments to the media, the NASA engineers said Leonardo’s “…anatomical drawings are unique and they gave the information needed to emulate the complex joints and muscles of the human body.” Amazing to think that 500 years later, people are still seriously referencing his work.
Personally, I’ve always wanted to write about robots, but because my first love is fantasy, I’ve not considered writing sci-fi myself. A few years ago, however, I was thrilled by the release of YA author Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices trilogy: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess. Her automatons were powered by magic…
What a revelation! And what an awesome thrill ride that series was. Reading Young Adult novels makes me feel like I’m seventeen again, and I couldn’t help myself falling hard for the hero William Herondale. He is so very flawed! The poor heroine doesn’t know whether to kiss him or slap him. Then his secret is revealed and as a reader you ache for him. Truly beautiful writing. And inspiring. It made me wonder if the things I’d always wanted to write about — ideas inspired by Leonardo’s speculations — were possible within the realms of fantasy writing.
Much to my delight, I find that they are! My Young Adult fantasy novel Silk is based on the fact that Leonardo had such acute eyesight, he could sketch the movement of bird wings in flight centuries before slow motion film confirmed his accuracy. So if he could see birds wings in flight, could he also see other things that were only visible for a portion of a second? I don’t want to give away the plot (so I won’t) but suffice to say that my obsession with Leonardo and the research trip I took to Italy three years ago to uncover details about the society and landscape he inhabited, have now come to fruition in a Young Adult fantasy novel. I can’t wait for it to be published, but want it to be the best it can be, so I’m editing, editing, and dreaming about how exciting it will be to see it sitting on bookshelves.
I wonder what other fantasies my obsession with Leonardo da Vinci will create?
29 Thursday Aug 2013
Posted in Reading, Uncategorized
Tags
book promotion, books, characters, fantasy, Italian Renaissance, literature, lost world, Medici, promotion, reading, solitary, world building, write, writer, writing
I work with writers a lot, helping them hone their stories, find agents and publishers, then guiding them as they launch their books, physically and across social media. So I’m well acquainted with the tasks most authors undertake during various parts of the publication process, and I wonder if readers realize how much ‘work’ away from the actual writing itself, is necessary to produce a successful novel.
This year so far I’ve assessed manuscripts, conducted writing workshops, mentored clients, judged a major writing competition, and completed two computer game company residencies developing fantasy world-building. I’ve also restructured my two websites and spent approx 120 hours on social networking promoting my own work and that of fellow authors.
So… not as much time for writing as I’d like. However, this week things are different.
I’ve just embarked on a month dedicated to completing my Lost World fantasy Silk and I’m reveling in the deliciousness of having carved out a slab of time simply to write. No manuscripts to assess, no workshops to present, the babbling stream of Facebook and Twitter have been replaced by the silent sweep of imagination, and I’m in nirvana.
Really. I dream of this being my whole life (perhaps with some therapeutic gardening and obsessive clothes washing tossed in). And when I discuss this idea with other writers they get a glazed look, coupled with an almost-smile as they imagine what life would be like if they could simply write their stories and do nothing more. It’s like dreaming of winning the lotto. I mean it! Most writers I know spend far more time than they want to on promotion. And if they have to do something other than writing, I’m sure they’d rather be nosing around a bazaar in Istanbul, the bright lights of Vegas, or exploring the Medici Chapel in Florence for research.
Although that might be just me.
Still, no matter what we cram into our lives, the reality is that good books need time to incubate, time to be lovingly drafted, carefully edited and painstakingly proofed. Yet there are SO many books on the market, with thousands more being added each day. The sheer volume of novels in cyber bookstores like Amazon overwhelm readers who are looking for quality, and that volume also bludgeons the hopes of writers who become ever more desperate to find an audience for their work amid the bustle and confusion of the Internet. Writers are told to be a brand, and promote that brand relentlessly, often at the expense of time and energy. But little time and low energy equals crappy output, so it’s not an optimal situation for writers who want to build a readership.
I don’t have definitive answers, but when the question of what to do becomes loud in my mind I remember NY agent Donald Maass visiting Australia several years ago and telling the audience at the Romance Writers of Australia conference that “The best form of promotion an author can do is to write a good book. And the next best form of promotion is to write another good book.”
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m writing a good book. Luckily for me, every second with the characters is thrilling me. It’s like a clandestine affair where the real world is on hold while I pander to my desire for excitement, emotion and drama. I adore that, and it’s my intention that readers will too. So if you don’t see a lot of me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Google+, it will simply be because I’m not in this world. I’m on a Lost World based on Renaissance Italy helping a young ambassador choose between the prince she despises who can save her world, and the engineer she loves who can destroy it. Nirvana, pure and simple.
01 Friday Mar 2013
Posted in Reading, Uncategorized
Tags
books, fantastical, fantasy, Han and Leia, hermoine, john carter, katniss, kyle reese, love story, movies, peeta, readers, reading, romance, ron, Sarah Connor, sci fi, terminator
I’m happy to admit I’m a sucker for romance, and in the same way that chocolate should be a part of every meal (it is one of the important food groups after all) I’d love to see romance having a place in every story.
Because whether I’m deep into reading sci fi, fantasy or a zombie apocalypse, I still want a hint of a sniff of a love story. Star Wars – where would it be without Han and Leia, not to mention Buttercup and Westley, John Carter and Dejah Thoris, Katniss and Peeta, hell, even Ron and Hermione. I love the fantastical elements of speculative fiction worlds, but unless there’s a romance in there, the story isn’t enough for me. I adore the attraction, the pursuit (no matter how clumsy or unlikely to succeed) the tender awkward moments, then there’s the surety and confidence that characters experience when they know their love is returned.
But why is romance such an important element for so many women? Not to mention the men who have a soft spot for love stories and who don’t mind a bit of schmaltz mixed in with their blood and guts. Terminator is full of hide-behind-the-hands violence, but when Kyle Reese says to Sarah Connor “I came across time for you, Sarah. I love you. I always have,” I just melt.
BTW, if you’re a sucker for the Kyle/Sarah love story, here’s a tissue-worthy recap:
So why do we love a good love story?
The easy answer would be that we’re love starved, but statistically that doesn’t hold up. In fact, romance writers as a group have one of the highest levels of happy relationships, which may have something to do with writing love scenes on a regular basis. Many’s the time I’ve heard of a romance writer phoning their partner for a little “romance” after having written a scene that’s gotten them all hot and bothered. And surely that makes for happier marriages. But does the same thing happen for readers? Do women call their husbands after devouring a bit of Fifty Shades and tell them to come home for lunch?
Sex aside (I know, you got a visual there, but I was saying aside not astride) what is it about romance that makes a story feel complete? Do we have any philosophers out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts…
11 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Reading
Tags
#thanks4theread, books, call centre, grateful, gratitude, reading, Rhonda Byrne, Telstra, The Magic
I had an odd experience last night. It started with a Telstra problem (which admittedly isn’t odd at all) but it developed after I rang their 24hr helpline at 10pm.
By midnight I was onto my 9th Telstra employee – Ahmed in the Adelaide call centre – who also wanted to transfer me to someone else to sort my problem. Again, nothing unusual there. It seems to be the thing with call centres. If your problem is at all challenging, the easy road seems to be redirection: “Oh you’re a business customer. This is residential,” or “Sorry, they’ve transferred you to IT support, you want IP support.” Etc. Etc.
Anyway, by the time I’d reached Ahmed I was low on reserves. I’d spent two hours being shunted from one unhelpful person to the next, and while listening to piped music I’d been stressing about how I could run a business when I couldn’t email my customers. Only certain customers, admittedly, but you know how situations always seem more dire after midnight. I think there’s some Universal Law at work with that.
So when Ahmed wanted to transfer me back to the 125111 helpline I’d been sent to three times already, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m ashamed to admit that I begged. I told him I knew call centre staff had time restrictions on calls, and that it wasn’t his fault that someone had transferred me to the wrong place, but could he please, please, please take the time to find the right person for me before he transferred me through. Ahmed was clearly an intelligent guy and he’d understood my problem, so I was counting on him also knowing the sections of Telstra (sprawled across several continents) and being able to find the needle in a haystack that I wanted.
And God help me he did.
I sat quietly listening to piped music for fifteen minutes while he burned off his call average for the night searching for someone to help me. Then he came back on and apologised for making me wait. I swear, I wanted to reach through the phone and kiss him! He transferred me to Dimple in the Philippines who understood exactly what I was talking about, and through a process of elimination over the next two hours she found my problem and fixed it. I feel like an idiot, but I’m crying now as I write this because I was so happy, and so relieved. I didn’t want to be one of those people who complains about call centres all the time. I wanted to be someone who gets looked after well and feels grateful for that. And I was. At 2:30am when I went to bed, everything was right with my world.
This morning (after a good sleep in) I did my usual routine of spending time with my gratitude journal. I’m currently working my way through the new book by Rhonda Byrne (of The Secret fame) called The Magic. Part of that program is writing ten things you’re grateful for, and adding why they make you feel good. Ahmed and Dimple were top of my list, and having a working email system (which I’d previously taken for granted) came in close second. Last night I’d gone to the Telstra ‘positive feedback’ website and detailed how much I’d appreciated Ahmed and Dimple, and in the light of a new day today (and a more awake brain) it occurred to me that there are lots of things I appreciate as passionately as I did their help last night, which I never take the time to acknowledge.
And high on the list is books.
Admittedly I’d done the odd review when I happened to be online, but only when it was convenient to me. I’d never gone out of my way to show my appreciation for reading, which is crazy because my love of books is one of my big passions in life. And how hard would it be to pop into Amazon and leave a review under the book I’d just read, and to add a review in Goodreads? Saying Thank you makes me feel good, and because I wasn’t in the habit of saying Thank you to other authors for the time and effort they’d put into their stories, I was missing out on precious feel-good emotions.
But now, thanks to Ahmed and his inspiration, I won’t miss out. I’m going to make sure that when I finish reading a book I Tweet, Facebook, Amazon Review and Goodreads review the book, because that’s the least I can do to show how grateful I am for the pleasure of reading someone else’s carefully chosen words.
If you love books too, think about getting onboard with #thanks4theread and let’s see if we can trend it! There really can’t be enough gratitude in the world, so let’s start with something we all love.
06 Tuesday Mar 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
adventure, betrayal, books, captivating story, destiny of the light, ebook, family, fantasy, fantasy romance, forbidden love, honour, international readership, magic, readers, reading, review, reviews, romance, seductive, Shadow through time, superb storytelling, trilogy
Reviews are starting to come in and I thought I’d share some:
Destiny of the LightDESTINY OF THE LIGHT by Australian author Louise Cusack is book one of a three book trilogy.
It is a saga of forbidden love. Betrayal, honor and family. Talis is a noble hero. And Khatrene is a strong heroine who was brought up in our world but adapts to life on Ennae and all its magical powers.
Louise Cusack’s superb storytelling makes these characters stand out and the whole story is very visual. I’m looking forward to getting into the second book in this trilogy. As a reader what I love about these series is that though it depicts other fantasy worlds, you are not thrown out of the story by other world languages. The author explains this away by explaining that their mind adapts to our language for them to converse with an Earth being.
DESTINY OF THE LIGHT is an exciting, fantastic, tale which will grip you from the very first page and keep you flipping your ereader pages late into the night!
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I adored this book. I read it when it was first released several years ago and was delighted when I was able to download it onto my Kindle and once again get swept away to the sepia world of Ennae, and fall in love with the hero, Talis. If you like fantasy romance this book is a must read. Louise Cusack weaves a seductive story of adventure, betrayal, honour and love and created characters who come alive on the pages. I’m so looking forward to returning to Ennae in book two and three of The Shadow Through Time trilogy. Destiny Of The Light is a captivating story from start to finish.
