Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in orangedale's LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
10:22 am	Slow Cooker 2 By Sally Wise ABC Books HarperCollins Publishers Paperback RRP $24.99 but till May 30 $19.99 at ABC shops Ever since Slow Cooker by Sally Wise came out it has spent most of its life mostly open but always within easy reach on the bookshelf of my kitchen bench, as it is the recipe book I use most often and you can tell by the condition it’s in. So it was with great delight that I received a copy of Slow Cooker 2. My slow cooker gets used all year round but even more so now the weather has turned cooler. Slow Cooker 2 again contains recipes for soups, vegetarian meals, varying kinds of meat and fish dishes, as well as desserts, breads and preserves plus a lot of useful general tips and hints about foods and the slow cooker. One of my favourite dishes so far is Courtney’s Lentil and Vegetable Ragout. As we eat several vegetarian meals a week, I was pleased to have more vegetarian recipes. Chicken A La King is another favourite but there are so many other tempting treats. I’m looking forward to trying Persian Lamb and Rhubarb Stew or Fruity Pork with Coriander. What I particularly like about the recipes Sally Wise comes up with is the interesting combinations of flavours and yet they are ingredients largely that I have already on hand. I admit I haven’t tried any of the dessert recipes yet, as we don’t often have desserts but this time I’m tempted to try Berry Apple Pudding, Lemon Delicious and Apricot Cream Pudding for starters. If you only buy one slow cooker book, I suggest you make it this one. True, it doesn’t have photographs throughout of the meals as some cook books do, but to me that’s a plus. It allows more room for great, warming and tasty recipes. I can see this one will be the companion recipe book sitting on my shelf that gets reached for often now. (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 28th, 2012
2:54 pm	This year I am privileged to once again be the poetry judge for The Caleb Poetry Award.http://www.omegawriters.com/calebprize.html I enjoyed my experience last year as poetry judge for this award and read some incredible books of poetry.   Here is a review of the entry Allsorts by Andrew Lansdown.  Allsorts Poetry tricks and treats Andrew Lansdown Wombat Book RRP $24.95 This book is aptly named as it contains all sorts of sweet delights. If you are a teacher feeling a bit lost about teaching poetry in class, or just someone who wants to learn more about the craft of poetry, you will find this book an invaluable tool.                 Not only is Andrew Lansdown one of Australia’s best imagist poets, but included in the book are some personal observations about poetry, the best way to write a limerick, where ideas come from and ideas for writing poems as well as outlining different ways of writing e.g. quatrain, haiku, rhymed poem, sonnet or tanka.  Andrew explains techniques such as assonant rhyme, couplets, and alternating rhyme just to name a few and talks about ways of creating sound effects in poems using devices like onomatopoeia or rhyming tercets, and examples of using assonance, imagery or metaphor. To make it even easier for teachers and students of poetry, he has included an index which highlights each poem’s form and poetic techniques. So if you are looking for a ballad, a syllabic poem, a rhyming quatrain, sestet, or a villanelle, it points you in the right direction of examples. The index also highlights specific topics e.g. poems concerning animals, home, imagination, ocean or birds, which Andrew Lansdown is particularly fond of writing about. Poems are arranged according to colour- the colours of liquorice allsorts. Colours are red, yellow, white, green, orange and black. Some of the poems in this collection are humorous and whimsical, like The Snaffle and There was an African Lion or The Elephant who Lost His Tail. Others are delicate snapshots.  Among my favourites are Fuchsia Wrens, Summer, The Japanese Gardener, Dressed to Kill, Genesis, Christmas Tree and Ball of Gold. Andrew Lansdown has the knack of showing us that a poem can be about any subject even pesky mosquitoes. He provides plenty of examples to make you think differently about things or to make you laugh or smile. Wombat Books and Studio Journal are to be congratulated for collaborating to produce such a great collection of poems for children and adults to enjoy. The other book I'm reviewing today, which is not an entrant in this award but a work of fiction by an overseas author. It is Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult. Lone Wolf Jodi Picoult Allen &Unwin Paperback RRP $ 32.99 I am a Jodi Picoult fan and read this book, as I do nearly all of her books, at breakneck speed and close to one sitting. They are not called page turners without reason.  She invariably has an issue for the reader to think about and characters that are well defined and evoke our sympathy.  Jodi Picoult is one author who successfully manages to change from one character to another in the situation without making the reader feel they are being pulled all over the place. It’s interesting to see how the same situation looks to different characters involved in it and that makes it easier to identify with them and to understand their behaviour. That said, I did not find Lone Wolf as satisfactory as I have some of her other books. Usually I find her characters well drawn and I can relate to the characters and the issue they are facing. With Lone Wolf I found the character of Luke Warren hard to relate to. I had difficulty imagining why anyone would want to be married to him. It was the whole thing about living with the wolves and his wolf like behaviour that I found most off putting. Even though I can appreciate the amount of research that went into the details of wolf behaviour, in the end I tended to skip the chapters in Luke's voice because I didn't find him an engaging character and wasn't interested in the wolf lifestyle. The issue of what to do with a loved one in a coma when they may never come out of it, is heartbreaking and yet this time I never quite felt the heartbreak, as Cara and Edward, Luke's daughter and son, line up on opposing sides about what needs to happen to him.  I think this was largely because I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and didn’t feel they were as well developed as her characters in other books. That said, it’s still a good read that will make you think how you might react in a similar situation. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
11:25 am	The Value of a Writing Group People’s experiences with writing groups are as varied as writers are. Some people I know have been severely hurt in a group that has been honest to the point of rudeness, or who have taken the work shared and tried to make it over and mould it into their own style and image, which is not the responsibility of a writing group at all. Others are too placid and will listen and comment, but only to say how ‘good’ or ‘nice’ a piece of writing is. That is just as unhelpful as the too negative comments. No matter how long we have been writing, all of us can improve or have things we could do better or faults that we ourselves are blind to but others are not. Recently I shared a chapter of the fiction manuscript I am working on with a writing group. This one was written in the third person. Then I gave them a second taste of the chapter written in the first person. The reason being I was unsure which worked better and so I wanted to test drive the reader’s reaction.   As it says in the article on point of view in Gotham Writers Workshop writing fiction, which we are working through in our FAW group,   ‘the point of view you choose for your story or novel will affect the way readers respond emotionally to your characters and their actions.’  True enough. I proved this recently with my experiment. Readers reacted differently to the character and the story in the first person point of view and with good reason. I was able to see as they read it how the rewriting had changed and not for the better in the first person, even though some things included in that first person account may be able to be use in a different way in the third person telling of the story. The Gotham article goes on to say choice of point of view will also influence tone and theme. True enough. Listen to two people tell the same story and you’ll soon see how different they are in words used, tone, feeling and the things they choose to include or leave out.  So it was more than just an experiment. The feedback I received from the group was extremely helpful. Of course that means the writer has to feel secure in the group and that they can trust others in the group and their responses. That is not a problem with this group I am involved in. They are interested, helpful and always keen to help another writer improve their work but without trying to take over and reshape it according to their own style and taste. That’s what you want from a writers' group and it’s worth persisting until you find the right group where you feel comfortable, accepted and encouraged. But also where negative comments can be made not in a spirit of nastiness but in a spirit of love and with the aim of improving the work. Many well known writers have groups that they belong to and that have been a valuable asset over the years. If you are in one or have had experience good or bad, I would love to hear from you and what made it worthwhile or not. If you have not, maybe you might like to think about what you would look for in a writing and critique group. (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, April 13th, 2012
11:49 am	Two Reviews I debated between 2 and 3 stars for this book.Probably 2 and a half. The premise of this book is interesting in that Florine, who is very close to her mother Carlie, finds it difficult to cope after she disappears from Florine’s life, leaving no trace of what happened. Florine and her father don’t know if she is dead or just gone off somewhere.  Florine’s grief is an intrinsic presence in the novel. The sense of place is beautifully evoked. Some of the writing and the imagery in this novel is particularly effective and apt given the setting of Maine. I particularly liked women’s voices rose and fell like gulls nagging at a fishing boat, the description of Rose with pale eyes the colour of water on sand,and the too wise for her years observation that maybe for Daddy at least, the devil was a clear, sharp liquid. These are just some examples of the imagery and prose that attracted me. This is in sharp contrast to the brash voice of Florine who has, in the words of the novel, got a mouth on her and it makes for interesting if unsettling reading at times. Unfortunately in the publisher’s blurb I read it was compared it to Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe, which to my mind does this book a disservice, as Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea does not have the same homespun warmth and gentle humour as that has. The picture of a young girl’s grief for her mother is beautifully portrayed and yet vaguely unsatisfying. In the end the author seems to imply that everyone should excuse Florine’s behaviour because she lost her mother when young and had a hard life. Is that an excuse? Perhaps. But as she grew older, I found I became bored with the attitude of self pity and cared even less about Florine as she used her mother’s disappearance and her grief as an excuse to further her selfish behaviour.  This is a debut novel for Morgan Callan Rogers, so it will be interesting to see what she comes up with next. True Rikka Pulkkinen Scribe Publications Paperback RRP $29.95 As Elsa is dying she wants to die in her own home not in a hospital.  As her family gathers around to support her, her husband Martti, daughter Eleonoora, a doctor, and granddaughters Anna and Maria all have different ways of coping with what is happening. The story is simply and factually told paying attention to details. I loved the details of the childhood of Ella, the child who became the pragmatic Eleonoora. But all in the lives of Elsa and Martti and their long marriage is not quite as straightforward as it would seem, as Anna discovers. This is a hard book to classify. At times it is stunning in its language and simplicity. There is an attention to detail in the dream of Eleonoora when she was a child and her mother was healthy. The reader is given a picture of the memories a six year old child would have – the stickiness of strawberries eaten for lunch and the red sandals that chafed one ankle. The interaction between Elsa and her Eleonoora is portrayed well.  It is perhaps as honest a portrayal of the feelings encountered in a mother and daughter relationship when the mother is ill, as that portrayed in One True Thing by Anna Quindlen.  It shows the demanding side that can come when a patient is terminally ill. I also loved the image that relationships are like dense forests as Anna remembers when her grandfather painted her. It is an image that sticks in the mind and one that encapsulates the book. There were a lot of things to like about this novel, written by a Finnish author and translated in English. Reading it is a bit like finding your way through a forest too as it weaves between varying time shifts and viewpoints. And perhaps this was part of the problem for me. While at times I enjoyed the exquisite prose and the story, as it wove its way between past and present, I still felt strangely distanced from the characters. Others may react differently, but I found I was never emotionally invested in the characters and their story and that’s a shame. While it is a good book but could have been stronger if more emotionally involving. A couple of things that worried me was the similarity of names with Elsa, Eleonoora otherwise known as Ella, Eeva and Eero and I wasn’t convinced about Eeva thinking she knew exactly what Martti was thinking so often. These were only minor glitches. It was primarily the lack of involvement and concern for the characters that I found the biggest problem. (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
4:09 pm	A story to be told Today I’m pleased to welcome Karen Tyrrell to my blog. Some stories demand to be told. Karen’s story is one of them. It shows how writing can help a person deal with other problems and provide an emotional release. Welcome Karen. It’s great to have you here to share part of your journey with us. I hope it will be an encouragement to others. Guest Blog for Dale … Say YES to Mental Health! My name’s Karen Tyrrell and I’ve recovered from severe mental illness. Today I live a happy, balanced life as full-time children’s and memoir author, public speaker and mental health advocate. My life wasn’t always like that! Over seven years ago, parents at my school repeatedly harassed me to breaking point and beyond. After a year of constant abuse as a teacher, I developed mania and experienced a severe psychotic break. My only solution was to escape to a lonely motel. Police and a medical team discovered me, incarcerating me into a psychiatric hospital. Instead of seeking help in the early stages of stress, anxiety and insomnia, I ignored it. I soldiered on, denying I had any problem. We live in an ever increasingly stressful society. So many people now feel the pressure, suffering from mental health issues, addictions and disorders. As humans, we need to nurture our emotional and psychological health every day. Admitting we need help is a sign of strength NOT weakness. In the midst of my psychotic and manic episode, I began to write ME & HER: a Memoir of Madness. Daily writing became a powerful tool to reflect on my condition and to trial mental health strategies to aid my recovery. ME & HER is a thought provoking memoir of hope, sharing my strategies for recovery and wellness. I challenge everyone to fight against the stigma of mental illness. My personal testimonial, ME & HER: a Memoir of Madness will be launched in May. Please check my website http://www.karentyrrell.com for more information (26 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 25th, 2012
3:34 pm	What do you look for in an author's website? Recently I read an article about the 5 mistakes writers make when setting up a website. http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/03/the-5-most-common-author-website-mistakes/  It made me stop and think about what I look for in an author’s website. I look for information about the author. I like to know more about the people who write the books I read or want to read.  I agree with the article that I don’t want to see pictures from the author’s childhood, or of their children or grandchildren. To me the author’s website to me is not the place for that. But I realise others have different ideas on that.  To my mind, it should be about the author, the writing life and of course the author’s latest book or books and where they are available. In other words, how can I get my hands on them?  Helpful tips about writing and publishing, book reviews and links to their blog if they have one, other author websites, and helpful places are also welcome information.  The style of writing, content and colours should also reflect something of the personality of the author. And it shouldn’t take too long to load. Many people are like me. They get impatient and go elsewhere if a site takes too long to load. So, over to you. What do you look for when you go into an author’s website?  Do you only go into sites of known authors? Or will you check out a new author perhaps on the strength of a review or recommendation from another author? (18 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
10:17 am	I'd heard a lot about the Maisie Dobbs books from writer friends online and perhaps that was part of the problem - too much hype had increased my expectations. The story of Maisie and her offsider Billy who are to find and bring home Charlotte, the daughter of wealthy and self made grocery magnate, Joseph Waite, takes some twists when murder becomes involved. While this book is readable and it certainly fits the bill of 'cozy mystery,' I found I never really became involved greatly with the characters. I felt distanced from them. Perhaps it's also a result of the wrong book at the wrong time after some of the other great books I have read which are rich in characterisation, but I doubt I will be in any hurry to read another Maisie Dobbs mystery. Having said that, if you like your murder mysteries sedate and without any unnecessary language and sex scenes, (which I admit I prefer too) you may well find this to your taste. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 16th, 2012
7:36 am	thursdays in the park review Four stars but close to four and a half. After reading One Summer by David Baldacci and Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, both of which I loved, I picked up and put down in quick succesion about six books that failed to catch or hold my interest. Then I came to this one. When Jeannie's husband of many years suddenly ups and leaves her bed and withdraws physically and emotionally from her, refusing to talk about what has happened, I immediately wanted to know why. The reader doesn't find out until half way through the book. But that doesn't mean nothing is happening. All the while the author is building a picture of this marriage and the manipulative ways of Jeannie's husband, George. I've heard a number of women complain about 'selective hearing' in the their husbands. George takes it to an artform, completlely overiding Jeannie at all points, including wanting to move to the country and giving up her shop. Any wonder then when she meets Ray, at the park where she takes her granddaughter Ellie, that she begins to notice the difference. He listens. But is she game to take a chance given the opposition from her family? The first page or two of this novel,I wasn't convinced but then it quickly drew me in. By the end of the book I was reading faster and faster to see how it would be resolved. This book rings with the voice of authenticity, perhaps due to the author's background in marriage guidance counselling and health issues such as depression. It really gets to the heart of relationships and love in various forms. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 11th, 2012
6:43 am	Winner of Giveaway Hi All, The winner of the giveaway of a copy of Do Not Forget Australia is Teena. Congratulations. So Teena if you would like to contact me privately at dharcombe@bigpond.com with your address I will send your copy out to you. On another note if any of you live in Sydney or close and can still get tickets, I suggest you go see Love Never Dies before it closes. I saw it yesterday with my daughter. What an amazing show! The sets, the costumes,the acting, not to mention the music and especially the title song, all brilliant. The young woman who played Christine has the most amazing soprano voice. But all the cast, and especially the Phantom were fantastic! We both absolutely loved it. One lady we were talking to there had already seen it in Melbourne and came back to see it again, because she loved it so much. Can understand the reaction. Mind you, if you can get through without a few tears you're better than many of us there. My husband who was waiting outside said a number came out wiping their eyes. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 9th, 2012
10:54 am	Caleb's Crossing review Caleb's Crossing byGeraldine Brooks Read from March 07 to 08, 2012 My rating: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/247481029"  5 stars I went back and changed this after thinking about the book more.Well now, as you can probably tell from how quickly I powered through  it once I got hold of it from the library, this book fascinated me. The writing is beautiful. The voice of Bethia is so strong and drew me right in.I first heard a little read at our writing group and was hooked even then. I rarely read historcial fiction but admit I am a fan of the books of Geraldine Brooks and liked them all in particular March. This tells the story of Bethia Mayfield a minister's daughter who has an active mind, intelligence and love of learning,she is not, because of her gender, allowed to use to its fullest capacity and her interaction with Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first native American to graduate from Harvard College. The relationship between the two and their discussions about the Christian beliefs and American Indian beliefs make for interesting reading and I loved the ingenious ways she manages to learn despite restrictions placed on her. Added to that, the book is peppered with tragedy,and has its share of love interest.But mostly it is a fascinating portrayal of life at the time and of the people and place which became Martha's Vineyard. If you like historical novels you should love this. I'm not usually but there are some exceptions. This is one of them. http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4800708-dale-harcombe  (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
9:33 am	One Summer by David Baldacci My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this book and if I could have figured out how to do it I would have given this four and a half stars. This is the first David Baldacci book I have read. My husband has read several but I gather they are a different type of book to this. I picked this up on the strength of the cover, which shows how important covers are. If you can suspend disbelief and allow for miracles that include recovery from cancer, then you will have no trouble getting involved with these characters. I have no problem believing in miracles, so I was happy to accept this. The rest of the novel of Jack Armstrong a decorated ex-war veteran shows how he deals with his family of three children, one a rather prickly teenager. If you like the novels of Nicholas Sparks, you will like this book as it has the same emotional pull and themes. I read it through in a day because I was so emotionally invested in the characters and the story. It has a lot to say about the different ways people handle grief. If you can get through it without resorting to the box of tissues then you're better person than I am. View all my reviews (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 4th, 2012
6:48 am	Do Not Forget Australia guest post and review Big drum roll please as I welcome Sally Murphy to my blog today for her guest post. But before we go to Sally, for a chance to win a copy of this new picture book, don't forget to leave a comment on Sally's post or the review of Do Not Forget Australia. Now, welcome Sally. I’m really pleased to be here today. Thanks for having me.I thought I might talk a bit about where the characters for Do Not Forget Australia came from. I read your own interview with Sally Odgers recently where you commented that your characters usually come first. This is often true for me – a character comes, and then, as I get to know them, their story emerges. But with Do Not Forget Australia, it was a little different. The story is based on a historical event – the destruction of the village of Villers-Bretonneux during World War 1 and its subsequent rebuilding,. I knew that I wanted to focus on the role Australians played both in the battle and the rebuilding and especially on what led to the village school bearing a sign saying “Do Not Forget Australia”. But because this was to be for children, I wanted to somehow create a story that showed the events rather than simply telling them.  I needed a character children could relate to. So the character of Henri was born. A French child living in the village before its destruction and returning to it afterwards. How would it feel, I wondered, to see your town destroyed? And, since school is a big part of children’s daily lives, what would you feel about seeing your school destroyed? As work on the story progressed I realised I needed to strengthen the Australian side of the story. The people of Australia, particularly Victoria, supported Villers-Bretonneux after the war, and it was money raised by schoolchildren which paid for the rebuilding of the school.  I decided I needed a second child, in Australia, who knows and cares about the war and about Villers-Bretonneux. Initially the two boys were unaware of each other – the stories were parallel, but definitely separate. It was only when I thought of a way of linking them that I think the story really came alive. What if Henri met an Australian soldier who had a son about the same age, back in Australia?  Enter Billy, a boy who hates school, but hears about Henri through letters from his father. The two boys never meet, but they are connected. So, whilst the historical events came first for this story, it was the characters, and their connection, which really made the story come to life. I hope that readers will care about those characters and thus learn the story of Villers-Bretonneux. Now for the review of Do Not Forget Australia Do Not Forget Australia. by Sally Murphy & Sonia Kretschmar Walker Books Hardcover Picture book RRP $29.95 With Anzac Day coming up this picture book is sure to be snapped up by schools and adults who want to help children understand in a fun way the significance of Australia’s involvement in World War 1. ‘Who cares about Australia?’ Henri muttered. ‘It’s so far away.’ At the time Henri is annoyed because his friend Adele got the answer to the question in the test requiring them to name all the continents whereas Henri had forgotten about Australia. He is more interested in what is happening in his own country, France, and the war that has taken his father away and is pushing increasingly closer to the village where he lives. Soon for their safety Henri and his mother have to leave the village of Villers-Bretonneux. On the other side of the world in Australia another boy, Billy, is selling newspapers telling what is happening in the war while he is missing his father who is away at war. Each day he waits for a letter from his father. Henri and his mother eventually return to find their ruined village, where Henri’s school has been destroyed. Near the wrecked village some Australian soldiers are camped. These soldiers help Henri understand a little more of the terrible effect of war on so many lives. This picture book in a heartfelt way picks up on the help provided by Australians to help rebuild the school at Villers-Brettoneux. The school re-opened in 1927 and still displays a plaque saying Do Not Forget Australia acknowledging the generosity of Australians, and in particular the Australian children, who helped raise much of the money for the school to be rebuilt. Told through the eyes of two young boys, this is a touching story about people helping others who have suffered loss. It shows that both adults and children are able to make a difference in this world. Sonia Kretschmar’s detailed illustrations aptly portray the emotions and feeling associated with wary and the joy when the school is re-opened. Even the grey-green end papers with the poppies and koalas are beautifully done. This is a worthy addition to any home or school library. If you would like to win a copy of Do Not Forget Australia leave a comment on this review or Sally’s guest blog. (18 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 27th, 2012
11:17 am	coming soon -Do Not Forget Australia It’s always exciting when a new book comes out by an Aussie author. This is a heads up that March 1 is the date for the release of Do Not Forget Australia a new book from author Sally Murphy. Illustrator is Sonia Kretschmar. Sally and Sonia’s blog tour also kicks off on that date. I will be reviewing Do Not Forget Australia on March 4. Sally will also be dropping by with a guest post about characters on that day, which is timely since we’ve been talking a bit about characters lately.   Now, here’s the exciting part, if you leave a comment on my blog about either the review of Do Not Forget Australia or Sally’s guest post, between March 4 and March 9 you will be in with a chance to win a copy of Do Not Forget Australia as I have 1 copy to give a way to a lucky person.  Thanks to Walker Books for this giveaway prize. I received my copies this morning and just the quick peek I had it looks a very interesting picture book and in time for Anzac Day too.    (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
4:18 pm	The Readers Authors Love Recently another online writer asked me what was it about Joanna’s book Daughters-in-Law that made me love it so much. I had to say it was the exploration of characters and interaction of family dynamics. So much of it rang true and I could identify with characters, even while at times thinking they handled a situation wrongly. But then which one of us has never done that?  I have to plead guilty on that. I suspect it is part of being human. We don’t always act the way we would like or say what we should. Neither do our characters. I guess too as I set out to write about why I loved that book, it caused me to realise what grabs me most when reading, are books that involve me emotionally and that focus on characters and relationships. Hardly surprising then that it is also the sort of book I like to write. That doesn’t mean that plot doesn’t come into it. Just that character largely dictates the plot. It would seem I am not alone in liking books driven by characters. One of the interesting aspects of writing a book or books is how people respond. Recently I have had several examples where people who have read and enjoyed Streets on a Map have then got back to me and bought extra copies for friends or other family members. These are the sort of readers every writer loves, because they not only talk about your book they act. Some will lend it to their friends, which means it is getting read and word is getting out. Others go that step further and buy extra copies to give as gifts. Where would all of us writers be without these precious readers? Have you ever bought extra copies of a book you loved for family or friends? When was the last time you did this? If you are a writer perhaps you might like to share an example of your favourite kind of reader or a reaction from a reader that particularly pleased, encouraged or excited you. If you especially liked a book, do you email or contact the author and tell them? I did that recently and pointed Joanna Trollope to my blog and my comments about Daughters-in-Law and received a lovely email in reply from her. Regardless of how new to the writing game or how successful we are, encouragement and enthusiastic readers never go astray. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 19th, 2012
11:26 am	Writers and writers One of the great things about writers is they are always willing to share information and help each other. Sometimes that can be about a new market, a new blog that is of interest to writers, or an invitation to write a guest blog or take part in an interview. For me, it is interview time again. This time I am being interviewed by Aussie author Sally Odgers and I answered five interesting writing related questions. You can find my answers to Sally’s questions here http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/meet-dale-harcombe.html If that has whetted your curiosity and interest, and I hope it has, you will also be able to go to www.daleharcombe.com and buy a copy of Streets on a Map. It is also available from Amazon and Koorong bookshops as well as selected bookstores.  If they don’t already stock it, you can always order it in. Some people I know have asked their local independent bookshop and they got it in. So that’s always an option too. A friend asked me recently how different is it doing a character interview than an interview about myself. Well, it is sure different. A character interview means getting back into the voice of that character and thinking like they think. It’s a fun exercise and helps the writer understand more about their character. In writing workshops, which I have conducted a number of over the years, I  have often suggested this or writing a character dossier as a way for aspiring writers a way to find out more about their characters . The writer may not use every piece of information they discover about a character but they need to be fully fleshed out so that they will then come across to the reader as real. The last time it was an interview with Abby, one of the two main characters from Streets on a Map http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com.au/and I’d already had an interview with Laila earlier on another blog http://www.povbootcamp.com/laila-harris-interview-streets-on-a-map-by-dale-harcombe/. Now enough about interviews and characters, I need to change writing hats and proofread two poems for an anthology called Horizons that is due out this year from Poetica Christi Press. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
3:25 pm	On the Desk Now I can say I have something in common with Dickens. I have a calendar on my desk and it is always set first thing in the morning to the right date. You'd also find a rock, simply because I like the colour and shape if it, a blue pinch pot my son made as a child in pottery class, a sign my husband bought me years ago which says Writers have the last word, a plate for my cup and a another for my teabag both with owls on them, an owl bookmark bought by my son ‘and another by my husband. Yes, they’re both in books I’m reading or dipping into at present. There’s another owl on my cork board which my daughter drew along with two owls hanging from a shelf, one in red and white near the Sydney Swans clock , football and bear, and another in mauve which is only made of cardboard but I bought it because I liked it.  But back to the desk. It is littered with myriad pens many of them purple as I love to write with purple pens, attractive covered note books bought me by family members, a bible, and a stack of books to read and dip into. And highlighters. If I find something that appeals in a book I own out comes the highlighter. At present I have A Circle of Quiet volume 1 of the Crosswicks journals by Madeleine L’Engle on my desk as I’m planning on using it for an exercise at Writers group shortly. It has lots of highlighted passages in it as do most of her nonfiction books and journals I own. Of course as well as the computer  there are paper copies of works in progress and a copy of Streets on a Map, which could soon go out to one lucky Aussie based reader in a current giveaway.  Yes as you’ve probably gathered it is a big desk - a big corner desk. Even so it’s still usually cluttered.   My daughter once took one look at my desk and said, ’Mum I don’t know how you can work with it like that.’  ‘Quite easily,’ I replied.  I can live with a bit of clutter, maybe not elsewhere in the house but on my desk I can and I know where to find everything - mostly. What has what I have on my desk revealed about me? Here are a few things:  That I am family oriented and a sentimental hoarder who treasures keepsakes from family.  I have a thing about two types of birds - owls which I collect and the Sydney Swans my footy team I follow.  I like to know what I’m doing hence the calendar on the desk. My bible and books are there for reference, reading, inspiration and information. I’m a dinosaur when it comes to writing and prefer writing longhand forst so by the time get to computer I’m already in the revising or editing process. I tried writing straight on computer recently and it is fine for articles or blogs. But for fiction or poetry I need that pen in hand. Still, it was an interesting exercise. Purple pens purely because I love purple as you can probably tell from my website. So, now it’s over to you. Whether you’re a writer, reader or both, what is on your desk? What would we learn about you from your desk? For those of us who are writers, it’s worth thinking about your latest character. What would he or she have on their desk? See if you can picture that character’s desk. It could tell you a lot about that character, their passions, and what’s important to them. Thanks Peter for the idea for this blog. http://writing-for-children.blogspot.com.au/ (13 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
9:02 am	A gem of a book I like Joanna Trollope's writing, so pounced on this book when I saw it in the library. I expected to like it. I didn't. I LOVED it. I started it at the hairdressers in the afternoon and I was hooked. After I came home I couldn't wait to get back to the Brinkleys.  It is a great picture of family dynamics with Rachel and Anthony and their three sons and their respective wives. I read it in one gulp. Stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to finish it. It should be required reading for anyone who has ever been a mother in law or daughter in law or intends to be one. This one is a gem that highlights the fine line sometimes between helping and interfering or between honesty and learning when to keep your mouth shut. And it's not just Rachel that is guilty of overstepping the mark at times.This one is a treat. http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4800708-dale-harcombe">View all my reviews (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
9:31 am	Character interview and give away Just a quick reminder if you’re interested in reading the interview with Abby from Streets on a Map, it is now up on this site http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com.au/  An added incentive to take a look and leave a comment is there is a giveaway of a print version Streets on a Map for one lucky reader who leaves a comment. Sadly, due to high costs of postage overseas, this offer is only available to those living in Australia. I found out about Laurie’s site after Rosanne Dingli a fellow author from the ANZ authors http://anzauthors.yolasite.com/ had a guest post back on November 27 of last year. I contacted Laurie and asked if she I was interested in an interview or guest post and she got back to me with the suggestion of a character interview. Her first available spot was February 1st and that suited me fine. It meant I got through all the Christmas and special family times first. So why not pop on over and have a look at the interview with Abby of Streets on a Map. Find out a bit more about her. While you’re there if you’re an author, maybe you might like to contact Laurie about a similar idea or guest post. I find the writing business is reciprocal. It’s all about authors helping other authors by sharing information and contacts. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 30th, 2012
2:05 pm	Writers, Childhood and Dreams. Have you ever had to leave before a movie finished? Or, you’ve taped a show on TV and because the timing is not right you’ve missed the end? Frustrating isn’t it? You feel cheated.  It happened to me last night. My husband and I were at a public event and we had been called up on stage by the organiser and commentator.  At first we thought he wanted someone else but after much gesturing and impatient looks from the commentator we realised he did indeed mean us. We started forward. And then I woke up.   I woke up feeling cheated. No matter how I tried, and believe me I did, I could not get back into that dream to find out what happened next. Why had he commentator singled us out and called us onto the stage? It was annoying not to know the end. I felt cheated that I did not get to see the resolution. How different it is from childhood. When I was a child if I woke from a dream, I could go back to sleep and pick up where I left off, even if there was a whole day in between one part of a dream and the next. It was like my very own serial. I’ve heard of other people who also had that knack as children with their dreams. Sadly many of us as we grow older, lose that knack. This is where the writer has an advantage.  The writer can always use the dream as a starting point and then ask, ‘what if?’ In other words they can make their own ending to the situation. The writer can enter that world or another world of their creation, people it with characters of their own invention, making problems the characters have to overcome and then work towards a resolution. That’s part of the fun of being a writer, going along for the ride where our characters take us and discovering new things and new situations. It’s a bit like being in a permanent dream state. As a reader, we can also get into that frame of mind. We can become so involved with the characters and their lives and the story being told that it is like being there and being part of the scene. Sadly, there are some things that will pull us out of a scene.  I’d brought a book home from the library. The blurb on the back assured me I would not be able to put the book down. Well, we know those blurbs aren’t always correct but the story line sounded interesting and the first page passed the quick test, so home it came with me. The main characters were all younger than me but that is not a problem. I’m happy to read about people of all different age groups. As a writer also for children, I’m happy to read children and YA books and have had no problem getting involved in the lives of young characters. There are many great children’s and YA books out there, some by Australian writers.  Three in particular stand out to me. Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy, Letters to Leonardo by Dee White, and A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard, are all sensitively written stories that involve the reader with the characters and their problems. So my giving up on the recent book had nothing to do with the age of the characters, women in their thirties or thereabouts.  I stopped reading because I became fed up with the characters. I simply could not stand to inhabit their world any longer. They were the most self- absorbed, shallow characters that I had no interest in their lives and problems. Put simply they weren’t strong or complex enough characters to keep me reading. They weren’t, to my way of thinking, worth caring about. Now I have no doubt others may disagree.  But that’s part of the joy of reading – we all respond differently to authors and books. What one person loves another hates. But if I don’t care enough about the characters I am not going to keep reading. Not when there are so many other books in the world with characters that will involve me and that I will care about. So my question to you all is what will make you stop reading a book? Or are you one of these people who once started will press on regardless to the finish? (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
11:23 am	Letting your Characters Speak for Themselves Recently I completed an interview. Not with me but with Abby one of the characters from Streets on a Map. It’s an interesting exercise which I have done before. One other time the interviewed character was Laila.You can find that here, http://orangedale.livejournal.com/77870.html This time it is Abby, one of the two main characters from Streets on a Map. Answering questions from the point of view of your character can be an interesting exercise. It means putting aside your own ideas and thoughts and putting yourself in the skin of your character. It meand thinking how would they answer that question? What words or phrases would they use? What hobbies or experiences do they have? Abby will use words and phrases, I may never use. When I answer interview questions form Abby’s perspective her responses to questions are vastly different to mine. For example I have currently recently finished reading Where Would I Be Without You? by Guillaume Musso, a French author in his late thirties at the time of writing that book. But Abby’s answer to the question of what she is reading is vastly different. She’s re-reading a book searching for inspiration to write the lyrics of a song. I’m not a re-reader of fiction. Poetry and non-fiction, yes, but not fiction. So that’s just one area where Abby and I differ. When writing fiction we need to be sure our characters are fully developed and are not replicas of us under a different name.  A good way to do that is before you start writing to flesh out your character, their likes and dislikes. This works for the person who likes to plot everything out beforehand. For those of us who are not plotters but like to take a character and see where he or she leads us and be surprised by what we learn, it may be easier to keep track as you uncover facts about them while writing by keeping a dossier about your character. Abby and I do have some things we share in common like a love for singing, but it’s not something I would want to do as a career even assuming I was good enough. But Abby can’t imagine life any other way. She is constantly surrounded by music. She has a wide variety of music on her iPod, some by artists I’m not overly familiar with. This dinosaur doesn’t even have an iPod.  Abby likes a drop of red wine with her meal. I could think of nothing worse. To me it would be like drinking blood. Now a good white, that’s a different thing all together. Abby has two sisters and a complicated relationship with one of them. I have no sisters but that doesn’t mean I can’t write about a character that does. I’ve seen enough of people and how they behave in a sisterly relationship plus I can imagine what it might be like. Anyway I’ll keep you posted when the interview with Abby appear. For now it’s over to you. I’d love to hear about one of your characters and the things where they are different or perhaps similar to you and how you go about creating characters. (10 Comments |Comment on this)