In Conversation ... with Dimity Powell

   

In Conversation with 

Dimity Powell

Tell us about your most recent publication. 

Oswald Messweather is my latest publication, a picture book that acknowledges the presence of OCD in young children. Published by Wombat Books and stunningly illustrated by, Siobhan McVey, Oswald Dorian Constantine Messweather is a character who is easily overwhelmed by mess and disorder. Even the complexity of his own name is enough to set his legs jiggling and his palms itching with anxiety. To combat his unease, Oswald obsessively counts his take-everywhere pocket pals – his crayons. It is a compulsion he finds comforting but also extremely exhausting.

Oswald’s obsessive preoccupations distract him from everything and everyone else around him, until one day Oswald is encouraged to use his penchant for perfection and eye for detail in a class project. With the help of his crayons, Oswald’s classmates create something spectacular, which helps Oswald realise just how valuable he is in spite of his anxieties.

Oswald’s story is less of a cure for OCD rather more of a window of hope that despite debilitating mental conditions, fears and anxieties can be managed when their source is recognised and then employed with purpose to magnify ones strengths.

Oswald Messweather @ Wombat Books

Downloadable Teachers’ Notes: 

Downloadable Fun and Worksheets: 

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

The freedom to be who you want to be and go wherever you wish to go, even if that place does not exist and you’re doing it through a made up character. I love the challenge of crafting unreal situations into believable adventures and moments in time that kids find more real than real life. That is the unqualified magic of storytelling: transporting readers into that magical plane of suspended belief. It’s what I adored about reading as a child and hope to continue to perpetuate for children.

How much research goes into your writing?

No matter how brief the story, be it a 32 page picture book, short story or novel with more grunt, I spend a massive amount of time researching bits and pieces. My more issued orientated picture book tales demand a certain amount of factual credence to ensure the characters and their stories ring true. I also love exploring the symbolism of names, numbers and colours each of which can add more depth to the layers or nuances of a story.

It’s my firm belief that authors are the most fortunate people in the world. I may not be able to actually perform brain surgery but I can talk you through some of the technicalities. I may never have actually travelled to the moon, but I can tell you what to expect. I’ve never actually flown on the back of a dragon (yet) but I can direct you to the best site to order your own dragon! Researching ones story opens up a world of understanding and knowledge that I would not have been exposed to in a ‘normal’ same everyday job. If I can learn something new every day, it’s been a good day and possibly a slow writing one – I can get a bit carried away.

Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?

Most definitely! I think this is one of most important aspects to remember when penning your characters’ stories; draw from that amazing treasure chest of memories and experiences you’ve encountered throughout your life. Never underestimate the potency of past experiences even if you think they were the most boring things you’ve ever done. Chances are the emotions you felt at the time along with a myriad of other details such as smells and even peculiarities of the weather can be distilled into your story which will ultimately enhance its authenticity and believability. I love that I’m able to ‘cameo’ my own experiences and situations into fresh storylines. Many of my anthology short stories were born this way.

‘Some people believe ideas are born in our imaginations

but I think some of the best stories come

from life – and simply living it.’

Top tip/s for writers?

Oh I have a gazillion but the one I preach most loudly to scribes young and old is to READ! You’d be amazed how many picture book writers for example have never even stepped into a modern day library and picked up a picture book but want to write a publishable one first go. Reading allows a certain amount of information to osmose into your creative comprehension. You’ll gain a sense of what works well and what doesn’t, what is popular and what is lacking in the market. You don’t necessarily have to write what’s out there but you should understand who your audience is and what they are reading. Plus it’s fun and informative!

My other top tip is to be consistent. Write often, enquire frequently, and regularly connect to your tribe and your passion. Then keep on reading and writing and rewriting. One of my favourite quotes of all time is by Robin Williams: It took him 20 years to be an overnight success. It does well to remember this; that patience, tenacity and perseverance is just as important as talent. Don’t rush your writing just to see your name in print. Concentrate on writing the best story you can possibly write and be true and committed to your characters. The rest will follow.

Have you ever had a fan moment and met somebody famous? Tell us about it. 

I have a background in hospitality management and have worked in various hotel properties and resorts around the world including a stint in the luxury motor yachting industry so it’s fair to say I’ve met my fair share of famous people. I’m not that fazed by any of them and tend to go more google-eyed over Kid Lit royalty. However deep down, we’re all the same animals and when I’ve had the opportunity and good fortune to work or present alongside some of the most revered creators in the Kids’ Lit industry, I feel more of a deep respect and camaraderie as opposed to wobbly kneed swoon. I confess though that I still go a bit crae crae for A-ha; you know the best thing to come out of Norway in the 80s since anything! I first met them in 1986 and attended their concert again in 2020 just before the world shut down. Ahhhh….they can take on me any day…

Do you have a favourite character from your stories? Spill the beans and tell us about them. 

Oooh another tricky question because like all good mums, I don’t really have favourites although I do have a deep fondness for the little girl from The Fix-It Man. She was my first picture book character and although she has no name, she represents such hope and resilience and bravery during one of the most devastating times of her life, I can’t help but admire and love her and want to scoop her up in my arms. Her demeanour and affection towards her father and indeed life, is infectious and heart-warming.

I am rather fond of Pippa too, that plucky little pigeon who wouldn’t take no for an answer. I’d love to be her and fly away unheeded for a day or two.

There is a girl who appears in one of my award winning Short and Twisted short stories, Concrete Boots, who again is nameless but shows a complex combination of responses as she navigates her way through the grief of losing her baby sister. I admire her comical candour and frustrations because she reminds me a little bit of myself.

And finally mention must be made of Ozzie from Oswald Messweather, who has already found his way into the hearts of many young people. They seem to find powerful solace in Ozzie, recognising themselves in his struggle with anxiety and having to cope in uncomfortable overwhelming situations. Their interpretations of his story and ways of managing his distress have been unbelievably intuitive and heartening. When a character of mine imparts those kinds of reactions, it makes him all the more special to me, as well.

How can we learn more about you? 

     

  

 

   

  

Thank you for joining In Conversation this week. Remember to always 

Dream Big ... Read Often.

In Conversation with Steve Parlato.

 

Today we welcome fellow Uncommon YA author Steve Parlato. Steve is a passionate and talented author who also writes poetry.

His debut young adult novel, The Namesake was released in 2013 and reviewed as being " ... sure to touch and inspire readers of all ages."

 

Tell us a little about your writing journey.

Though I always loved reading and suspected I’d write one day, I didn’t get serious until I was earning my master’s degree. During class one Saturday, my professor said, "So you’re a writer?" I had difficulty answering because I wasn’t published at the time. As if publication is what defines a writer! Several professors and fellow students encouraged me to write and to submit my work. Soon, I’d published some poems, and my fiction gained the attention of an editor and agent. Those early validations, and the belief of my wife, who never doubted, helped me truly embrace the role of writer.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

So many things. As an actor, I loved those rare moments of "losing myself" in character. The same thing was occasionally true when creating art. Time slipped by unnoticed. I’ve found that same zone in writing. When creating (or simply listening to) characters, I sometimes get lost in their reality, an amazing feeling. At the other end of the process, I truly enjoy and appreciate impacting readers, making them laugh, cry, FEEL. That’s enormous. Totally gratifying.

What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?

Like many writers, I sometimes struggle with the isolation of a solitary craft. But even as I type that, I’m reconsidering, because, surrounded by characters, I don’t really feel alone. I guess the uncertainty, fear that next idea may not come, or that, when it does it, might just be a dud. I definitely grapple with self-doubt, but I think that’s natural for any artist–and ultimately leads to not settling. I tend to push myself hard for constant improvement in my work.

Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?

Lord, yes! My poetry separates into two camps: outward-focused, addressing topics that anger–or amaze–me in the great, big world, and personal, family-focused stuff. I’m not afraid to "go there" in either camp. I also tackle heavy stuff in my fiction, some of which draws on content from my own life. I tell my students successful writing demands observation. Writers must engage with life–even the silly-seeming, random occurrences, because we never know how their specificity might influence our writing. I frequently steal life detail to enrich my fiction. For example, in my recently completed YA manuscript, the protagonist, Teddi Alder, is a young woman who lives next to a park, in a renovated former family store. NOT coincidentally, my family and I live in the former Ralph’s Market, next to a city park. Oh, and Teddi and I both have pet cockapoos with wonderfully quirky personalities. And we both love giraffes.

Tell us about your publications?

The Namesake (Merit Press, 2013), my debut YA novel, is a realistic contemporary, about fifteen-year-old honors student, Evan Galloway, grappling in the wake of his father’s suicide. The novel follows Evan’s brave journey to uncover the truth behind his dad’s tragic choice. In excavating the past, Evan makes several unsettling discoveries, questions his Catholic faith, and realizes there is an after, though not necessarily a complete "happily ever." The book’s humor leavens the dark content, but it’s an intense read, addressing suicide and sexual abuse head-on. I’m proud of its authenticity. Kirkus Reviews described The Namesake as "a memorable, disturbing story, carefully wrought," and Publishers Weekly said my book is an "introspective debut…complex and solidly woven," going on to call me "a name to watch." That still makes me smile. I’m also widely published as a poet, and some of my poetry and artwork can be found on my website.

What is the most surprising thing about writing/publishing you have learnt?

After the initial huge and thrilling surprise that industry professionals liked my work, I’ve been surprised every step of the way. For example, it wasn’t until I was contacted by the actor readying to record the audiobook that I discovered The Namesake would be released in that format. It’s still a surprise to walk into a bookstore or library and find my creation on the shelf. And I’m often surprised by readers contacting me, whether to say they loved Evan, were frustrated with some aspect of the book, or that my story made them feel less alone in their own struggle. I focus on these good surprises, letting slide those concerning bad communication, the need for constant self-promotion, the relentless waiting, all those day-to-day drudgery surprises we writers face.

Top tip/s for writers.

Probably the two most important are to be open and to persist. Be open to the world around you, drink it in. When we pay attention, life detail can create beautiful sparks in our writing. Persistence is absolutely essential. There will be many negative voices (often the loudest live in our own heads), claiming we won’t succeed. My advice? Turn up the radio, hum loudly, do what it takes to tune them out. Focus on those voices, moments, signs that energize you, drive you forward. They may be quiet, tiny, nearly invisible, but they are there. You just need to recognize them.

Other than writing what else do you love?

Moments laughing with my family, learning from my son and daughter, both amazingly bright people. Being in the presence of my incredible wife. Watching great movies, reading powerful stories, The Book Thief is a favorite. Discussing literature with my students. Drawing and painting, for which I have so little time these days. And the theatre, my first love, whether attending a play, or—how I miss this!—performing on stage. And I do love giraffes, but I already mentioned that.

If you had a premonition you would be stranded on a desert island what 5 books would you take?

I’m terrible at "favorites" type questions, but I’ll give it a shot. The Complete Works of Shakespeare; The Book Thief; my friend Edwina Trentham’s glorious book of poetry, Stumbling Into the Light; a blank book for writing—and of course, How to Survive on a Desert Island—because I am severely lacking in outdoor skill.

 

Five words that sum you up

Blessed

Tenacious

Funny

Insecure

Compassionate

How can we learn more?

Website: http://www.stevenparlato.com

Uncommon YA: http://www.uncommonya.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevenparlatoauthor

Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/steve_parlato

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/p9zbg3o

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ozgbg4h

Twitter: @parlatowrites

email: steve@stevenparlato.com

Thanks so much for your time Steve. I have The Namesake loaded and ready to read on Kindle! I heard a whisper you have just delivered your newly completed manuscript??? Can't wait to hear more about it. Best of luck!

Devolution By Peter Clenott.

Uncommon YA welcomes Peter Clenott, author of DEVOLUTION! Hi, Peter! What's your book about?

DEVOLUTION features 16-year-old Chiku Flynn. Chiku was born in the rainforest of the Congo to two anthropologists studying the local chimpanzees. For the first eleven years of her life, Chiku is more chimp than human, grooming with the chimpanzees, nesting with them at night slurping termites and ants from twig tools. Everything changes when her mother is killed by a crocodile. Her father sends her back to the States where Chiku grows into a maladjusted teenager. She is diagnosed with mood disorder, depression, defiance disorder, you name it, and is medicated for the lot. Then, when Chiku is sixteen, her beloved father disappears and Chiku must return to Africa, to the rainforest and a land in violent turmoil to discover her true heroic self. In Swahili ‘Chiku’ means ‘chatterbox’. But to the chimpanzees of the Maiku National Park, with whom Chiku can communicate using sign language, Chiku is known simply as Talk Talk.

What inspired you to write it?
Two things inspired me. First, my own sixteen-year-old Leah who is a voracious reader. Second, for the chimpanzees. I became fascinated by the work of scientists trying to determine if chimpanzees could pick up human language. My thought was: what would happen if chimpanzees living in the wild were taught sign language? Would they eventually abandon the skill, or would they pass it along from generation to generation? If the latter, what would the impact be on chimpanzee society?

Find Peter online!
Website
Facebook
Twitter

What's something you wish you had known in advance about publishing?
I expected to leap to the top of the NY Times best seller immediately and have the world be made aware of this magnificent work through osmosis. I had no idea how much time, effort and energy writers must put in on their own to market their work. Marketing a novel is far more grueling and time-consuming than the research, preparation, writing and editing of the novel. Plus, I had no concept of the competition, the thousands of other writers trying to gain attention for their creations.

What's the best part of being published?
The most important thing writers do is communicate ideas to the world. These ideas may amuse, startle, thrill and entertain people. But I have always tried to add a little extra to my stories. In DEVOLUTION readers will learn about the troubled history of the Congo and the jeopardy that modern technology has placed on the world’s most precious environments. I love meeting with people and discussing my work. I not only want to entertain, as a good book must, I hope to provoke thought and debate. A good book entertains. A powerful book enlightens while it entertains.

Who's your publisher? Tell us your story-- how'd you come to be a published author?
I have been writing since I took my last college exam, May 1973. To many of you that is the Stone Age. I wrote my first novels in notebooks using a bunch of sharpened pencils and a very big eraser. I do not know how many books and screenplays I have written. Nor do I know how many rejection slips I have received. More than other aspiring authors, I would imagine. In 2007, in frustration, I researched publishers and agents in Canada and discovered a new small company called Kunati Books. They were looking for page-turning excitement. ‘Think Hollywood' was their mantra. As it turns out I had a fast-paced entry called HUNTING THE KING for which there was also a screenplay. I sent it to Kunati, and lo and behold, they accepted it.

My current publisher, for DEVOLUTION, is Cheryl Tardif who founded Imajin Books. Cheryl was one of the Kunati authors. I submitted DEVOLUTION to her and was enthusiastically accepted. I am currently working with agent Anne Confuron stationed in paris looking for further success in Europe.
 

---

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"?
I write a very thorough outline. The first step for me in developing my story is writing biographies of all of my characters. The more important the character, the more thorough the biography. I find that in exploring my characters, I discover plot lines. The same thing can happen in the research phase. For DEVOLUTION, the history of the Congo played a significant role in decisions I made about plotting. When I am ready, I create a lsit of events that I think need to happen in the book in no particular order. This may include scenes that depict character traits or scenes that set up future important moments. Once I have my list, I go back and sequence the events, visioning the novel much as I would a film, from scene one to the end. This does not mean, however, that I don’t reserve the right to change my mind at any point along the way, as I often do. If a plot twist surprises me, it will probably take the reader by surprise, too.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"?
Oh, if only… I work full time in the non-profit world (much like the writing world, as it has turned out so far) for a community action agency. I have been involved with housing-related issues in one way or another for almost thirty years, first as a tenant organizer, then working in arson prevention and in public housing, and finally for agencies that work with families in crisis. On a typical day, I am trying to prevent evictions, get utilities turned back on, showing homeless families who to apply for subsidies and in general working with struggling people. Writing is an escape.

Buy DEVOLUTION! Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound

 

I have Devolution on my kindle ready to read and I can't wait. Good luck Peter!

Geelong Writers Memoirs Anthology

 

 

Moments In Time

An Anthology of Memoirs

 

I attended the launch of the Geelong Writers Memoirs anthology last Friday evening. It was nervous occasion as I was the editor on this project. It was not a role I have done before and it was a great learning experience for me. Editing, proofreading, design for the front and back cover.The result? A successful launch at the Belmont library!

Moments In Time includes 32 contributors of mostly local writers. The stories selected for this anthology are all so personal and at times raw with emotion. The topics are so wide and varied. The breadth of life experiences are so rich that as you read along it is easy to get swept away. I often felt like I was having a history lesson in a most enjoyable way!

I would like to acknowledge and thank Mary Thompson for volunteering her time to capture just the right image on the front cover.
http://www.marythompson.com.au/

Great news - If you are interested in purchasing a copy you can! $25 (postage included)

Direct Deposit (preferred)
063551 10157327 (Surname as remitter)
Then email
melissawray@hotmail.com.au
with your personal/postage details

OR
Send a cheque with personal details/address to;
Geelong Writers
P.O Box 1306, Geelong, Vic, 3220.

 

Nick Cole - Author

 

About The Author:

Nick Cole is a working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can often be found as a guard for King Phillip the Second of Spain in the Opera Don Carlo at Los Angeles Opera or some similar role. Nick Cole has been writing for most of his life and acting in Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Army.

 

 

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.

I’ve been writing since I was very young. Raymond Chandler started writing at 45.  So wherever you’re at now is a great time to get started. Today in fact. But I digress, so... I’ve always been fascinated by storytelling whether as an actor, or a writer or just a good dinner guest. Not because I want to be interesting or have people say, “My, he’s an interesting storyteller!” but because I love to entertain people and make the most of our time together. I’ve always liked that part of my relationship with humanity, serving them either a fantastic meal or a memorable experience. So to that end, writing is something I view as an opportunity readers give me to entertain them. “Okay, entertain me. I dare you,” I can imagine some of them saying. No, it’s not always that militant, but I do feel a desire to not be boring or self-indulgent or, one of the worst entertainment sins I can imagine, boorish. So, my journey starts as every journeyman and journeywoman’s journey should start, by studying the masters. It’s a great and easy exercise for writers, as opposed to many other professions because the masters of writing are published, so we can read and dissect them anytime we want. The only danger is that we have to look past their ability to captivate and entertain us and identify the tricks and tools they employed to do such. So I studied at the feet of Vonnegut, Chandler, Heller, Perez-Reverte, Keilor, Izzo and a few others.

  

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?

I was an actor in Hollywood for a long time which was a sort of journey in and of itself (I started out in Production, way behind the camera.)  As I improved as an actor, I expected there would be more freedom to create, and as I look back now on my whole underwhelming acting career, I realize that’s really what I was always seeking: more freedom to create; to act and to direct, and cast the roles.  I have an interest in costumes, I love scenery and location scouting, and to that end I could probably wax long on composing shots for the camera.  The sad part of my existence is that as an actor this is rarely, so rare in fact “never” is a better word, required of actors.  To sum up what most productions expected of me as an actor I tell people this:  Production ‘A’ has some nice costumes that they’d like to show people.  If you’re willing to wear those costumes in front of other people and maybe say a few lines they’ve written, exactly as they have written, then, why then, you could be an actor just like me.

Still... I wanted to do all those other things.

In writing I found that I could become an entire movie production.  I found that in fact, I must.  I must location scout and direct and write the words and research the costumes and, using the grammar and style, compose the shot.  And yes, I must also act out all the other parts.  So, in writing, I get to do all the things I wanted to do and it doesn’t cost millions of dollars.

  

WHAT IS THE HARDEST ASPECT OF WRITING?

The discipline to work in a vacuum all by oneself. To go on in your belief that you might possibly entertain someone with just mere faith as your guide and no one, even loved ones and best friends, being all that interested in what you’re doing.

  

HOW MUCH RESEARCH GOES INTO YOUR STORYLINE?

It depends on the type of research. If it’s technical, like skinning a bear, then I’ll do some reading. If it’s location scouting then I’ll generally go to the place and look around. I drove the entire route for all three novels. The final novel starts in Tucson, AZ and travels to Southern California and ends up in Colorado. So, that was a lot of driving. But I think it’s important to go to a place and experience the atmosphere. Taste the air and feel the streets, talk to the people and allow moments there to colour what you’re working on. 

 

HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR STORYLINE?

I think it’s really important to know the beginning, the arc and the end. Having said that, I’m not rigid. Stephen King describes the writing process as the equivalent of riding on a rollercoaster. And for me that is true. I know the beginning, the arc and the end but the day to day writing will contain wonders and revelations, so sometimes it’s better to see where something is going to go and let the rollercoaster do its thing. Just hang on, open your eyes and try to have fun.  One of the most important things I can stress to any writer is: don’t go back and read your stuff as you create your initial draft. Just keep writing and get it all out. If you go back and read what you’ve written immediately, you’re probably not going to like it. So forget it and plow on ahead. As they say in the movie business, “We’ll fix it in post.” The important thing is to get it out and onto the page and done. Then you’ll begin to refine, cut and shape the final picture.

 

WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?

How could we not be? “Prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?” or so the Bard would offer. And I say this: don’t run away from it. Whether you want to admit it or not, your fingerprints are all over the crime scene that is your manuscript. So, embrace it and make it yours. When I wrote The Old Man and the Wasteland it came from reading The Old Man and the Sea. I first read The Old Man and the Sea at a time in my life when I identified with the main character. I was down, I was out, and no one really wanted anything to do with me in my present condition. I was twenty-six years old.  And yet I felt a kinship with an old fisherman down in the gulf who felt all alone and “curst” in his own way. The things we’re going through are affecting us and it would be a lie to say we have not been changed or affected by them. At the minimum our experiences add texture to our writing, and at the maximum you will write boldly about a condition that almost every other person on the planet shares with you: The Human Condition. Whatever you’re working on will probably be improved if you loan a personal memory to one of your characters, i.e. the memory of your first drugstore ice cream, or talk about an affliction, i.e. headaches that torment you at the most inconvenient of times, or share something of yourself with the rest of us.  In acting we call that: The Courage to Reveal.

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PUBLICATIONS/AWARDS IF ANY?

The Old Man and the Wasteland and The Savage Boy have both been published by HarperVoyager.

 

WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT?

That there really are readers who want to read what you have written and they are hoping that you will do your best. They truly do want to have a good time with your novel. 

  

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?

Write six days a week. If God can rest so can you. Write and don’t look back. Be awful to your characters. Imitate the greats. Don’t offend people. Shocking is overrated and overdone and boorish. It’s a cheap way to entertain people and it’s been done too much. Instead, weave, craft and cut to tell an intriguing tale.  Challenge yourself to make your writing accessible to everyone. One of the strengths of John Grisham’s novels as told by him is that you can read his books and hand them to your grandmother or your teenager and not feel embarrassed by anything within. John Grisham sells a lot of novels.

  

OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?

I love God. A long time ago I was struggling with life and causing a lot of damage to everyone around me. I came to love God, truly, when I realized that he loved me no matter what. Even when I was failing or falling apart he still loved me. He loves us.  We are, every member of the human race, truly loved by the creator of the universe.  He loves me no matter what. That’s important: no matter what. As a writer you’ll need that when you get rejection letters without end and one star reviews on Amazon. There’s a great story about a famous theologian whose son wasn’t accepted to a prestigious college. The boy was devastated and wrote to his father about his heartache over the situation. His father consoled him and ended by reminding his son that he was, “Rejected by man, accepted by God.” God is a creator, The Creator. We writers, we’re creating too. I think God knows what a dark journey to strange horizons in dim half-light the writing life can be. I think he understands when we feel rejected by others when all we wanted was to share something of ourselves with them, or in other words, to give them the gift of us. And yet, he accepts us. Because he loves us.

 

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?

I love Kurt Vonnegut. He absolutely captured the heartbreak of life and found the humour within it that sometimes requires a little faith to see. His ability to bring everything to a point and let you decide was stunning. 

  

IF YOU HAD A PREMONITION YOU WOULD BE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 5 BOOKS WOULD YOU THROW IN YOUR BAG?

The Bible.

The Old Man and the Sea.

Alistair Reynolds, Revelation Space

Raymond Chandler’s, The Big Sleep

Perez-Reverte’s, The Club Dumas

 

WHAT FIVE WORDS BEST SUM YOU UP

Love, Fun, Interesting, Reckless. Cake

  

HOW CAN WE LEARN MORE?

Say hi @nickcolebooks on Twitter

 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon

The Savage Boy by Nick Cole

Genre: Science-fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins Imprint: Harper Voyager

On-Sale: February 26

Purchase: The Savage Boy | The Oldman And The Wasteland

Description:

Amid the Wasteland remains of a world destroyed by a devastating Global Thermonuclear Armageddon, barbaric tribes rule the New American Dark Age. A boy and his horse must complete the final mission of the last American soldier. What unfolds is an epic journey across a terrifying post-apocalyptic tribal America gone savage. Jack London meets The End of the World.

 

Follow The Tour

 

Flash Fiction Friday By Kimberly A. McKenzie

An untitled piece By Kimberley A. McKenzie

 

I discovered twilight in the morning when I was eleven. Getting up before the sun, my brother and I would roll the newspapers. Stuffing the papers in a dirty cloth bag, I snatched my bicycle from the porch and pedaled to bring people the words for today before school started. The cool, fresh morning air, waiting on the sun rising from a silent sleep, held expectations and new promises. I would breathe in and out the smell of dew or frost on the grass and wonder at the houses without lights or with one small lamp burning behind curtains. Alone on my paper route, the speed of the bicycle brought me gliding through the silent roads, pushing hard to finish before the world awoke, reveling in the freedom of the first explorers who knew that the pristine moments are always solitary.

Problems with my bicycle sometimes occurred, like a chain around the gears coming loose or a flat tire. If these problems occurred halfway along the paper route, my pristine morning would turn into a long slow trudge dragging a dysfunctional set of bars and wheels along side me as I huffed and puffed to finish with all the designated houses on time. We did not have cell phones and the houses on the paper route held people still in bed or already out the door to an early shift at the strange places that adults went to when they had to report to work early. My work was simple, finish putting papers on porches before the sun rose and revealed my presence. The newspapers were supposed to be magic and appear effortlessly from an open screen door upon customers’ demands.
 

One morning, fog rolled in off the neighborhood park and I could not see the sidewalk in front of me. This was particularly dangerous, as the sidewalk had large cracks and broken cement in places that normally I would navigate around. The fog was also irritating as I could not see the houses’ porches well enough to aim and toss the rolled papers to land square on the doorsteps. I had to place all of the papers within the open screen doors and hope that no one would be too upset to tip me at collections time. I walked my bicycle along instead of pedaling over questionable dangers that might cause me to tumble head over heels onto the road. 
 

Up ahead, in the greyish mist, I thought I saw two shadows moving in my direction. My first thought was that it was strange to see someone else out in the early morning air. My next thought was to be careful, although I was not afraid of strangers, because paper peddlers were easy targets for older kids looking for trouble. The shadows weaved in and out of the fog wavering between the sidewalk and the street. Even though I was moving in their direction, the two people obviously up ahead of me did not seem to come any closer.

Welcome Kimberley A. McKenzie! Thank you for participating in Flash Fiction Friday. This piece reminded me of getting up early to bicycle up to the paddock and let my horse out. Best of luck with your writing.

 

 

 

Tell us three things about yourself Kimberley.

1. I write because I am a writer.

 

2. If I was a character in a book I would be sad, because art is only a semblance of life.

 

3. My super human power would be finding the stories in others.

 

To connect with Kimberley and learn more here are some links.





Website:  kimberlymckenzie.com

Blog:       http://kaktpgster.wordpress.com

 

We encourage readers to comment on this Flash Fiction Friday piece. What are your thoughts? 

　

In Conversation ... with Elaine Ouston

     

In Conversation with 

Elaine Ouston

Tell us about your most recent publication. 

I have long been bothered by the amount of graffiti and other forms of destruction of public and private property I see and decided to write a book for children that would help them realise how wrong it is, how the person on the other end of their abuse feels and how they would feel if it was done to them or something or someone they loved.

The book is Fearless Friends- Graffiti Fighters. Hopefully, some will take the message on board.

Published @ MORRIS PUBLISHING AUSTRALIA

You can read more information and a review by author and school teacher Robert Favretto on the Morris Publishing Australia website: 

What do you enjoy most about the writing community?

I enjoy the encouragement and support writers, published or otherwise, give to each other. We are always there to share the moments, good or bad that occur. Being an author is full of highs and lows and having this support helps make it worthwhile.

What is the hardest aspect of promotion?

Getting others to believe in your book as much as you do is difficult. There are so many great choices out there for readers. Reaching your audience takes a lot of work. But it can be done. Blog sites like this one and their owners are valuable to authors. You have to spend as much time promoting it as you can and look for many avenues of promotion.

Why are writing workshops so valuable?

When aspiring writers ask me if I think workshops are necessary, I usually ask them if they would go to a doctor who had no training, just the desire to be a doctor.

No matter what you want to do in life, education is vital. Having a good imagination is not enough. To create a story that your reader will enjoy takes much knowledge of story structure and much more. There are so many things to learn. I went as far as getting a Masters of Letters in creative writing to make sure I had that knowledge but that is not necessary for all. The local writers’ centre and many other places offer valuable workshops and I urge aspiring writers to take their courses.

Have you had a fan moment and met somebody famous? Tell us about it.

I had the pleasure of meeting Australian author Matthew Reilly at a writers’ conference where I was speaking. We had a chat about how difficult it is to get started in the industry. Matthew couldn’t get a publisher to take his first book, Contest, so he self-published it. It was so successful that publishers were more than happy to take on his subsequent books.

So being rejected does not mean your books won’t be popular with readers. It is important that if you take the self-publishing route you make sure your book is professionally edited and created in a professional way as Matthew did.

 

Do you have any writing rituals you can share?

Getting writing time is difficult for most of us. I spend a lot of time on my computer editing and setting up books for others. I usually set a day for writing. I check emails at my office desk before I start then close the computer down until I finish my writing for the day.

I find that if I try to use the same computer and area for writing I am too distracted by emails etc. I have a laptop that I use to write, and I can move that to wherever I feel comfortable; another position in the office, the back verandah if the weather is nice or my comfortable recliner chair in the lounge if I need extra comfort. I don’t connect it to the internet so I can’t be distracted by emails etc.

Do you have a favourite character from your stories? Spill the beans and tell us about them. 

In this book, all the characters are close to my heart as I have used the personality and names of some of my grandchildren to create this story. Evie is an active and feisty child, and I had no trouble imagining how she would react in the situations in this story, so she became the main character.

How can we learn more about you? 

 

  

 

    

Thank you for joining In Conversation this week. Remember to always 

Dream Big ... Read Often.