Book Review No 21: What is Left Over, After by Natasha Lester

Gaelle is a 30 year old woman, married to a heart surgeon and mother of a baby girl Aurora. French by nationality she has made a life for herself in Sydney and has a fulfilling career as the beauty editor of a magazine. So what could possibly drive her to start sleeping with random men and more bizarrely board a flight for Western Australia with just the clothes on her back without bothering to tell her husband or friends?

Multi-layered and quite dark at times, What is Left Over, After explores many issues relating to marriage and motherhood. I found Gaelle quite unlikable to start with, but as her character is explored via her interractions with a teenager she meets on the beach, I found myself softening, as the reasons for her seeiming self-centred behaviour are gradually revealed.

Digital Book Sale

To celebrate spring the digital editions of The Beach House (epub and kindle) are available from my website only at the special price of $4.99. DRM free and with extra content not available in other editions, it is a great place to grab your copy. (http://www.thebeachhousenovel.com.au)

The Joys of Spring

Ah, September - spring is here again. As I child I loved September because it is my birthday month, but even as I've gotten older and birthdays aren't quite as exciting (mainly because the numbers increase way too rapidly!), it is still my favourite month of the year.

Here in Queensland, spring generally arrives right on cue. Usually in the last couple of weeks of August you can really notice the days getting longer and the warm breezes replacing the colder ones of June and July. It's easier to get up early in the morning and go for a walk or a swim and I just seem to have so much more energy and motivation.

It is no coincidence that all five stories in my book The Beach House take place in spring and early summer. Even though the beach can still be a beautiful place when the weather is cool, it is in the warm spring and summer months that it is truly magical.

To celebrate the beginning of spring, the digital editions of my book (ePub and Kindle) are available from my site only (http://www.thebeachhousenovel.com.au)  for the special price of $4.99! DRM free and with extra content not available in other editions, this is the best place to grab your digital copy.

Book Review No 20: QF32 by Richard de Crespigny

Having flown quite a lot, I wouldn't consider myself a nervous flyer. However I must also admit that I don't like to dwell too much on how a plane actually stays up in the air when I'm in one! This book is all about a plane passenger's worst nightmare - an ominous loud "bang" and looking out the window to see a large part of the aircraft missing as well as leaking fuel and shrapnel holes in the wing.

Flight QF32 from Singapore to Sydney - part of the Kangaroo Route many Australians have travelled on - had just taken off in November 2010 when the unthinkable happened - a loud explosion followed by numerous alarms and warnings in the cockpit. It shouldn't have happened, after all this was one of the newest, most technically advanced aircraft in the world, the Airbus A380. QF32 had the potential to be one of the worst air disasters in history. The fact that the plane did in fact make a safe landing without any injuries to passengers or crew can attributed to the amazing teamwork of an experienced crew, captained by veteran Qantas pilot Richard de Crespigny. QF32 is his story.

Words That Inspire

It's always gratifying when you hear from a reader how something in your novel has had an impact on them - be it funny, sad, thought-provoking etc. But the best kind of impact is to inspire someone in some way. A reader recently told me how four words in a sentence one of my characters (Kate) spoke helped her through the last semester of her university degree. Bogged down and discouraged, she was on the verge of giving up but when she read the words "sheer force of will", it gave her the focus and determination to just push through with her own studies and finish what she'd started.

This reader could already relate to Kate as they were both students and both struggling to complete their respective degrees (although my character Kate was just at the start of hers). I have often used the words "sheer force of will" to remind myself not to give up when the going gets tough. I used them many times myself throughout school and university and definitely when writing The Beach House. Yes, there were many times in all three situations when I wanted to just give up, pack it in and try something easier. But I also knew that the obstacle in front of my was temporary and if I just focused my energy hard enough I could conquer it and get the reward of what I wanted, rather than looking back in regret later because I'd given up too easily and too early.

Book Review No 19: Treading Water by Tracy Wickham

As a child I can remember Tracy's glorious swansong at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, when she won two individual gold medals and one silver and being disappointed that she would no longer be swimming for Australia. Although to my young self 19 did seem a reasonable age to retire. Of course today, most professional athletes are just getting started at that age and are looking towards up to ten more years in their sport. However after reading this book and realising just what Tracy packed into her teenage years and the amazing impact she had on the swimming world, maybe she just started a lot earlier than kids today do.

Book Review No 18: The Mayne Inheritance by Rosamond Siemon

As a graduate of the University Of Queensland, this was a book that immediately captivated my interest, given that the family at the centre of this grisly tale made huge financial and land donations to help establish UQ in the leafy Brisbane suburb of St Lucia. It's interesting to think that without the philanthropy of the Mayne family, the UQ campus may have remained in it's inner city location and not have developed into the massive facility it is today.

Rosamond Siemon has done a marvellous job at painstakingly piecing together the threads of what was, a shameful family secret for the Mayne family. It was as gripping as many fictional murder mystery books I've read and gave me a whole new insight into the history of Brisbane. It also highlighted the stigma of mental illness and how, due to societal expectation, it shaped the way the Mayne family lived and mainly chose not to marry or have children, lest they pass on the rogue genes.

Well written and with a good pace, The Mayne Inheritance was an easy book to read and one that kept me engaged and interested from beginning to end.

The Value of Entertainment

People often complain about the cost of books in Australia, and it is true that we do seem to pay more for our reading material than other countries. Since becoming an author I have learned that there are several reasons for this - http://greataussiereads.aussieblogs.com.au/2012/06/10/book-prices/ - gives quite a good explanation. But that isn't really the point of this post. What I want to talk about is how we value the entertainment gained from books as opposed to movies. I am going to generalise quite widely here when I say the average person might take six hours to read a book (obviously this will vary widely person to person but I think it's a fair average). If you pay between $20 - $30 for the book (again just an average), that equates to around $3.50 - $5 per hour. A movie ticket ranges between $10 - $17 for about 1.5 hours which makes between $6.50 - $11 per hour. A new release DVD averages around $25 for about 2.5 hours (including extras) so that is $10 per hour. You could also factor in the extra costs associated with seeing a movie at the cinema - petrol/fare to and from, snacks etc.

So, my point is that a book (even at the higher end of the price scale) is better value for money that seeing a movie. And let's face it with the increasing lack of quality movies (2012 must be one of the worst years for movie releases EVER),  we need the humble book as it remains one of the cheapest and most satisfying forms of entertainment around.

The Importance of a Review

There are pros and cons about becoming a published author in this day and age. On the pro side is how technology has not only revolutionised the way we write, but also the way we publish, advertise and sell our work. Authors are no longer held ransom by major publishing companies or exorbitantly priced self-publishing and have the option of going it alone and using social media to promote their work. On the con side, these things can also hinder an author's journey. Because there is so much more written work out there competing for the same amount of readers, it is very difficult to get noticed (especially if you are an unknown).

One of the best ways readers can help an author get their work noticed is by rating and/or leaving a review. As mentioned in my previous blog post Amazon.com is the king of the on-line book stores. If a book is listed on Amazon, there is no better place to leave a review and rating. It doesn't have to be a comprehensive essay - just a couple of paragraphs giving your impressions makes a huge difference. Consider what you do when you choose a book to read - would you be more likely to choose one that had reviews compared to one that didn't? Another great site is Goodreads (www.goodreads.com). This is a great site for people who like to read - allowing you not only the chance to rate the books you've read, but also to discover new books and authors based on your personal taste.
So next time you enjoy a book, take a moment to rate/review it and maybe give it a plug on your facebook/twitter page. Believe me the author will appreciate the effort.

Book Review No 17: Out of the Blue by Jo Fincham

Having watched Jo on The Farmer Wants A Wife, I was very interested to read her story. I had read other magazine articles which talked about the fact she had suffered from bullimia and depression, so that was not a total surprise - but I will admit I was a little shocked at the severity of her problems, given how positively she came across on screen.
Jo Fincham grew up in Melbourne - a city girl through and through she took a huge leap of faith by appearing on the reality TV show The Farmer Wants a Wife. Right from their first meeting, you could tell that she and farmer Rob really hit it off and theirs was one of the rare 'happy ever after' stories of the show. They became engaged less than a year after appearing on the show and have since married and had a child and by all accounts are still blissfully happy. Because Jo came across as so bubbly and positive, most viewers never would have guessed that she struggled with bulimia and depression right through her teenage years and twenties. Out of the Blue is the story of her struggle with these illnesses.