Wednesday, February 19, 2014

With a week to go ......

Today I popped into Penguin's Sydney office to sign copies of The Old School and Beams Falling for the two giveaways we are running on GoodReads.






Congratulations to the the winners of The Old School and good luck to those who have entered to win Beams Falling - 7 days to go!

Had some fun before signing books when I got together with Wendy James and Kathryn Fox, fellow Sisters in Crime who also have books out in the next week.









We did a joint interview and *photo shoot* for a newspaper which involved the three of us (plus one very patient photographer) posing in a fabulously seedy lane way in Surry Hills. Kind of like Charlies Angels might have looked today ... if Cameron Diaz & Co hadn't been recast in the roles. 

Not sure what the gorgeous young Japanese tourists who stopped to take photos over the photographer's shoulder are going to make of what was going on in that lane way.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

A glimpse of what is to come.

This probably sounds strange coming from a writer - after all, I make stuff up and write it down and then put it out for anyone to read. But that's the stuff I make up and I guess that's the difference between it and the stuff writers do as part of the promotion of a new book.

It's always odd (for me) to see myself, or hear myself and today has been one of those "odd" days.

I've been very fortunate to have been interviewed by Linda Morris of the Sydney Morning Herald in advance of the publication of Beams Falling. We had a very thoughtful conversation about some of the themes in the book, such as the fear that comes with being a copper, and the heavy weight of carrying a weapon.

The result is this lovely piece by Linda in today's Fairfax papers. Thank you Linda for your insightful questions. 

I also owe a great debt of thanks to Peter Rae, the photographer from Fairfax, who met me at Cabramatta and despite having a stiff, awkward, shy subject to work with took a great photo, which I was delighted to see had caught the monks from one of the local temples who'd been on their morning alms rounds.




Thanks, Peter.


Friday, February 14, 2014

Winners are grinners!

Congratulations to the ten lucky winners of my very first GoodReads Giveaway competition!

Thanks to the generosity of my publisher, Penguin, I have been able to offer ten copies of The Old School, for readers to catchup before the publication of Beams Falling. I'll be going into Penguin's Sydney offices next week to sign the winners' copies and get them in the mail.

Meanwhile, the giveaway to win copies of Beams Falling continues! Good luck to all who have entered so far.

As publication date draws nearer - 26th February - I've spruced up a little around here. The events page is now current, with four dates added and more to come. I've also put together a new page called Other Writing where I've put the details (and links) of short stories, essays and other pieces I've written.

Meanwhile, Sydney in summer remains gorgeous and I'm making the most of it.

Three visits to the Open Air Cinema at Lady Macquaries Chair is always a highlight. I mean seriously, this -

from: http://sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/news/38672/summer-the-five-best-outdoor-cinemas-in-sydney.htm

- is pretty hard to beat.

Though, as a cricket tragic, spending a day at the Sheffield Shield at the Sydney Cricket Ground






watching the mighty Speedblitz Blues being mighty is my idea of heaven. And the lack of crowds means you get to have the splendour of the heritage bar



almost all to yourself.

Sydney.
Summer.
Love it.