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South Africa in 1960 is the setting of this coming-of-age tale written by South African born but now Australian citizen Russell Eldridge. Tom lives in a quiet street with his family, which includes his dad, a controversial and outspoken newspaper editor. When Tom overhears a conversation between his father and another man, plotting to assassinate the prime minister, he begins to question everything he knows about his father, and with the help of his childhood friend Millie, and her father, the peace loving Sol, he begins to ask questions about the scary world of South African politics--where everyone has a secret and an agenda--that is unfolding in front of him. More of a backdrop for showcasing a shocking time in South African politics--where people were separated based upon their ethnic background (or even their perceived ethnic background,) than a story of a young boy, Harry Mac is entertaining and frightening in equal parts. The author does well in showing that there may be...

Welcome to another great Wednesday author interview. This week I am lucky enough to be chatting to South Australian author, Dianne Maguire ... Tell me a bit about yourself My name is Dianne Maguire and I write contemporary fiction inspired the strength and resilience of the children I have met over more than twenty years as a social worker in child welfare and protection. My husband and I are parents to an adult son who works as a criminal lawyer. Since he left home a few years ago, we have dealt with empty nest syndrome through humanising our dogs, Millie and Sophie whose status in our household is akin to that of particularly gifted children –which indeed they are –gifted I mean. Although I live in South Australia’s capital city we have a small fibro on the Fleurieu Peninsula –our own slice of paradise –where I do most of my writing. Tell us about your most recently published book ‘What Matters Most,’ released by HarperCollins on eBook in April 2015, is...

Lead the third novel in Brisbane author Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series is a smoking hot roller coaster ride filled with sexy rock stars and one very sassy heroine. Lena has been hired by the band to perform a difficult task--to keep an eye on Jimmy, the baddest of all of the Stage Dive boys. Fortunately Lena is no fool and not about to take any shit from the rude and emotionally distant Jimmy. But when Lena realises that she might just be falling in love with Jimmy, things begin to change ... While Lead lacks some of the humour that made Play such a hit with me, it was still a sexy and enjoyable escapist romp. The sexual tension was sizzling and at times I wanted to bang Jimmy and Lena's heads together and force them to kiss, so kudos to author Kylie Scott for creating a romance that I felt emotionally involved in. Although they were not always perfect or likeable, it was obvious from page one that Jimmy and Lena were perfect for each other ... though they could not se...

This strange monument sits in Elder Park, just near the stairs that lead down from the Festival Theatre. I'm not quite sure what it is meant to represent ...

How much can you really trust another person? That is the question at the heart of The Hand That Feeds You , a new psychological thriller by A.J. Rich. Morgan has escaped a troubled childhood to find success in New York. She is studying psychology and she is currently researching how predators select their victims, though she seems to be surprisingly unaware of her own history of high-risk behaviours which have landed her in some dangerous situations in the past. Recently, she has started adopting dogs from the local animal shelter and has become engaged to Bennett, a mysterious charismatic man whom she met online. When Morgan finds Bennett dead in her apartment, savaged to death by her dogs, a number of deeper mysteries begin to unravel. Who was Bennett really and why did he lie to Morgan about his past? And how many other women are out there that he has also lied to? The Hand That Feeds You takes twist after twist as Morgan slowly unravels the mystery that was Bennett and disc...

Some oddly cool, spirally bike racks sit beside a beautiful view on the foreshore at Christies Beach. These types of bicycle racks are not uncommon around the Adelaide metropolitan area, however, I felt that this one has such a great backdrop that I could not resist sharing. This photograph was taken in December 2014.

I can relate ...

Located at the back of the Festival Theatre is this great artwork.

Exciting news, Abigail Carter, the lovably offbeat heroine from my novels Being Abigail and Everybody Hates Abigail is back! Shopping and Lies is a quirky short story that takes place after the events of Being Abigail, and the best part is, it is free. You can access it from a number of retailers including Smashwords , iTunes , Barnes and Noble and Kobo , or you can read it online at the Out of Print website. 

Found this one on the web while I was looking for something a little different and offbeat, and I thought that this Doctor Who and Garfield mash up fitted the bill nicely. 

Welcome everyone. Today I am proud to be sharing this wonderful guest post by Australian author Juliet M Sampson about why is it important for authors to practice their craft. Thank you Juliet.. Practice there is no other way By Juliet M Sampson Changing professions can be challenging not an easy decision to make, but the secret ingredient to success is the power of practice. There is no other way, plain hard work and commitment. In the case of writing you can dream of being a published author but without practice, time and effort the steps to reach your goal will never happen.  Having written and published two novels Behind the Mask and Bon Voyage! and being in the editing stages of the third Dance Demons, I wanted to share with you the importance of practicing your craft. Let’s begin the journey.  As a little girl I was told practice makes perfect. When I started learning to ride a bike I was on training wheels and needed to practice. I would ride ar...

The second Phryne Fisher novel is a rollicking, sexy yarn set against the backdrop of Melbourne in the 1920s. Private Investigator, the glamourous and very sexy Phryne Fisher has been hired to help a young man who has been falsely accused of murder. Phryne is certain of his innocence and is now using her detective skills to prove it. Meanwhile, a child has just been kidnapped for a large ransom and its up to Phryne and her friends to save the day. It has been a few years since I read the first book in this series, and I have never sat down to watch the television series based on the books, and I was a little surprised by how much of an impression the previous book made on me and how well I remembered the setting--a decadent and very romanticised version of the 1920s, the perfect vehicle for a plucky and glamourous private detective. Much like the work of P.G. Wodehouse, this is a book that is clever, witty and driven by its loveable characters and depictions of the era. It...

This is one of the many beautiful mosaics that decorate Beach Road at Christies Beach. 

As some of you may know, one of the reading challenges that I am participating in this year is the Aussie Author Challenge , which is now in its sixth year and is hosted by the brilliant site  Booklover Book Reviews . Although I was keen to participate, initially I was uncertain about how much time I would have for the challenge and decided to go for the middle level, Wallaroo. I'm thrilled to announce that although it is only July, I have already completed the requirements for Wallaroo. The books that I read and reviewed for the challenge were: Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven Stone Castles by Trish Moray Bad Behaviour by Rebecca Starford Claiming Noah by Amanda Ortlepp The Rosie Project by Graeme Simson Goulds Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan  And, because this is a challenge and there is still five and a half months to go, I have decided to up the ante and go for the next level, Kangaroo. Wish me luck!

The brutal history of European settlement in Tasmania (or Van Diemen's Land,) and the surprising true story of an artist and convict who just could not keep himself out of trouble are the subject of this modern classic by one of Australia's most beloved authors. William Buelow Gould is best remembered in Australian history for his watercolour paintings of fish. He was also a man who could not keep out of trouble, even when he was trying to better himself and it is this side of the man that Flanagan brings to life. Flanagan's Gould is a larrikin and an unreliable narrator who tells us a great yarn, while also examining some brutal truths about history, the treatment of the traditional owners of the land and, surprisingly, love. The novel is told in twelve chapters, or twelve fish, as each one is devoted to one fish or one watercolour painting. (And yes, that really is one of Gould's paintings on the front cover.) I cannot say that I loved the story as much as...

Welcome to another fantastic edition of Writers on Wednesday. This week, I am chatting with my friend Kathryn Gabrielle, who I know from the brilliant Attic Secrets group on facebook. Welcome Kathryn ... Tell me a bit about yourself … My name is Kathryn Gabrielle and I live in Allentown, PA. I am married for 33 years this coming August! I have a wonderful husband Louis and three children Louis Jr., Christine and Daniel. I am from Maine originally and graduated from Rivier College, Nashua, New Hampshire with a degree in Office Administration.  I have always loved to write. Even when I was a kid, I would send little stories about my dolls to my sister at college. I even made up a song in fourth grade about my dog and sang it to the class (I hope they were amused).  My very first story I wrote was "Crystal Dove". I wrote it in 1986 after my father died. It is very close to my heart. I work at a public library and I usually take home alot of books! I love to read too....