One of our busiest authors is Dimity Powell.
Here are some of the places you will find her in the next few months.
14th December 2014
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One of our busiest authors is Dimity Powell. Here are some of the places you will find her in the next few months. 14th December 2014
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 My Unforgettable Year by debut author, Adem Besim is a powerfully written, highly emotive story told in the first person, present tense voice of a seventeen-year-old boy. How much editing can you do without taking away the authentic voice of the teen? We were very careful not to get too carried away with grammar, as we know most people don’t speak correctly most of the time. Have a look at the extract from the first chapter on this page and tell me what you think. Have we gone too far or not far enough? http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/my-unforgettable-year.html  On the second anniversary of the publishing of Destiny Road, Melissa Wray was asked this question by Uncommon YA. What sparked the idea to write Destiny Road?  I think every writer is pictured as, and feels a little 'different'. After all, we live in two worlds (at least), (the real world and the world in our novels) at the same time when we are writing our stories, but most of us don't bring the world of our novels into our real world. Not so this quirky author, Royce Bond. I asked him to give us a brief glimpse into his life story. The fascinating result is below:
'I was born in Rockhampton, but I have spent a lot of time in the bush. I come from a farm labouring background. I began working on market gardens as a hand-picker at aged 7. I spent many years on farms and doing other labouring jobs. I eventually became a teacher and spent many happy years doing that. A few years ago, I retired. I am currently a househusband. I look after the home while my wife works. I started my journey as a writer in the car park of the Baptist Theologiccal College of Queensland. It was a very cold night. I had just watched an episode of The A Team and was putting the rubbish out before I went to bed. I stood outside and looked up at the stars. Inspired by the program I had just watched, I dreamed of writing a wacky story about some bumbling space pirates. Many decades later that became my first published YA fantasy novel, The Princess and The Pirate. The desire to write became so strong that I couldn’t resist. Many stories were written, and tucked away, or used to entertain my students. That desire to write has never left me. It is still with me every day. During my teaching career, I realised that there was a need for chapter books that explained science to students in a fun way. After I won the National B.H.P. /C.S.I.R.O. Science Teacher's Award, my first book in the science field, Kitchen Science, followed and was published by Ashton Scholastic. This book was used in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, and in some schools in South America. Twelve books in the science field followed. I took a break for some time, and when I returned to writing I went back to my original ideas, and young adult fantasy novels were the result. Morris Publishing Australia published The Princess and The Pirate, the first in the series The Knights of Katesch, in 2013. The Summoning of The One is the second in the series and there are many more to follow. My books reflect my interest in the medieval. I am a medieval re-enactor and love fighting with metal swords as well as shooting arrows at armoured knights as they rush towards me. It wasn’t hard to move from this make-believe activity to writing about medieval style fantasy. As a child, I used to love make believing that I had some sort of super powers, so it wasn’t hard to include this in my writing as well. Down stairs, I have created a medieval room, a space that looks like it comes from the 13th Century, as my writing room. When I have a lamp over my desk and some music on, I’m not in 2014 anymore; I’m in my fantasy world. Many of the weapons I need, for medieval re-enacting, I make. I recently made a 50 kilogram draw-weight bow from a single piece of timber. I can only fire it once and then my shoulder gives out. I have made and used trebuchets (a type of catapult) in duels with my son. We fired water balloons at one another. I have always been an inventor and made my 8 inch reflector telescope when I was 18 years old. I ground the mirror by hand and it still works today almost 40 years later. Whatever I needed I had a go at making. For instance, I wanted to do some fishing from a boat, so I made two corrugated iron canoes, lashed them together, and put a tarp up as a sail. I then sailed out onto lagoons to do my fishing. I love doing wacky science experiments at home, sometimes turning my kitchen into a science lab. My current project is to make and learn to play my own bamboo flutes.' Sometimes this passion for making new things interferes with my writing, but most of the time it enhances it. Visit the sites below to find out more about this exciting book and its unique author. Sept. 14th http://helenrosswrites.com Sept. 15th http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au Sept. 16th http://writingclassesforkids.com Sept. 17th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com Sept. 18th http://morrispublishingaustralia.com Sept. 19th http://www.robynopie.com Sept. 20th http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au Sept. 21st http://www.kids-bookreview.com Sept. 22nd http://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine Sept. 23rd http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au Sept. 24th http://elaineoustonauthor.com Sept. 25th http://roycebondauthor.com Sept. 26th http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com  THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENT by Dianne Bates has been doing the rounds of schools, writing competitions and reviewers since it was published last year as a YA thriller. The feedback I am getting from all of those sources and even the American agents I have sent it to, confirms my first instinct when I first read this book – it is too confronting for a teen audience. I originally said I would publish it as an adult novel because I believed that a psychological thriller such as this would scare the teens so much they would never leave home again. I allowed myself to be persuaded to publish it as a YA.
I have now bowed to the pressure from the sources I quoted above and re-classified it as an adult novel. I think the review below tells you the reason for my change of heart, better than I can. The Girl in the Basement by Dianne Bates (Morris Publishing Australia) PB RRP $19.95 Ebook $4.99 ISBN 9780987543417 Reviewed by Vicki Stanton Dianne Bates’ new thriller The Girl in the Basement is a page turner that once started you will not be able to put down. Sixteen-year-old Libby is snatched off the streets by a man and spends the next few months swinging between terror and calculating her escape. Extra dimensions are added when Psycho Man, as Libby thinks of him, kidnaps a young boy to complete his family. Bates pulls off a major writing coup: she successfully flits between the heads of Libby and her kidnapper giving us insights into the motivations and emotions of both. A lesser writer would have failed in this but it is testament to Bates’ skill that the head hopping enhances the story. I identified strongly with Libby’s ordeal. Memories of her own loving family strikingly contrast with Psycho Man’s warped version. The mind of a psychopath is an unnerving thing to delve into. The accommodation of his distorted sense of reality into his life view is chilling, and fatal to others. Since I always hate to know the ending of a book, I won’t tell you whether Libby survives or not but if you are after a light read then this is not the book for you. There is violence, brutal at times, and more than one death (but no sex). The violence is always in context and never gratuitous. This is definitely a book for older readers or adults and one that is particularly timely given the recent release of three women kept captive in Cleveland. While the events in this book are fictional, it is a disturbing reminder of the depths humans can plunge to. Fortunately, it is also a reminder of the strength of character and tenacity we can summon in the face of the most cruel circumstances. If you haven’t read it yet and you love books that keep you reading because you feel like you are there with the main character and want to know what will happen to them next, do yourself a favour and read this book.  READ THESE AMAZING REVIEWS OF HIS NEW BOOK, PA JOE'S PLACE
PJP - REVIEW BY STEFAN VUCAK Hoei, Boo! With ‘Pa Joe’s Place’, Clancy Tucker has created an extraordinary piece of writing. From the first page, I fell in love with little Boo’s unpretentious yet endearing character, as will every reader, whether young or young at heart. Wherever Boo goes, she touches people in a special way. Told from a child’s perspective, the story doesn’t have much of a plot, but what Clancy Tucker offers will tug at every reader’s heartstrings, which more than makes up for that small deficiency. The novel has superb writing with excellent narrative and dialogue; a jewel. This book can be read more than once, revealing flashes of pleasure that may have been missed before. ‘Pa Joe’s Place’ also plunges the reader into aspects of Thai culture and the harsh life of its people struggling to survive in an environment tourists perceive as idyllic. Given this glimpse, the reader will be tempted to visit Songkhla for himself and see that land through Boo’s eyes. The ending is sure to leave the reader tearful. This is a story no one will forget soon. I enjoyed reading this book immensely; a pleasure to come across such a work, having reviewed some very ordinary efforts. Stefan Vucak, Editor, Award-winning Australian author PJP - VICKI CASE 5-STAR REVIEW ON AMAZON “WOW! Where do I begin? PA JOE's PLACE is an extraordinary book that had me captivated from its inaugural page & retained my interest and total attention throughout. It’s the story of an incredible Thai girl who gives so much to the world in such a short life. Although her life was short she touched the hearts and souls of everyone who came into contact with her. The world definitely lost an Angel the day it lost Boo. Throughout the pages of this amazing book I found myself crying; caught up in the inspirational and highly emotional story line which is based on a real life experience. We go through life just existing. It’s not until someone such as Clancy TUCKER takes the time to write a great book about their experiences that we sit back and realize just how many people there are out there that selflessly give of themselves to others; never asking for any form of remuneration or recognition. PA JOE's PLACE is; without a shadow of a doubt; a MUST READ. I cannot remember ever reading a book where I found myself reading it through a tsunami of tears that just wouldn't stop. I found myself caught up in the story; feeling each and every moment of happiness, sadness and; especially loss. It is with great pleasure that I award this book 5 stars & if it was possible I would have given it 10 stars." Vicki Case, Poet, New South Wales, Australia Dr Judith O’Malley-Ford, Author, GP, Artist, Queensland, Australia “It’s a great book … A very moving story … Highly passionate. It has a real presence, and the humanitarian component. It’s great, She’s great, You’re great.” Charkrienorrathip Sevikul Counsellor& Consul, Royal Thai Embassy, Tehran. “I am delighted to inform you that I have just finished reading PJP, and I am really moved. Boo seems like an extraordinary girl. It is a moving and inspiring story which can be an inspiration for so many people, young and old, regardless of their race or religion. I can't put it any other way but to say, "Love your work, Khun Clancy." The CQ Literary Festival is getting close... We are getting excited. The festival is only a 9 days away. Soon, myself and 9 other authors and illustrators will be out there in CQ spreading the word about the joys of reading and writing to almost 1,000 students and workshopping with many writers, teachers, librarians and support staff. We can't wait. WRITERS' WORKSHOPS As there are a few spots left in our workshops, we have decided to open the bookings so you can book for just one or two workshops, if the cost or time commitment of a whole day is too much. The cost would be just $25 per workshop. I hope this helps. If you haven't booked your place in our workshops or for the Literary Luncheon on Saturday 21st June, get your booking in now so you don't miss out. Go to the Writers' Workshop Program page to book your place in our workshops, or to the CQ Literary Festival page to book for the luncheon. Please tell anyone you know that might be interested in the opportunity. COMPETITION WINNER Congratulations, Malcolm Wells. Malcolm has written a fantasy novel, The Spires of Kurrong. I look forward to working with him to bring this book to publication. Check out the brochure below to see what you are missing. 
 ... and busy well-known authors sell their books.
One of our busiest authors is Dimity Powell. Here are some of the places you will find her in the next few months. 16th May 2014 Baby and Toddler Expo Upper Coomera Community Centre, Gold Coast, 9.30am - 12 noon. (reading sessions and book signings) 22nd May 2014 Adults Writing for Children workshop - Getting to Know Your Characters Robina Library, Gold Coast, 10.00 - 11.00 am. 31st May 2014 Introduction to Picture Books at Kenmore Library, Brisbane, 10.30 am - 12 pm. In conjunction with QWC. 13th - 15th June 2014 Gold Coast Writers Festival, Authors in Schools program workshops, Helensvale Primary School and Helensvale Library and Cultural Centre, Gold Coast. 18th - 24th June 2014 Central Queensland Literary Festival 2014, Rockhampton. (school workshops and adult sessions) 5th July 2014 CYA Conference for children's writers and illustrators, Brisbane, full day 13th - 16th July 2014 SCBWI Sydney Conference, Sydney. 16th -22nd August 2014 Book Week CBCA Connect to Reading, venues tbc. 3rd - 7th September 2014 Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, tbc.  OUR BLOG TOUR COMPETITION WINNER
Is Mary Preston from Toowoomba. Congratulations Mary. Your book is on the way. I know you and your daughter will love this story. If you missed out on winning a book, it is available at your local bookstore or from this website. Select the cover to go to the book's page. It is a great book for reluctant boy readers.  By now, you would have read some great reviews of On The Nose by Robert Favretto, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre, and learnt about the life and likes of this talented author. Below are the photographs taken at the Rosebud launch. These photos will tell you how popular he and Kevin are. The room was packed with fans both young and older. This talented pair spent a couple of hours signing books. It was lovely to see such support. If you missed any of the tour, the list is below the photographs.
As part of the blog tour, we will give away a copy of ‘On The Nose’. To be in the draw, simply comment on the post and send an email of your comment to submissions@morrispublishingaustralia.com with the subject "On The Nose competition". Competition closes midnight EDST 15th April 2014.
On The Nose (Morris Publishing Australia) PB RRP $13.95 ISBN: 978-0-9875434-7-9 http://morrispublishingaustralia.com Synopsis: Justin Credible is a real live Pinocchio with a keen sense of smell. Trained as a super sleuth for the DNA (Department of Nasal Affairs), he is often called upon at the first sniff of trouble. With a nose for those hard to crack smelly cases, it's no surprise when Justin responds to an urgent call for help. Someone or something has dropped a stink bomb in the city of Aroma – and the stench is devastating! Gardens are wilting, birds are dropping out of the sky, and the residents are leaving in droves! With sleuth-like determination, Justin follows his nose to solve the mystery of the phantom smell before it wipes Aroma off the map! ABOUT THE BOOK: On the Nose is a fun and entertaining read that I'm sure would be enjoyed by young boys. This story is along the same lines as the Just books and Captain Underpants series: crazy, funny, and really silly – everything a young boy loves in a book. Join us for reviews and more interesting facts about Robert and the book as you follow the tour. April 1st www.kids-bookreview.com Review April 2nd www.buzzwordsmagazine.com Interview April 3rd http://writingclassesforkids.com. Writing tips for kids April 4th www.elaineoustonauthor.com Interview April 5th http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au Interview April 6th http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au Review April 7th www.melissawray.blogspot.com.au Review April 8th http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com interview |
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