Reading Adventures in September

Hello, loyal SARA followers, and welcome to September's instalment of the very adventurous...

Reading Adventures!

(To be honest, authoring is a very solitary and sometimes, ahem, boring pursuit, so if we use words like ADVENTURE and FUN and SPARKLY and WINE (often those last two together) it makes it sound like a party in here.)

(Which, of course, it totally is.)

While Virginia Taylor has been partying solidly like a rockstar since the recent release of her books Dr No Commitment, and Losing Patients, she has found time (obviously, she doesn't sleep, just like all rockstars) to give us this review gem:

Untamed, by Anna Cowan

Rated with five stars from me.

I’m not going to tell the story of Untamed because that’s not what I do. I read for the whole experience, the prose, the characters, and the stories. Often I don’t buy a book because the story told by the reviewer isn’t one I might be interested in, whereas if reviewer simply gave the impression of the story and why she liked/disliked it, I would look for myself.

As it happens, a five star review did interest me enough to go to Amazon and look. I always read the first couple of pages online. I saw some fairly ordinary editing and that Untamed was ranked at about 700,000 by Amazon. At that stage, I didn’t understand the Amazon author rankings or how many books a writer needed to sell to suddenly get a good ranking, which had been happening to me. So, with selfish experimentation in mind I bought the book. At 700,000 I could assume that I would probably be the only buyer in a 24 hour period. In case anyone is interested, the sale dropped her to about 200,000 and I didn’t start reading right away because I was pretty sure I wouldn’t want to read too much.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Somewhere in the middle of the first chapter I read a sentence that made my heart sing. The prose was simply stunning. Of course I read on and was not only lost in some beautiful words -  which I can’t show you - because my Kindle won’t let me get back into the story unless I go backwards page by page from the end to the beginning and I don’t have time.

So, trust me. Anna Cowan is a fantastic writer.

One reviewer said ‘you either like this book or you hate it.’ This means the story is powerful. Other reviewers thought the story was about a boyish girl and girlish boy finding a strange connection that they didn’t want to know about.

I’m a Dorothy Dunnett fan and so I don’t see interesting characterisations quite so simply. This is a story about two damaged people who deal with their problems in their own way, and each needs the strengths of the other. This is what romance is about. Love, redemption, happy endings, and finding the ‘one.’

The heroine isn’t a boyish girl - she is a strong, caring woman, and easily the best heroine I’ve read for a very long time. The hero isn’t a girly boy. He was a renaissance man, that is, a man who has exceptional talents. Not only women fall in love with him, but men. If you can understand that a woman who is just as brilliant but not quite as beautiful can love him, which of course you can, you will love the book as much as I did. It’s a thrilling, clever story, and wonderfully written.

And not only is the heroine one of the best ever heroines I have read in a romance, the ending of the story is my nomination for the most exciting, wonderful ending in any romance, ever. It’s a keeper.

Thanks, Virginia.  We do love your reviews.  

And here's some further gold from Maggie Mundy, who has been going crazy and celebrating like a Eurovision finalist, because the first book of her Midworlder Trilogy, Unknown Protector, is out THIS WEEK from Soul Mate Publishing. 

To be honest, Maggie, that cover makes me feel a little like swinging from a chandelier, too.  Cover win!

Lick, by Kylie Scott

This is a quick read by the very popular author. It is based around a rock star romance that is a very popular genre at the moment. The heroine Ev  in this story finds herself recovering from a hangover to discover she has married a rock star.  It is the story of a relationship between the two that is on again, off again. The other band members cause problems as do old girlfriends. I did feel that it had a feel of a Twilight for rock stars about it. There is lots of sex in it that you don’t find in Twilight. The rest of the band will all get their own book as well. I would say that it was a young adult audience that it would appeal to. I received it as a free book at the roadshow.

Enforcers Craving, by DJ Michaels

This is a menage romance and I have to say the first one that I have read. It is a ScFi romance that has everything from spaceships to dragons in it. A group of girls get taken to another world where there is little technology. They are dressed in clothes that would resemble the Edwardian era. There is no way back to Earth so the girls will have to make the best of their lot. In this book Chelsea is rescued by two sexy dragon riders called Tarkin and Ari. She will find a new home, love and some great sex. The atmosphere of the book reminded me of Firefly by Joss Whedon. I think I would definitely be persuaded to read menage again.

Thanks, Maggie!  More to add to the TBR...

Until next time, happy reading!

Emmeline. xx

Reading Adventures in August

Hello, dear SARA followers!

Have you exhausted your supply of firewood yet, as we have, spending July sitting in front of the fire with your trackies on, a good book and a glass of your favourite?  

The sun is just starting to make an appearance through the day here in the chilly Adelaide Hills, and I for one, could not be happier.  

I can feel the hammock/book/glass of something cold combo coming on!  Yay!  My favourite reading position!


Here's what the lovely Beck Nicholas has been reading of late, though probably in the former scenario, rather than the latter.  There's been snow...

You Make Me by Erin McCarthy


Growing up on the coast of Maine with a revolving door of foster siblings, Caitlyn Michaud spent one intense and passionate year falling in love with her foster brother, Heath. Then he left without a word. The betrayal devastated Caitlyn and made her vow to forget the compelling bad boy. But forgetting his sensual touch and their deep all-consuming friendship is easier said than done.
Isn’t the guy she needs…
Determined to move on, in college Caitlyn has risen above her small town impoverished roots and has joined a sorority, reinvented her appearance, and landed the right boyfriend. Pre-law major and frat president, Ethan, is thoughtful and always laughing, and he makes her feel happy, calm. He also gives her the social acceptance she craves. 
But the perfect world she tried so hard to attain is ripped apart when Heath appears one night out of nowhere. Caitlyn remembers all the reasons why she loves him, even if they don’t make sense to anyone but her. Out of the military, Heath is as brooding and intense as ever, and he is determined not only to win her back, but to exact revenge on everyone who kept him from her…
And when one love allows her to breathe, but the other feels as essential to her life as air, how does she choose between them?


Beck says:

This is a NA title I saw recommended by someone on facebook. It was cheap and I was interested because it’s a contemporary Wuthering Heights.

I would describe it in one word – intense. Which, I think, is exactly what I would have expected if I’d stopped to think before. At the beginning our heroine, Cat,at has built herself the perfect life but we know as soon as Heath arrives on the scene that it is all going to have to break apart. And it’s painful to read. The intensity made for a page turner and I really enjoyed it except because of the pain between the two main characters I wasn’t quite sure I believed entirely in the happy ending. It still worked for me overall.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Beck:  This YA contemporary romance was a perfect summer beach read, for the middle of winter. I laughed and I cried and it was fun with a dash of romance and a lot about the heroine, Belly, growing up. I loved her transformation from oblivious and self-absorbed at the beginning to having a little more understanding of those around her. It’s told around the summer she’s 16 but there are regular flashbacks to other summers to show us her history with the summer house she’s visiting and the people she sees only in the summer. I really liked this one.

And just who is Beck Nicholas, you might ask?

She's the author of Lifer (coming out in December) and a SARA!

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents’ crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing. But sometimes the past is better left buried.

As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to. Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Coming December 16 from Month9Books.

Until next time, happy reading!

Emmeline.  xx

UP-CLOSE with short story queen Suzie Hindmarsh-Knights!

You’ve had a lot of success with your short stories on the Alfie Dog Fiction site. Why do you think they’re so popular?

I think the Outback content and horse scenes grab attention. Rosemary Kind (Managing Director – Alfie Dog) tells me I write them well, so I can only go by her feedback. Short stories help me on the journey to becoming published.

You once worked on a racehorse property below Victoria’s Great Dividing Range and lived in Hong Kong in the ‘90s. How did these experiences come about, and have you ever drawn on them in your writing? And… what made you move from the UK to Australia?

I left the UK when I was seventeen to work on a racehorse property north of Whittlesea. I was looking for adventure and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance. I was a typical young girl in love with horses, in fact, I love all animals, but I had this crazy dream, about working with racehorses.


It was the hardest job I’ve ever done - 5am starts and 8pm finishes and physically demanding. I was pretty fit in those days. I definitely use my experience of the racing industry and our Outback travels in my books. Desert Wind and Desert Storm are based around the racing industry.

Hong Kong was an amazing five-year adventure. I attended my first creative writing class while living there. I became involved with the Belgian Society and wrote their newsletter. When we joined the South China Scuba Diving Club, I was voted as the “member's member”.


One of my roles was to write the newsletter. I had great fun with this as I was allowed a certain amount of creative freedom.

For your first manuscript, El Alto, you spent many hours researching the Peruvian revolutionary organisation, the Shining Path, and South America. What made you want to write about this particular area?

The Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso)... well, there’s quite a story behind my interest in this organisation. My husband’s family went to live and work in the Peruvian oil fields after the war and had many fantastic adventures while travelling through the Andes.


They were geologists, looking for oil for a UK company. Their two boys were born there and went to a Spanish school in Lima. They’ve told me so many interesting stories that it aroused my interest.


The Sendero were extremely violent especially towards women, so there are many dark moments in this story. I loved researching their history and have woven their beginning in the first book to an incident where the Sendero take over the prisons in the second book. It’s an adventure love story that spans more than ten years.


When I wrote the first book it must have been well over two hundred thousand words. I’ve got it down to one hundred and ten thousand now; the sequel was the same. I hope one day they will get picked up. I feel it’s a story that needs to be told. I’m told by those who have read it, it would make a fantastic movie… I live in hope with that one!

What do you get up to in a typical day? Do you still ride or own horses?

I have a day job which curtails my writing at the moment. I make time in the evenings and on the weekends to write. I no longer ride. Although I often get the urge, my body isn’t up to it any more.


I’ve been one of those people who have pushed their body beyond what is probably reasonable: horse riding, wind-surfing, snow skiing, scuba diving, running, gym work, aerobics, kick-boxing… the list is endless, but I have no regrets. I feel I’ve done more than a lot of people and am grateful for that.

How long have you been involved with the South Australian Romance Authors group and why do you enjoy it?

I joined SARA over four years ago now. I was introduced to Trish Morey who invited me along to a meeting. I was struggling alone with my writing, and still am to a certain extent. Learning the craft has been the hardest thing for me; telling a story is the easy part.


I can see the development of my writing style since I first started but it’s sometimes a real slog getting past the over-writing, especially when you’re a wordy person.


I’ve found the group to be a fabulous support network and really there shouldn’t be any reason why we should struggle alone.

A birdie told me you were recovering from a knee replacement op. Not horse-riding-related, was it? And does it mean you’re getting lots of writing done while you’re ‘laid up’? 

Now, I wonder who that was? ;) Yes, unfortunately I seem to be prone to bone problems. Horse-riding probably hasn’t helped. I’ve had many falls over the years, but then I’ve thrashed my body in many ways and I guess it’s payback time.


I had a major neck operation a couple of years ago and seem to have been in the wars ever since. The knee is improving, slowly.


I must admit the first few weeks after the operation I couldn’t think, what with all the drugs. But the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on changes to Desert Wind and I must say it’s lovely having the daytime to write rather than slogging away during the evening when I’m tired.

Finally, tell us a little about the famous Paddington!


OMG… how long do you want this? Paddington, where to start with him? Well, first off he’s a Bearded Collie with attitude. Actually I’ve never met a Beardie that didn’t have attitude. He comes from a champion line of herders, although he has no idea how to herd, unless it’s humans along the beach.


Cows, nope, he doesn’t like cows! Sheep - well, he was bred to herd them, but as I said he only seems to like herding people. Paddington thinks he’s a bit better than his herding parents. If you can herd a bunch of humans, that’s pretty good in his eyes.

As you are probably aware he has his own blog on my website (www.suziehindmarshknights.com); he writes a diary of his adventures. He has quite a following around the world and I forever have to ask him for the next chapter. He’s the only Bearded Collie to travel the Outback as a puppy.


He wanted to cross the Simpson Desert with us, but, alas, we weren’t allowed to take him. He’s seen ghosts in the Outback. Scary stuff, he tells me.

Paddington is one hell of a character. He’s driven by food and wakes me every morning, nose in my face demanding breakfast. He doesn’t really care what he eats as long as it’s something I would eat. Dog biscuits are fine but not as tasty as an Anzac cookie.


He runs the house with precision. He thinks he’s in charge but he only manages to boss Pete around. I think he realises I’m the alpha bitch – so to speak! Or perhaps he lets me think that!

Paddington is a book waiting to happen. But until then, he demands I post his pictures on Facebook, keep his blog going and give him the love he deserves.

UP-CLOSE with long-time SARA member Harriet Jarvis!

 
Tell us about your writing journey.

I have always enjoyed reading and plotting stories in my head and can’t remember when I didn’t. I progressed from children’s adventure and horror to romance and murder mystery. Occasionally I’d write poetry or short stories but didn’t have the discipline to pursue it.

After retiring I spend a lot of time reading romance and decided to buy a computer and have fun trying to make sense of the random scenarios in my head.

I’ve written a few category novels - most of which need drastic editing and have a few more in progress. I have entered Little Gems 10 times over four years and love the feedback. I find most criticism justified when I check it against my writing. Favourite comment: ‘This was my favourite entry. I would love to read more from this author.’ In 2013 I finalled with 'Stealing the Detective’s Heart'. Holding a copy of your published story ranks right up there with jumping from a plane.
 

How long have you been involved in the South Australian Romance Authors group and Romance Writers of Australia, and how many conferences have you attended?

I joined SARA, RWA and the SAWC in late 2009 and went to my first conference in 2010. Haven’t missed any since and enjoy the workshops and meeting other writers. Leith always comes. He’s a consummate traveller - quite happy to explore any city on his own and attend special night functions.

What do you get up to in a typical day? And what did you do before you were a writer?

I was a bookkeeper for 50 years apart from time out when the boys were young. Now I write, read, travel and am trying to clear 40 years of accumulated stuff from my study and the back shed. This means bin it, save it or take it to the Salvation Army!

Is it true your husband critiques all your manuscripts?

Leith has read and critiqued all of my Little Gems entries and a reasonable amount of the novels. He’s listened to hours of plots and scenes, given constructive advice (i.e. Aussie men don’t say that), helps out with technical stuff and willingly does research for me. He’ll also act out a scene with me to check whether it’s practical.

Who are your favourite authors?
I don’t have favourite authors. I tend to skim-read and if the story grabs me I’ll reread it. I have some I keep and reread passages or the whole book just for the enjoyment of the story. ‘All a Man Can Ask’ by Virginia Kantra (2003), ‘Perfect Morning’ By Marcia Evanick (1989) and ‘Uneasy Alliance’ by Jayne Ann Krentz (1984) can always grab me. I also love intrigue if the story and the love interest are believable and strong.

Finally, what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
We love travelling now we have time and can afford it and have visited and helicoptered over the three great waterfalls of the world. Relaxing and writing on a cruise boat is special.

Whenever the opportunity arises I love to try something risky. I’ve white water rafted, hot air ballooned, abseiled, skydived and in Zimbabwe crawled to the edge of the African rift to see a waterfall hundreds of metres below in the valley.

I’d like to be able to swim but after a few strokes I sink. In an emergency I’ll just have to hit bottom and run like heck – which with my arthritic hip and knee doesn’t promise much hope!

Reading Adventures in June

Hello, fellow romance lovers, and welcome to another instalment of the scrumptiously sassy SARA Reading Adventures.  

If you're anything like me, you're dying to flick the calendar over to a warmer October, and you've been revelling in the recent spate of Indian Summer weather that has been bestowed on us here in lovely South Australia.  

But....there is one great, GREAT thing about winter--reading romance in front of the FIRE.


Now, I'm not sure if Kyoko Church has a fire or not (she lives in the chilly Adelaide Hills, as I do, so chances are high), but nonetheless, she has been reading The Vale Girl.

Kyoko Church:  "I've read The Vale Girl, a debut novel by Aussie author Nelika McDonald. It was brilliant! Masterfully presented plot, beautifully written, couldn't put it down. It reads like a mystery which is normally not my thing but the literary quality of this kept me reading. Big recommend."

"If you leave no trace, nobody could say later whether you were even there at all."
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Vale has gone missing in the small town of Banville. She's the daughter of the town whore so no one seems particularly concerned.
No one cares except Tommy Johns, who loves Sarah Vale with all the unadulterated, tentative passion of a teenage boy. He galvanises the town's policeman Sergeant Henson and, together, they turn the town inside out, searching for the lost girl.
A delicate and layered exploration of secrets and lies, forgotten children and absent parents, and the long shadows of the past.
An extraordinary debut from a talented new writer.

Sounds fascinating, Kyoko.  Thank you.  And an Aussie author!  Oi, oi!


As for me, I've been continuing my sci-fi romance bent.

Here are some of the titles, check your Amazon Sci-Fi Romance list if you'd like to grab a copy.

Invasion Earth (Delroi Connection Book 1) by Loribelle Hunt
In the distant future, Earth has been ravaged by war and famine, and after generations of bloodshed settles into peace only to be invaded by the alien Delroi. General Alrik Torfa needs a mate and his seers promise mates for many of his people on the distant planet Earth. He doesn't expect her to come easily, but is more than a little surprised to find her leading an enemy army. Outmanned and outgunned, there is no way the Earth forces can win.
Sergeant Major Laney Bradford has always played her part and served her people well, but the demands of the Delroi's surrender are a bit extreme. Marriage? To one of them? Not likely. But she's fought for peace her entire life and when surrender talks are threatened by a conspiracy led by her people, Laney must choose. Will she submit to the alien invader or lead the fight against him?

Star Wanderers (Part 1: Outworlder) by Joe Vasic
When Jeremiah arrived at Megiddo Station, all he wanted was to make some trades and resupply his starship. He never thought he'd come away with a wife. 
Before he knows it, he's back on his ship, alone with his accidental bride. Since neither of them speak the same language, he has no way to tell her that there's been a terrible mistake. And because of the deadly famine ravaging her home, there's no going back. She's entirely at his mercy, and that terrifies him more than anything.
Jeremiah isn't ready to take responsibility for anyone. He's a star wanderer, roaming the Outworld frontier in search of his fortune. Someday he'll settle down, but for now, he just wants to drop the girl off at the next port and move on. 
As he soon finds out, though, she has other plans.

Sky Hunter (The Targon Tales 1) by Chris Reher
Air Command pilot Nova Whiteside is assigned to a remote outpost to guard the construction of a new tethered orbiter, Skyranch Twelve, against rebel sabotage. The difference between the well-ordered Union air fields and this dusty garrison is made painfully clear when she runs afoul a brutal commander of ground troops.
Her assignment takes her from the midst of a bloody uprising to the elegant new space station where she hopes to train for her Hunter Class pilot grade. But not all runs according to protocol and she soon suspects that more than farming is being done up there. When she uncovers the treacherous and illicit schemes taking place, it seems that local riots are the least of their troubles.

The Return Journey by Michael Gillen
Two men go on a journey through space to a planet that is legendary for holding the answer to any question. But, on the way, they start having new questions about each other and themselves, and they are shocked by the answers they discover.



Date Night on Union Station by EM Foner
Kelly Frank is EarthCent’s top diplomat on Union Station, but her job description has always been a bit vague. When she receives a gift subscription to the dating service that’s rumored to be powered by the same benevolent artificial intelligence that runs the huge station, Kelly decides to swallow her pride and give it a shot. But as her dates go from bad to worse, she can only hope that the supposedly omniscient AI is planning a happy ending.




While I enjoyed most of these books, Loribelle Hunt is the author I'd reach for again, though Foner's book was amusing, and had my favourite hero, and I enjoyed the premise of Vasic's novella.

Until next time, happy reading and stay warm!

Emmeline x

SARA News - talking romance....

Welcome to another edition of SARA News where everything is Sassy!


Roadshow Event - for lovers of writing and/or romance!

Don't forget the combined RWA and SAWC Event with SARAs making appearances front and centre...

full program

bookings


Remember you can attend only one day if you can't make the whole weekend.


COST:
1 day* = $130 SAWC and RWA members, $170 non members
2 days* = $240 SAWC and RWA members, $340 non members
QUIZ NIGHT: $20 per head

*Includes lunch, morning and afternoon teas

ROMANCE WRITERS OF AUSTRALIA MEMBERS - to obtain your discount, please book via 8223 7662 during Centre opening hours or email admin@sawriters.org.au 

An amazing line up and an amazing program! Don't miss out!

Talking Romance

The SAWC had a Meet the Group session on Thursday and seven of our members represented SARA, keeping the small audience of four enthralled! :) It's always great to talk about writing and romance!

Here is a photo of us after the meeting (thanks to Leesa Bow). It was so nice to catch up and have a chat.

Back: L-R - Danielle Belwater, Khloe Wren, Eleni Konstantine
Front: L-R - Anne Oliver, Bronwyn Stuart, Leesa Bow, Carla Caruso

There'll be a chance to talk to some of the SARA writers in the future...

Coming in July - a romance panel at the Tea Tree Gully Library

Some of our ladies will appear on a panel called 'Kiss Me, Thrill Me, Kill Me'.
More details as they come to hand.




Sales...

Virginia Taylor is happy to announce that she has contracted the single title historical romance, Starling to Kensington Books' Lyrical Press.  Starling is plain and poor but she has a work ethic second to none and something rare for a historical heroine, a sense of the ridiculous. She is not a typical historical romance heroine.  No details regarding publication date is yet to hand.

 

Trish Morey is happy to announce the sale of two books to Pan Macmillan Australia, the first entitled Stone Castles, a Womens' Fiction with a nod to RuRo (rural romance), to be published December 2014. The second TBA.

The Short of It

In April, Suzie Hindmarsh-Knights was the 2nd selling short story author over at Alfie Dog. Way to go, Suzie!

You can purchase Suzie's stories here. 

~see you next time for more news~