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Author Bar Yarns w/ Fiona Palmer

Fiona PalmerLook who I’ve RECRUITED!

Fiona Palmer has proven she’s a most versatile author with her first young adult novel quite a change from her highly-acclaimed rural romances, but from early reviews just as fabulous.

First, Fee, here is a beer coaster! Take a minute to jot down the blurb for your new book – The Recruit.

Jasmine Thomas is your normal seventeen-year-old girl. She dislikes the rich mean kids at her school but loves her two best friends, computer savvy Anna and popular, gorgeous Taylor. Her spare time is spent at The Ring, a boxing gym where she practically grew up learning karate, boxing and street fighting. So, yeah, she can kick some major butt.

Life seems pretty normal until Ryan Fletcher enters her gym. Mysterious, hot and plenty of bad boy charm. But she is not prepared for what she finds out about him and before too long she’s drawn into his adult world of secrets and lies. Just how far is she willing to go? And could this be the life fulfilling path she’d dreamed of?

(This is the first in the MTG Agencies series.)

Okay, well, don’t hold back. Come on in. Grab a pw. What can I get you to go The Recruit by Fiona Palmerwith your beer nuts? (Shandy? Wine Spritzer? Pink Lemonade?)

A bourbon and coke would be lovely thanks Jenn. Or a Lemon, Lime and Bitters if its before midday lol.

Hey, did you hear the one about … Tell us a joke (preferably one that comes with a punch line you actually remember!)

What is the difference between snot and broccoli….kids don’t eat broccoli. And oldie, one we always told as kids.

I’m a beer nut nut! What bar snack would you be and why?

I love those BBQ noodles you get in the mix with nuts. Love the crunch.

Ahh, that beer hit the spot. Let me slip a drink coaster under your glass while you tell us—on a scale of 1 to 10—as a writer are you a messy desker or tidy desker? (NB: 1 = “I am a neat nut case” and 10 = “What desk? Where? Is there a desk here somewhere?”) 

It’s around a four to five, I reckon. While sometimes when I’m writing it can go right up to an 8.

The publican offers you free drinks all night if you will:

  • Dance to Gangnam Style
  • Sing John Denver’s ‘Take me Home Country Roads’ on the Karaoke machine
  • Spend an hour washing dishes

Which do you choose?

Dishes for sure. Something I know I can do well lol

Time to liven the place up. Got a buck? We can crank up the old jukebox in the corner. You get to pick three songs.

  1. Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
  2. In a pub, you must have some Jimmy Barnes!
  3. And if we were going to do some dancing, a boppy Katy Perry song.

An author, an agent and a chicken walk into the bar… how do you know which one crossed the road?

This is like one of those maths questions or a really bad joke, neither which I’m good at.

There’s a stapler on the bar. Tell me what it’s doing there.

Cracking nuts. (Maybe the barman lost his nut cracker??)

The pub is the heart of a small town and most locals would be lost without one. What are three things you’d be lost without?

  1. My family!
  2. My fur family.
  3. My car.

There are a few good prizes up for grabs in the bar jackpot. Do you have a lucky number?

73. It was my granddads racing number; my dad’s and also mine. I like to think its lucky.

Then I hope we can expect 73 great stories from you! Thank you for dropping by Calingarry Crossing pub, Fiona and congratulations on your continuing success.

Connect with Fiona Palmer and check out the trailer on her website and buy her book using these links:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-recruit/id852047890?mt=11

http://www.booktopia.com.au/ebooks/the-recruit-fiona-palmer/prod9780857991577.html

http://www.amazon.com.au/The-Recruit-Fiona-Palmer-ebook/dp/B00JD7EYTO

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I. AM. HERE

SWF 2014May 23, 2014.

I. AM. HERE.

Sydney Writers Festival and the Australian Book Industry Awards gala event.

Okay, so, I was there as an observer, rather than being celebrated for some great literary achievement. But I was there and my book was there — on the book wall along with every book from 2013. The weekend was still an amazing experience and a career highlight (although perhaps the best thing for me was having the head of Tony Abbott’s personal security team at our table and talking to his wrist!)The book wall

Some 24 hours later, after being whisked down and whisked back again (thank you Simon &Schuster for treating me like a winner anyway) the sparkly outfit is back on the hanger and I am back to being ordinary me and blogging. But there was a particular moment from the awards night I wanted to share.

There I was in the room at Friday night’s book industry awards when at the end of all the awards, ‘someone’ at the mic said “Congratulations to all those in the room who received an award this year.”

I quietly raised my glass, looked across the table at author friend, Anna Romer, and whispered to her: “Congratulations to any author who managed to get published this year!”

The same sentiment can be applied to any author who managed to type the words THE END, as well as any author who managed to put those first few words of their dream novel on a page.  We are doing what we love, no matter what stage in the journey, so well done and celebrate every step along the way. We can’t all win awards, just as we can’t please all readers/reviewers. As I say these days: “I can’t be every reader’s favourite author. I can only be the best author I can be.”

My book awards experience was an extraordinary moment for this very ordinary girl and I am extremely grateful to the lovely people at S&S.

Keep writing and reading, friends.

 

 

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Bar Yarns with Joanne van Os

This is pretty exciting.

The bar gets some amazing authors dropping by, and today’s country pub dweller is Joanne van Os (and something tells me Joanne is quite comfy in a country pub!)

Joanne van Os is an Australian writer living in Darwin, Northern Territory. She is the author of best-selling memoir Outback Heart, the story of her life with the “Real Crocodile Dundee” Rod Ansell, their adventures living in the remote parts of the Territory, and his subsequent spiral into tragedy.

Find out more about Joanne’s amazing story and her books: www.joannevanos.com

Welcome to Calingarry Crossing, Jo. First, here is a beer coaster! Take a minute to jot down the blurb for your book – Ronan’s Echo.

“The legacy of love and war ripples across time…”

In 1916 twin brothers Denny and Connor Ronan are eager to get to the war before it’s all over; Bridie O’Malley, their childhood friend and the woman they both love, watches them leave, understanding too late that war is about more than heroes and handsome boys in uniform.

Nearly a century on from the disastrous battle of Fromelles, forensic anthropologist Kat Kelso, Bridie’s great granddaughter, is in France identifying the recovered bodies of lost Australian soldiers. The discovery of her own relative amongst the dead men begins the unravelling of a hundred years of family history, lies and secrets.

Grab a pew. What can I get you to go with your beer nuts? (Shandy? Wine Spritzer? Pink Lemonade?)

A cold pinot noir would be lovely

Hey, did you hear the one about … Tell us a joke (preferably one that comes with a punch line you actually remember!)

A man goes skydiving. After a fantastic free fall he pulls the rip-cord to open his parachute but nothing happens. He tries everything but can’t get it open.

Just then another man flies by him, going UP. The skydiver yells, “Hey, you know anything about parachutes?” The man replies, “No, you know anything about gas stoves?”

 I’m a beer nut nut! What bar snack would you be and why?

I like the idea of being a trendy tapas, but I’m probably a pretzel…

Ahh, that beer hit the spot. Let me slip a drink coaster under your glass while you tell us—on a scale of 1 to 10—as a writer are you a messy desker or tidy desker? 

My husband would say I’m an 11, but I reckon about a 7. I’m not THAT messy. Will send a photo when I find it – it’s somewhere here on the desk, I’m sure…

The publican offers you free drinks all night if you will:

  • Dance to Gangnam Style
  • Sing John Denver’s ‘Take me Home Country Roads’ on the Karaoke machine
  • Spend an hour washing dishes

Which do you choose?

Are you kidding? Point the way to the sink.

Time to liven the place up. Got a buck? We can crank up the old jukebox in the corner. You get to pick three songs.

  1. Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love”
  2. Rolling Stones “Dancing in the Street”
  3. ABBA “Dancing Queen”

An author, an agent and a chicken walk into the bar… how do you know which one crossed the road?

The agent and the chicken – the author would still be wondering about motive

There’s a stapler on the bar. Tell me what it’s doing there.

Someone’s planning the perfect murder. The stapler is integral to the plot.

The pub is the heart of a small town and most locals would be lost without one. What are three things you’d be lost without?

  1. My laptop
  2. My reading glasses
  3. Good coffee

There are a few good prizes up for grabs in the bar jackpot. Do you have a lucky number?

Do I have to have one? Ok, 7

Last drinks, my friend! It’s been great having you here. But before we go, tell us how we can find out more about you and your writing/books.

Simple: www.joannevanos.com