AWW Feature: Q&A with Rebecca James, author of Sweet Damage

Welcome Rebecca James!

I am delighted to feature Rebecca James at  Book’d Out today and talk a little about her newest release, Sweet Damage. Rebecca James was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1970 and grew up in various different places throughout New South Wales, including Bourke, Sydney, Wellington and Bathurst. During her twenties Rebecca worked as a waitress, an English teacher in both Indonesia and Japan, a bartender, and (most memorably) a mini-cab telephone operator in London. During her thirties Rebecca spent most of her time having babies, she has four sons, and helping her partner run a small kitchen business in Canberra.

Rebecca’s first novel Beautiful Malice (Allen & Unwin 2010), a young adult psychological thriller, placed Highly Commended in the 2010 FAW (Fellowship of Australian Writers) Christina Stead Award and became a international best seller.

Sweet Damage is a compelling story of suspense that  I devoured within hours. My review is available HERE and I have three copies to giveaway, for now I am going to let Rebecca tell you more about her fabulous new novel, read on…

Q&A with Rebecca James

Q: Can you give us the ‘elevator pitch’ for Sweet Damage?

Rebecca: Laid back surfer Tim Ellison can’t believe  his luck when he scores a cheap room to rent in a  Sydney mansion. The only catch is his new flatmate, Anna London:  withdrawn  and agoraphobic she’s not exactly easy to make friends with. When strange and terrifying things start happening in the house, Tim wonders if he’s made a mistake taking the room and soon he’s caught up the tragic mystery of Anna’s past and the discovery of secrets both shocking and horrific.

Q: What was the first element of inspiration for creating Sweet Damage?

Rebecca: I was thinking about anxiety and agoraphobia and how having a person who’s basically  trapped in a house had a lot of potential for a story. And then I started thinking about how a lot of people view mental illnesses like agoraphobia, how they see it as a weakness, a failure. I thought it would be interesting to narrate most of the story from Tim’s perspective – a well-meaning but slightly insensitive guy who is completely baffled by Anna’s situation, her inability to leave the house. That was the basic set-up and then I had to put Tim and Anna under a whole lot of pressure and create a big mystery and lot of twisty plot elements to keep readers guessing and turning the pages.

Q:  Sweet Damage is written in the first person view from a young male,  did his gender pose any difficulties for you as you wrote?

Rebecca: Sometimes, yes! In my first draft my editor made the comment that Tim at times sounded like a 40 year old woman rather than a young man in his twenties. In redrafting I had to be really conscious not to let my voice override his, make sure he wasn’t thinking the way I would in his situation.

Q:  Is Fairview, the house in which Anna and Tim live,  based on a real location?

Rebecca: The location is real but the house itself is a product of my imagination. I know Fairlight the suburb pretty well, as I’ve lived there myself (in a small flat, not a mansion!) and my grandmother used to live in the very street – Lauderdale Avenue – in which I set the book.

Q:  What draws you to the young adult /psychological thriller genre?

Rebecca: I didn’t set out to write YA fiction. When I was writing my first book, BEAUTIFUL MALICE, I wasn’t thinking about categories or genres at all. It wasn’t until I started looking for an agent that I had to start thinking of how to pitch it. Interestingly, Beautiful Malice sold as a YA book in most territories, but as an adult book in others. in fulfilling my contract (BEAUTIFUL MALICE sold in a two-book deal) I had to try and write a book with similar crossover appeal – and so I hope SWEET DAMAGE is the same as BEAUTIFUL MALICE in that it will appeal to both teens and adults.

I’m definitely drawn to psychological thrillers. I think it must be my favourite genre in both books and movies. I enjoy the element of suspense and I always love it when there’s a completely unexpected twist that you don’t see coming.

Q: Do you and your sister, Wendy (The Mistake) talk about your writing with each other?

Rebecca: Yes, we do. We read each other’s manuscripts and give feedback. We talk about plot and characters and pacing and style – all the elements of novel-writing basically.

Q: Name three of your favourite novels by Australian women writers

Rebecca: It’s difficult to name only three  and I find it hard to list favourites as I don’t tend to think of books in that way. So I’m going to list three books that kept me thinking about the characters  and the writing long after I closed the last page.

OUT OF THE SILENCE by my sister Wendy is a book I couldn’t get out of my head for a long while. Maggie’s plight really brought home to me how dreadful and unfair life could be for women before feminism made abortion possible. Her story’s a great reminder how important feminism has been for women (and still is) and how much we’re now able to take for granted. (OUT OF THE SILENCE has just been republished as an ebook by Momentum press so you can now buy it from Amazon).

THE SPARE ROOM by Helen Garner is another book that resonated for me. I love Helen Garner’s ability to apply a her sharp critical lens to the domestic life of ordinary people. She’s honest about people’s motivations, and their small pettinesses and there’s a courage and beauty in that honesty that I really admire.

I also love Liane Moriarty’s work, particularly WHAT ALICE FORGOT (I haven’t read her latest yet, but intend to remedy that very soon). Liane Moriarty reminds me a bit of Anne Tyler in that she’s fundamentally kind to her characters. She shows people in all their flawed glory without being judgemental or superior, which is, I think, a great novelistic skill. The idea that people can be both flawed and lovable, that life is sticky and complicated, and that people can surprise themselves in both good and bad ways, is, for me, a recurring message of her work.  Her books somehow make me feel more optimistic and cheerful.

Q. What is your preference?

• Coffee/Tea or other? Tea.
• Beach/Pool or River? Beach. But I love pools too. And rivers.
• Slacks/Jeans or Leggings? Jeans. (Slacks? No way! They sound so old -ladyish!)
• Butterfly/Tiger or Giraffe? Giraffe. They have cute faces. Though I don’t know what I’d do with one.
• Swing/Slide or Roundabout? Actually the thought of either makes me a feel a bit queasy. I’d rather just sit on a bench seat and read, thanks very much!

You can connect with Rebecca James at

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Sweet Damage is available for purchase

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A special edition of Beautiful Malice, with a preview of Sweet Damage, is currently available from Allen & Unwin

Review & Giveaway: The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

Title: The Wild Girl

Author: Kate Forsyth

Published: Vintage: Random House March 2013

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Status: Read from March 15 to 17, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:
The Wild Girl is a stunning tale of passion, love and war where history and imagination intertwine to create a wonderfully rich portrait of a woman whose contribution to the legend of the Grimm Brothers is finally acknowledged.

Dortchen Wild lives in the small kingdom of  Hessen-Cassel in Germany in the early 1800′s, as Napoleon Bonaparte marches across Europe. One of five daughters of an apothecary,  her only relief from her father’s tyranny comes from the rare occasions she can escape his attention and her friendship with her next door neighbour,  Lotte Grimm. As the war intensifies, Lotte’s older brothers Jakob and Williem return home. With a single glance, twelve year old Dortchen falls in the love with the scholarly Williem but he barely notices her and she can only worship him from afar. As war rages and Cassel is plunged into economic ruin, the Grimm brothers hope to reverse their fortunes by publishing a book of collected fairytales.  It’s not until Dortchen shyly offers to contribute that Williem realises Dortchen has grown up, but her father forbids any courtship between the desperately poor neighbour boy and his daughter. While the lovers endure years of enforced separation due to abuse, war and poverty Dortchen never stops hoping for her own happily ever after.

Kate Forsyth uses historical record as the anchor for a story that she then develops with informed imagination. The Napoleonic War and it’s social effects grounds the tale in time and place while her fictional narrative winds in and out of what is known about the Grimm brothers, the origins of their fairytale collection and Dortchen. I don’t doubt that Forsyth’s research, using primary sources such Williem’s diaries amongst others, is impeccable but I most admire how she creates a plausible, seamless narrative melding fact with fiction. The author’s intuitive grasp of behaviour and motive ensures her characters, their environment and their lives feel authentic.

In the tradition of the original Grimm’s fairytales, Dortchen’s childhood is beset by darkness. Her mother was a weak woman addicted to Laudanum and subservient to her husband. Dortchen’s father, pious and strict during her childhood, devolved into a drunken, abusive tyrant in her adolescence, illustrated in several harrowing scenes. The war and resulting economic deprivations is hard on the family and though three of the sisters are eventually able to escape, Dortchen is forced to remain at home and care for her ailing parents. It is saddening to see Dortchen withdraw into herself in self defense, her spirit eroded by her fading hopes for escape from her father. The spark is only revived when she steals a moment or two with Williem. Her relationship with him is fraught with angst, drama and passion, their love is challenged repeatedly and a happy ending is never guaranteed.

The fairytale’s appear in the narrative not just as stories passed between the characters but also with some relationships to the plot. Dortchen often hopes that Williem will recognise her pain in the tales that she tells, though his scholarly focus seems to make him somewhat oblivious to the subtleties. They also reflect the political and social instability of times with tales of greedy kings and an abandoned, unfed children, despite their origin being from other times and places. The fairytales themselves are both versions of familiar stories like Cinderella and Snow White as well as less well known tales like that of a singing bone that identifies a murderer.

Really I could go on, The Wild Child is remarkable. A tale of triumph over adversity, an epic historical romance, a fascinating glimpse into the history of storytelling – it is all those things and more. One of my favourite reads for the year, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

Earlier today I posted a Q&A with Kate Forsyth HERE. Visit to learn more about the author, the book and  download an ESampler.

The Wild Girl is available

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Review: Blackwattle Lake by Pamela Cook

Title: Blackwattle Lake

Author: Pamela Cook

Published: Hachette December 2012

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Status: Read from February 11 to 13, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the Author}

My Thoughts:
In Pamela Cook’s debut novel, Blackwattle Lake, Eve Nicholls has returned to her hometown after an absence of twenty years, having inherited the family farm upon her mother’s death. She plans to sell up and move on as quickly as possible, unwilling to remain in the community that drove her away twenty years ago. But as Eve sorts through a lifetime of clutter and memories, she is forced to confront the consequences of the choices she made as a teenager, and find a way to live with them if she is to have the future she hopes for.

I was expecting what has become a reasonably formulaic storyline for the rural fiction genre (misled in part by the cover) only to be pleasantly surprised by Blackwattle Lake. This is largely a character driven novel focusing on the protagonist’s need to confront the tragic circumstances that precipitated her abandoning her home, family and friends, though she is also forced to cope with external challenges including a raging bushfire that menaces the community.

The moment Eve swore, lit a cigarette and poured herself a drink while her kelpie, Banjo, lay panting at her feet, I knew we were going to get along. She felt familiar in an indefinable way and is probably one of the most authentic characters I have encountered in a while. She is complicated in ordinary ways and though defensive and abrupt at times, Eve invokes sympathy without pity.

For me, the absence of a traditional romantic subplot was refreshing. There are a few interesting moments with the childhood sweetheart she left behind, the cheating ex who follows her to beg for forgiveness and the vet who saves Banjo’s life but they contribute to developing Eve’s character rather than providing a convenient distraction from her journey.

I found the realism of character, crisis and landscape in Blackwattle Lake very engaging. Cook proves to be a skilled writer, deftly capturing natural dialogue and behaviour. From the first page I was able to create a mental picture of Eve’s surroundings with small details, such as the “crushed Coke can littering the path”, and the “humming of cicadas working their way up to a crescendo somewhere above her head” providing sensory realism to the scene.

Well written, with appealing characterisation and an engaging storyline, Blackwattle Lake is an appealing contemporary novel set in rural Australia which I truly enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from Pamela Cook in the future.

Click here for your chance to win a Signed copy of Blackwattle Lake

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AWW Feature & Giveaway: Pamela Cook

Welcome Pamela Cook!

I am pleased to welcome Pamela Cook to Book’d Out today.

Pamela lives in the southern suburbs of Sydney and spends as much time as possible at her “other” home at Little Forest on the south coast of NSW. Being a country girl at heart and spending so much of her time around horses enticed Pamela to “write what you know” and she’s more than happy to now be a writer of Rural Fiction. Apart from being a writer, teacher and mother of three gorgeous daughters she also manages a menagerie of dogs, rabbits, birds, fish and horses and her favourite pastime (after writing) is riding her handsome quarter horse, Morocco.

Her fabulous debut novel, Blackwattle Lake (Hachette 2012), tells the story of Eve Nicholls who has reluctantly returned to her rural home town. She’s glad to have her best friend Banjo the Kelpie with her … and a bottle of bourbon. Her plan is simple: sell the farm , grab the cash and get the hell out. But as she sorts through a lifetime of clutter and memories, Eve is forced to confront the consequences of the choices she made as a teenager and find a way to live with them if she is to have the future she hopes for.

My review of Blackwattle Lake will be published later today. In the meantime, read on to learn more about how Blackwattle Lake came to be and for details on how to win a signed copy.

My Journey To Publication

Hi there and thanks so much to Shelleyrae for having me as a guest on the Book’d Out Blog.

I thought I might share with you today how I came to be a published author – the years prior to Blackwattle Lake.

My background is in high school English teaching which fitted in beautifully with my love of books and my yearning to share that love with others. As the curriculum became more crowded though and the opportunity to discuss good books and teach creative writing lessened I found myself craving more creativity so I enrolled in a Masters of Creative Writing at UNSW. That was a turning point. I met other writers, shared ideas, got feedback on my work (which brought me to tears until I toughened up) and found myself loving the escape of creating a story and inventing new characters.

The year after completing my Masters I enrolled in a First Page to first Draft, a write–your-book-in-a-year course with Jan Cornall at The NSW Writer’s Centre. It was here I met the wonderful writers who became my writing group, The Writers’ Dozen. After a few years of meeting each fortnight we self published an anthology of our work, Better Than Chocolate through which we raised over $6000 for the organisation Room to Read which builds schools and libraries in developing countries and provides scholarships for girls. That was another pivotal moment as I became heavily involved with Room to Read as a volunteer and fulfilled another life long dream two years ago – a visit to India to see the programs in operation.

But back to the writing …

Over the last decade I have written a number of short stories and poems which have made their way into small anthologies but most of my time was spent writing a novel about a woman’s journey, set in Nepal. This novel was a long learning process and a labour of love. I finally completed it about three years ago and began sending it out to publishers and agents, receiving some interest but nothing more. I still think of that manuscript as my baby and intend returning to it one day soon.

I also wrote a first draft of Blackwattle Lake as part of Nanowrimo 2009. If you haven’t heard of it Nano is all about writing a 50,000 word novel in a month, the idea being to let the words flow and worry about the revision later. Well, I started with an image of a woman standing at a gate to a horse property but the gate was locked and she couldn’t get in. From that single image I just followed the nano guidelines and kept on writing. It amazed me how the story seemed to tell itself – I’d spent years labouring over small details on my previous novel and yet this story seemed to be just telling itself. The muse was definitely with me!

I left the draft alone for a while and then in early 2011 started revising it and sent the first 50 pages off to the Queensland Writer’s Centre/Hachette Manuscript Development Program along with my first manuscript (which I’d entered in previous years). From past experience I wasn’t hoping for much response so was blown away when I received a phone call requesting the rest of the manuscript and even more elated to receive a second phone call telling me I had been accepted into the program.

In November 2011 I headed to Brisbane with eight other writers and met with Hachette publisher, Vanessa Radnidge, who gave me great feedback and a few more ideas on what to do with the manuscript. I also discovered that I was a Rural Fiction writer, a genre I’d heard of but hadn’t read. The group I met in Brisbane were all amazing writers and the whole experience was rewarding in itself.

So after more revision I resubmitted the completed manuscript and sent it off with fingers crossed and more than a few prayers whispered. Someone was listening because about 6 weeks later Vanessa called to say they loved it and wanted to publish the novel.

Needless to say there were quite a few champagne corks popped over the next few weeks. Holding that first copy in my hand, having a book launch (my very own!) and seeing it on bookshop shelves have all been the most surreal experiences. I’m still pinching myself!

For me, writing has always been about connection – connection with yourself first and then with others – those who share your journey and ultimately those who you will never meet who read your words and find something in them that resonates. The genuine good will and happiness I’ve felt from so many people over the last few days has been another form of connection – a sharing in the joy of realising a dream.

And I’ve learnt that realising a dream is all about commitment – committing to the dream and believing in it but also doing the work to back it up. Sometimes the dream comes true just as we imagined, other times it might be in some varied form but I truly believe that with persistence and hard work we can all make our dreams come true in some form or another.

Win a Signed copy of Blackwattle Lake

I’d love to connect with more readers on my blog and twitter. Over the next two weeks anyone who signs up to follow me on one of the following and messages me with a comment that includes the hashtag #BlackwattleLake will go into the draw to receive a free signed copy of Blackwattle Lake.

Follow Pamela Cook

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Review & Giveaway: Beneath Outback Skies by Alissa Callen

Title: Beneath Outback Skies

Author: Alissa Callen

Published: Random Romance February 2013

Status: Read from February 01 to 02, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Beneath Outback Skies is a winsome contemporary romance set in rural Australia by debut author Alissa Callen, published under Random House Australia’s new digital imprint, Random Romance.

Paige Quinn is determined that Banora Downs will not succumb to the drought forcing outback farmers from their properties, it is her home and despite the harsh conditions, she cannot imagine a life elsewhere.
With resources stretched to breaking point, Paige is unimpressed when her father, Connor, announces he has approved for a paying guest to stay at the farm. In her experience, city-slickers are nothing but trouble and Tait Cavanaugh, with his charming smile and caffeine addiction, can’t leave soon enough to satisfy her.
Tait is looking forward to a break from the office, even though he still has work to do at Banora Downs. An agri business consultant, his role is to assess the future of the property, without tipping his hand to Paige, at the request of her father. That’s not the only secret Tait is keeping though… he wasn’t always a city boy.

While I would have preferred a little more external conflict to enliven the plot, I enjoyed the storyline of Beneath Outback Skies. Though primarily a traditional romance, there is a touch of mystery surrounding Tait and I was intrigued by Connor’s motivation to pair Paige with Tait, beyond his attempts at matchmaking.

I liked Paige who is practical, independent and willful and I admired her determination to keep Banora Downs viable. I did wonder that she seemed almost friendless, even though it is explained, that as Banora Downs is an iconic station, she is desperate to hide the true extent of the farm’s woes in order to support morale in the community.
I grew quite fond of Tait as well who proved to be kind and considerate, willing to help out and quietly adding small luxuries to the lives of Paige and Connor without needing recognition.
I though the pace of the romance between the Paige and Tait was well thought out, the physical attraction is obviously there to start with but the author gives the pair time to get to know each other, which i appreciate.

The setting of Beneath Outback Skies is well developed. I was able to imagine Banora Downs as both the thriving property it once was and the dustbowl it has become. I especially liked the way the author explored the ravages of drought, not only on Paige’s property, but also amongst the townspeople, touching on the high rate of depression and suicide in rural communities.

I thought Beneath Outback Skies was an engaging and satisfying contemporary rural romance. I am especially pleased that Random Romance titles are available internationally and I believe that romance fans from all over the world will enjoy getting to know Paige and Tait at Banora Downs.

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About Alissa Callen

When Alissa Callen isn’t writing she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who really does believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She also is partial to historic homesteads and country gardens and has been known to drive hours to see an open garden. She currently lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western New South Wales.

You can find out more at www.alissacallen.com

Enter to Win

1  Kindle edition of

What Love Sounds Like by Alissa Callen

Outback speech pathologist, Mia Windsor, believes her morning from hell is over. Then suited-up, city-boy Kade Reid strides into her office and announces he and his wide-eyed niece are the clients that she will be living with for the fortnight. Kade Reid adheres to a single edict — money is as important as breathing. But when he becomes an instant father to four-year-old Tilly, he escapes to the only place he was allowed to be a child…the family property of Berrilea. As Mia and Kade work together to help Tilly overcome her speech delay, can they face their fears in order to give Tilly the family she so desperately needs?

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Entries close February 17th 2013

Winner drawn via Random.org

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AWW Feature & Giveaway: Shona Husk & Her Top 10 Heroes

Welcome Shona Husk

I’m so pleased to welcome Shona Husk back to Book’d Out today. Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren’t afraid to get hurt while falling in love. With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing and Sourcebooks.

Earlier today I post my review of For The Love of a Goblin Warrior , Shona’s newest release and the third in the Shadowlands series following on from The Goblin King and Kiss of a Goblin Prince.  This paranormal romance series features three Celtic heroes who were cursed by a druid into the Shadowlands and were forced to live a half existence for nearly 2000 years. Roan – of the Goblin King, Dai – the Goblin prince and finally Meryn,  – the Goblin warrior. Today Shona is talking about her top ten TV heroes and simply by recommending your own favourite hero, you can be in the running to win For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. Read on…

My Top 10 TV Heroes

I talk a lot about my books, the world building and the characters. Today I thought I’d write about some of the heroes I like to watch on TV—and not just because they are good looking.  Guys on TV can be super-hot and still bore me to tears if they are dull and predictable or the story just doesn’t grab me. In no particular order here are some of the guys I find fascinating/tough/dangerous/inspirational—in other words: hero material.

1. John Crichton (Farscape). He is a classic fish out of water after he sling shots himself into alien territory. He never gives up hope of getting home and keeps on fighting. Plus the aliens in this show are so cool.

2. Neal Caffrey (White Collar). A clever criminal, while not exactly a true hero I have to admire his cunning and dress sense. He’s always on the edge of the law even as he is helping the FBI.

3. Dean Winchester (Supernatural). He fights evil creatures, is weighed down by responsibility and the awful things he’s seen. Classic hero material.

4. Jim Shannon (Terra Nova). Okay so I saw him and went, ‘hello, dinosaurs and a cute guy this TV show is awesome’ (so of course it got canned). But a couple of episodes in it was his character that kept me watching. The way he reconnected with his family after being in prison and the way he started helping the colony.

5. The Doctor (Dr Who). He’s saved the world so many times, died and been regenerated (10 is still my favourite). He’s clever and willing to put himself on the line, and yet he carries a great wound.

6. Spartacus (Spartacus). He might have been captured and told he was a slave but he never believed it in his heart. He would do anything to get his wife back and when she died it was the beginning of the end. Any man who wants to take on the might of Rome is worthy of respect.

7. Scott (Strike Back). He’s a tricky one. On one hand he is comfortable in his own skin, he’s a bit of a smart ass, and is good at what he does. He’s also loyal to his partner Stonebridge. On the other hand he’ll sleep with any woman with a heartbeat. A bad boy waiting to be tamed, or a fun night out with no expectations of a phone call in the morning?

8. Mick St John (Moonlight). Tortured, Vampire hero. I don’t think I need to say more.

9. ?

10. ?

Okay so it was going to be ten but apparently I don’t watch enough TV. So who are your recommendations for spots nine and ten? Which heroes am I missing out on?

You can find out more at www.shonahusk.com

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1  print edition of

For the Love of a Goblin Warrior  by Shona Husk

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Answer this question in the comments section:

Who do you recommend Shona should add to her top 10 TV hero list?

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Review: For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk

Title: For the Love of a Goblin Warrior {Shadowlands #3}

Author: Shona Husk

Published: Sourcebooks January 2013

Synopsis:  Centuries ago, Meryn was thought to be utterly lost–all traces of his soul given up to the ravening goblin horde. But with the curse that enslaved him now broken, he must once again learn to walk in the realm of men. Nurse Nadine Gilbert likes working the night shift to avoid her disturbing dreams, but her mysterious new patient looks hauntingly familiar. Meryn knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance, but Nadine brings out his long-buried human side. Telling her the truth about his violent past could destroy their fragile trust. Could she ever believe in the love of a Goblin Warrior?

Status: Read on January 18, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Netgalley}

My Thoughts:

For the Love of a Goblin Warrior could be read as a stand alone as this installment mainly takes place in the modern world, with the Shadowlands only occasionally intruding, but I think the previous two novels, The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince provide some contextual depth for the story.

Once a Celtic warrior, Meryn was banished to the Shadowlands for his loyalty to his King. After being forced to witness the murder of his wife and children by the Roman legion, Meryn was unable to find the strength to resist the ‘fade’ and lost his soul to the curse, joining the goblin horde. When the curse shatters, neither Roan nor Dai considered that Meryn’s humanity would be restored until Dai hears his desperate cries and brings him back to the Fixed World. Adjusting to 21st Australia is a struggle for the warrior who is still more goblin than man, but with time and love he will rediscover his humanity, and happiness.

In For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, Husk focuses more on the individual characters of the romantic pairing, Meryn and Nadine, two damaged people who are drawn to each other. Meryn is dealing with feelings of guilt and misplaced shame while struggling to make sense of modern life. He doesn’t believe he deserves a second chance at happiness, but is touched by Nadine’s kindness and compassion.
Nadine is afraid to risk her heart, having effectively been orphaned at a young age when her father was found guilty of murdering her mother, a murder she was thought to have witnessed but repressed.
As they both begin to confront their pasts, they find they are on the same journey – they must both let go of the past in order to move forward and create a future together.

With such focus on introspective, emotional conflict there is very little action in the story, and though that is not exactly a bad thing, I did feel the lack. The pacing is a little awkward at times (for example Meryn is speaking almost perfect English within days) but I wasn’t unduly bothered as the compressed time frame made it necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed being able to read straight through this trilogy, starting with Roan’s story in The Goblin King, moving on to the Kiss of the Goblin Prince featuring Dai and finishing by following Meryn’s journey in For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, which provides closure for this appealing series. I think Husk has left herself the means to return to the series should she wish and I know I will happily return to the Shadowlands again.

Make sure you visit the guest post from Shona Husk for your chance to win For the Love of a Goblin Warrior!

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Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop!

Welcome to the  Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop!

To celebrate Australia Day on the 26th Jan and the accompanying long weekend I am giving you the chance to win a book by an Australian author!

After you have entered my giveaway, make sure you follow the linky at the bottom of this post for more chances to win!

I will be drawing TWO winners via Random.org

One winner will be drawn from those who indicate they live in Australia and one winner will be drawn from those who indicate they live outside of Australia

Entries close at midnight on Monday 28th 2013. The winners will be announced Monday February 4th.

You can choose from these titles:

{click the cover image for more details}

Sorry, Entries Closed

Then hop around the blogs of the other Australian’s celebrating with me!

1. Book’d Out	2. Confessions from Romaholics
3. Rachael Johns-Author	4. Wordsville
5. Jennifer Scoullar	6. Literary Exploration
7. Suspense in the Australian Tropics	8. Alissa Callen
9. Crossed Wires	10.Tien’s Blurb
11. Juliet Madison – Author	12. Author Wendy J Dunn
13. Cameron Toast-tales of mystery, suspense and horror	14. Alpha Reader
15. 1girl2manybooks	16. Jenny Schwartz’s Blog

17. Novels on the Run	18. Michelle Worthington
19. Write Note Reviews	20. Daystarz Books
21. The Oaken Bookcase	22.Pamela Cook- Flying Pony
23. Stitching Words	24. Kaetrin’s Musings
25. The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader	26. Exquisite Corpse
27. Booklover Book Reviews	28. Daniel I Russell – Horror Author
29. Kate Forsyth’s Blog	30. The Australian Bookshelf
31. Sara Foster	32. Wandering Sheila

33. Zombie Jungle (author DJ Daniels)	34. Read In A Single Sitting
35.pruebatten	36. Jenn McLeod
37. Lisa Walker’s Blog	38. The Eclectic Reader
39. Carpe Librium	40. Paula Montagna, Writer and Publisher
41. Terry Spring	42. Marisa Wikramanayake
43. Greta van der Rol	44. Skull and Crosstales
45. Pieces of Whimsy	46. The Ecstasy Files
47. Jill Writes	48. Kathryn’s Inbox

49. Elisabeth Storrs – Triclinium	50. Margaret Lynette Sharp
51. Joe Jeney	52. Jane Routley’s Author Page
53. A Reader’s Heaven	54. The Reading Room
55. Joan Small Poetry and Books

Sign Up – Australia Day Book Giveaway Hop

Aussie book bloggers ( & authors, booksellers & publishers)  are invited to sign up to participate in the 2013 Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop!

How it works:

Blog hops are a great way to promote your blog and connect with new and old bloggers and readers.

To celebrate Australia Day, this blog hop accepts sign ups from  Australian residents only.

Add your blog details to the sign up form

Sign ups now closed

• Schedule or a create a post that will be published at 12 noon (AESD) on January 25th 2013. You can collect entries via comments, google forms or Rafflecopter etc. Entries should close at midnight on January 28th. Winners should be announced no later than Feb 4th 2013.
• You can offer your blog visitors the chance to win a book, (ebook or print),  book gift certificate (for online or bricks & mortar store) or even a (very gently used) book from your own collection or similar. It is up to you whether you offer the giveaway to international visitors or restrict it to Australian residents.
• Any book on offer should be by an Australian author.
• Your post should link back to Book’d Out and Confessions from Romaholics so your readers can visit the other participants in the hop list. Your post should also include the blog hop image  – download or copy the image above and paste it into your post. You can also add it to your sidebar.
• You will receive a reminder to post via email on January 24th.

Last day to sign up is January 23rd 2013. Please pass the word amongst your friends and let’s make this a great Australian bookish event!

Sign Ups now closed!

1. Book’d Out	2. Confessions from Romaholics
3. Rachael Johns-Author	4. Wordsville
5. Jennifer Scoullar	6. Literary Exploration
7. Suspense in the Australian Tropics	8. Alissa Callen
9. Crossed Wires	10. Tien’s Blurb
11. Juliet Madison – Author	12. Author Wendy J Dunn
13. Cameron Toast-tales of mystery, suspense and horror	14. Alpha Reader
15. 1girl2manybooks	16. Jenny Schwartz’s Blog

17. Novels on the Run	18. Michelle Worthington
19. Write Note Reviews	20. Daystarz Books
21. The Oaken Bookcase	22. Pamela Cook- Flying Pony
23. Stitching Words	24. Kaetrin’s Musings
25. The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader	26. Exquisite Corpse
27. Booklover Book Reviews	28. Daniel I Russell – Horror Author
29. Kate Forsyth’s Blog	30. The Australian Bookshelf
31. Sara Foster	32. Wandering Sheila

33. Zombie Jungle (author DJ Daniels)	34. Read In A Single Sitting
35. pruebatten	36. Jenn McLeod
37. Lisa Walker’s Blog	38. The Eclectic Reader
39. Carpe Librium	40. Paula Montagna, Writer and Publisher
41. Terry Spring	42. Marisa Wikramanayake
43. Greta van der Rol	44. Skull and Crosstales
45. Pieces of Whimsy	46. The Ecstasy Files
47. Jill Writes	48. Kathryn’s Inbox

49. Elisabeth Storrs – Triclinium	50. Margaret Lynette Sharp
51. Joe Jeney	52. Jane Routley’s Author Page
53. A Reader’s Heaven	54. The Reading Room
55.	56.
57.	58.
59.	60.
61.	62.
63.	63.

Questions? Contact bookd.out@gmail.com

Stuff On Sunday: Personal Planner Giveaway

I used to scoff at those who found it necessary to write lists and reminders to get through their day until I had children and lost my mind trying to keep track of their everyday schedules as well as my own.  Now I write lists for everything and  unless  there is a notation on the giant family calendar or scribbled in my planner it is most likely forgotten about.  I had only just ordered the family calendar for 2013 and was browsing around for a new planner when I was contacted by Personal-Planner.com.au, a new Australian company inviting me to make myself familiar with it’s range of customisable planners and notebooks.

Offering planners in four different sizes from pocket size to A5 , you can choose the size that best suits your needs and then customise the design to your taste. You can choose a design for the front/back cover from the gallery or upload your own image. You can change the colour and text used in the planner and choose to add clever boxes that allow you the room to write notes, add to do lists and even record the weather. Friend’s and family member’s birthdays can also be added to the inlay directly from Facebook.

I’ll be using mine to help me keep Book’d Out organised through out 2013, and can’t wait for it to arrive!

Log in to Personal-Planner.com.au to design your own custom planner or notebook.

Thanks to Personal Planner, I can offer Book’d Out’s Australian readers the chance to win a planner of their choice!

HOW TO ENTER

Required

Like Personal-Planner on Facebook by clicking HERE

(Sorry – Open to Australian Residents only)

Entries Closed – Congratulations Belinda H

Entries close January 27th 2013

Winner drawn via Random.org

Good luck!