Marble Bar

Making a fashion statement ...

Margareta-Admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 02:19:31 +0000

Making a fashion statement ...

Margareta-Admin Wed, 03/06/2015 - 12:19 pm

Welcome to Winter!

Posh New Boots!

Brrrrrr ... oh my golly gosh, hasn't it been cold! I swear, on Monday, I couldn't feel my feet ALL DAY! This necessitated a rather radical move. A supremely radical move seeing this family is a 'Redback' workboot family. I went out and bought myself a new pair of work boots! I know ... I know ... such a sacrifice seeing, for me, boots are kinda like books and chocolate - you can never have enough. (Don't tell H I said that. He still doesn't know how many books I actually OWN thanks to a revolving mobile library system that ensures a lot of my novels are out on loan to friends :)). BUT, cold feet? Not an option. Wet feet? Not an option. Uncomfortable - "I surely hope I don't have to trudge up another hill in these bloody boots" - feet. Not an option. And soooooo ... I went and had intense discussions with the lovely Sue at The Stable Door in Sale. Found the pair of boots I have been coverting for the past FIFTEEN years have gotten better and better. SO I sucked it up, and bought a pair. And OH MY LORD, are these things like walking on clouds of soft, fluffy, waterproof bits of nothing. I am in HEAVEN I tell you. Absolute boot heaven. Thank you Ariat, once again. Your Terrain boots are like salted caramel Tim Tams and a Monica McInerney book all wrapped up in a heated, fluffy towel.

Chic!

So this morning's fashion statement is brought to you by a bag of second hand clothes from a friend (flannie shirt), Mountain Design Outlet store (puffer vest and bargin rack men's shell jacket), Murray Goulburn (Farmtech Milking vest), Ariat (jeans albeit rather worn and ripped), Fever (yummy scarf), my lovely Auntie Denise (hand knitted blue beanie) and Ariat again - my NEW BOOTS! Aren't they just the trick! Only thing is, the laces are going to drive me nuts but its a small price to pay for comfort.

So whilst many other of your favourite authors may look like they've walked off the cover of the Australian Women's Weekly, Australian Country Style or even Vogue, this author isn't one of them. Just ask the locals. Although, in saying that, I did just get some rather divine author photo's taken and thanks to my goregous stylist Ms Sandra who always makes me feel a million dollars, and a very talented and delightful photographer, Angela Landua, from Danae Images in Traralgon, they didn't turn out too bad. I'll show you next week!

New Book

I started writing a new book this week. Are you excited? I'm excited. After a while of nothing talking in my head (it was truly getting rather depressing just listening to my OWN thoughts) I've now got two books on the go which isn't good for my brain as I don't know which one's talking to me at any one time. When I get 'that book look" (as my family call it) my daughter has taken to asking me, 'Which one is it, mum?' Apparently 'the look' then turns blank. I just hope I don't get my Lake Grace's and Pilbara's mixed up.

The Packing Pile

Packing

Despite spending last week thinking I was dying of the flu which necessitated a few days in bed (I know! It was that bad!), we are getting organised to leave for the Pilbara. The LandCruiser could be forgiven for thinking it's having a birthday what with new tyres, mechanical repairs and things that were falling off all secured back on. The heavy duty trailer has also got in on the act with new bearings and such. A dog box is now made and ready for the kelpie complete with roll up blinds should he get a bit hot. All very flash and fancy.

My floor is starting to disappear as I make piles of stuff on the 'must go' list. I'm getting to that point where I'm looking at it all and starting to subtract items (the "it really doesn't HAVE to go pile") because I know from past experience, it just won't fit. And it's actually quite amazing just what little 'stuff' you really need in order to live. That said, H and I have bought new sleeping bags for our swags as the old ones really were on their last legs. Busted zippers, rips and tears - I'm afraid the last trip across the Simpson Desert on the roofrack, finally did them in. My new sleeping bag is pink, which has the Princess throwing it all sorts of looks and I'm guessing if it goes missing, I'll find it in HER swag!

In cooking this week ...

You have to go to http://lilluna.com/creamy-swiss-chicken-bake/ and make this! Oh my, what a simple and absolutely delicious recipe ( and superb for this long weekend). Preparation takes about 5-10 minutes and then whack it in the oven to let the heat do the rest. Perfect if you need to go back outside to feed the animals in the evening - it cooks while you're getting everything else fed and settled for the night. The best kind of recipe, I think.

What I'm reading ...

I have just finished Robert Schofield's MARBLE BAR, a very enjoyable read, with lots of action and all set in the Pilbara where we are heading. Very timely. I'm half-way through a new book by Milly Johnson called THE TEASHOP ON THE CORNER. It's a very light read so while I was sick, just the book I needed as I couldn't concentrate on what I was saying let alone what I was reading!

I also have a treat in store for myself that I've been keeping for our trip across Australia. Tony Parson's latest book, RETURN TO MOONDILLA, came out a little while ago and it's been sitting on my bedside table waiting for a 'holiday' where I can just sit and read (a week across Australia should account for that). Touted by Tony's publisher (Allen & Unwin) as the Father of Australian rural fiction, I would have to whole-heartedly agree. I have always revered Tony after a) reading his CALL OF THE HIGH COUNTRY fiction series which was my second introduction (after Di Morrissey's 'Heart of the Dreaming') to the then embryonic genre and because b) he is a renown working dog breeder and trainer who established one of the top kelpie studs in Australia, 'Karrawarra'. In fact, he was awarded an OAM for his contribution to the propagation of the Australian kelpie. Now in his 80's Tony is still writing, and this is another action packed novel set in rural Australia that will appeal to fans of crime and romance.

The blurb:

Return to Moondilla tells the story of a former journalist, Greg Baxter, who's recently returned to the area he grew up in (Moondilla, inspired by the NSW South Coast) to finish what he hopes will be a best selling novel. Far from being able to concentrate on his novel, however, the successful , handsome writer and martial arts expert is subjected to the attention of some attractive women, including the feisty doctor he once had a crush on. He also finds himself drawn into a police investigation of a lcoal drug-dealing syndicate; After an attempt on his life, and with his trusty German Shepherd, Chief, at his side, Baxter realises his days will be numbered unless he can help the police break the drug ring open...

I spoke with Tony after the release of his new book and here's what we chatted about ...

What was the inspiration for this book:

The pointlessness of drugs and of one man's stand against their use. I had some experience with martial arts a long time ago and used this as a kind of spearpoint for the story. After all their heroics and the development of a virgin country I hate to see Australians involved in drugs. I've said this fairly forcefully in the Prologue of Moondilla.

How it's the same/different to his CALL OF THE HIGH COUNTRY series (which I ADORED by the way)?

Moondilla is quite different to the High Country books. I left Penguin because they wanted to 'box' me in to rural type books and I didn't want to be boxed in. I'd written thousands of articles and transcribed complex material to simpler language when I was with the ag/vet companies (plus written radio/TV commercials) so I was confident I could extend the scope of my writing. 'Back to the Pilliga' was a breakaway novel to a certain extent and 'Return to Moondilla' is a further departure where the bush is replaced by a river and coastal town plus, of course, the drugs. The manuscript of the next novel is with A & U and it's quite different again.

Is the move towards a suspense story something you've always longed to do?

I wouldn't say the move ... is something I've always wanted to do. I regard myself as a storyteller and I think it's important to stretch oneself into new fields. Having said that I've got enormous admiration for Agatha Christie and her crime novels. I would very much like to be able to write something as good as hers. My children's book 'The Bird Smugglers of Mountain View' is another rural suspense story. It's in most of the schools up here and John Williamson likes it a lot and says it should be in every school. He's a bird lover too.

The Lad and his "Boy"

Purely personal, do you still have a keen interest in working dogs? And why the kelpie, not the border collie?

I don't breed Kelpies now. I had 70 years with Kelpies and I think I've done enough in that field. I wrote four books on the Kelpie , The last is a 700 page book which is regarded as the best book on the breed ever written. It's $150 in the shops but it has sold well around the world. Nearly every good working Kelpie has my Karrawarra blood in it.

Why the Kelpie?

It's (with the Cattle dog) Australia's national dog. It has had a greater influence generally than Border Collies even though BCs do better in trial work.

What's next for Tony Parsons?

I would have to be excessively optimistic to look too far ahead regards future books. I'm 84 and I'm assured not many people my age are still writing novels. There's the manuscript at A & U and it's set in the Glasshouse Mountains. It's quite different but I like it a lot. It refers to the demise of the Kabi people with the onset of white civilisation. I wrote some songs for this story one of which was in collaboration with one of my lovely granddaughters. Beyond that is the biggest novel I've written which I am in the process of rewriting. It's the story of the search for a Nazi war criminal. I did a tremendous amount of research for this book and I hope I live to see it published. There's others in first draft but whether I ever get to them or would want to by then, I couldn't say. I don't have my old energy and the body isn't what it was.

Thanks Tony, and good luck with your new book!

In other rural book news ...

Helene Young is touring the east coast with her new novel, NORTHERN HEAT which is on bookshelves now.

Jenn J. McLeod (SEASON OF SHADOW & LIGHT), Tricia Stringer (HEART OF THE COUNTRY) and Karen Davis crime writer - DEADLY OBSESSION) have also been wandering around NSW for 12 days in a bus with BETTER READING, promoting their new books and having one heck of a good time.

Arriving in June is also my friend, Pamela Cook's newest rural novel, CLOSE TO HOME.

These great books just keep on coming ...

Until next week, I'll keep packing and you guys keep reading and stay warm.

Margareta x

Great books for Father's Day ...

Margareta-Admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 04:28:55 +0000

Great books for Father's Day ...

Margareta-Admin Wed, 03/09/2014 - 2:28 pm

Every now and then I get sent books to review for publishers. Today's two great reads have come courtesy of Allen & Unwin and just in time for Father's Day. Read to the bottom and you could win a copy of each great book!

BACK OF BEYOND - FREDA MARNIE NICHOLLS

The Back of Beyond, Freda Marnie Nicholls

BACK OF BEYOND is a pearler of a novel from the delightful Freda Marnie Nicholls. I first came across Freda's work when she collaborated with sister, Zelie Bullen, a renown animal trainer (think War Horse, Charlotte's Web & Racing Stripes) on Zelie's autobiography, LOVE, SWEAT & TEARS (2013). Autobiography's usually aren't my favourite reading matter due to their often dry tone. They just don't hold my interest for very long. This is not the case with Freda's books. The prose is down-to-earth, honest and almost lyrical in parts. The subjects of her attention have led intriguing and fascinating lives. They are the people you would meet down the street, or at a BBQ and have no idea of their backstory unless someone else told you.

In BACK OF BEYOND Freda authentically captures the voice of former sheep shearer, dingo trapper and horse breaker, Hugh Tindall, as he reminisces on his extraordinary life in outback Queensland. I was hooked from page one as I felt Hugh was in my head, telling me about his life on the land in an era where times were tough and living was hard. Respect and admiration for his wife, fellow workers and the outback itself, shines through this novel as Hugh recounts his life in a dry and laconic manner.

From a poor man's selection on the Diamantina in 1928, to owning six large stations with his family. From shearing his first 100 sheep a day at the age of sixteen, to organising sheds in the long running 1956 shearer's strike, Hugh gives a an honest account of life in isolated outback Queensland where the tough survived or died.

I tip my hat to Freda Marnie Nicholls for the manner in which she has crafted this story, allowing the distinctive voice of Hugh to become the "voice of the novel", something some autobiographical novels fail to do. It is also a novel which is very easy to read and not a hard slog. Full credit also goes to Hugh, for having the courage to share his story with us. So often we don't write this kind of literary gold down and thus, rich tales of a bygone era are lost in the dust motes of the past.

Out of all the books hitting the shelves in time for Father's Day, BACK OF BEYOND is the one I will be buying MY father, as I know he will love this easy-reading recount of Hugh Tindall and his extraordinary life.

MARBLE BAR - ROBERT SCHOFIELD

Marble Bar, Robert Schofield

We were behind the eight ball when it came to MARBLE BAR by Robert Schofield. Neither my husband nor I had read his earlier book HEIST which introduced the larger-than-life character of Gareth Ford. HEIST, from all accounts, was a ripper of a yarn and as I gave this particular book to my man to read purely with Father's Day in mind, I think that did affect, in parts, his overall enjoyment of the story. Backstory often adds another layer to the pleasure of a subsequent book.

Nevertheless he came back to me with a positive response to this more traditional crime-y action type novel. Said the storyline was realistic and made even more so by the setting, the extremely hot, dry and dusty Marble Bar, in W.A.'s Pilbara. Population 200. 'It's a wild west meets Lee Child kind of book ...' he said. 'And it's very Australian.' I think that Aussie tone of novel is depicted beautifully by the opening line.

'Let me ask you something, alright? You ever see a snake eat a kangaroo?'

(My webmistress is a "bit of a crime fiction fan" and she's read and reviewed both books on her site.)

Robert Schofield (photo credit Ross Swanborough)

I asked Robert Schofield a few questions. Why did he decided to write Heist? What made him want to write a crime novel and what sort of research did writing both Heist and Marble Bar involve? I was also intrigued as to why he chose Marble Bar as the setting for his second book. This was what he told me ...

I am a structural engineer by training: born, raised and educated in England. I started my career working in an architectural practice, but back in 1990 I followed a girl to Australia, and not finding much call for architectural engineering in Perth I switched to the gold mining industry.

Over the last twenty years I have been travelling back and to the Goldfields, and I’ve been collecting stories. Everyone has a story to tell, and most people only need a drink inside them before they’ll tell it. Gold breeds tall tales of lost reefs, fake nuggets, robberies and swindles; a continuous history of wheeling and dealing that is as rich today as it was during the gold rush. Tales of fortunes lost and dreams crushed, filled with modern-day characters who are just as colourful as those from history.

I found it hard to believe that a town bursting with so much history, with a catalogue of such great characters and stories, had so few books written about it. There was a rich seam of stories to be mined, but it never occurred to me that I might be the one to dig into it.

The idea for HEIST came on a site visit to an abandoned gold mine in the desert, and was inspired by conversations with mine workers in the wet mess. Nobody who works in the gold industry will admit it, but they all harbour secret fantasies about robbing the place. That’s the power that gold has over men. They lie awake at night trying to conjure elaborate hypothetical schemes for stealing gold. It’s only ever just that, wishful thinking, but if they get drunk enough they might share their ideas. A gold robbery seemed the ideal vehicle to tie together all the stories I had gathered in Kalgoorlie.

MARBLE BAR is the sequel, following my characters north into the Pilbara. I’d been on a trip to the town several years ago to work on a mine nearby, and had spent an afternoon drinking in the Ironclad Hotel. Marble Bar’s claim to fame is that it is the hottest town in Australia. They have a sign there that tells you this, with a digital read-out that displays the current temperature. It takes a special kind of person to live there. You need to be mad as a cut snake. I suggested to my agent that it seemed like the perfect setting for a book.

My agent replied that he had another writer on his books, a gold prospector who had lived many years in and around Marble Bar. As a writer I am very attuned to synchronicity, and I wasn’t going to ignore such kismet. That introduction lead to several others, and I spent some time up in Marble bar, staying at the Ironclad, travelling the country and listening to its stories.

Marble Bar was founded during the gold rush at the end of the nineteenth century, but at the beginning of the twenty-first century it finds itself surrounded by the iron ore boom; but it has barely touched the town. It made me think about who should benefit from the mineral wealth lying under Australia: should it be the multinational mining companies, the Chinese steel mills, the super-rich entrepreneurs, the men and women sweating in the mines, the taxpayer, the general public, or the traditional owners?

Both BACK OF BEYOND and MARBLE BAR are published by Allen & Unwin and are currently available at all good bookstores and online.

I have a review copy of each of these novels to give away. Comment below or on my Facebook page and go in the draw to win!

Marble Bar

Making a fashion statement ...

New Book

Packing

In cooking this week ...

What I'm reading ...

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Great books for Father's Day ...

BACK OF BEYOND - FREDA MARNIE NICHOLLS

MARBLE BAR - ROBERT SCHOFIELD

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