Kathryn's Inbox

Many, many readers will no doubt be familiar with Flowers in the Attic, the iconic gothic story by V.C. Andrews about the four Dollanganger children who were locked in their grandparents attic and slowly poisoned so that their mother could gain her inheritance. But what if Flowers in the Attic and its sequels never told the full story? That is the surprising premise of The Diaries  a spin-off/companion series to Flowers in the Attic written by prolific pulp/horror novelist Andrew Neiderman, who in addition to releasing a large number of novels under his own name, has worked as ghostwriter releasing books under the V.C. Andrews name since the author (whose real name is Cleo Virginia Andrews, and who is usually published as Virginia Andrews in Australia*,) died of cancer in 1986. Initially, Neiderman was brought in to finish off the remaining books in the Casteel series, and Garden of Shadows , a prequel to Flowers in the Attic  told from the perspective of Olivia Foxworth, the chil

Trotman's Anchor, Moseley Square This week's picture is of the distinctive anchor that sits in Glenelg's iconic Moseley Square. As well as providing some history and light shade, the anchor was apparently salvaged from the Glenelg foreshore many years ago. It's also a popular with kids who like to play on and around it.

Fun. Friendship. Drama. Free books. To celebrate the release of my latest novel, Poison Ivy , I have a couple of print copies of the book to give away to some lucky readers. For those of you who are not familiar with my book, the blurb reads: Don't get me wrong. I wanted to tell you a nice story. But the truth is, life is not like that... Ivy Brett-Masters has always been a bit of a prankster. But when an act of revenge goes wrong, fashion model Ivy finds herself in a lot of trouble. She might even go to jail. Poison Ivy is not just a story about that. This is a story about family. About friendship. About loyalty. About HIV. About sexuality. Most of all it is a story about a young woman finding the courage to accept herself. Entry is via the rafflecopter widget below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are planning on reading Inside the O'Briens then I highly recommend stocking up on tissues and that you prepare yourself for a huge emotional investment. In her latest release, award winning novelist American Lisa Genova writes a sensitive account of one man's battle with Huntington's Disease and the affect this has on both him and his family. As some people reading this review will already know, author Lisa Genova is also a neuroscientist and has previously authored the award winning Still Alice which is about a fifty-something university lecturer who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The brilliance of Genova's work lies in sharing her medical knowledge in a way that is accessible via characters who are very easy to relate to. The O'Briens could be any family that we know. They live in the Irish Catholic part of their neighbourhood, are semi-religious and some members of the family are doing better than others. Joe O'Brien is heading toward

Welcome back to Writers on Wednesday. This week I am chatting with LA based author, Jason Mosburg ... Tell me a bit about yourself …    I live in Los Angeles where I work as a screenwriter. I have optioned several feature screenplays to independent financiers, and hopefully I’ll have a film go into production this year. Having grown up in Delaware, I attended Wake Forest University before I lit out for the west coast. My top five TV shows of all time are The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, and Twin Peaks. My one vice is claw machines. On the book side, I’m represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger. Tell us about your most recently published book? Grift  follows a crew of orphaned teenage con artists living in Las Vegas. Piper, the main character, pretends to be a high-class escort to con rich tourists. Unlike her con artist friends, she must split her time between hustling and raising her younger sister Sophie. Disaster strikes when

Aussie author Lisa Joy's debut novel Yes, Chef!  offers readers an entertaining glimpse into the life of a young woman who finds herself working as a PA to an unpleasant celebrity chef. At age twenty-nine, Becca Stone is not in a great place in her life--although she is intelligent and well-educated, she has struggled with her career and relationship choices. For many young women this is a relatable scenario--feeling that by the time they are almost thirty that they have missed out the two big things that are often held up as the benchmarks of a successful adulthood. Anyway, Becca finds herself promoted from her position of taking reservations at a restaurant to being the PA of Damien, the nasty celebrity chef who owns the business, and soon after finds herself a string of wealthy suitors, and discovers that life at the top is really not so wonderful. Yes, Chef!  contains some dark themes the heroine has flaws that make her seem more human that endearing and parts of the no

I snapped this cute, inflatable cow at the front of a cafe and kiosk at Port Noarlunga a few weeks ago. Despite the thirty-seven degree heat, she seemed to be coping okay. Maybe the fine view, sea breeze and selection of drinks and ice creams were enough to keep her cool?

“Not all those who wander are lost.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkin

Ten years after the release of Never Let Me Go , Booker Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is back with The Buried Giant  a thoughtful and literary fantasy novel, set in the years just following the reign of King Arthur. A strange mist flows through the land, robbing people of their memories. One day, an older couple--Beatrice and Axl--decide to set out on a journey to visit their son who they can barely remember. During their journey they have a surprising number of adventures, meeting callous and spiteful (perhaps) boatman, a Saxon child who has been bitten by a monster and none other than Sir Gawain, who turns out to be integral to the story. But what will happen to the dragon who is causing the mist to fall over the land? And what will happen when people start to remember all the things that they have forgotten? Will their memories make them any happier? I enjoyed reading The Buried Giant  though it's prose, while beautiful, felt very slow to me in places. Ishiguro'

Sounds good to me.

The Scottish borders is the ideal backdrop for Posie Graeme-Evans sixth novel Wild Wood , which contains a beautiful blend of history and myth. The story opens in June 1981 (in the weeks just prior to Prince Charles wedding to Diana Spencer,) with Jesse Marley, a young, Australian woman who has just discovered that she is adopted and has travelled to Scotland to discover more about her birth. Meanwhile, another narrative tells of the same place in a different time in history. Bayard Dieudonne is a young man fighting for both family honour and to understand his new sister-in-law, a young mute woman who is despised by many. As Bayard's story goes deeper and deeper, we learn more about the history and a haunting local legend--which may just be brought to life right in front of Bayard's eyes.  A twist of fate, in the form of a motorcycle accident, leaves Jesse in hospital and with some strange new abilities--such as her being able to draw with her left hand people and place

Time once again for Writers on Wednesday. This week, I am chatting with Deb Drummond and Janice Teunis, cousins and co-authors of Lingering Doubts a book that goes well behind the scenes of Brisbane's arcade murder ... Tell me a bit about yourselves … DEB – Married – to Ray for 40 years – blessed with a son and a daughter and 3 beautiful grandchildren. I love moving house, have a varied work history which includes jillaroo, school bus driver, various managerial roles and owner of a real estate office. Queensland has always been my home and I now live just north of Brisbane. Before the book became my ‘life’ I owned horses and competed in dressage. JANICE - I am married – to John for 42 years -  with 5 sons, 5 daughters in law and 15 grandchildren who are all the lights of my life.  I currently live in a small country Qld town which I really enjoy, but have also lived in the USA for about 6 years which opened my parochial eyes somewhat.  Tell us a

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is a surprisingly complex young adult novel, offering readers an interesting and inventive take on sexism, social climbing and peer pressure. Frankie Landau-Banks is the youngest child in her family (known to the other family members as 'bunny-rabbit,) and is a mildly geeky girl, who suddenly becomes popular when she hits puberty, develops an attractive figure and gains the attention of an older and very popular boy at their highly competitive American boarding school. But popularity and being allowed to play with the popular kids is not nearly as fun as it might seem. As Frankie grows increasingly bored and frustrated with a boyfriend who seems unable to see her as anything other than a cute, sweet girl, she develops a cunning plan to play on everyone around her and, she hopes, to eventually gain some respect from Matthew. Much has been said about how the novel addresses sexism already, so it seems rather pointless for me t

The Glenelg Town hall greets its visitors with a little bit of (almost) life size history. 

NOWHERESVILLE, AUSTRALIA--Mrs Edith Sparkles, age 73, was arrested and charged yesterday after harassing a group of teenagers on board a public bus. "I couldn't quite believe it," the bus driver, who works for Nowheresville Transit told one of our reporters. "The run started out just like any other. My first stop was just outside the local church, where I picked up a group of teenagers who all attend the church youth group and were on an outing together. My next stop was the retirement village to pick up Edith and that's when all hell broke loose." "Mrs Sparkles has something of a reputation for criticising the behaviour of others on board the bus," a source who would rather remain anonymous told us. "Anyone who didn't purchase a ticket, who sat in the wheelchair access seat without just cause, who didn't stand up for the elderly or who put their feet up on the seats was always giving a sound telling off. We used to call her the

If you love dogs and hunky movie stars and you're in the mood for a likeable, lightweight romance then The Ex-Factor is probably for you. Kitty Hayden is a Sydney-based dog trainer who prefers the company of animals to humans. At age thirty, she has a good life--a beautiful home left to her by her mother, her dream job as a dog handler on film sets and a whole host of loveable dogs of her own. Her bratty sister Frankie is a bit less loveable, but it is clear that the sisters really do care about one another. There is also a sexy vet called Adam waiting in the wings, but is Kitty the right woman for him, or does his heart really lie somewhere a bit less predictable? Anyway, Kitty had just scored a new gig as a dog trainer on a major international production that is being shot in Sydney, which puts her in close proximity to Mitchell Pyke, a hunky Hollywood actor who has publicly vowed never to date again, after his partner, actress Vida Torres left him for his best mate, and who

Source: garfield.com I can think of a few people whom this comic and attitude might apply too ...

Welcome back to Writers on Wednesday. This week I am chatting with Adelaide's own Tarran Jones. Tarran and I have known each other for a long time now, through Collins Booksellers at Edwardstown, where Tarran works and I have been a loyal customer for some time. I was absolutely thrilled when I learned that Tarran's novel has been picked up by Satalyte Publishers. Anyway, welcome Tarran ... Tell me a bit about yourself … I am a bookseller at Collins Booksellers Edwardstown and I have been in the book industry for 14 years now. I was originally with Angus & Robertson but then they dissolved and we went indy for awhile then went with Collins Booksellers. I have a wonderful daughter and my dream has always been to write. Tell us about your most recently published book? My most recent published book is an anthology of re-mastered fairytales, myths and legends called ‘Twice Upon a Time’ I have a story called ‘All That Glitters’ in it which is a re-tel

This one is what it is.  Readers either be attracted to this trashy, pulp fiction style tale for its dark themes, sheer brutality and the love story that exists within the frames of easy-to-read, addictive prose, or they will be turned off for exactly the same reasons. This is not a book that has a lot of middle ground, and nor will be destined for a wide readership. What it may very well do, however, is become a hit within its target readership.  By now, many readers both in Australia and abroad will be familiar with Australian author Lili St. Germain for her scorching and violent self-published Gypsy Brothers serial that became a instant hit online. Cartel is the first of a prequel series (which can be read as a stand-alone,) and is being published by HarperCollins Australia. It tells the story of Mariana, a young, Columbian woman who is gifted to a motorcycle club to pay off the debts of her father. Surprisingly, love blossoms between Mariana and the brutal leader of th

Visitors to the iconic Port Noarlunga Beach (a beach that with its jetty, reefs, estuary and sand hills probably makes it one of South Australia's best secrets,) will have noticed these poles that sprang up a few years ago when the foreshore was redeveloped. I'm not 100% certain what they are supposed to represent, but they look great anyway.