Writers at Dural Author Series

As part of the Writers at Dural author series, eleven writers will be appearing over three weeks at Dural library - on 4, 11 and 18 May from 10.30-12. Please save the dates. We'd love to see you there!

4 May: Lisa Chaplin, Isolde Martyn, Cathryn Hein and Lizzy Chandler

Book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/writers-at-dural-4th-may-panel-tickets-33517042376

11 May: TJ Hamilton, Sarah Barrie, Téa Cooper and Emily Madden

Book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/writers-at-dural-11th-may-panel-tickets-33517119607

18 May: Mary-Anne McGregor, Shannon Curtis and Penelope Janu

Book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/writers-at-dural-18th-may-panel-tickets-33517142676

You can book (just $5 to cover the cost of tea and biscuits) directly through the library website as well.

Books will be available for purchase (cash only) on the day, or the writers will be happy to sign copies of books you've already purchased!

UTS Graduation to Publication night

I had a wonderful time last week at the Graduation to Publication night at UTS. I was invited to be on the panel with novelist David Dyer, short story writer and non-fiction author Virginia Peters and Bronwyn Mehan, a publisher, and the mediator for the evening. Gabrielle Carey hosted the event, and it was wonderful to catch up with her and Debra Adelaide (I signed Debra's copy of In at the Deep End which was a career highlight!). I was lucky enough to be in both Gabrielle and Debra's classes when I did the Masters of Creative Writing at UTS, and learnt a great deal from them.

Was also great to catch up with a number of my fellow students who came along for the night, and hear all their news.

Virginia, David, Bronwyn and I. Apologies for the photo quality - we were all too busy talking, drinking champagne, and eating canapés, to take decent photos!

Australian Writer's Centre Podcast

I was delighted to be part of the Australian Writers' Centre podcast, 'So You Want to be a Writer' this week. Here is the link to No. 159!

https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-159/

I've listened to this informative podcast for years, so it was wonderful to be interviewed by Valerie for this week's episode. I talk about my writing life, getting published, and my newest manuscript.

Interview and review - Sarah Todman

The lovely Sarah Todman received an early review copy of In at the Deep End, and was kind enough to interview me after reading the book. The interview is on Sarah's blog, Say Anything Sare https://sayanythingsare.blogspot.com.au/

Sarah also posted a review of In at the Deep End on Marie Delacourt's review site. I particularly enjoyed answering her questions which were really specific to the book and the settings. Here is the link!

http://www.tarasharp.com.au/in-at-the-deep-end-by-penelope-janu/

Cover Reveal!

Here it is! The cover for In at the Deep End. I'd love to hear what you think!

And here is the back cover text:

A quick-witted, contemporary romance about losing your cool.

What woman doesn’t love a real-life hero? Harriet Scott, for one. The fiercely independent daughter of famous adventurers, she grew up travelling the world on the environmental flagship The Watch. So when Harriet’s ship sinks in Antarctica and she has to be rescued by Commander Per Amundsen, an infuriatingly capable Norwegian naval officer and living breathing action hero, her world is turned upside down.

Like their namesakes, the original Scott and Amundsen who competed to reach the South Pole first, Per and Harriet have different ways of doing things. Per thinks Harriet is an accident waiting to happen; Harriet thinks Per is a control freak. But when Harriet realises that Per is the only one who can help her fund the new ship she desperately wants, she is forced to cooperate with him.

Per refuses to assist unless Harriet allows him to teach her to swim. But there is more to Harriet’s terrible fear of water than meets the eye. Can Harriet face her fears and come to terms with the trauma and loss of her past?  And will she begin to appreciate that some risks are well worth taking—and that polar opposites can, in fact, attract?

Soon I'll be posting about some of the background to the book. Why climate change? What's so interesting about Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen? The settings and the dog!

Blogging

So….last night I dreamed I was to teach a two hour blogging course to a group of students who wanted to improve their skills in blogging.  One of my biggest fears was that I had to connect to all these blogging people doing my course via Skype (or was it a conference call?). Whatever it was I didn't know the number/ address to connect with them, so I couldn't even get to the point of bluffing my way through two hours of telling them what to do in the blogosphere. This dream is obviously linked closely to my current state of mind.

But all is well because I have signed up for a two hour course on blogging. It will be held on Wednesday evening so I will report here. Or maybe I won't have to. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating…. 

Photo for today is of Daphne (and Donald Duck). Its only relevance to blogging is that it was taken at 5am this morning (after I awoke from my dream). Daphne represents my blogging students. I am Donald Duck, the blogging teacher.

Website Activation Day!

It's been a long weekend for the Queen's Birthday, but I haven't managed to do much writing. Then again, I have made a few useful notes. As Agatha Christie said, 'The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes…' I was driving to Woolies when I had my useful thought of the day. Can't wait to record it!

Pathway for today is from the Ku Ring Gai Chase National Park...

Pathways….

Characters in literature go on a journey… and it's often a turn in the road, or the selection of a particular pathway, that determines where their stories will lead them. I'm walking across England in a few weeks time, so I thought this journey of mine might be a good way to start my blog. I'll also share my writing news - I'm waiting for my edits on In at the Deep End now - and give you updates on how some of my writing friends are progressing on their own roads to publication. Many are already published, so I'll be able to share their exciting new book news too.

A Blue Mountains pathway...