There's a Hint of Spring in the Air

Margareta-Admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 06:54:06 +0000

Margareta-Admin Thu, 11/08/2016 - 4:54 pm

With pressing family and farm commitments, I’ve had to take a hiatus from the book world to concentrate on my loved ones. I’ve also had to reassess all my commitments – writing, family & farm – and thus my new book LAKE HILL is now slated for a 2017 Mother’s Day release rather than Christmas. I wanted to make this the very best novel I could, for your ultimate reading enjoyment, and needed more time to craft this wonderful story that I so want to share with you.

It’s been a time of many highs and lows, but we are now seeing glimpses of the sun over the crest of the hill, and with Spring coming on there is a vibe in the air that is almost electric. It kick starts your day and makes you feel so good. Outside, my roses are budding up, I’m working on getting my vegie garden ready to plant, the catttle are still chewing us out of hay and the drive/walk to the morning bus stop isn’t so darned icy! Inside, work on my novel - and ideas on another story which showed up on my head last week when I least expected it - are finally progressing.

Every family has wintery times, and I truly think it’s a period of challenge to make us revaluate what and who really counts. It’s also a time to provide and receive love and support from those around us who really care. Here on our hilly farm, we are so lucky to have a core group of fabulous family and friends who are always there when we need them. I hope they know, we are there for them too.

It’s like this in the book world as well.

So where would we be without our fabulous local bookstores?

It’s here that we gather to feast on a diverse range of novels, which may or may not have been a recent release, a best seller or cover a topic that is obscure. It’s here we chat to our local bookseller and find out about books we might not necessarily have thought to read before. And it’s these local bookstores who are at the forefront of championing home-grown Australian author’s like me. Without our local bookstore, it would be difficult to access back copies of my books. Without our local bookstore, you mightn’t even know I’d written one book let alone seven …

This Saturday, along with another local Gippsland author, the fabulous Honey Brown, I will be in Traralgon between 2pm and 4pm at one of my local bookstores - the delightful Readers Emporium, (121 Franklin Street), chatting about what Australian stories mean to me. Come say hello and tell us what Australia stories mean to you.

Hope to see you there!

Meet Margareta Osborn & Honey Brown

Saturday 13th August 2pm - 4pm

Reader’s Emporium

121 Franklin Street, Traralgon

What does reading Australian content mean to us as Australians?

How would you feel if Australia lost the ability to publish its own stories - your stories?

This Saturday the 13th of August at 2pm come and share with Margareta Osborn and Honey Brown what Australian stories mean to you. Find out why Australians may be about to lose the ability to support and publish their own writers and what you can do about it.

Collect your FREE book #saveOZstories this National Bookshop Day

at Reader's Emporium

Show your support for Australian Books!

--

Reader's Emporium
121 Franklin St
Traralgon 3844
Ph: 03 5176 4620
Fx: 03 5174 8758

Christmas is Coming - Honey Brown

Margareta-Admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 02:07:58 +0000

Christmas is Coming - Honey Brown

Margareta-Admin Tue, 19/11/2013 - 1:07 pm

Crime/thriller author, Honey Brown's latest novel Dark Horse was released to rave reviews earlier in the year. Whilst this novel isn't a Christmas release, "she who is behind the website" advised me this book is really, really, really good. (siteadmin - it's better than good!)

I went on the hunt for some information about Honey, a fellow Gippslander, and stumbled across this article written in The Australian. It was incredibly inspirational and I would dearly love to actually meet Honey one day. It goes without saying, I have now bought Dark Horse to read myself! (siteadmin - you might want to leave the lights on dear Margareta - it's a scarey one :) )

She joins me now in the Christmas is Coming Series to answer some questions.

Honey Brown

REMINDER:

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Leave a comment here for your chance to get a Christmas Card direct from Honey, or maybe a free book from the giveaway pile.

My Latest Release - Dark Horse, Honey Brown

My Latest Release

Dark Horse is a psychological thriller about a woman and her horse trapped on a mountain with a dangerous stranger. Sarah can't face Christmas Day, divorce and bankruptcy have dampened her festive spirit. She chooses instead to ride her black mare, Tansy, up into the Mortimer Ranges. A storm floods Spinners Creek, trapping her and Tansy on Devil Mountain. She retreats to Hangman's Hut to wait for rescue, only to be joined by mysterious, handsome "Heath". From the beginning his story doesn't ring true...the longer they are trapped, the foggier and murkier the situation becomes.

What was the idea/the revelation/the ‘kicking off point’/the impetus for writing this particular novel?

I wanted to explore the dynamics between two people isolated and untrusting of one another, but also in a situation where they had to work together to survive. What lengths do they go to in order to hide their distrust? Do they end up growing closer? I also wanted to create a twist in the story by using the assumptions we often make about situations and characters. Not everything is always as it seems.

What is your funniest ‘real life’ Christmas story?

I don't think I'm very good at telling funny stories, and perhaps not very good at remembering funny moments. As grim as that sounds! Perhaps the funniest Christmas things, in retrospect, were those Christmas when the children were young, and the presents took over our life and our lounge room. Gift-giving in overdrive. Consumerism in all its plastic, primary-coloured glory. I remember a visitor arriving and just standing and staring at the amount of toys set up in our living area, probably thinking of how a small Lego set would have sufficed.

Best Christmas present you’ve ever received?

At the risk of sounding like The Grinch, I don't get excited about receiving presents. I tend not to remember them. I truly prefer getting nothing. Although, dark chocolate is always a winner. Probably in the same way a drinker always appreciates a bottle of quality plonk.

Worst Christmas present you’ve ever received?

Christmas presents always miss the mark. I don't mind the bad ones, because then I can exit them from my life and the house without any guilt, instead of hanging onto them with the vague idea they might be worth keeping or useful.

Best Christmas present you’ve ever bought for someone else?

The kids did seem to like all those toys...

This Christmas, who would be the best person to buy your novel for?

Someone who likes a page turner with some darker elements and touch of spice.

Honey Brown

A fellow Gippslander, Honey's books have caused quite a stir in crime / thriller reading circles. "Her behind the website" says that DARK HORSE is set in the glorious high country, with the horse of the title almost as big a character as the landscape, the weather, oh and the two humans at the centre of the story. It's dark, foreboding and twisty enough to keep you guessing. It's also beautiful and lyrical and almost made her lose her head enough and hunt out the riding boots. For a bit more about Dark Horse - there's a review at Newtown Review of Books or maybe the one at Bookd Out might tempt you.

Honey Brown

There's a Hint of Spring in the Air

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Christmas is Coming - Honey Brown

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