Reading Adventures in December

Ho Ho Ho!  Welcome to a very festive instalment of Reading Adventures...

It's time to swap your coffee for egg nog (fully loaded, of course!), and to leave all those healthy food options back at the supermarket.  It's time to get SILLY!

I love Christmas.  I love the colour, the lights, the little kids' faces, the catching up with friends and family.  All absolute gold.

But the thing I quite possibly love most is the holidays?

MORE TIME TO READ!

Woohoo!

Just as Carla Caruso and myself have been doing:

Carla Caruso

I’ve been reading Rough Diamond by “new Australian talent” Kathryn Ledson and absolutely loving it!

I think people have been raving about this book for a while, but I’ve only got onto reading it.

It’s been described as Australia’s answer to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and a sequel’s on the way. I love the simple, easy-to-read, humorous writing style – and the ultra-protective, gorgeous hero.

A must read! Go Aussie writers :) 

Emmeline Lock

I also picked up Rough Diamond, and just finished it last night.  Phew-ee! Somebody say, "Adventurous ROLLER COASTER with GOOD LAUGHS and HOT LERV"?  Couldn't put it down.  Yes, Ms Ledson.  I am a little weary today.  But I don't regret a moment!

I agree, Carla, it's a funny, quippy read that doesn't belabour the relationship between Erica and Jack, even though life throws all kinds of rotten tomatoes their way.   Check out Sandra O'Grady's thoughts on this book here.  

The ending did leave me a bit wanting, until I rationalised the whole "Um, Emmeline, dude, there's another book," thing.  Then, I felt that the ending was very well done, and felt that Jack was some kind of GOD.  Oh, yum.

Looking forward to Monkey Business, the next book.  And not just because I want more Jack.  Well, maybe not only because I want more Jack... 


Speaking of awesome Aussie writers...  Here's a few I've been mowing through like Christmas chocolates...

The Kissing Season - Rachel Johns.

I do love to read Ms Johns, and this 100-page book does nothing to tarnish my girl-crush.  

A gorgeous hero (with an accent!), a feisty heroine, a small-town feel and and Aussie Christmas!  What more could a reader want?!

Rubies and Black Velvet - Denise Rossetti

I'm a big fan of Rossetti's Four-Sided Pentacle series (Loved The Flame and the Shadow!), and this novella, which falls at #1.5,  brings us all the mystique and sultry heat of those books.

Once again, the hero, John, was a work of art.  He was perfect.  Completely sigh-worthy.  

A curse, a delectable hero, a strong heroine, well-woven fantasy and a number of beautifully-done erotic scenes.  Win!  

Originally published in Unlaced in 2008, it stands alone well, and is a well-worth a holiday read.  

Bravo, Ms Rossetti!


Speaking of gorgeous novellas, I've also had a few more crackers that I've taken off of the top of the TBR and devoured...


Starstruck in Seattle - Juliet Madison

An adorable, funny, quick read that left me wanting more Juliet Madison!

Which led me to...

I Dream of Johnny!

I would have bought this for the title and cover alone, but on the back of a surge of Juliet love, this one was awesome.  A very cute, uplifting read.  





Finally, allow me to share with you one final book that I have recently read and loved...

Catch of the Day - Carla Caruso

Isn't that just THE prettiest cover you have seen for eons?  Our summer (ha!) has started off very cold, and made me kinda depressed.  But fear not, one look at this cover and I was cured!  The colours, the water, the floppy hat and the little heart ... isn't it just perfect!?
  
Now, Ms Caruso is fully aware of my girl-crush on her (I may or may not have done some gushing over SECOND CHANCE here.) and it's only marginally embarrassing for us both.   

I would happily wear a lifetime of  weird silences and cleared throats, if I could read gems such as this.  

Set in Kingston SE, this is a wonderful coming-home story (I do love those, especially when high-flying women pack up their stilettos...).  It has a number of my favourite things--a mysterious hero, a heroine who knows what she wants and doesn't dally about decision making, crystal-blue waters, small-town heart ... and crayfish!  Heaven!

Do yourself a favour, hit the beach with this great book.  NOW!



And what is really cool is that every author featured today is AUSTRALIAN!  I KNOW!  Awesome, RIGHT?  

Oi, oi, oi!

Until next time, happy reading, and a very merry and safe Christmas to you all.

Emmeline.  xx

UP CLOSE with out-and-about writer Lilliana Rose!

Tell us about your work background.

I’ve been a research scientist (where I played with DNA), a high school science teacher (where I went to formals as an adult), and a counsellor (where I’ve learnt about Jungian theories and other philosophical and psychological concepts).

Right now I write full-time. I also do work related to writing, like poetry gigs, workshops, and writer in residence programs.


When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

Growing up, Mum would deliver me at the library where I would seek out new books and emerge with a pile to read over the next month. I devoured books. I loved to read. It was a natural progression for me to begin writing my own stories. At school I loved when the teacher wanted us to write a creative story. Mine would go on for pages and pages - about talking kittens, dolls, caves by the beach. And once I wrote about a shipwreck.

It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that the idea of pursuing a writing career began to grow in my mind. I never thought of becoming a writer. I don’t know why. Other things just got in the way perhaps? In my early thirties, I decided to take the risk and pursue a writing career in earnest. I’ve not looked back. Writing is what I’m meant to be doing – if a few days go by and I haven’t written I tend to get a little grumpy. As the saying goes, ‘it’s in my blood’, it’s who I am, and I’m happiest when writing.


You’ve penned stories involving fantasy, sci-fi, steam-punk and horror, and recently tackled a rural romance. Is there anything you can’t do, and why not stick to one genre?

I don’t like to think about what I can’t write. I did that once. The gauntlet was thrown down – to myself – and I ended up writing a novella in the area I didn’t think I could write in (intense horror). It opened a new door for me, and my writing has been expanded because of this, which isn’t a bad thing. What inspires my writing are ideas. This is why I write in different areas. It's the ideas, or the questions I’m asking myself, and the what-ifs that create the characters and the situations they are in that dictates what genre I write in.


Writing for you does not appear to be a solitary activity. You’ve done everything from being a writer in residence at the SA Writers' Centre and Unley Council to a café poet at Rundle Mall's T-Bar. Do you think it’s important to get out and about as a writer and be 'seen'?

For me writing in public is a way to stay connected to the ‘real world’. I also write more productively. The noises, the smells, the interactions with people - while they aren’t going on the page, they are indirectly sparking my own senses and are reminding me of life. People seem to be drawn to me when I’m writing. They are interested, curious, and like to take a peek over my shoulder to see the words on my computer screen!


On your website you state your aim to write a poem a day for a year. How’s that going?

What was I thinking!? I’m hanging in there – just. I’ve written a poem a day since January 1. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I wanted to stretch my poetry writing in different ways. This process forces me look at life around me with ‘poetry eyes’ and at things from different perspectives. Writing exercises offer me a platform for writing new stories and poems, and this is exactly what this goal had done. I’ve got a lot of poems - some aren’t very good, some are very short - but I can come back to these poems in years to come.


Can you give us the log-lines of any recent stories you’ve had published?

New Skies published by Less Than Three Press (2012)
All Opal wants is to spend time with her beautiful, fiery lover and continue to build a life together—when she's not building and testing new inventions. But their peace and happiness is shattered by the appearance of a ghost—a ghost Opal does not believe in, despite the evidence.

Creating Wings (poetry collection) published by Infinity Dreaming (2012)
Life can pluck out your feathers and clip your wings, leaving you stranded and alone. Until you remember to begin again and create a new set of wings.

Browsing published by Bewildering Stories (coming out Autumn 2013)
An over-charged shopaholic prowls the cells of the living, breathing organism of the shopping mall.

Following Dreams published by Alfie Dog (Aug 4, 2013)
Ashley is scared of failing and misusing Nan’s money to set up her dream organic café. When she finally rents a shop, Ashley ends up with support from a stranger - and more than a café.


What made you get rid of your trademark blonde dreadlocks? And why the obsession with wings?

You do ask the hard questions! Girls like to change their hairstyle once in a while, and for me, it was just time for a change! At the time, I had more important things to do than style my hair (so many stories to write!) and dreadlocks were the perfect solution. Who knows? Maybe I will get them again in the future. ;)

For me wings usually represent being free, hope, potential and they are a sign change has or is occurring. Wings began fluttering in my writings when I was emerging as a writer, which was symbolic to the start of my writing journey. I believe I have many muses - most of them have wings, from angels to harpies.

Visit Lilliana's site here.