A book launch is a kind of like the christening or the naming ceremony. Everyone oohs and aahs over the baby in her best lace dress. No one has met the baby yet, they don't know if she is going to be a fast read or a naughty read but the miracle of life is … Continue reading Launch & Celebrate
Category: Writing Fix
Grandma’s poison arum lily
Today I went to the supermarket to buy milk and came home with a calla lily. I did not think twice. As soon as I saw it, I picked it up and put it in my trolley because it reminded me of my grandmother. This a photo of my grandmother in her garden, the farm … Continue reading Grandma’s poison arum lily
Pocket Bookclub talk about brunch coats and Miles Franklin winner
It says something of the age of Pocket Book club members that we all know what a brunch coat is and remember our mothers' wearing one. Perhaps we wore one too but we were not willing to admit it. A bit like duchess for a dresser, brunch coat has fallen out of favour. I have … Continue reading Pocket Bookclub talk about brunch coats and Miles Franklin winner
The REAL 1980s
Me with a cool perm and a trendy Mango t-shirt circa 1982 Someone asked me why I had set my book Cassandra in the 1980s. It was a no-brainer really, first of all, I was a teenager in the 1980's so I figured I could pull that off. Secondly, Cassandra can predict the future. I could have … Continue reading The REAL 1980s
Smile and/or Panic
It is almost launch time for Cassandra. On the outside I am smiling. On the inside I am panicking. People say to me that I am such a calm person. The truth is I have a calm exterior. Inside this head of mine is a hurricane of worries and anxieties. People like me, weird old … Continue reading Smile and/or Panic
My Happy Place
My macabre son asked me yesterday if I could choose to die somewhere and haunt that place forever, where would I choose? I said GOMA - Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. People would come and change the artwork every few months and I would be in my happy place. With some extra thought, I amended … Continue reading My Happy Place
Zeus is a slut
One of the things that surprised me when I delved into Greek mythology was that the gods were not very nice. Zeus is the kingpin of the Olympian gods. There are lots of derogatory words for women who have sex with many men. There is no male equivalent. Womaniser or player carry a far bit … Continue reading Zeus is a slut
About the old lady who swallowed a fly, molly coddling and gender bias
This might turn out to be a bit of a double rant. One of my all time favourite songs/stories, when I was a kid, was There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. It's ridiculous and funny and dark and I always loved the shock of the last line She's dead of course! I … Continue reading About the old lady who swallowed a fly, molly coddling and gender bias
Dear Tall Person
How is the air up there? Thin? I think so because it has addled your brain. There are some advantages to being short. For instance, the dust on top of the fridge does not exist if you can't see it. (This is also a good place to hide lollies from me if the situation ever … Continue reading Dear Tall Person
We are all natural Storytellers
My daughter is of the Hogwarts's generation, so naturally enough bought The Cursed Child. She sent a text to me one Saturday to say she had finished it and she was close to tears and desperately wrote 'I want more stories'. We all need stories - perhaps more than we need a place to live. American … Continue reading We are all natural Storytellers