tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333745722024-03-07T15:49:51.251-08:00Barbwired...Barbara Hannay's blog...Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.comBlogger756125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-77961770070938870442020-06-03T00:54:00.000-07:002020-06-04T17:37:12.437-07:00Another author in the family...<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;"><b>- THE COLT WITH NO REGRETS - </b></span>by Elliot Hannay </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There was great excitement in our household this week as the first copies of my husband's memoir arrived from Wilkinson Publishers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Welcomed
by Phillip Adams as an important Australian memoir full of insight and humour,
this is also a story about growing up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s
the personal journey of a 16-year-old boy starting work in “the golden age of
journalism” when reporters toiled with hard copy and hot metal and endured a
mixture of instruction and reprimand that would be branded today as workplace
harassment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Follow
a boy gripped with an intense fear of failure in the first weeks of his
probation, to the height of his career as a hardened and experienced newspaper
editor confronting the Ku Klux Klan, being threatened by
dangerously corrupt police, and breaking international news from the
inner sanctum of the Chinese Communist Party.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lessons
from the past in a sparkling narrative which has been endorsed across the
political spectrum. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i>The Colt (aged 16) reporting on rainfall, temperatures, tide times and baby shows. Righting wrongs and exposing injustice will have </i><i>to wait.</i><br />
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<i>The Colt (aged 38) facing the downside of righting wrongs and exposing injustice... death threats and a $3 million writ from Kings Cross underworld figure Abe Saffron.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By a strange quirk of fate, this story is arriving in the same week as the announcement that small regional newspapers, including the Bundaberg <i>News Mail</i> where Elliot first started work, are no longer going to be printed. Elliot and I are both saddened by this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These papers were important sources of connection and pride for local communities. They also gave their communities a morale boost and kept local councils on their toes. However, I'm also very proud that my husband's record of a bygone era has been published.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><b>"Let his musings remind us of what we are losing</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> before it is entirely lost."</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> Phillip Adams</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And if you'd like a taste, here's an extract...</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> “The
Colt With No Regrets”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Prologue<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 106%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 106%;"> A double brandy on a double
brandy<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Myles Harrington Carruthers stepped off a slow train from Brisbane
with no luggage and wandered into <i>The
Imperial</i> an hour before closing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wasn't anywhere near legal drinking age, but I was there when it
happened. But it was okay. I was into my
second year working at the paper next door, and I had been given the nod.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I had been taken in one day by Tommy and Mervyn and received the
nod from Mother Moore, the widow publican.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Always wear a coat and tie when you’re with us, Colt. Stand up
straight so you look older than you are, make sure you start with a dash of
sarsaparilla in the first beer and stay off the rum until you’re twenty-one…
and for God’s sake loosen that tie, pull the knot over to one side so you look
like you’re taking a well-earned break and not about to attend a bloody
funeral.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My entry to this world of men also got the nod from the
plain-clothes who never seemed to pay for their drinks. Detective Sergeant Neil
Harvey looked like a grey goshawk watching a duckling in a chook pen on the
first day I walked into the bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He looked at Mother Moore who gave him the nod, then turned to
Tommy and Mervyn and they all exchanged nods. He ignored me. I badly wanted to
give someone the nod.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By the time Myles Carruthers hit town, I thought I was a competent
nodder, but modified my modus operandi after Tommy pulled me up short. “Stop
it, Colt, you’re nodding to every poor bastard who walks through the door. You
look like a bloody parrot in a cage.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, I didn’t nod at Myles Carruthers when he stepped through <i>The Imperial’s</i> old batwing doors,
letting a chilly westerly sweep through the bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He was pale, pink and skinny and he looked crook. I was young, and
he seemed old. He had a nylon Hawaiian print shirt stuck into light brown
corduroy shorts that were soiled around the pockets. Dirty white short socks
and what looked like plastic slippers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Myles was dressed like an English remittance man in sultry
Singapore, but it was a cold Bundaberg winter’s night. Later, his fellow
drinkers would suggest that he’d consumed so much alcohol that his blood
chemistry had changed, and it acted as an effective anti-freeze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> In the four years he
was with us, I never saw him wear a jacket and can only recall the shirts
changing. The corduroy shorts, unwashed socks and plastic shoes, took on the
appearance of permanent attire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">His arrival in the pub that night became the stuff of legends in
later years. I vividly remember him ordering a double brandy on a double brandy
in a plummy, almost stuttering English accent that silenced the noisy bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">That's when I first saw his trademark pub theatre. The glass
raised high into the air for inspection against the hard-overhead lights, like
an Amsterdam diamond cutter appraising the largest stone he’d ever seen. The
other hand, with the little finger sticking up in the air, sweeping back his
long greyish- blonde hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then, just as you were preparing for the bar to erupt with
derision, Myles, with the timing of a Shakespearean actor, would put glass to
mouth and with a sudden tilt of his head backwards, drain four shots of Chateau
Tanunda brandy in a split second.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We all realised in that first hour of his first night with us,
that Myles was in the grip of the grog. He could repeat the quadruple brandy
theatre until he ran out of cash or credit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Like the worst of alcoholics, Myles had a huge capacity for drink
and it soon became obvious that beer, even Aussie beer, was but well water to
the demon inside him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He told me much later that he was greatly relieved that first
night when he saw soot- blackened cane cutters drinking beer with five-ounce
over-proof rum chasers. They were so black from working in the burnt sugarcane
that Myles first thought they must have been coal miners, but it was their
capacity to quaff strong spirit that really impressed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“A civilised society cannot be maintained by beer alone, old boy.
Spirit drinkers are a sign of civilisation. Distilling is a gift from God,
passed to us through the ancient monks. It is all about the search for purity
and essence, just like a good tabloid sub being able to condense four hundred
words of purple prose into a beautiful intro, supported by two meaningful and
informative paragraphs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, Myles was one of us, a newspaperman, and a hard copy journo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Others in town came to
describe him as a con man, a bullshit artist, a queer and a bad influence, but
I believe he was the closest I ever came to having a real English gentleman as
a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can order this book from the following stores:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Colt-No-Regrets-metal-written/dp/1925927032/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Elliot+Hannay&qid=1591169829&sr=8-1">Amazon Aust</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-colt-with-no-regrets-elliot-hannay/book/9781925927030.html?source=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIise80-3h6QIVxaiWCh3KdAsKEAYYASABEgIuTfD_BwE">Booktopia</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.qbd.com.au/the-colt-with-no-regrets/elliot-hannay/9781925927030/">QBD Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/the-colt-with-no-regrets-elliot-hannay/p/9781925927030">Angus and Robertson</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wilkinsonpublishing.com.au/book/the-colt-with-no-regrets">Wilkinson Publishing</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wilkinsonpublishing.com.au/book/the-colt-with-no-regrets">Dymocks</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-42422068376235187812020-05-15T17:22:00.002-07:002020-05-15T17:22:55.540-07:00Another Wirralong story...<br />
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Yay! The<b> Outback Brides of Wirralong</b>
are returning for another series! I loved writing Jenna's story
(released last year) and it was fab to contribute another romance to
this line.
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<b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
NANNY CALLED ALICE </span>will be released on September 3<sup>rd</sup>.</div>
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Here's the gorgeous cover.</div>
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And here's the blurb:</div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>She’s
thousands of miles from home and intent on proving her
independence…</b></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">When
Alice Trembath is mugged in the stark Australian outback, she has two
choices: return to the US with an "I told you so" from her
conservative parents and join the family business, or take a job as a
nanny on a nearby cattle station. Despite being wildly unqualified,
she accepts the position. She’s a fast learner and besides, she
needs the money.</span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hotshot
businessman Tom Braydon is juggling huge responsibilities. After the
death of his brother, Tom took in his orphaned nieces and managed his
brother’s cattle station, while simultaneously running his own
thriving business in Sydney. Tom desperately needs Alice’s help,
even though she has zero experience looking after children or living
in the outback. He has plenty on his plate, he doesn't need the
distraction of a romance.</span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But
while Alice and Tom strive to ignore the chemistry sizzling between
them and focus on their separate goals, love clearly has other plans.</span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
PRE-ORDER
YOUR COPY TODAY</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
amazon -
<a href="https://amzn.to/2y7528Z">https://amzn.to/2y7528Z</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
amazon.au –
<a href="https://amzn.to/2LzvpaG">https://amzn.to/2LzvpaG</a>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
amazon.uk –
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Tc2PjV">https://amzn.to/2Tc2PjV</a>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Kobo -
<a href="https://bit.ly/2Ta0R3C">https://bit.ly/2Ta0R3C</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Apple iBooks –
<a href="https://apple.co/3bAKDa0">https://apple.co/3bAKDa0</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Barnes and Noble
– <a href="https://bit.ly/3fStxrr">https://bit.ly/3fStxrr</a>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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</div>
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And you can add
A NANNY CALLED ALICE to your Goodreads want to read list here:</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://bit.ly/2WBQ0l4">https://bit.ly/2WBQ0l4</a>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Print books will
also be available and I'll be keeping a list of those who'd like to
PM me to order a copy.
</div>
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Thanks, Barb xx</div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-38365589473745058012020-04-03T00:21:00.001-07:002020-04-03T00:21:28.807-07:00$I.99 books for all of April...Dear readers,<br />
<br />
I do hope you are well and coping with the social distancing and self isolation. I've popped by to let you know that for Australian and New Zealand readers, five of my books have been reduced to just $1.99 in digital format until the end of April.<br />
<br />
To make things easier for you, I've listed the books here with their pretty new covers along with buy links to the four major retailers involved. I hope you'll try one and if you do, happy reading.<br />
<br />
Barb xx<br />
<br />
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In the Outback... one spark can set the heart aflame!</div>
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The image of Byrne Drummond has burned in Fiona's mind ever since she first saw him in Gundawarra. A stoic, broad–shouldered cattleman stricken by the wreckage her brother had wrought...</div>
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Byrne has every reason to hate Fiona McLaren. Her reckless brother destroyed his family. But Fiona's touch is the first to stir him in years. He wants to stay away, but she draws him like a moth to a flame... who will get burned?</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Heart-Outback-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B0084ZAZ2G/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Barbara+Hannay+In+the+Heart&qid=1585895940&s=digital-text&sr=1-1">Amazon.au</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/in-the-heart-of-the-outback-3">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/in-the-heart-of-the-outback/id1332502814">iBooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=cRP2clA0ezgC&dq=Barbara+Hannay+in+the+heart+of+the+Outback&source=gbs_navlinks_s">Google</a></div>
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When Kate Brodie inherits half a rundown cattle station she doesn't expect to have a sexy cattleman boss to contend with! </div>
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Noah Carmody doesn't need a city–girl like Kate trying her pretty hand at Outback life, but he's a single dad now, and needs help restoring Radnor to its former glory.</div>
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Kate's the only person within a hundred miles who will help him, so he'll grudgingly show her the ropes... As they toil together under the Outback sun, romance should be the last thing on their minds... shouldn't it?</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Her-Cattleman-Boss-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B0076FZ2GY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Her+Cattleman+Boss&qid=1585898353&s=digital-text&sr=1-2">Amazon.au</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/her-cattleman-boss-3">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/her-cattleman-boss/id1332525233">iBooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=d9nc2GGZK_8C&dq=her+Cattleman+Boss">Google</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, times, serif; font-size: 14px;">Getting noticed by the gorgeous best man is every bridesmaid's dream. Especially if he's her old crush. Lucy McKenty knows she should be wary of Will Carruthers. All she wants is to finally settle down and have a family; and that's a far cry from this globe–trotting wanderer's life plan....</span><br />
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Caught up in the swirl of confetti and romance, Lucy finds herself in Will's arms. Discovering she's pregnant thrills her; but is Will going to stay to meet his baby?</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Bridesmaids-Baby-Steps-Marriage-Book-ebook/dp/B0096HR1IM/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=The+Bridesmaid%27s+Baby&qid=1585898279&s=digital-text&sr=1-2">Amazon.au</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-bridesmaid-s-baby-3">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/the-bridesmaids-baby/id1328369807">iBooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=3zVD7nq1sAcC&dq=The+Bridesmaid%27s+Baby&source=gbs_navlinks_s">Google</a></div>
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Whoever said a broken heart was the end of the world had never met Milla Brady! In desperate need of a distraction she sets her sights on reviving her parents' bakery. But when a tall, handsome blast from the past turns up, Milla's calm feathers are ruffled!</div>
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Ed Cavanaugh could only watch when his brother walked all over Milla's dreams – he always knew she deserved better. So, seeing her looking beautiful and content, Ed promises not to leave Bellaroo Creek until he tells Milla what he wanted to say all those years ago...</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Miracle-Bellaroo-Creek-Book-ebook/dp/B00DUNBUS0/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Barbara+Hannay+Miracle+in+bellaroo+Creek&qid=1585897884&s=digital-text&sr=1-1">Amazon.au</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/miracle-in-bellaroo-creek-2">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="http://books.apple.com/au/book/miracle-in-bellaroo-creek/id1332548202">iBooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=h_35bTJ3LD8C&dq=Miracle+in+bellaroo+Creek">Google</a></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A suitable bride?</span></em></div>
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Cattleman Fletcher Hardy welcomed a diversion like Ally Fraser during his tedious business trip in Melbourne. Until he found himself falling for her!</div>
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He'd learned that city women were unsuited to Outback life when his Parisian mother fled their cattle station. Ever since, he'd vowed <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his</em> bride had to be born and bred in the bush. So when news came that he'd become the guardian of his four–year–old godson, he returned to Wallaroo, intending to forget Ally for good.</div>
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He hadn't bargained on Ally turning up at the homestead as little Connor's nanny, determined to prove she could survive the Outback and make the perfect wife and mother!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Outback-Wife-Mother-Daddy-Boom-ebook/dp/B0096IYP8U/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Barbara+Hannay+outback+wife+and+mother&qid=1585898144&s=digital-text&sr=1-1">Amazon.au</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/outback-wife-and-mother-2">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/outback-wife-and-mother/id1328359189">iBooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=OqvImzZzwYwC&dq=Outback+Wife+and+Mother&source=gbs_navlinks_s">Google</a></div>
Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-66516175539936276552020-02-22T18:54:00.002-08:002020-05-20T00:17:18.947-07:00My 2020 release...<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My new book from Penguin Australia is <i><b>The Sister's Gift</b></i>. It's set on magical Magnetic Island and</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wrote this story through the upheaval of selling our home on the Tablelands and relocating back to Townsville. This was a busy time of mixed emotions on many levels and I found, to my surprise, that returning to my desk and to these characters was like sitting down for a cuppa and a chat with old friends, a perfect escape between those bouts of busyness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So a huge thank you to Freya, Billie and Co for staying the course with me. You're so real to me, I want to hug you. LOL.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And here's the lovely cover...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E58e4_Qu1t1zDfWAjH0n3y6nrRuDd472tKSz74NAePVvBej0QlKUQFH2dWYOMIsfapiJgZlYAWu4CF6bC6LGdQ7w1P-UTuCO36oRJQ4NOlprY5GMONNBcSazkgKceDJyR042/s1600/The+Sister%2527s+Gift+amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E58e4_Qu1t1zDfWAjH0n3y6nrRuDd472tKSz74NAePVvBej0QlKUQFH2dWYOMIsfapiJgZlYAWu4CF6bC6LGdQ7w1P-UTuCO36oRJQ4NOlprY5GMONNBcSazkgKceDJyR042/s320/The+Sister%2527s+Gift+amazon.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Here's the back cover blurb...</span></span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Two sisters, one baby and the best of intentions...</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">As a vibrant, young woman with a lifetime of possibilities ahead of her, Freya grants her sister, Pearl, the ultimate gift of motherhood. However, this comes at a hefty price – an unexpected rift in her family and the loss of the man she loves.</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Decades later, Freya is divorced, childless and homeless, at rock bottom after losing everything she's worked for. When her estranged niece, Billie, offers sanctuary, managing the family restaurant on beautiful Magnetic Island, Freya can hardly refuse.</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Billie has never understood the tension between her mother and her aunt and now, with a newly broken heart, she is nursing a family secret of her own. All three women come together under the tropical Queensland skies, but can they let go of past regrets, or will old tensions tear them further apart?</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">By the bestselling author of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Meet Me in Venice</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">, this is a moving and inspiring novel in a stunning setting about choices and consequences and the redemptive power of love.</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><b>And here are buy links if you'd like to pre-order...</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/the-sisters-gift-barbara-hannay/p/9780143794219?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp4Tq0dbm5wIVQRiPCh2Q2gpIEAQYASABEgIO8_D_BwE"><b>Angus and Robertson</b></a><br />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sisters-Gift-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B084X2GW5P/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=barbara+hannay+the+sister%27s+gift&qid=1582418715&sr=8-1">amazon</a></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><b><a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/the-sisters-gift/id1499439302">Apple iBooks</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><b><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-sister-s-gift-barbara-hannay/book/9780143794219.html">Booktopia</a></b></span></span><br />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/The_Sister_s_Gift.html?id=s_fQDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y">Google Books</a></b><br />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-sister-s-gift">Rakuten Kobo</a></b><br />
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You can add <b><i>The Sister's Gif</i></b><i>t </i>to your want-to-read list on<b> Goodreads</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51484436-the-sister-s-gift?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ac901QayjE&rank=1">here</a>.<br />
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If you prefer to order print books (and I totally get that) you can leave me a message or send a quick email and I'll add you to my mailing list.<br />
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<b>Also, while you're here, take a moment to enjoy this excerpt...</b><br />
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<b> PROLOGUE</b><br />
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On the morning Freya went into labour, she told no one. She simply walked onto the Magnetic Island ferry, found a padded seat near an open window and focused on the seagulls lined up along the jetty. While the birds dived for fish among shell-encrusted pylons, Freya took deep, steadying breaths, just as she’d practised at the antenatal classes.<br />We can do this, Butterfly.<br />Fortunately, the ferry wasn’t crowded, but it rocked as it left the island’s sheltered bay and headed across open water to Townsville. The jerky movement brought a wave of nausea, accompanied by a fiercer and longer contraction. Biting back the urge to whimper, Freya closed her eyes and breathed even more deeply as she gently massaged her enormous belly.<br />Her solo journey had never been part of the Official Plan, but more a last-minute impulse. After nine long, often trying months, the baby girl was about to arrive, and Freya had been gripped by an unexpected need to experience the momentous event on her own.<br />Selfish? Perhaps, but there were limits to her generosity.<br />Just the same, she’d never expected the labour to progress so quickly. First babies were supposed to be drawn-out affairs, weren’t they? As the island’s boulder and pine studded headlands receded, another contraction came, closer and stronger than the last.<br />The twenty-minute ferry ride seemed to take forever and when the boat finally reached the dock in Ross Creek, the young fellow in charge of tying up to the pier was tediously slow. Tourists jostled on the wharf, impatient to hurry on board for a day on an idyllic tropical island. Freya swayed unsteadily as she stood, felt dampness down below and had a flash of panic.<br />Not now. Hang on, Butterfly. Please don’t rush.<br />Praying that her waters would remain intact until she reached the hospital, Freya made her way down the ramp, moving slowly, cautiously, for the first time in her life hanging onto the railing like a little old lady. And as another contraction arrived, the decision to take a taxi to the hospital was a no-brainer. She couldn’t possibly drive the little rattletrap Honda she kept in the ferry’s car park for use on the mainland.</div>
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A mere three hours later, Freya made the necessary phone call.<br />‘Pearl, she’s here.’<br />‘What? Who’s there?’<br />‘The baby. She’s arrived.’<br />‘Oh, my God. How —?’<br />‘She’s so cute. I think she looks a lot like Troy.’<br />‘Freya!’ Pearl’s voice was frantic. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? You knew I wanted to be there. Troy’s on night shift this week. He could have come too. We both wanted to be there. You knew that.’<br />‘Sorry.’ Freya looked down at the bundle of miniature perfection in her arms, reliving the enormous sense of achievement and excitement that had overridden the pain when this little girl slipped sweetly into the world with only a minimum of assistance from the midwife. ‘It was all a bit of a rush.’<br />‘But we had everything planned. We told you so many times that we wanted to be there for the birth.’<br />Pearl’s voice was sorrowful. Accusing. Almost certainly, she was crying, but Freya refused to feel guilty. ‘She’s here safely, Pearl. That’s the main thing.’<br />‘I suppose…’ Her sister’s voice squeaked and then, sounding more like her usual bossy self, ‘Have you expressed colostrum?’<br />‘Not yet, but I will.’<br />‘It’s very important, as you know.’ Freya could imagine Pearl’s stern frown now, the earnest expression in her pale blue eyes that could make her look years older than she was. ‘Troy and I will be on the next ferry.’<br />‘Lovely.’<br />‘You won’t actually breastfeed, will you?’<br />‘No, Pearl. I’ll stick to our agreement.’<br />‘Right. Yes. Good.’ Less certainly, ‘Of course you will.’<br />‘I promise, Pearl.’ After a beat, ‘She’s yours.’<br />‘Well, yes. Of course she is.’<br />Freya let out her breath slowly. She hadn’t wanted to make trouble today. True, she hadn’t obeyed the rules they’d set out, but she was sure she’d earned this treasured window of time alone with the small creature she’d carried for so many months.<br />She looked down at the baby’s sweet pink perfection. Her skin was so soft, her tiny, tiny fingers and diminutive ears so exquisitely faultless. The baby screwed up her face and love swelled in Freya to the point of bursting.<br />‘It’s over to you now, Pearl,’ she said bravely. ‘To you and Troy.’<br />‘Thank you.’<br />There was no mistaking the relief in her sister’s voice.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Copyright Barbara Hannay 2020</div>
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Thanks,<br />
Barb xx<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-66224654036927591342019-08-16T18:22:00.002-07:002019-08-16T18:22:41.954-07:00Meet Me in Venice... all the important info...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ux1xOQq_chL5BsfQJl8Wuz9xRjRiAmMlk-cg4gbURmNWgKn2zyzEPuen1ZPCL3okubtXt2BR8LHT5F41lOyMVGfO0zstLLR7K4ApggITvKkeZGMRPhNGduz9uVlPyyCJ5yyz/s1600/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ux1xOQq_chL5BsfQJl8Wuz9xRjRiAmMlk-cg4gbURmNWgKn2zyzEPuen1ZPCL3okubtXt2BR8LHT5F41lOyMVGfO0zstLLR7K4ApggITvKkeZGMRPhNGduz9uVlPyyCJ5yyz/s1600/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Harriet Text Regular, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Meet Me in Venice</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Harriet Text Regular, serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Harriet Text Regular, serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i>Leo
. . . how could you live such an ordinary, respectable life and then
leave me with such a mystery?</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 0.43cm; margin-bottom: 0.28cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
year after her husband Leo’s death, widow Daisy invites her three
adult children to join her for a holiday in beautiful Venice. It will
be wonderful, her chicks under one roof again in their father’s
birthplace. But is it possible to recapture the past? </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Marc’s
marriage is in jeopardy, but for his mother’s sake, he convinces
his wife to keep up appearances. Anna’s trying to hide the truth
about the dismal state of her London acting career; and Ellie,
enjoying a gap year and uncertain about her future choices, wants to
avoid family pressure to conform. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite
the magic of Venice, family ties are tested to the limit, especially
when a shocking secret from Leo’s past is revealed. Now everything
they value about love, family, commitment and trust must be
re-examined. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How
can one family holiday require so much courage? Will Daisy’s
sentimental journey make or break them? </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From
multi-award-winning author Barbara Hannay comes a moving and
heartfelt family drama about difficult choices and finding happiness
in the most unexpected places. </span></span>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">What reviewers are saying...</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">What a delicious read this is from a Master writer.
(Cathleen Ross)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">a
delightfully beautiful story, with an awesome setting</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">
(Helen Sibbritt)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">..."a
novel that manages to be deeply Australian and yet full of
international colour, a story particularly relatable for women in the
second half of life who are facing unexpected new beginnings."
(blogger Danielle Carey)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Barbara
Hannay continues her reign as one of Australia’s brilliant women’s
fiction writers. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">There’s
something tremendous about a well written family melodrama that gives
you a enormous smile after finishing. (Happy Valley)</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">A Top 10 Pick in<i><b> Your Day</b></i> magazine...</span></h3>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;">Featured in <b><i>What to Read</i></b> on Apple Books:</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUTZXndq3nkpSxKYlhTrpUtGAy2fOgc4rmnAIPAWyyPf9I7S4U_AXAzr_lWCvUmuOtMfz4Wtxu6bZGRR85ZAyYf49b6rv7IV3Zzee07oJnEpUtt97sV3R5IFDbyAqNRdocr9P/s1600/Meet+Me+in+Venice+Apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="680" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUTZXndq3nkpSxKYlhTrpUtGAy2fOgc4rmnAIPAWyyPf9I7S4U_AXAzr_lWCvUmuOtMfz4Wtxu6bZGRR85ZAyYf49b6rv7IV3Zzee07oJnEpUtt97sV3R5IFDbyAqNRdocr9P/s320/Meet+Me+in+Venice+Apple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>Read an extract:</i></b></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy Benetto blurted out her big idea before it was quite ready.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">For days, the plan had circled harmlessly in the privacy of her</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">own thoughts, safe yet cheering, a useful distraction as she’d bravely,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">finally, begun to sort through Leo’s things. Such a difficult process</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">that had been, deciding what should go to Vinnies, or into a box in</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">the garage, and what needed to be binned.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Each sweater, shirt or jacket had been laden with memories.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy could picture Leo at a party, sending her a covert smile, his</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">eyes bright with secret amusement over some crass remark a slightly</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">sozzled friend had made. She saw him dressing for a night at the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">theatre, lifting his jaw, just so, as he adjusted the knot on his tie. Leo,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">coming through the front door, sunburnt but satisfied after coaching</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">their son’s soccer team.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The images of her husband, so alive and well, had been too</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">painful, and Daisy had been forced to drag her thoughts elsewhere.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Anywhere. Cautiously, she’d toyed with her bright, shiny idea,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">allowing herself to imagine how each of her children would react.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The proposal was still in its infancy, of course. Daisy hadn’t made</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">any proper plans.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">She was confident, though, that Marc in America, in Silicon</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Valley, would welcome the chance to visit his father’s birthplace.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Marc’s only problem might be taking time off from his very important</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">IT work. His wife, Bronte, wasn’t too enamoured of life in</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Palo Alto, though, so she would no doubt embrace a European</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">getaway.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy’s middle child, Anna, was bound to love the idea too,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">but she would also have to juggle time off between her acting gigs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">in London.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">At least, taking time off shouldn’t be a problem for Ellie. Daisy’s</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">youngest was pretty much at a loose end, enjoying a gap year</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">before starting uni, working in cafés at night and surfing or sleeping</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">most days.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">As for Daisy herself, after long months of feeling as if she’d</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">fallen through the cracks in life with no one to catch her, this lovely</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">new scheme helped her to feel ever so slightly more normal. In time</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">she hoped to be one of those very capable widows she admired in</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">books. Perhaps planning this holiday could be the first step. And it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">would bring her family together again.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">For a few precious weeks, the Benetto kids would be under one</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">roof, laughing, joking, teasing . . . like the old days.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Just the same, Daisy had no intention of mentioning this plan</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">when she went to lunch with her two best friends. She had tried to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">argue that turning fifty-seven wasn’t a milestone worthy of fuss, but</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">they wouldn’t listen to her protests.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Just a small lunch, Daisy. Just the three of us. You know we</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">never miss each other’s birthdays.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">This was true. Daisy, Freya and Jo had been celebrating each</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">other’s birthdays now for more than twenty years, ever since they’d</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">first met in a beachside yoga class and, of course, Daisy appreciated</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">that her friends truly cared about her happiness. In the end, the day</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">turned out to be spectacularly beautiful.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The trio dined on a sunny terrace overlooking the Noosa River</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">where, after a long, hot and gruelling summer, the first hint of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">autumn had arrived overnight, creeping into Queensland from the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">south. Despite the pleasantly warm sunshine, Daisy could sense</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">the nip of a cool change in the crisp, dry air. And when she looked</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">out at the blue and cloudless sky, at the familiar, sleepy river, dotted</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">with small boats and lined with stately, white-trunked gumtrees, she</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">felt her shoulders relax.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">She took a sip of sparkling wine and, without warning, the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">words she hadn’t planned to utter just tumbled out. ‘I’m thinking</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">about shouting my kids a trip to Italy.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Freya and Jo stared at her, clearly too surprised, or possibly even</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">too stunned, to speak.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Panic flared in Daisy’s chest. Why on earth had she spluttered</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">her crazy scheme out loud? She looked at her friends. Both, like her,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">in their late fifties, middle-class, stylishly dressed – Freya in dark</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">green with a multi-coloured scarf thrown just so, and Jo in smart,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">smoky grey, with a touch of gold at her ears and throat.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">These well-meaning, sensible women would almost certainly try</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">to talk her out of her plan, telling her it was too expensive, or too</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">soon, or even too dangerous to try to hang on to her adult children</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">after they’d flown the nest.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The problem was that even Daisy’s closest friends could not</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">really understand how lonely and scared she’d been these past</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">months. They couldn’t imagine the terror of having the future</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">she and Leo had so carefully planned – or rather, the future that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Leo had planned and Daisy had happily agreed to – suddenly</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">disappear.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Neither Freya nor Jo could be expected to know what it was like</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">to wake in the middle of the night and to reach out, expecting to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">touch a warm shoulder, or to rub your foot against your husband’s</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">ankle, and to find a cold, empty space beside you. They couldn't</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">imagine the sickening slam of anguish that came every time you</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">remembered that space would always be empty.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy had lost her husband and her dreams. She couldn’t bear to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">lose her children as well.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Marc and Anna had come home for the funeral, of course,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">but they’d been as dazed and shocked as Daisy was. And in no time</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">they’d left again, flying back to their important jobs, to their new</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">and exciting lives on the other side of the world. Meanwhile Ellie, to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy’s huge surprise, had hunkered down to study especially hard</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">for her final Year 12 exams.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The intense loneliness that followed had nearly consumed Daisy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">On a scale of one to ten, she would have put her happiness quotient</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">at sub-zero. But just lately, this new holiday plan had given her such</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">a lift, a glimmer of hope.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">That was hardly an excuse for giving voice to her half-baked</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">idea now, though, on her birthday, before it was anywhere near</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">properly planned. If she’d learned anything from her dear Leo, it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">was the importance of looking at a decision from every angle and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">carefully calculating the pros and cons before taking any kind of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">first step. Leo had always been so clever and steady and reliable.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Possibly, the only careless, unplanned act the poor man had ever</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">committed was to drop dead of a heart attack six weeks before</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">he was due to retire.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy stamped down on that gut-wrenching reminder before it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">set her crying again. The last thing she needed today was another</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">bout of tears. She’d wept so much in the past twelve months she’d</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">probably caused permanent damage to her tear ducts.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Now, here she was instead, all smiles and drinking champagne.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">And spilling the beans on this crazy scheme, when she hadn’t even</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">spoken to her accountant to make sure she could cash in those spare</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">shares of Leo’s.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">‘It’s just a crazy, silly thought,’ she hastily amended, absorbing</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">her friends’ surprised expressions and charging straight into damage</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">control. ‘I seem to be having all sorts of weird ideas lately.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Freya, however, was shaking her head, making her hairdresser enhanced</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">auburn curls bounce. ‘No, Daisy, I think it’s a fabulous</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">idea.’ After a beat, Freya added, ‘If you can afford to be so generous.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">But then, almost immediately, she gave a cheeky grin. ‘Actually,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">no, I take that back. It’s still a fabulous idea even if you can’t</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">afford it.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">‘And it’s probably just what you need,’ added Jo, although she</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">spoke more carefully. Then again, Jo was always careful, just as Leo</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">had been.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Daisy looked from one friend to the other. ‘I was sure you’d both</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">tell me I was being ridiculous.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">‘Oh, darling,’ laughed Freya. ‘Even if your scheme was totally</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">harebrained, it’s put a sparkle back in your lovely blue eyes and that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">has to be a good thing.’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">‘Oh.’ Daisy couldn’t help smiling at Freya’s warmth and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">enthusiasm, even though harebrained wasn’t exactly reassuring.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #00264e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;">Meet Me in Venice </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;">© Barbara Hannay </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;">Penguin Random House August 2019</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>And here are the buy links:</b></span></h3>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/meet-me-in-venice/id1458834768">Apple Books</a></h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Meet-Me-Venice-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B07QCBDYD3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Amazon</a></h3>
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<b><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/ebooks/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/prod9780143794240.html?source=pla&zsrc=ebook-high&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInZuek9yI5AIVlIBwCh1y_wujEAQYBCABEgLQp_D_BwE">Booktopia</a></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/meet-me-in-venice-5">Kobo</a></h3>
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<b><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Meet-Me-Venice-Barbara-Hannay/9780143794233?ref=grid-view&qid=1566004337313&sr=1-2">Book Depository</a></b></h3>
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<b><a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/p/9780143794233?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInZuek9yI5AIVlIBwCh1y_wujEAQYASABEgI1DvD_BwE">Angus & Robertson</a></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.qbd.com.au/meet-me-in-venice/barbara-hannay/9780143794233/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7KjVl96I5AIVmx0rCh11fQQdEAQYASABEgIPc_D_BwE">QBD</a></h3>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>A</b></span><b style="color: red;">lso available as an audio book: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-89909806170417895512019-07-13T16:55:00.002-07:002019-07-13T16:55:46.969-07:00My books massively reduced...FIVE of my books are currently just $3.99 at your favourite ebookstores... This is a rare chance to buy full length novels - multi-generational with dual timelines - at such a low price. I've added a few buy links to help you find your next read...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">‘It’s a pleasure to follow an author who gets better with every book’ </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Apple iBooks, ‘Best Books of the Month’ </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">‘In beautiful, fluid prose, Hannay once again puts together all the ingredients for a real page-turner’ </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Chronicle</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Graziers-Wife-Hannay-Barbara-ebook/dp/B01HW3RHRQ/ref=pd_sim_351_2/358-2531720-9175546?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01HW3RHRQ&pd_rd_r=00c95458-a5c7-11e9-89d8-69a67294f1da&pd_rd_w=BtfKp&pd_rd_wg=JEE34&pf_rd_p=f09e5598-fbdb-4712-af44-62e0022496fc&pf_rd_r=9PFCMY0FXHVHPZ1J407G&psc=1&refRID=9PFCMY0FXHVHPZ1J407G">amazon</a> <a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/the-graziers-wife/id1128636636">iTunes</a> <a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-grazier-s-wife">Kobo</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Secret-Years-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00WLSXH0O/ref=pd_sim_351_1/358-2531720-9175546?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00WLSXH0O&pd_rd_r=151cf3f0-a5c5-11e9-8bc5-010c1ce0c1a3&pd_rd_w=LI6cq&pd_rd_wg=VogIg&pf_rd_p=f09e5598-fbdb-4712-af44-62e0022496fc&pf_rd_r=GDSG8822FRE8MHM3NA03&psc=1&refRID=GDSG8822FRE8MHM3NA03">amazon</a> <a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/the-secret-years/id989075087">iTunes</a> <a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-secret-years-2">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Moonlight-Plains-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00L4T1UIM/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T2ZET5P76FQ3KQA0A73E">amazon</a> <a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/moonlight-plains/id891552818">iTunes</a> <a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/moonlight-plains">Kobo</a> </div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-6424578287976422062019-07-11T00:22:00.000-07:002019-07-17T18:58:46.566-07:00A new giveaway...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm excited about this giveaway ahead of the release of <i><b><span style="color: red;">Meet Me in Venice</span></b></i> on August 6th 2019.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeScqtYrWqCIWVltLD_dWce0IlCIFHnUXenSRo8e110aVwBAHT8edcL0k0AzGzpNcZrfp7c6LSKZs4qZs_XpjMk3AiKCPdlw4ldqLiqltR7l42Q3a1k2GeSWeEKM-Ls93GqAI/s1600/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+COVER+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeScqtYrWqCIWVltLD_dWce0IlCIFHnUXenSRo8e110aVwBAHT8edcL0k0AzGzpNcZrfp7c6LSKZs4qZs_XpjMk3AiKCPdlw4ldqLiqltR7l42Q3a1k2GeSWeEKM-Ls93GqAI/s320/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+COVER+smaller.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One lucky reader can win a bracelet made by super talented Tablelands glass artist Christina Bahrdt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This bracelet is made in the Venetian style and is just like one I describe in the novel that Daisy Benetto buys for herself on the Island of Murano. The method is known as lampwork and each bead is uniquely beautiful and handmade.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLnCJbNFJsujRnepS00H-TDuoipJevCJUcsP6ditagk4zIT9z1nAgLq672z1Aqy1xoxgnaA4PmQfQ4iDCP3AFPzKEiTwqAAraLd-5NF3rRV5ftmFmgBr66N2Bzpf63d59S3uX/s1600/Meet+me+in+Venice+bracelet+and+blue+vase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLnCJbNFJsujRnepS00H-TDuoipJevCJUcsP6ditagk4zIT9z1nAgLq672z1Aqy1xoxgnaA4PmQfQ4iDCP3AFPzKEiTwqAAraLd-5NF3rRV5ftmFmgBr66N2Bzpf63d59S3uX/s320/Meet+me+in+Venice+bracelet+and+blue+vase.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And with a clever extension, the bracelet can also be worn as a necklace.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYCFRYinSd1uhconc1pu_6629_O8Ur5XIEa1sf-PTnHstbXVD6y6BsqylGMRAPDUQm5JB_8QIPBhhqkb7W26Q4W9McF0U1TnSGWh4gji5Argw7tpEAOp1n8usrCm_zosjQB2V/s1600/Meet+Me+in+Venice+necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYCFRYinSd1uhconc1pu_6629_O8Ur5XIEa1sf-PTnHstbXVD6y6BsqylGMRAPDUQm5JB_8QIPBhhqkb7W26Q4W9McF0U1TnSGWh4gji5Argw7tpEAOp1n8usrCm_zosjQB2V/s320/Meet+Me+in+Venice+necklace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am thrilled to be offering this giveaway to readers who have pre-ordered a copy of <b><i><span style="color: red;">Meet Me in Venice</span> (e book or paperback)</i></b>. To go in the draw, you can send me a screen shot or pic, or any other pre-order verification to Barbara.Hannay@yahoo.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, my wonderful author friend <a href="https://www.annegracie.com/">Anne Gracie</a> has made these lovely bracelets and earrings for extra prizes, so more reasons to enter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIUGDIOKmo8mOIgm7hFCeYMeCf5lvGiGSvoGubVqUuarPUZlooGSCrLjw-loD3NA8JD9p_KpP74Ub5hXeagnt0gv__3wLpHJ1oDUHXjM5I5EUOhyphenhyphenrMzeoM-Adkh1vRmjU9t4R/s1600/Meet+me+in+venice+Anne+beads+and+eaarings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="637" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIUGDIOKmo8mOIgm7hFCeYMeCf5lvGiGSvoGubVqUuarPUZlooGSCrLjw-loD3NA8JD9p_KpP74Ub5hXeagnt0gv__3wLpHJ1oDUHXjM5I5EUOhyphenhyphenrMzeoM-Adkh1vRmjU9t4R/s320/Meet+me+in+venice+Anne+beads+and+eaarings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why not pre-order<b> </b>a copy of <b><i><span style="color: red;">Meet Me in Venice</span></i></b> now from your favourite book store? (Might I add that amazon has the paperback copy<i> </i>priced at just $16?) And do you know that pre-orders are one of the best things you can do to help an author as it boosts retailer confidence and helps gather momentum?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here are a few links to help you -</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/014379423X?pf_rd_p=d2928b99-df59-40aa-94f7-abc31dee51ca&pf_rd_r=2QVW0N6NZ61YMXKJFAHH"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">amazon </span></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/prod9780143794233.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Booktopia</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/meet-me-in-venice-5"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kobo</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/meet-me-in-venice/id1458834768"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">iTunes</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And good luck!!</span>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-41967944841528903422019-06-24T23:27:00.000-07:002019-06-24T23:29:16.681-07:00Meet Me in Venice<br />
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I'm really excited to be sharing the beautiful front cover and the back cover blurb, plus an excerpt from my new book <b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: red;">Meet Me in Venice </span></b>(to be released on August 6th and currently available for pre-order)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc42DBSs57r-4jvFpSNPJNet4QtBT2hebPJeZwuCrzGRgGkF-JeN6wfzzfF4TzEwGbCZCRsjFfzBuCxlqgOkN-lU1rW0HbxIIY5OWAzAK__Y8-31d_Qab6V7t6-vgBOPWn73uZ/s1600/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+COVER2%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1047" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc42DBSs57r-4jvFpSNPJNet4QtBT2hebPJeZwuCrzGRgGkF-JeN6wfzzfF4TzEwGbCZCRsjFfzBuCxlqgOkN-lU1rW0HbxIIY5OWAzAK__Y8-31d_Qab6V7t6-vgBOPWn73uZ/s320/MEET+ME+IN+VENICE+COVER2%255B1%255D.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "harriet text regular" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "harriet text regular" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "harriet text regular" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i><b>How could you live such an ordinary, respectable life </b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "harriet text regular" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i><b>and then
leave me with such a mystery?</b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">A
year after her husband Leo’s death, widow Daisy invites her three
adult children to join her for a holiday in beautiful Venice. It will
be wonderful, her chicks under one roof again in their father’s
birthplace. But is it possible to recapture the past? </span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Marc’s
marriage is in jeopardy, but for his mother’s sake, he convinces
his wife to keep up appearances. Anna’s trying to hide the truth
about the dismal state of her London acting career; and Ellie,
enjoying a gap year and uncertain about her future choices, wants to
avoid family pressure to conform. </span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Despite
the magic of Venice, family ties are tested to the limit, especially
when a shocking secret from Leo’s past is revealed. Now everything
they value about love, family, commitment and trust must be
re-examined. </span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">How
can one family holiday require so much courage? Will Daisy’s
sentimental journey make or break them? </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">From
multi-award-winning author Barbara Hannay comes a moving and
heartfelt family drama about difficult choices and finding happiness
in the most unexpected places. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Check out the excerpt...<br />
<br />
Daisy Benetto blurted out her big idea before it was quite ready.<br />
For days, the plan had circled harmlessly in the privacy of her<br />
own thoughts, safe yet cheering, a useful distraction as she’d bravely,<br />
finally, begun to sort through Leo’s things. Such a difficult process<br />
that had been, deciding what should go to Vinnies, or into a box in<br />
the garage, and what needed to be binned.<br />
Each sweater, shirt or jacket had been laden with memories.<br />
Daisy could picture Leo at a party, sending her a covert smile, his<br />
eyes bright with secret amusement over some crass remark a slightly<br />
sozzled friend had made. She saw him dressing for a night at the<br />
theatre, lifting his jaw, just so, as he adjusted the knot on his tie. Leo,<br />
coming through the front door, sunburnt but satisfied after coaching<br />
their son’s soccer team.<br />
The images of her husband, so alive and well, had been too<br />
painful, and Daisy had been forced to drag her thoughts elsewhere.<br />
Anywhere. Cautiously, she’d toyed with her bright, shiny idea,<br />
allowing herself to imagine how each of her children would react.<br />
The proposal was still in its infancy, of course. Daisy hadn’t made<br />
any proper plans.<br />
She was confident, though, that Marc in America, in Silicon<br />
Valley, would welcome the chance to visit his father’s birthplace.<br />
Marc’s only problem might be taking time off from his very important<br />
IT work. His wife, Bronte, wasn’t too enamoured of life in<br />
Palo Alto, though, so she would no doubt embrace a European<br />
getaway.<br />
Daisy’s middle child, Anna, was bound to love the idea too,<br />
but she would also have to juggle time off between her acting gigs<br />
in London.<br />
At least, taking time off shouldn’t be a problem for Ellie. Daisy’s<br />
youngest was pretty much at a loose end, enjoying a gap year<br />
before starting uni, working in cafés at night and surfing or sleeping<br />
most days.<br />
As for Daisy herself, after long months of feeling as if she’d<br />
fallen through the cracks in life with no one to catch her, this lovely<br />
new scheme helped her to feel ever so slightly more normal. In time<br />
she hoped to be one of those very capable widows she admired in<br />
books. Perhaps planning this holiday could be the first step. And it<br />
would bring her family together again.<br />
For a few precious weeks, the Benetto kids would be under one<br />
roof, laughing, joking, teasing . . . like the old days.<br />
Just the same, Daisy had no intention of mentioning this plan<br />
when she went to lunch with her two best friends. She had tried to<br />
argue that turning fifty-seven wasn’t a milestone worthy of fuss, but<br />
they wouldn’t listen to her protests.<br />
Just a small lunch, Daisy. Just the three of us. You know we<br />
never miss each other’s birthdays.<br />
This was true. Daisy, Freya and Jo had been celebrating each<br />
other’s birthdays now for more than twenty years, ever since they’d<br />
first met in a beachside yoga class and, of course, Daisy appreciated<br />
that her friends truly cared about her happiness. In the end, the day<br />
turned out to be spectacularly beautiful.<br />
The trio dined on a sunny terrace overlooking the Noosa River<br />
where, after a long, hot and gruelling summer, the first hint of<br />
autumn had arrived overnight, creeping into Queensland from the<br />
south. Despite the pleasantly warm sunshine, Daisy could sense<br />
the nip of a cool change in the crisp, dry air. And when she looked<br />
out at the blue and cloudless sky, at the familiar, sleepy river, dotted<br />
with small boats and lined with stately, white-trunked gumtrees, she<br />
felt her shoulders relax.<br />
She took a sip of sparkling wine and, without warning, the<br />
words she hadn’t planned to utter just tumbled out. ‘I’m thinking<br />
about shouting my kids a trip to Italy.’<br />
Freya and Jo stared at her, clearly too surprised, or possibly even<br />
too stunned, to speak.<br />
Panic flared in Daisy’s chest. Why on earth had she spluttered<br />
her crazy scheme out loud? She looked at her friends. Both, like her,<br />
in their late fifties, middle-class, stylishly dressed – Freya in dark<br />
green with a multi-coloured scarf thrown just so, and Jo in smart,<br />
smoky grey, with a touch of gold at her ears and throat.<br />
These well-meaning, sensible women would almost certainly try<br />
to talk her out of her plan, telling her it was too expensive, or too<br />
soon, or even too dangerous to try to hang on to her adult children<br />
after they’d flown the nest.<br />
The problem was that even Daisy’s closest friends could not<br />
really understand how lonely and scared she’d been these past<br />
months. They couldn’t imagine the terror of having the future<br />
she and Leo had so carefully planned – or rather, the future that<br />
Leo had planned and Daisy had happily agreed to – suddenly<br />
disappear.<br />
Neither Freya nor Jo could be expected to know what it was like<br />
to wake in the middle of the night and to reach out, expecting to<br />
touch a warm shoulder, or to rub your foot against your husband’s<br />
ankle, and to find a cold, empty space beside you. They couldn't<br />
imagine the sickening slam of anguish that came every time you<br />
remembered that space would always be empty.<br />
Daisy had lost her husband and her dreams. She couldn’t bear to<br />
lose her children as well.<br />
Marc and Anna had come home for the funeral, of course,<br />
but they’d been as dazed and shocked as Daisy was. And in no time<br />
they’d left again, flying back to their important jobs, to their new<br />
and exciting lives on the other side of the world. Meanwhile Ellie, to<br />
Daisy’s huge surprise, had hunkered down to study especially hard<br />
for her final Year 12 exams.<br />
The intense loneliness that followed had nearly consumed Daisy.<br />
On a scale of one to ten, she would have put her happiness quotient<br />
at sub-zero. But just lately, this new holiday plan had given her such<br />
a lift, a glimmer of hope.<br />
That was hardly an excuse for giving voice to her half-baked<br />
idea now, though, on her birthday, before it was anywhere near<br />
properly planned. If she’d learned anything from her dear Leo, it<br />
was the importance of looking at a decision from every angle and<br />
carefully calculating the pros and cons before taking any kind of<br />
first step. Leo had always been so clever and steady and reliable.<br />
Possibly, the only careless, unplanned act the poor man had ever<br />
committed was to drop dead of a heart attack six weeks before<br />
he was due to retire.<br />
Daisy stamped down on that gut-wrenching reminder before it<br />
set her crying again. The last thing she needed today was another<br />
bout of tears. She’d wept so much in the past twelve months she’d<br />
probably caused permanent damage to her tear ducts.<br />
Now, here she was instead, all smiles and drinking champagne.<br />
And spilling the beans on this crazy scheme, when she hadn’t even<br />
spoken to her accountant to make sure she could cash in those spare<br />
shares of Leo’s.<br />
‘It’s just a crazy, silly thought,’ she hastily amended, absorbing<br />
her friends’ surprised expressions and charging straight into damage<br />
control. ‘I seem to be having all sorts of weird ideas lately.’<br />
Freya, however, was shaking her head, making her hairdresser enhanced<br />
auburn curls bounce. ‘No, Daisy, I think it’s a fabulous<br />
idea.’ After a beat, Freya added, ‘If you can afford to be so generous.’<br />
But then, almost immediately, she gave a cheeky grin. ‘Actually,<br />
no, I take that back. It’s still a fabulous idea even if you can’t<br />
afford it.’<br />
‘And it’s probably just what you need,’ added Jo, although she<br />
spoke more carefully. Then again, Jo was always careful, just as Leo<br />
had been.<br />
Daisy looked from one friend to the other. ‘I was sure you’d both<br />
tell me I was being ridiculous.’<br />
‘Oh, darling,’ laughed Freya. ‘Even if your scheme was totally<br />
harebrained, it’s put a sparkle back in your lovely blue eyes and that<br />
has to be a good thing.’<br />
‘Oh.’ Daisy couldn’t help smiling at Freya’s warmth and<br />
enthusiasm, even though harebrained wasn’t exactly reassuring.<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Meet
Me in Venice </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">©
Barbara Hannay </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Penguin
Random House August 2019</span></div>
Pre Order here:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Meet-Me-Venice-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B07QCBDYD3/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=S4HE5QTT26Q24PYN91C1">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/prod9780143794233.html">Booktopia</a><br />
<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Meet-Me-Venice-Barbara-Hannay/9780143794233?ref=grid-view&qid=1561443938439&sr=1-1">Book Depository</a><br />
<a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/p/9780143794233?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzuWwrf6D4wIVgyQrCh2cywg6EAQYASABEgJ8zvD_BwE">Angus & Robertson</a><br />
<a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/meet-me-in-venice-barbara-hannay/p/9780143794233?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzuWwrf6D4wIVgyQrCh2cywg6EAQYASABEgJ8zvD_BwE">QBD</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/meet-me-in-venice-5">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="https://books.apple.com/au/book/meet-me-in-venice/id1458834768">Apple Books</a>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-56191461731254246162019-04-17T16:06:00.001-07:002019-04-17T16:10:25.452-07:00So much news...<h1 style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Greetings from the Misty Mountains...</h1>
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I have quite a bit of news to share, but first let me show you the lovely new cover from Penguin for<em><strong> Meet Me in Venice</strong></em>. Isn't it fab? I had a wonderful time telling the story of the Benetto family and taking them into the magical setting of Venice.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Meet-Me-Venice-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B07QCBDYD3/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E00SQZHQJQQ3P0TVPH7P"><img data-file-id="2470885" height="458" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/48e85ac39983b26ae5b088e46/_compresseds/12558d6c-e67d-4ac6-a0df-a1da798d23e6.jpg" style="border: 0px currentcolor; height: 458px; margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a> <br />
<br />
Their tale is already available for pre order from all the usual outlets and I'm confident this is one story of mine you won't want to miss. I'll be adding the blurb and an excerpt to my website very soon.I also have exciting <strong>giveaways</strong> lined up for the lead in to this book's release in <strong>August</strong>, including a <strong>beautiful handmade bracelet of Murano glass</strong>, so don't forget to read my future emails to find out how you can <em><strong>win!</strong></em><br />
<br />
But before <em><strong>Meet Me in Venice</strong></em> hits the book stores, I have a new rural romance about to be released. This is Jenna's story, part of the <em><strong>Outback Brides of Wirralong</strong></em>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Jenna-Outback-Brides-Wirralong-Book-ebook/dp/B07QL4P1XM/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=jenna+Barbara+Hannay&qid=1555542593&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull"><img data-file-id="2470889" height="450" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/48e85ac39983b26ae5b088e46/images/2ce4989b-97b5-4621-860a-a40db4386b66.jpg" style="border: 0px currentcolor; height: 450px; margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a><br />
This was another cover that made me smile as soon as I saw it. That sassy grin is perfect for Jenna, my smart city lawyer who gets more than she bargained for when she meets sheep farmer, Sam Twist.<br />
<br />
This story is published by Tule, a digital first company, and it will be released as an ebook on May 8th and available from all the usual outlets. Of course, you can order it now. (In fact,all these covers will take you to amazon if you click on them.) I'll also be selling <strong>signed print copies of <em>Jenna</em></strong><em>,</em> so if you'd like to order one, would you let me know? I'll be getting in a supply to post to you, my most important readers.<br />
<br />
Here's the blurb for Jenna's story.<br />
<br />
<strong>Can she keep a safe distance?</strong><strong>Jenna Matthews is a city girl, no question. Despite a childhood spent in the Outback, she's committed to her fast-paced life and the competitive world of corporate law. When her best friend asks her to be bridesmaid, Jenna finds herself in Wirralong and wildly attracted to the best man. A fling? Why not?<br /><br /> Dangerously sexy Sam Twist runs his vast family sheep property and is as keen as Jenna to keep their relationship at fling status. Then the authorities turn up on his door step and Jenna jumps in to help despite Sam’s protests.<br /><br /> She soon learns that after years of drought, there are others in the district who need her skills. Her dilemma? Spending too much time around Sam is perilous. He could rob a girl of her heart.</strong><br />
<br />
Jenna's story is Book 3 in this wonderful series. You'll probably want to collect them all.<br />
<br />
<img data-file-id="2470893" height="250" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/48e85ac39983b26ae5b088e46/images/5fb0d2c7-66bb-4a6f-95f5-9416f5d4d8ab.jpg" style="border: 0px currentcolor; height: 250px; margin: 0px; width: 443px;" width="443" /><br />
<br />
But as they say in those dreadful TV ads, wait, there's more...<br />
Tomorrow, April 16th, <em><strong>The Country Wedding</strong></em> will be back in book stores with a lovely new cover and in a slightly smaller format. So, if you missed this story in 2017, this is your chance to catch up. It's a standalone novel, but it follows <em><strong>The Grazier's Wife</strong></em> and revisits some of those characters, like Seth Drummond and Alice.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Country-Wedding-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B06Y1HVNV5/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+country+wedding+Barbara+Hannay&qid=1555542282&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull"><img data-file-id="2470897" height="346" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/48e85ac39983b26ae5b088e46/images/73a4a130-cec9-420f-bee4-988ed3197bc4.jpg" style="border: 0px currentcolor; height: 346px; margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; width: 229px;" width="229" /></a><br />
<br />
Also, in May, <em><strong>The Cattleman's Journey</strong></em> will be selling in Post offices for a special low price. This is a collection of three of my old favourites - <em><strong>The Cattleman's Special Deliver</strong></em>y, <em><strong>Princess in the Outback</strong></em> and <em><strong>The Parisian Proposition.</strong></em><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Cattlemans-Journey-Reece-Jack-Jonno-ebook/dp/B0742B486C/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+cattleman%27s+journey+Barbara+Hannay&qid=1555542461&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull"><img data-file-id="2470901" height="460" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/48e85ac39983b26ae5b088e46/images/c183bd40-a00f-4d91-83cf-cc6b415347fd.jpg" style="border: 0px currentcolor; height: 460px; margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
So, I've bombarded you somewhat, but I had to share the news of so many book events. I'll be heading off on holidays soon (ish) and plan to come back re-charged and ready to dive into my next writing adventure.</div>
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So until you hear from me again...<br />
Happy reading,<br />
Barb xx</div>
Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-52024292936408949632018-08-08T17:19:00.002-07:002018-08-08T17:19:56.090-07:00A deleted scene from The Summer of Secrets...Sometimes, when I'm finding my way into a new novel, I take a turn down a path that I later abandon. In <b><i>The Summer of Secrets</i></b>, I knew I had a heroine (Chloe Brown) with a loudly ticking biological clock and when her boyfriend tells her emphatically that he never wants children, she's left very much on her own.<br />
Originally, I thought Chloe would then embark on an IVF program as a single mother and arrive in Burralea pregnant but determined. If you read the book, you will know this isn't quite the way things work out. But I thought you might still be interested in this scene telling how things might have been. I Loved this scene when I first wrote it...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t4MJLTK4VGNXn69PgBsXfX2FNVUNfC7F_hTbxPLXjqdIUSIrtA-ZIazg-NnQn66Az-k6OvdxJMPIhMs4ECFLwVY5Pl60lcmdLG1B8VKVDrt3mozYhMrn1IiF2N1jb-JCbef3/s1600/The+Summer+of+Secrets+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t4MJLTK4VGNXn69PgBsXfX2FNVUNfC7F_hTbxPLXjqdIUSIrtA-ZIazg-NnQn66Az-k6OvdxJMPIhMs4ECFLwVY5Pl60lcmdLG1B8VKVDrt3mozYhMrn1IiF2N1jb-JCbef3/s400/The+Summer+of+Secrets+cover.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<br />
So here's what I deleted...<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When
Chloe woke, she was in a smooth white bed with a sheet tucked tightly
over her. She'd been moved to a different room in the clinic and the
handsome Indian Dr Singh had vanished. Now, a lone nurse sat at a
stainless steel bench in the corner of the room, conscientiously
reading some kind of manual. </span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Chloe
drew a deep breath. She'd been on an emotional roller-coaster over
the past six months since she and Jason had gone their separate ways,
and her highs and lows had escalated since she'd embarked on a
mission to achieve single motherhood. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> She'd
worried about having enough money for IVF, of course, but she'd
squirreled away a tidy little sum while she was living with Jason, in
the hope of one day buying their own home. And she had a good steady
job at as a journalist at <i>Girl Talk </i>magazine, with proviso for
maternity leave. So she'd decided that if she lived modestly, she and
her baby should be fine. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> The
IVF process had begun with a series of interviews and assessments and
then Chloe had been sent home with a cooler bag of medication and
instructions to inject herself daily – to stimulate her egg
production. Which had posed a major challenge as Chloe was dead
scared of needles and no longer had a partner to help her. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> This had also been her reality check, an important test of her motivation.
In the months since she and Jason had split – a very tidy process
on the surface with a great deal of stormy pain underneath –
Chloe's need for a baby of her own had become her entire focus. And
if she wanted a baby, she had no choice but to get used to doing all
manner of things without help. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> So
she'd practised by sticking needles into oranges and then, well,
she'd just got on with it. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Today
– egg retrieval day – was the vital next step. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Ever
so slightly phobic about medical procedures, especially those that
involved an entire theatre of medical staff staring at her lady
parts, Chloe had been inordinately grateful for general anaesthetic
while her ovaries were probed. As she'd gone under, her last thought
had been one of hope. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Now
it was over. Her precious eggs had been harvested and she was
supposed to check the back of her hand. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> The
lovely Dr Singh, a surprisingly young man with kindly, liquid dark
Indian eyes, had understood the huge importance of this moment and
he'd promised to write down the number of eggs on the back of Chloe's
hand. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Oh,
God</i>. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Who
would have thought that checking her hand could be as nerve-wracking
as looking up final exam results? Chloe closed her eyes and made a
quick wish for plenty of eggs. So much was riding on this. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> A
chill flashed over her skin as she slid her hand from beneath the
firmly tucked bed sheet. Just as Dr </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Singh had promised, the number
was written in blue biro.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Four</i>.
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Chloe
blinked. Only four? </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Disappointment
exploded hotly in her chest. In her face. The girls on the internet
IVF chat forum had talked of much higher numbers. Fourteen or even
twenty eggs. Certainly more than ten. Chloe couldn't remember anyone
who'd had a number as low as four. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Her
throat tightened and burned. Tears threatened. Last night she'd joked
about this moment with her friend Josie. 'Just my luck they'll
harvest thirteen eggs from me.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Not
that Chloe was actually superstitious about the number thirteen, but
last night that trivial possibility had seemed the worst that might
happen. It had never occurred to her to worry about a number as low
as four. She was fit and healthy and the women in her family all
seemed to fall pregnant with ridiculous ease. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> But
they'd been much younger than thirty-seven when they'd started their
families, she reminded herself now. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Four</i>.
She gave a shudder of deep despair and felt terribly alone. Even the
nurse had disappeared.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> She
wished she'd accepted Josie's offer to come with her to the clinic,
but she'd been naively optimistic and confident. This was only the
start of her IVF adventure and everything would be fine. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Now,
though, the journey ahead felt so much more precarious. Her four
little eggs had yet to be assessed for quality and then placed under
a high powered microscope for fertilisation with donor sperm. Chloe
had chosen to use de-identified sperm. She'd wasted seven plus years
with a man she'd deemed perfect, and now her baby's father would be
happily anonymous. No pressure. No disappointments.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Once
the embryos were fertilised, however, they would have to be tested
yet again – fingers crossed that at least one or two would be
viable – and finally, if she was lucky, perhaps <i>very </i>lucky,
a little miracle would be transferred back into her womb. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Not
for the first time, Chloe wondered if she shouldn't have been a
little more adventurous with unprotected sex.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">As
she stared at the blue number on her hand, she considered texting
Josie, the only person she'd been prepared to confide in about this
venture. She felt a bit guilty about her secrecy. She would have
liked to have told her family, but her mum was still mad at her for
breaking up with Jason. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'For
heaven's sake, Chloe, how can you break up with him after all this
time? You've left it too late to be choosy about men. Any half decent
fellow will be taken by now.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
As for Chloe's older sisters, she could never seem to find the right
moment to talk. Rachel and Lisa were always so incredibly busy
running their clever little children to an endless round of
activities. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> No
one at <i>Girl Talk</i> magazine knew about this either. Chloe hadn't
wanted to risk breathing a word about it in the office and she'd had
to fudge the truth just to wangle today's leave. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> If
her editor caught a whiff of a single mum IVF pregnancy, she would
have hassled Chloe to record the whole experience in a serialised
diary format for the magazine. Last year she'd bullied another
journalist, poor Jane Starling, into reporting her stomach stapling
ordeal, for heaven's sake. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> No,
thank you.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Chloe
might have given in to tears of self pity, but the nurse reappeared,
bustling through the doorway with a cup of tea in one hand and a
plate of sandwiches in the other. She had a round, freckled face and
short, flame coloured hair and her name badge said Hazel Bird.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'Hello
there. I'm Hazel,' she announced with a mega-bright smile. 'How are
you feeling?' </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'A
bit disappointed actually.' Chloe supposed Hazel already knew about
her dismal egg count, but she held up her hand anyway, twisting it to
show the number. 'That's not enough, is it?'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Hazel
frowned. 'How old are you?' </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Perhaps
Chloe was super-sensitive, but the question felt brutally
matter-of-fact. 'Thirty-seven.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> This
brought a non-committal shrug. 'In our program, women under
thirty-eight can have acceptable live birth rates with only three to
six eggs.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'Oh.'
So there was still a statistical chance. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'Over
six is better of course, but it's important to stay positive.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Hazel's
words were meant to be hopeful, but Chloe was sure she heard doubt in
her voice. 'Right,' she said. 'Thanks.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> 'Now,
enjoy this cuppa and the sandwiches.' Hazel was brisk again, like a
nanny jollying a sulky child. 'And then you should be right to go
home.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Home.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> These
days Chloe's home was a one bedroom flat in Glebe with a small study
nook that she planned to turn into a miniature nursery. Not that she
would dream of buying any nursery furniture until she knew there was
an actual baby on the way. She didn't want to tempt fate.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> She
was happy enough in this new place. It was only a five minute bus
ride from the <i>Girl Talk</i> office and on Saturday mornings she
could go to the flea markets and stroll past the vintage clothing
stalls, while fantasising about the interesting maternity outfits she
might buy in the months ahead. Some weekends she had coffee at the
café in Blackwattle Bay Park with its views to Anzac Bridge and she
allowed herself to dream fanciful thoughts about bringing her baby
here to this park in a pram, or later, when her little one was older,
going for walks down to the water's edge. Perhaps there'd be ducks to
feed.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Hazel
asked abruptly, 'Is someone coming to drive you home?' </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Chloe
shook her head. 'It's OK. I'll get a taxi.'</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-20364184654672764672018-06-26T18:56:00.002-07:002018-06-26T18:57:54.628-07:00Book tours and special events...It's not long now till July 30th when <b><i><span style="color: red;">The Summer of Secrets</span></i></b> will be officially released. This will also mark something of a whirlwind time for moi with a book tour in South East Queensland along with fab fellow Penguin authors,<a href="https://www.heleneyoung.com/"> Helene Young </a>and <a href="http://christine-wells.com/">Christine Wells</a>, as well as events at the <a href="http://www.cairnstropicalwritersfestival.com/">Cairns Tropical Writers Festival </a>and at <a href="http://www.indies.com.au/marywho/#sthash.PDML5cv7.dpbs">Mary Who? Bookshop</a> in Townsville.<br />
<br />
So, here are all the details below and if there's a chance you can make it to any of these, I'd LOVE to say g'day, sign and book, have a chat over a cuppa or a glass...<br />
<br />
So first, here are the details of the<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/news/1833-love-between-the-pages"> Love Between the Pages</a> book tour...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIajVXVM2S0AJZvwPlrIKtQe2_8emjTYy8oU8j6grxgc48EDBisPGN-1jL18KdD4_PeG9mO-rqXAcKFafLULINCRfL0laVQFdM2fEwpuL0815uyzOGxMneMaI8UarXAR3cCpg/s1600/LBTP_FacebookTwitter_1600x800_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIajVXVM2S0AJZvwPlrIKtQe2_8emjTYy8oU8j6grxgc48EDBisPGN-1jL18KdD4_PeG9mO-rqXAcKFafLULINCRfL0laVQFdM2fEwpuL0815uyzOGxMneMaI8UarXAR3cCpg/s400/LBTP_FacebookTwitter_1600x800_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: fort-light, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1669-love-between-the-pages-at-chermside-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Chermside Library with Dymocks Chermside, Monday 30 July, 6pm</span></a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404042; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1667-love-between-the-pages-at-indooroopilly-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff6600; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Indooroopilly Library with Dymocks Indooroopilly, Tuesday 31 July, 10.30am</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404042; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1668-love-between-the-pages-at-carindale-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff6600; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Carindale Library with Dymocks Carindale, Tuesday 31 July, 6pm</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404042; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1679-love-between-the-pages-at-victoria-point-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff6600; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Victoria Point Library with Dymocks Carindale, Wednesday 1 August, 2pm</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404042; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1680-love-between-the-pages-at-north-lakes-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff6600; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">North Lakes Library with Dymocks North Lakes, Wednesday 1 August, 6.30pm</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404042; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/events/1681-love-between-the-page-at-toowoomba-city-library" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff6600; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Toowoomba City Library with Dymocks Toowoomba, Thursday 2 August, 12pm</a></li>
</ul>
Then on August 7th, Helene and I will be holding a special event at the fabulous independent bookstore, Mary Who? in Townsville. And, of course, you are invited. Just don't forget to RSVP.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xvBV_VnqqkdX-KLUKAQv4ErvWi8zkutvvtSzisMyCWdQxDOBWtOIL47QlAfsrFdH_K5Kzg_rvbyWa5VjHpcWPkQ5ffXmBVeXnuMusClu_XCaFKnsODktjZRCyhQKCn90Ozxm/s1600/Invitation+Mary+Who.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="560" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xvBV_VnqqkdX-KLUKAQv4ErvWi8zkutvvtSzisMyCWdQxDOBWtOIL47QlAfsrFdH_K5Kzg_rvbyWa5VjHpcWPkQ5ffXmBVeXnuMusClu_XCaFKnsODktjZRCyhQKCn90Ozxm/s400/Invitation+Mary+Who.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And on August 10th, Helene and I will also be the Cairns Tropical Writers Festival with a special event at the Book Fair at 2 pm. I hope to bring you more details about that soon.Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-29212342009355599742018-06-08T15:51:00.001-07:002018-06-08T15:51:22.388-07:00Grab a bargain...<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the next few weeks, before the release of my new novel<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> <b><i>The Summer of Secrets</i></b>,</span></span> you'll find some great reductions on books from my backlist. It often bothers me that our ebooks are quite expensive, so I'm rather thrilled about this. Why not take advantage?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To make things easier for you, here are the ebooks currently reduced to <b>$3.99 </b>and the links.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Graziers-Wife-Hannay-Barbara-ebook/dp/B01HW3RHRQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1528496511&sr=8-4&keywords=Barbara+Hannay">amazon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-graziers-wife/id1128636636?mt=11">iBooks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-grazier-s-wife">Kobo</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Barbara_Hannay_The_Grazier_s_Wife?id=gFOMDAAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Secret-Years-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00WLSXH0O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1528496511&sr=8-7&keywords=Barbara+Hannay">amazon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-secret-years/id989075087?mt=11">iBooks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-secret-years-2">Kobo</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Barbara_Hannay_The_Secret_Years?id=VYN1BwAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Moonlight-Plains-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00L4T1UIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528497004&sr=8-1&keywords=Barbara+Hannay+moonlight+plains">amazon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/moonlight-plains/id891552818?mt=11">iBooks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/moonlight-plains">Kobo</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Barbara_Hannay_Moonlight_Plains?id=GIrdAwAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-88138397008353482412018-06-01T22:07:00.004-07:002018-06-01T22:21:57.344-07:00A giveawayWinter has arrived all over Australia and that seems the perfect reason to give away an advanced reading copy of <b><i>The Summer of Secrets</i></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-p3R6bxUj0hyphenhyphenFfbWL4pU3iRnfRGjLTHb1C4kKpzcEXfTo7Ilm4IBHcxzfJcHbS5680e9njJecQKt9r4U9v6yjvuWsUF0RSpZ0EebNjbKZiscNP9GSmn6TRMncBzOuMKi283DR/s1600/Tarzali+fireside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="967" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-p3R6bxUj0hyphenhyphenFfbWL4pU3iRnfRGjLTHb1C4kKpzcEXfTo7Ilm4IBHcxzfJcHbS5680e9njJecQKt9r4U9v6yjvuWsUF0RSpZ0EebNjbKZiscNP9GSmn6TRMncBzOuMKi283DR/s400/Tarzali+fireside.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
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I'm excited to be sharing this story with you. This is what my publishers had to say about it:<br />
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<b> 'Penguin Random House is thrilled to publish the latest gripping tale by bestselling author Barbara Hannay.</b><b> </b><b><i>The Summer of Secrets</i> is Barbara's most enchanting saga to date. Dealing with themes of love, loss, buried secrets and courage, Hannay captures the essence of what it means to be human in this riveting story.'</b></h3>
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To be in the draw, you can leave a comment here on the blog, or on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraHannayAuthor/">Facebook author page. </a> Good luck!!<br />
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<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-10073538813299952322018-05-22T18:31:00.003-07:002018-05-23T13:43:33.213-07:00Ready for pre-order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGKmaQU0OAXt4kOoHt6dwJYA5wUEc2ZEXCjhZC8MBh967iH9QE2e9vewXp2IqsSYl6RlRYrZ7idVa4D_gOTQUs73fGMotLkolpTq5-96pu0goJfmOjzg1NYX9oynNLEVvB2Yr/s1600/The+Summer+of+Secrets+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGKmaQU0OAXt4kOoHt6dwJYA5wUEc2ZEXCjhZC8MBh967iH9QE2e9vewXp2IqsSYl6RlRYrZ7idVa4D_gOTQUs73fGMotLkolpTq5-96pu0goJfmOjzg1NYX9oynNLEVvB2Yr/s400/The+Summer+of+Secrets+cover.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased to report that the ebook versions of <b><i>The Summer of Secrets</i></b> are now $12.99.<br />
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I've been waiting for the price to drop (from its previous point of $16.99) before providing all the links.<br />
But now, here they are:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Summer-Secrets-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B07C2PXTW7/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1527038475&sr=1-6&keywords=Barbara+Hannay">amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-summer-of-secrets/id1370232408?mt=11">iBooks</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-summer-of-secrets-7">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Barbara_Hannay_The_Summer_of_Secrets?id=yeBUDwAAQBAJ">Google Play books</a><br />
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I'm excited to be sharing this new story from Burralea with you. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book and there's one character in there who kinda stole my heart. :) Watch out for more news in the coming weeks...Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-38444175154745029392018-05-17T17:09:00.001-07:002018-05-17T17:18:34.327-07:00Starting a new book...Last week, I had a week away from my computer. Mr H and I travelled south to Noosa where we were joined by family members, including little people, which was just lovely and so important to us.<br />
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Noosa has always been an important holiday spot in my family, as my parents had their honeymoon there, many moons ago.<br />
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The honeymoon was just nine months before I was born, actually, and just getting to Noosa was quite an adventure for them, catching a train from Sydney to Brisbane and then continuing north to the very top of the Sunshine Coast. </div>
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Noosa was, of course, a very different place in those days. They stayed at the Laguna Hotel and Mum has told me there were no doors on the hotel rooms, which opened onto a verandah.</div>
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Despite this daunting prospect, the natural beauties of Noosa must have been even more stunning then than they are now and after my parents settled in Brisbane, we returned, as a family, to Noosa, or other parts of the Sunshine Coast for many happy holidays. </div>
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When Dad retired, he and Mum bought 3 weeks timeshare there and now I am the lucky owner of one of those weeks, which is why we go back regularly.</div>
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By coincidence, two of my writer mates were also on the Sunny Coast last week and we met up at the Spirit House for amazing, amazing Thai food in the most gorgeous semi-tropical garden setting. (I think Thai might be my favourite exotic cuisine) My friend Marion Lennox has taken some of my favourite photos of my husband and me and she provided us with another nice one this time, bless her.</div>
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To cap the week off, my daughter Emma, who lives in Brisbane, put on a lovely Mother's Day brunch for her mother-in-law and me. So yummy and elegant, with eggs benedict and croissants and blini with cream cheese and smoked salmon. And cake and champagne! Very special.</div>
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I felt very spoiled and came home refreshed and ready to dive into writing a new book. Unlike my last few books, which have all been set up here on the Atherton Tablelands, the characters in my new book are friends in their late fifties who live on the Sunshine Coast, so it all feels a bit strange and different at the moment, even though it's an area that I'm very familiar with. But it's good to push my boundaries and the stories involving these characters will certainly spread farther afield (quite a long way, actually). :)</div>
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Perhaps I'll tell you more as the story warms up. In the meantime, I'm getting ready for quite a busy time launching <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Summer of Secrets. </i>I'll be back here soon with extracts and deleted scenes, with the schedule of libraries I'll be visiting with Helene Young and Christine Wells, and a chance to win an early copy!</div>
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So keep an eye out for future blogs.</div>
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<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-42079643578304136802018-05-09T23:12:00.000-07:002018-05-09T23:12:03.384-07:00Love weddings? Here are two specially reduced stories for you...Wedding fever anyone? I've just been notified about two special reductions just in time to make the most of the current Royal Wedding excitement. (I must admit I can't wait to watch the wonderful spectacle.)<br />
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So to help you feel in a wedding-y mood...<br />
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<b><i>Bridesmaid Says: 'I Do'</i></b> is on sale at the reduced price of $1.99 till May 31st...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m94fOdiShcPiO1hasmP7aaG7-ZfdeOJWnr7kpVX5DpWxsP7zn2o_lq1rpFNfR48yRTm1hZitmrihvdbUSS69pn0P4qQXJj04BJLuPVHZFR25HQKkBsWkw00g4_-hDMVv99r9/s1600/Bridesmaid%252BSays%252C%252B%2527I%252BDo%2521%2527+April+1st.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="166" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m94fOdiShcPiO1hasmP7aaG7-ZfdeOJWnr7kpVX5DpWxsP7zn2o_lq1rpFNfR48yRTm1hZitmrihvdbUSS69pn0P4qQXJj04BJLuPVHZFR25HQKkBsWkw00g4_-hDMVv99r9/s400/Bridesmaid%252BSays%252C%252B%2527I%252BDo%2521%2527+April+1st.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
Here's the back cover blurb:<br />
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<b>How to be the Perfect Bridesmaid:</b></div>
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a) Smile and pretend to love your horrible dress.<br />b) Be patient as your best friend turns into Bridezilla.<br />c) Do not fall for the groom!</div>
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Thrilled to be Bella's bridesmaid, Zoe throws herself into her duties. But meeting the groom himself, stop–and–stare–sexy Kent Rigby, ruins everything...</div>
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What happens when you find the man of your dreams and he belongs to someone else?</div>
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You can find Zoe and Kent's story via these links:<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2FYK0r7">amazon</a>; <a href="http://bit.ly/2wsGYMm">Kobo</a>; <a href="http://bit.ly/2K7lZR2">Google play</a>; <a href="https://apple.co/2rvJbBt">iBooks</a><br />
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Also on sale till May 31st is <b><i>The Prince's Convenient Proposal.</i></b>..<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">To secure his country's future, reformed playboy Prince Rafael of Montaigne needs a wife. A convenient marriage seems the ideal solution…until his fiancée disappears and Rafe must ask her identical twin sister, Charlie Morisset, to become his stand–in bride–to–be.</span><br />
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Down–to–earth Charlie accepts Rafe's convenient proposal – in exchange for the funds to save her baby's sister's life. Being swept in to a crazy Royal whirlwind seems a small price to pay…until she's finds herself falling for Rafe. A prince she knows she will have to walk away from…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TvNO2T_6AeAAYvBjOsOIZn1eysMkFetZXN24CiTLIpbfjbmA9TA94W27Ds9x9urOuqfIz9gOIkxwlrcczNqyKNp8UIhQAMUwNDL095rFUkkCnw0nUTAin796SWfSCM5TyOz9/s1600/The+Prince%2527s+Convenient+Proposal+February.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TvNO2T_6AeAAYvBjOsOIZn1eysMkFetZXN24CiTLIpbfjbmA9TA94W27Ds9x9urOuqfIz9gOIkxwlrcczNqyKNp8UIhQAMUwNDL095rFUkkCnw0nUTAin796SWfSCM5TyOz9/s400/The+Prince%2527s+Convenient+Proposal+February.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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Find Charlie and Rafe's story at these links...<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2wsFP7z">amazon</a>; <a href="http://bit.ly/2o42Ztd">Kobo</a>; <a href="https://apple.co/2K7D0KR">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/2HcxLsU">Google Play</a>Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-90885451119407072532018-04-27T19:35:00.000-07:002018-04-27T19:46:07.997-07:00The more exotic research...Last week I wrote about <a href="https://wwwbarbarahannay.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/researching-my-settings.html">researching in the outback</a> for my books, but I've been lucky enough travel further afield and to incorporate some of those settings into the single title books I've written for <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/barbara-hannay/books">Penguin Australia</a>.<br />
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This became especially helpful when I began writing dual timeline novels that incorporated a historical thread from WW2 alongside a contemporary story in an Australian rural setting.<br />
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I have been fascinated by Cornwall ever since we visited there in 1998, but also through reading Rosamunde Pilcher's novels, especially <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/shell-seekers-rosamunde-pilcher/prod9780312961329.html?source=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImc7MrqTb2gIVmCQrCh1aiQ29EAYYAyABEgI2ofD_BwE"><i>The Shell Seekers</i></a>, and Daphne du Maurier's <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/rebecca-daphne-du-maurier/prod9780380778553.html"><i>Rebecca</i> </a>(both of which I read long before Poldark hit the screens and wowed us all). So I was very happy to revisit this gorgeous part of the UK.<br />
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In my book <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-secret-years-barbara-hannay/prod9780143573203.html">The Secret Years</a></i>, my heroine Lucy travels to Cornwall to find out more about her family and discovers a surprisingly aristocratic link. As we stayed in the grounds of a grand old house, I had plenty of inspiration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HZqKfyHWDcglaQf1Kie8B50uMGIzZrp-JQWeVQ1IOwYzyFnkxIbYrDx95vuoZswOhA2n2y6nCJbkWciQ6rUY-QdtQDxYd-tk-5-nIatEu4cCA72oZo5XMloaEKvzQ-eLbzVi/s1600/Cornwall+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1000" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HZqKfyHWDcglaQf1Kie8B50uMGIzZrp-JQWeVQ1IOwYzyFnkxIbYrDx95vuoZswOhA2n2y6nCJbkWciQ6rUY-QdtQDxYd-tk-5-nIatEu4cCA72oZo5XMloaEKvzQ-eLbzVi/s400/Cornwall+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Apart from the obvious beauty of the UK and Europe, I think I'm also fascinated by the huge differences between North Queensland, where I live, and these northern hemisphere "old worlds". It's not just the stately old homes and leafless trees (the whole seasonal shift that we almost skip completely here in the tropics) that enchant me, but also the very visible evidence of history.<br />
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In <i>The Secret Years, </i>a very romantic scene occurs in a boatshed very like this one here, and of course that magical Cornwall coastline gets a mention.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa1FixIwJvT5CKWHZ4VCJNK5KuzwwmDUdVQisqjbOYUVa-SEBb_AlUcKXeLFpGX2S3588Ea5ILs2z4MjGUHDhxRtjzGySLPFuGwYZERzM3Z9t7M-NQSRlGmVadp4Uenn9oxeK/s1600/Cornwall+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1000" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa1FixIwJvT5CKWHZ4VCJNK5KuzwwmDUdVQisqjbOYUVa-SEBb_AlUcKXeLFpGX2S3588Ea5ILs2z4MjGUHDhxRtjzGySLPFuGwYZERzM3Z9t7M-NQSRlGmVadp4Uenn9oxeK/s400/Cornwall+17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also on that same trip, I spent two wonderful weeks in Spain, primarily in San Sebastian, a city we'd also fallen in love with on a much earlier trip. This time we returned with friends, which always makes a holiday even more fun. The men on the trip were foodies, wanting to know all about making Iberian hams and about all kinds of smoking - that's smoking in cooking.( And, of course, they had to experiment with their own ham making when we got home, complete with Spanish caps.)<br />
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I was happy enough to share their eating adventures, of course, and to visit Spanish farms in the Basque country that specialised in making sheep's cheese or in raising pigs that graze in orchards filled with fallen chestnuts. But while these visits were very interesting, I also loved just strolling on the promenade - you can walk from one end of this beautiful La Concha Bay to the other, and, of course, the residents make the most of this beautiful walkway.<br />
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I decided that the Spanish must have terrible TV, because everyone seems to be out in the evenings, strolling in the moonlight, chatting on street corners, gathering in pintxos bars for delicious snacks (Basque version of tapas), enjoying music (Spanish guitars, naturally)... It was especially great to see the elderly being included in these outings, either walking arm in arm with a younger family member, or being pushed in a wheelchair.<br />
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And I loved exploring the narrow streets, the old churches and markets where I could indulge in loads of people watching.<br />
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These experiences found their way into early chapters in <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-grazier-s-wife-barbara-hannay/prod9780143797180.html"><i>The Grazier's Wife</i></a>, but I didn't make it to Singapore to research the historical strand in that book. I had to rely on books and the internet to write about Kitty's time as a nurse in Singapore during WW2, but it's amazing how helpful these wonderful resources can be.</div>
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When it came time to write <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-country-wedding-barbara-hannay/prod9780143783312.html">The Country Wedding</a></i>, I wasn't planning to visit Shanghai where Lily and Rose are caught up in the turmoil of the late 1930s. I thought I'd manage once again with conventional research. I read Kazuo Ishiguro's <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/when-we-were-orphans-kazuo-ishiguro/prod9780571283880.html">When We Were Orphans</a> </i>which is set in Shanghai and I scoured the internet looking for just the right history books. I even had a secondhand dealer from a local bookshop trying to help me to track down <i>Peking Sun, Shanghai Moon</i>, a memoir by<i> </i>.Diana Hutchins Angulo<br />
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And then my husband developed a notion that I really should visit Shanghai. Just a quick trip. While I kept my head down on my book, he did all the negotiating with a travel agent and before I knew it, we were heading for China and what a wonderful experience it was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFO4QPoogf9DQT22TUgJGJAgx7Tg0ZLCBHVGOIEgAYpTLmgqSLy8mi2KA3jHeakaw6FYq4wGQrw1aoofVVW2Nu7fC88FRKdDW82ZCIrJ_Kv8oXZ2FRn_jxqAmMn7M24aG49vh/s1600/Shanghai+view+from+hotel+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="700" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFO4QPoogf9DQT22TUgJGJAgx7Tg0ZLCBHVGOIEgAYpTLmgqSLy8mi2KA3jHeakaw6FYq4wGQrw1aoofVVW2Nu7fC88FRKdDW82ZCIrJ_Kv8oXZ2FRn_jxqAmMn7M24aG49vh/s400/Shanghai+view+from+hotel+day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Shanghai is probably China's most westernised city. but it's also a city of huge contrasts . This was the view from our hotel across the Huangpu River to the incredibly impressive modern skyscrapers, and yet, we only had to walk around the corner and we were plunged into old Shanghai. (You can still see those skyscrapers in the background.)<br />
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Here, streets are still swept with straw brooms and the footpaths are crowded with stalls, and cooking paraphernalia and washing hangs from windows on poles. Busy, busy, busy, but clean and colourful and endlessly fascinating. Needless to say, the museum in Shanghai is incredible and too amazing to do justice to here.</div>
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We also lined up a tour of The French Concession, as I knew this was the area where most of the Europeans lived in the 1920s and 30s and most definitely where my character Lily's parents would have lived. In those pre war years, Shanghai was incredibly exciting. (By the way, the Chinese refer to the 1939-45 war as The War with Japan. My guide hadn't heard of WW2 and had no idea that Australia or PNG had ever been involved.) </div>
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Anyway, back then, Shanghai attracted artists writers and musicians from all over the world and was often referred to as the Paris of the East. Jews and White Russians were also flooding into Shanghai to escape the Fascists and Bolsheviks in Europe. Here are pics from the French Concession and you can see that it is very different yet again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2LF2N5lScwY3ZD1bB0gsl1GhZt8q560Ub0xeaduwQmnwKP7FgYhv8K59HmJbjkzHuccy-Oxq3z8lOJ_9rm3PquwKvM_whGEwIZckBNQAQkbch2nSGlVwvLYMCaqyPzEPfQRZ/s1600/Shanghai+French+Concession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2LF2N5lScwY3ZD1bB0gsl1GhZt8q560Ub0xeaduwQmnwKP7FgYhv8K59HmJbjkzHuccy-Oxq3z8lOJ_9rm3PquwKvM_whGEwIZckBNQAQkbch2nSGlVwvLYMCaqyPzEPfQRZ/s320/Shanghai+French+Concession.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Our guide was excellent - knowledgeable, energetic and enthusiastic and very happy (make that excited) to be helping an author. Under her guidance, we had some excellent street food (dumplings) and she also took us to a coffee shop (unusual in China) that also housed a fabulous collection of secondhand books. And it was there that I found - !! </div>
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Yep, I was ecstatic. The perfect discovery to round off an incredible trip.</div>
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I'm afraid I didn't travel far afield to research my new book <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/summer-of-secrets-the-barbara-hannay/prod9780143783473.html">The Summer of Secrets</a>, </i>but there was still plenty I needed to discover to round out the historical background for my character, Izzie. I'll come back later to tell you all about her.</div>
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In the meantime, happy reading!</div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-46213359354239800712018-04-21T23:18:00.001-07:002018-04-22T00:23:11.020-07:00Researching my settings...Wherever possible, I try to set my books in places I've visited. I'm not a country girl born and bred, so, although for a long time, my stories have been mostly set on Queensland cattle properties, the inspiration has come from visiting these places, rather than living there. However, I suspect a love of the bush and the countryside is in my DNA. Most of my ancestors in the UK worked in farms, one way or another, as crofters or servants or ploughmen or general labourers. Yes, I come from good peasant stock. And my parents moved from an inner Brisbane suburb to rural acreage for their retirement years.<br />
As well, a memorable experience occurred when I was sixteen and I visited my cousin's sheep station at Tooraweenah in NSW.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIS0sNGjXrPn8ljuP5JiqqelgO9ULP5NhS2nro2JYsbA5kdqs8ovVm3NvTTpqsY0b6shHN5OyWMHWud8uDSEgUE6ML1JH1wFnU_Eo9VxxqRY4lDSNIGcR3LMQ9ZLBjDd54Qhi/s1600/Barb+at+Tooraweenah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="968" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIS0sNGjXrPn8ljuP5JiqqelgO9ULP5NhS2nro2JYsbA5kdqs8ovVm3NvTTpqsY0b6shHN5OyWMHWud8uDSEgUE6ML1JH1wFnU_Eo9VxxqRY4lDSNIGcR3LMQ9ZLBjDd54Qhi/s400/Barb+at+Tooraweenah.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What an adventure that was, riding horses up into the hills with my sister, feeding baby lambs with formula in bottles... I guess it was my first true adventure away from our parents, which no doubt added to the impact.<br />
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Then later, with my husband and our kids, I had many happy holidays camping at Burdekin Downs (a cattle property near Charters Towers) and canoeing on the mighty Burdekin River. The homestead there was huge and sprawling with beautiful gardens rolling down to the river, and has inspired most of the homesteads in my books. My husband and I also attended a ball there, held in the grounds. The guests camped in tents and emerged in their finery at dusk. I remember I made a special red silk dress for the occasion. A wooden platform was set up for dancing and the band rolled their car when they were driving the rough track in, so that one of the singers sang that night with his arm in a sling.<br />
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I recalled that ball for scenes in <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Outback-Baby-Australians-Barbara-Hannay/dp/0373036906">Outback Baby</a></i>, one of my earliest M&Bs, and then later in<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Moonlight-Plains-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00L4T1UIM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1524374500&sr=1-1&keywords=Moonlight+Plains"> <i>Moonlight Plains</i></a>. More recently, when I was writing <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Moonlight-Plains-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B00L4T1UIM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1524374500&sr=1-1&keywords=Moonlight+Plains">Home Before Sundown</a>,</i> I visited<a href="https://www.cobboldgorge.com.au/"> the beautiful and fascinating Cobbold Gorge</a> and the station owner was very happy to answer all my research questions.<br />
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Another valuable research experience was visiting my husband's cousin and her family at their property, Clissold, near Roma. While here, I also visited the Roma sales yards and watched, with fascination, as the cattle were sold at auction (yes, with all that noise and men in akubras leaning over pens of cattle). Later, at dusk, the new steers were shipped to the property and the next day, I "helped" in the stockyards (as in worked the gates) while the cattle were ear-tagged and vaccinated and branded. Variations of this experience have found their way into several of my books, including <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Parisian-Proposition-Barbara-Hannay/dp/0373037708/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1524376093&sr=8-1&keywords=the+parisian+proposition">A Parisian Proposition</a></i>, which, despite its title, is mostly set in the outback and has reappeared recently in <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Cattlemans-Journey-Reece-Jonno-Women-ebook/dp/B0742B486C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524376013&sr=8-1&keywords=the+Cattleman%27s+journey">The Cattleman's Journey.</a></i><br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Cattlemans-Journey-Reece-Jonno-Women-ebook/dp/B0742B486C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524376013&sr=8-1&keywords=the+Cattleman%27s+journey"></a></i>
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When it comes to writing about Christmas, however, I find myself deserting Australia and turning to England every time. I confess that for me, who has still never seen snow, a romantic Christmas fantasy must always involve cold weather and snow and firesides and everything that's different from a hot Australian Christmas.<br />
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A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be in Londona few weeks before Christmas. No snow, but lots of pretty lights and shop windows.<br />
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These found their way into <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Parisian-Proposition-Barbara-Hannay/dp/0373037708/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1524376093&sr=8-1&keywords=the+parisian+proposition">A Very Special Holiday Gift</a>,</i> which will be republished later this year, I believe, as <i>One Winter Sunrise</i>.<br />
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OK, that's probably enough for now. Another time, I'll write about some of the exotic settings I've researched for more recent books.<br />
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<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-75989478672995170122018-04-15T18:57:00.000-07:002018-04-18T15:12:07.093-07:00My reading for this past month...<br />
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I started this month by reading <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-deborah-moggach/prod9780099572022.html">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a></i> by Deborah Moggach, a book that was
previously published as <i>These Foolish Things </i>and
was later transformed into the wildly successful movie. I was
interested to see how similar the book was to the film and to note
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<span style="font-style: normal;">First
up, I should say that I enjoyed the book just as much as I did the
film, although I note that, on Goodreads, not everyone agrees with my
reaction. The basic premise is the same for both book and movie – a
conglomerate group of ageing British folk settling into a 'retirement hotel'
in India. The setting is similar, although it moves from Bangalore in
the book to Jaipur for the movie. And for the most part, the mix of
characters remains much the same. There's a character who dies, a couple
who split up, and another character with a secret – but these story
lines are moved to different characters for the film, no doubt to
suit particular star actors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">I
won't burden you with too many details, but I'm glad I made this
little case study and I thoroughly enjoyed the read and then watching the film again. It's all part of my self-motivated, ongoing
education as an author.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Next I
read another book for my book club. </span><i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/mateship-with-birds-carrie-tiffany/prod9781742610764.html">Mateships with Birds</a></i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Carrie Tiffany is an award winning novel (including the Stella Prize). It has a rural setting and is about relationships
between men and women (as well as being about birds) and, for these reasons, I should have enjoyed it, but I'm afraid I didn't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-style: normal;">I believe the author deliberately explored everything that is ugly and unattractive about relationships and sex. No
doubt this was a direct, post-modern reaction to romance novels (I know we are
criticised for making life too beautiful and happy) but it wasn't
done cleverly enough to impress me. Most members of our book club agreed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Over
Easter I wondered into a secondhand book shop</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">in
Yungaburra and found </span></span></span></span></span></span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/my-brother-jack-george-johnston/prod9780732297046.html">MyDear, dear Betsy; A Treasury of Australian Letters</a> </span></i></span></span></span></span></em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-dear-Betsy-treasury-Australian/dp/0868065072"></a>This gem, compiled by Warwick Hirst, is quite, quite fascinating, with letters from Captain
Cook and Convicts right through to Lloyd Rees (talking about the
insecurity of an artistic life) and other 20th century notables.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But
the letter that really spoke to me was from Banjo
Paterson to the author Ethel Turner. As a child I adored Ethel Turner, who wrote </span></span></span></span></span></span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Seven
Little Australians</span></i></span></span></span></span></em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
etc. I read most of her books, including </span></span></span></span></span></span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Family
at Misrule, Little Mother Meg</span></i></span></span></span></span></em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and my second favourite was </span></span></span></span></span></span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Little Larrikin</span></i></span></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
remember Ethel died when I was in Gr 4. Our teacher was Charles French,
a WW1 veteran who’d been brought out of retirement because of a
shortage of teachers. (He also owned the land that my high school at
The Gap was later built on and was memorable because he was SO old.)
When he asked us if anyone knew of a famous Australian who had died
that day he was quite surprised that I knew (I’d heard it on the
news) and had read her books. It was one of those moments from
childhood you somehow never forget, when you realise you’ve made an
impression. Mind you, he later sent me back to Gr 3 because I talked
too much in class and I had to beg his forgiveness (sobbing) but
that’s another story.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
above is just context for my appreciation of the letter that Banjo
Paterson wrote to Ethel T about her book, which I think expresses
sympathies we all understand and just
proves that feel good stories and happy endings will never go out of fashion.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's
just a snippet of what Banjo had to say. '<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">For
myself I candidly say I like the good old style of story – more
beautiful women and finer men and more extraordinary things than one
meets in real life – Stories where people don't have luck at the
end annoy me.'</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9f7DPg8EnMPSR3bvumXnAleh3gSCiCLrk9pq5_7-kOyaioLFyaUJFPYUi9UkwH4cLyBfyyxzGqExLGz-AvhOnwVLUFsS1wUnWM85zWQp0fli_PIR-1Se-1T0LBc4MX69tzxy/s1600/my-brother-jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9f7DPg8EnMPSR3bvumXnAleh3gSCiCLrk9pq5_7-kOyaioLFyaUJFPYUi9UkwH4cLyBfyyxzGqExLGz-AvhOnwVLUFsS1wUnWM85zWQp0fli_PIR-1Se-1T0LBc4MX69tzxy/s400/my-brother-jack.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
month I've also reread the famous Australian classic, </span><i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/my-brother-jack-george-johnston/prod9780732297046.html">My
Brother Jack</a></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/my-brother-jack-george-johnston/prod9780732297046.html"> </a>by George Johnston.
I'm mainly reading this as research to help my husband who, like
Johnston, was a journalist and has written his memoirs, but is now exploring the possibility of turning them into a work of fiction. Johnston's classic is wonderful inspiration.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Right now
I'm reading<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/so-good-they-can-t-ignore-you-cal-newport/prod9780349415864.html"> </a></span><i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/so-good-they-can-t-ignore-you-cal-newport/prod9780349415864.html">So Good They Can't Ignore You</a></i><span style="font-style: normal;">
by Cal Newport, which is basically a study into achieving job
satisfaction by working hard at your craft, loving what you do, and
gaining control over your work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And next
up, I'll finally be rewarding myself with a book that I know will be
luscious, moving and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">beautiful. A regency romance – <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/marry-in-scandal-anne-gracie/prod9780425283820.html"><i>Marry in Scandal</i></a> by <a href="http://www.annegracie.com/">Anne Gracie</a>.</span><br />
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I hope you've had a great reading month. I'd love to hear your recommendations.<br />
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<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-90706352507295436892018-04-09T00:24:00.001-07:002018-04-09T02:12:53.141-07:00My love affair with autumn...<div class="c-feature-hd" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<b style="font-family: canada-type-gibson; font-size: 28px; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">To Autumn</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Close-bosom friend of the maturing sun;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Conspiring with him how to load and bless</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">To swell the gourd and plump the hazel shells</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">With a sweet kernel, to set budding more,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">And still more later flowers for the bees,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Until they think warm days will never cease,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">For summer has oe-r brimmed their clammy cells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">First verse from the poem by </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;"><b>John Keats.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">I<b> </b>have always loved autumn. I guess, being a Queenslander, I'm always relieved to finally arrive at cooler days after the long, hot summer. And John Keats's poem has always been a favourite since my school days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz61SRaILjJHI4GXWcGWpaceL4PyEYI5Lz922y0huND8oHnOXqRfuSTiWDUnx8yO6Sy33KY5UX2ihGWgm2zO0p37qtpn2j6AbxAHoh9V3S_iVDArByKXwWUl_UGSjw0jVzZ6i/s1600/autumn+mist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="960" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz61SRaILjJHI4GXWcGWpaceL4PyEYI5Lz922y0huND8oHnOXqRfuSTiWDUnx8yO6Sy33KY5UX2ihGWgm2zO0p37qtpn2j6AbxAHoh9V3S_iVDArByKXwWUl_UGSjw0jVzZ6i/s400/autumn+mist.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">That opening line is so evocative, isn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">Here,</span><span style="text-indent: -16px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -16px;">in the Far North of Australia</span><span style="text-indent: -1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">, our autumns aren't quite as Keats describes - we don't have apples or </span></span>hazelnuts<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">. But I live in the mountains, so we certainly have mists and we grow pumpkins and sweet potatoes (they count as gourds??)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">We do have afternoons where the sun still lingers, but now the days are shortening, I'm starting to think about making soups and about collecting fallen pine cones - they're such great firestarters.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">And while your'e here, I thought I'd show you a scene of my favourite view (and tree), painted by a young </span></span>cousin<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">, <a href="http://www.carmenhannay.com.au/">Carmen Hannay</a>. Check out <a href="http://www.carmenhannay.com.au/">Carmen's website</a>. </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -16px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -16px;">Isn't she brilliant? Her work is diverse and gorgeous and she's just leaping from strength to strength.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">My kids commissioned her to produce this painting for a significant birthday ( quite a few years back now) and I love it. Carmen really captured the whimsical feel of the landscape without ever having been here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">What's autumn like at your place? Do you have lots of gorgeous colour? Or what's your favourite season? I'd love to hear.</span></div>
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Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-46925159614667560872018-04-06T16:12:00.000-07:002018-04-07T00:18:38.982-07:00A favourite weekend breakfast...<br />
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I guess I'm lucky that Mr H is one of
the band of happily retired guys who take an interest in cooking.
This is especially handy when I'm sunk deep in writing and it is, no
doubt, assisted by the fact that he also raises some of our meat, but
I'll talk about that another time.</div>
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Today, I thought I'd share his
favourite weekend breakfast. It's simple and delicious and probably
not especially original, but it's so useful, I thought it was worth
passing on. We call it an omelette, but it's certainly nothing like
the delicate and fluffy French style omelettes you're served in a
restaurant. I guess it's closer to a Spanish omelette, which we first
encountered when we were on long service leave from our “real jobs”
many (OK, let's be honest – twenty) years ago.
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We still remember that wonderful
concoction, eaten for breakfast in a pretty hillside town in the
south of Spain – all sunshine and white walled houses with cats
curled on doorsteps and distant views of the Mediterranean. That
first omelette was served on a terrace and filled with thin slices of potato (probably fried)
and accompanied by a glass of sherry. Yes, sherry for breakfast! When in
Spain...</div>
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OK... I guess our omelettes are
actually almost frittatas, but thinner, as we only use three eggs
when it's just the two of us, although this can be expanded
exponentially to feed as many as you like and spread into several
pans. And they really are one of the easiest breakfasts to serve up
to a horde.</div>
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Basically, it's just a matter of using
whatever vegetables are to hand. It can remain vegetarian, but is
also yummy with a little chopped bacon or salami or cold sausage, or
even smoked salmon.<br />
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Our staples are red onion and a chilli
from the garden, plus whatever herbs are in season in the pots at our
kitchen door. At the moment we have garlic chives and thyme. The chillies are fine even when they've started to dry and shrivel on the bush, by the way. They're not quite so hot, which is sometimes a good thing.</div>
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We often add capsicum or sliced tomato
and Mr H loves to include capers and green olives, which really do
add a special tang.
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All this is gently fried. (Please excuse our elderly, battered frying pan. It still works! <g>)</g></div>
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Then eggs are
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These are cooked gently in the frying pan until it begins to
set and then popped under the griller with cheese on top to brown.
Yummo!</div>
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This isn't a cooking blog, so I haven't
set out a proper recipe, but I'm sure you get the idea. And after a
substantial brekkie like this, (I should add that we don't need
toast) we are set for the day!</div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-76519748982494654552018-03-30T23:30:00.001-07:002018-04-10T22:50:57.013-07:00My new book...It's always a thrill for an author to see the cover their publisher has proposed for their new work. So much effort goes into the writing over many months and to see that effort encapsulated in a graphic image is quite momentous.<br />
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I'm pleased to say I'm almost always pleasantly surprised and never more so than recently, when I opened an email to discover this...<br />
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I love the beautiful blue of the water and<span style="text-align: center;"> the eye-catching splash of red on this cover. And I love that the </span><span style="text-align: center;">figure</span><span style="text-align: center;"> in the foreground is dressed elegantly in black and is a little mysterious. I think it perfectly matches the title, </span><b style="text-align: center;"><i>The Summer of Secrets,</i></b><span style="text-align: center;"> don't you?</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I'm pleased to report as well that the beautiful lakes on the Atherton Tablelands where I live do play a role in this story.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">And here's the back cover blurb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>Sydney journalist
Chloe Brown is painfully aware that her biological clock isn't just ticking,
it's booming. When her long term boyfriend finally admits he never wants
children, Chloe is devastated. Impulsively, she moves as far from disappointment
as she can – to a job on a small country newspaper in Queensland's far
north.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>The little town
seems idyllic, a cosy nest, and Chloe plans to regroup and, possibly, to embark
on single motherhood via IVF. But she soon realises that no place is free from
trouble or heartache. The grouchy news editor, Finn Latimer, is a former foreign
correspondent who has retreated after a family tragedy. Emily, the paper's
elegant, sixty-something owner, is battling with her husband's desertion.
Meanwhile, the whole town is worried when their popular young baker
disappears.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>As lives across
generations become more deeply entwined, the lessons are clear. Secrets and
silence harbour pain, while honesty and openness bring healing and hope. And
love. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>All that's needed now is courage...</b></span></div>
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This story has been nagging at me for years, actually. For ages now, I've been wanting to write about a city journalist who finds herself working on a small country newspaper - part of a dying breed. But my muse can be a tricky creature. While she dangles carrots before my nose, she holds back on details, so I could never quite find the whole story.<br />
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While I was writing <i><b>The Country Wedding</b></i>, however, the character of Finn Latimer, editor of the <i>Burralea Bugle </i>took shape.<i> </i>I could see him quite clearly - tall, with shaggy dark hair and a lone wolf vibe - and by the time I finished that book, I was already a little smitten by him. I knew I had to find the rest of his story - and the characters who would join him. When a writer mate recently asked me about my new book, expressing hope that I'd given that sexy journo a run, I knew I'd made a good choice.<br />
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I'm so looking forward to sharing Chloe and Finn and the rest of this new cast with you. In the weeks to come, I'll come back here to blog in more detail about my inspiration for this story, about some of the research it involved and I'll give you a deleted scene or two, as well as extracts from the finished work. So check back, won't you? Or better still follow the blog by email.<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">The Summer of Secrets </b>will be released on July 30th, but you can <b>preorder</b> it from<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-summer-of-secrets-9780143783473">Penguin Australia,</a><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/summer-of-secrets-the-barbara-hannay/prod9780143783473.html">Booktopia</a> or <a href="https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/the-summer-of-secrets-barbara-hannay/p/9780143783473?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3JD9-_GV2gIViwgqCh1X7QdGEAYYASABEgL5tfD_BwE">Angus & Robertson</a><br />
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Ebooks will be released on July 25th, but you can also <b>pre-order</b>.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07C2PXTW7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1523425644&sr=8-2&keywords=barbara+hannay">amazon</a>; <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-summer-of-secrets/id1370232408?mt=11">iTunes</a>; <a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-summer-of-secrets-7">Kobo</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lOuMfPd8tJGLDUKwhp3JWa3Iddu_fi9UbKwSZhlkCkvWwgxAtIbv022bTtVTd-j3lWsROQQPt2I4hekeyzBPxOWyixKWh_9hfrzIV_vTNAOtldOil20Fx3JrMEqDDWvAfa-k/s1600/Meet+me+at+the+Teahouse_1600x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lOuMfPd8tJGLDUKwhp3JWa3Iddu_fi9UbKwSZhlkCkvWwgxAtIbv022bTtVTd-j3lWsROQQPt2I4hekeyzBPxOWyixKWh_9hfrzIV_vTNAOtldOil20Fx3JrMEqDDWvAfa-k/s400/Meet+me+at+the+Teahouse_1600x800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, and a reminder that my short stories <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Meet-Me-Teahouse-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B01H13GVNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522477223&sr=8-1&keywords=Meet+Me+at+the+Teahouse">Meet Me at the Teahouse</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Coming-Home-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B072KG9BF7/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1522477250&sr=1-2">Coming Home</a> are both FREE at all ebook stores. These links will take you to amazon.au but they are at <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/meet-me-at-the-teahouse/id1113892136?mt=11">iTunes</a> and <a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/meet-me-at-the-teahouse">Kobo</a> as well and they're just the right length for reading while you put your feet up with a cuppa.<br />
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And on a side note, if you're looking for <b><i>foodie inspiration</i></b>, I love this blog <a href="https://cookieandkate.com/">Cookie and Kate</a>. I'm not even vegetarian, but Kate's recipes completely inspire me to create all kinds of delicious salads and soups and dishes with lentils etc. Just gorgeous. Even my carnivore hubby is impressed.<br />
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Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-91216550491710023152018-03-19T17:51:00.000-07:002018-03-19T18:03:39.040-07:00My home on the hill...<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's
been a season for anniversaries. March is my birthday month, but this year, March also marks twenty years since a publisher rang offering to buy my first book. And it's also thirteen
years exactly since we bought our little place on a hillside in the country. </span></span></span>
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;">This
is a glimpse of how our home looks these days. But it was quite different at the start.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Ay8stolk7M5opUPfhL5bhNevQHSSg4bOrRtlb0NpwVgjHWnZE8PW1_r01phPt1LnEL1O2j8wFrSSXqibrGG_FOiJag-c5_AoCFUv8y6gcI2P_735HaFAuKmVHtgpL4DdLdJ/s1600/Hannays+at+Tarzali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1600" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Ay8stolk7M5opUPfhL5bhNevQHSSg4bOrRtlb0NpwVgjHWnZE8PW1_r01phPt1LnEL1O2j8wFrSSXqibrGG_FOiJag-c5_AoCFUv8y6gcI2P_735HaFAuKmVHtgpL4DdLdJ/s640/Hannays+at+Tarzali.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">At the time of purchase, the dwelling was little more than a shed on a bare hill with a lovely view and we only
thought of it as a weekender. Perhaps we should have known we would fall in love with living in the mountains and we'd want to move here full time.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Back then, at the start, when
we returned to our city apartment, we hurried straight to the library
to take out books about gardening and landscaping. We knew the Tablelands' high rainfall and volcanic soil were ideal for gardening - but among the first books we devoured was one about making dry stone steps and walls. We were immediately entranced by the idea, and my husband raced off and
bought some of the necessary tools, almost before we got anything else - even a spade!!.</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
have always admired the work of </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Walling">EdnaWalling</a></span>, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">who
was a famous Australian landscape</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">designer.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Edna</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was very fond of country style cottages with leafy natural gardens and her designs
nearly always involved the use of stone in walls and steps and
paths.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HlwZD6g92qoSekYmC7BiYrIwn7WvVmGTtHKwAPibdRspWphi_aMm4yQnNyVSd1w1STv-D1R5X-cbtwffYoKNYNZLcSAW8jwndB0YnUvwxqZDivSOdRIdBgDhLGhDiVufodzX/s1600/Dry+stone+steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="177" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HlwZD6g92qoSekYmC7BiYrIwn7WvVmGTtHKwAPibdRspWphi_aMm4yQnNyVSd1w1STv-D1R5X-cbtwffYoKNYNZLcSAW8jwndB0YnUvwxqZDivSOdRIdBgDhLGhDiVufodzX/s400/Dry+stone+steps.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I can't show you a picture of Edna's work without invading copyright, but </span></span></span></span>our aim was to create something simple and rustic, not unlike the pic above. At the same time, Elliot and I began transforming our shed into a
cottage - with the help of a builder, of course. We had fun scouring through secondhand shops
and demolition yards, finding old windows and doors to give our home that nostalgic country feel. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwLsvHZo3SL_WLbT2d5opaW4Zn3x-9voPhVZMvlRRPRFSsh7ehuzcn466AFw7zeLUVlT3mOW5m8N6XrTlgcMnCLA8joChsy7XaDr9xwNbs_EwnuBuS7W1KWxDnqBxeEzryzS4/s1600/dining.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMT-7OCm9Hg5qNBxjJFP9ktH_kN77K4cE-kD6Ok5ruXu6y3lt3_Pc-xLaQrfJPcgWOg3cYrIU3PhCY_n7G7B0AYR0Ef0NnXZPmmCAfaQ50h67SF6VZuaSuJLwQrS7tbVln5-7/s1600/Cloud+Cottage+door+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMT-7OCm9Hg5qNBxjJFP9ktH_kN77K4cE-kD6Ok5ruXu6y3lt3_Pc-xLaQrfJPcgWOg3cYrIU3PhCY_n7G7B0AYR0Ef0NnXZPmmCAfaQ50h67SF6VZuaSuJLwQrS7tbVln5-7/s320/Cloud+Cottage+door+cropped.jpg" width="257" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwLsvHZo3SL_WLbT2d5opaW4Zn3x-9voPhVZMvlRRPRFSsh7ehuzcn466AFw7zeLUVlT3mOW5m8N6XrTlgcMnCLA8joChsy7XaDr9xwNbs_EwnuBuS7W1KWxDnqBxeEzryzS4/s320/dining.JPG" width="240" /></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">And
we also followed up on the urge to make some dry stone steps. We were raw amateurs, of course, but here
are some pics to show you how "we" went about it. :)</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7XEoKSHj29QYsWOYf9iNPg4OOs7_05-Yl7JJrk86sB9PvmpDkWC6JVesiBNM7Dr0-v3jVhMmcOS2-uSpFSLWPOYuSYZQBJrO9orRuvJWaL5_Gpcwh5_tDf3phPfdxgsnD7s_/s1600/Tarzali+steps+--+digging+out+the+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7XEoKSHj29QYsWOYf9iNPg4OOs7_05-Yl7JJrk86sB9PvmpDkWC6JVesiBNM7Dr0-v3jVhMmcOS2-uSpFSLWPOYuSYZQBJrO9orRuvJWaL5_Gpcwh5_tDf3phPfdxgsnD7s_/s320/Tarzali+steps+--+digging+out+the+bed.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g3-L9E5-Uaa8w0PuqBauEugioV5IbsqaiWfl7gXj93QqHDirNe4jpO_kMFw6l1Pwiq8WItAaiHtj1Ji9LdCq9lN2gQv86gNddkRPvdztnyby9NYQRzkD0DLctg9hEpVZaTRk/s1600/Tarzali+steps+-+first+step.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g3-L9E5-Uaa8w0PuqBauEugioV5IbsqaiWfl7gXj93QqHDirNe4jpO_kMFw6l1Pwiq8WItAaiHtj1Ji9LdCq9lN2gQv86gNddkRPvdztnyby9NYQRzkD0DLctg9hEpVZaTRk/s1600/Tarzali+steps+-+first+step.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
picture above is of Elliot digging out the site. I was very impressed
by how professional he was, using stakes and string to mark the
area! And then, laying the first, all important stone.</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
was foreman and chief photographer - which meant I worked out which
stones went where, I carried them to the site and shovelled the sand
that was used to build them and generally bossed my poor hubby around. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
erected a tarp to keep the site shady while we worked.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdgs3U7D_bGN9kbeAKtNg_uTSYyuY6GrbLh_EWA5ezD_xBx2cYnwYFLmJ0aC-SCrkgjEPe1rrqr1RIbgb-mXMKn0-Yb5sH84ZgEckaPe8bmDRKwOe-_8stfbaPohL0poEHPDf/s1600/Dry+stone+steps+in+context.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="320" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdgs3U7D_bGN9kbeAKtNg_uTSYyuY6GrbLh_EWA5ezD_xBx2cYnwYFLmJ0aC-SCrkgjEPe1rrqr1RIbgb-mXMKn0-Yb5sH84ZgEckaPe8bmDRKwOe-_8stfbaPohL0poEHPDf/s400/Dry+stone+steps+in+context.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">Here you see where the steps fit into the general
scheme of things here - part of a bank that we hoped would one day be
covered with interesting plants - and that gorgeous view in the
background.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfPDFjGgIyU-lGFLYmnZkBdtfxb3JsZYnvbsU2nB1Hb1WswzpQPH3KbO_tv6xUBfZ1c4oYe9TKTMXnaJ5bkWrKdO0NWSovDYJpz_gvR3jEfshqcIXPTncoUXk-04pka5ljkhL/s1600/Steps+Tarzali+-+final+product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="320" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfPDFjGgIyU-lGFLYmnZkBdtfxb3JsZYnvbsU2nB1Hb1WswzpQPH3KbO_tv6xUBfZ1c4oYe9TKTMXnaJ5bkWrKdO0NWSovDYJpz_gvR3jEfshqcIXPTncoUXk-04pka5ljkhL/s400/Steps+Tarzali+-+final+product.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And this is the original, final product, which looks pretty higgedly piggedly but we were insanely proud of ourselves. We hoped would look so much better when the banks on
either side were planted up with greenery to soften the
stones. </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
christened the steps that evening by sitting on them and having a
glass of wine while we watched the sunset. Unfortunately, while the jacaranda planted at the foot of the steps grew quickly, it fell victim to Cyclone Larry.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRxv-Tvmq7RFmeiLA6Tbx1rIIPxFi967Bgwm_714gFzlRhwNa4-UzgIH_ckqwmhPLKahRhayjhyBnUWi1jIDOmXmDWqRz7bnD1hwPOtLr3pqx-Aag6ym7y00_d0sGAqFGT43p/s1600/steps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRxv-Tvmq7RFmeiLA6Tbx1rIIPxFi967Bgwm_714gFzlRhwNa4-UzgIH_ckqwmhPLKahRhayjhyBnUWi1jIDOmXmDWqRz7bnD1hwPOtLr3pqx-Aag6ym7y00_d0sGAqFGT43p/s320/steps.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And as you can see from these photos, over the years, the garden has indeed taken over, so these days it's more about subtracting and cutting back than planting.</span><br /></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8o9rOBe6vLoRIOFyykbLMxViFdNsIZ5rLDXoCTJ7f7jUYq82E7pOa4H2GgpoJuwinVWzfmnbmF87oKB-naQ_-YkEAUViL7iA9ySF4g6tYTN1H-Fav3wsFUzAPrC1aTfJCkBF7/s1600/Steps+Tarzali+complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="730" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8o9rOBe6vLoRIOFyykbLMxViFdNsIZ5rLDXoCTJ7f7jUYq82E7pOa4H2GgpoJuwinVWzfmnbmF87oKB-naQ_-YkEAUViL7iA9ySF4g6tYTN1H-Fav3wsFUzAPrC1aTfJCkBF7/s640/Steps+Tarzali+complete.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since
the step building project, we've discovered the wonderful Jana, an amazing young woman
who laid the rest of our stone paving and built this retaining wall. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKUfkni1rjIiot6g7qyjTcEVBcb80GIg0nznNPpl5VtRvr19kMFYodL22I65T1cbZ1zK0myx1rLxvB_stI_HCxOCas6psAb26yK3fyjVxZ8S03NfLnRZSdg3zY4CwLXzT6itO/s1600/Garden+high+res+courtyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1600" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKUfkni1rjIiot6g7qyjTcEVBcb80GIg0nznNPpl5VtRvr19kMFYodL22I65T1cbZ1zK0myx1rLxvB_stI_HCxOCas6psAb26yK3fyjVxZ8S03NfLnRZSdg3zY4CwLXzT6itO/s640/Garden+high+res+courtyard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I'm afraid Jana was a tad
dismissive of our less than professional steps – but we still love them. And I think dear old Edna might have approved.</span></span></span></div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-23134406077282555472018-03-14T20:21:00.003-07:002018-03-14T20:21:33.100-07:00What have I been reading?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I started this month by re-reading one
of my favourite books from 2017. When we were planning our writing
retreat, one of my author mates, <a href="http://www.marionlennox.com/">Marion Lennox</a>, proposed that we
discuss this book, and I was more than happy to dive in again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz2N8DCRAH7m3ZAOaceUuttFX0xy99qJTcrupasnsrxILmPUuI3cdzwiYmvyGSqW7WQmiTf4kee22fkCvr_fQ9HdoJl47tWO7M8uPMmdLyZBX_ovy8lgYof7a432gZf3-cx7C/s1600/Cover+eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz2N8DCRAH7m3ZAOaceUuttFX0xy99qJTcrupasnsrxILmPUuI3cdzwiYmvyGSqW7WQmiTf4kee22fkCvr_fQ9HdoJl47tWO7M8uPMmdLyZBX_ovy8lgYof7a432gZf3-cx7C/s400/Cover+eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I found<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine-gail-honeyman/prod9780008172145.html"> Eleanor Oliphant is CompletelyFine</a> a refreshingly different story, with a wonderful character I
could easily empathise with, even though her life experiences are
miles from my own. Despite being severely handicapped by her past,
Eleanor has a wryly humorous and perceptive take on the world, which
I and my friends all enjoyed.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mind you, some members of our group
were not as enamoured with Eleanor as I am. One fellow romance author
found the story too dark. And yes, there is a very dark undertone.
Another felt that some of Eleanor's reactions were out of character.
But one thing we all agreed on was the brilliance of the writing and
the appeal of the character Raymond.</div>
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I'm sure Gail Honeyman deliberately
broke every convention of the romance genre when she created a
computer nerd hero with a soft tummy and cigarette breath, but we are
all romance writers and every one of us loved him, despite these
flaws. I know a huge number of readers have already enjoyed this
book, and if you haven't read it, I strongly recommend it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccLfIcA4R90Aj-b9wRetNsXzNFl6oW_ugGt1deSFekSqm_mDeH95rRbMmgHHVxZwo_Jz14R9LJ1JhBUkT4hWsU7YatzkwaBUuTEbEpDf6uC1JWpfClpYEbvQZPauejTpa97Ps/s1600/Cover+rewire-your-anxious-brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccLfIcA4R90Aj-b9wRetNsXzNFl6oW_ugGt1deSFekSqm_mDeH95rRbMmgHHVxZwo_Jz14R9LJ1JhBUkT4hWsU7YatzkwaBUuTEbEpDf6uC1JWpfClpYEbvQZPauejTpa97Ps/s400/Cover+rewire-your-anxious-brain.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The next book I read was also in
preparation for our writing retreat. I was tasked with heading a
discussion on author anxiety. Yes, alas, our dream job isn't
completely stress free.
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While I was thinking about this
subject, I decided to read <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/rewire-your-anxious-brain-catherine-karle-elizabeth-pittman/prod9781626251137.html">Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic and Worry.</a> </div>
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I found this
book fascinating as it explains the science behind what's actually going
on inside our heads. I learned about the instinctive reactions of the
amygdala – which would explain my behaviour if anyone near me is
foolish enough to put a plastic bag over their head – and how these
impulses can be quite separate from the activity in the cortex where all our thinking
and worrying happens. In fact, I found a better understanding of these
“mechanics” could be quite calming.</div>
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For me, the very best thing about this
book was that suddenly all the advice about meditation, regular
exercise and a good diet (the advice we hear all the time and think
yeah, yeah..) suddenly had a fresh impact. The book explained
the scientific reasons why these virtuous activities work. It also
gave helpful strategies for dealing with quite specific problems. One
thing that really resonated was the suggestion that we should
actively work to replace familiar worrying thoughts with “coping”
thoughts. Worth a try, I reckon.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
By coincidence, the next book I read
was about a neurosurgeon. I read this for my book club and I've found
that a great thing about being in a book club is that it pushes me to
encounter books I might never normally pick up. And often (not
always) I'm pleasantly surprised.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/when-breath-becomes-air-paul-kalanithi/prod9781784701994.html">When Breath Becomes Air</a> is a memoir and
it's a sad book. There's no getting away from that. From the start we
know that the author dies and that this is a story about his youth and hopes and then about his experience of dying. But what sets it apart is the power of his
writing and his message. Paul Kalanithi didn't merely study
medicine, he had degrees in Literature and Philosophy from Stanford
and Cambridge. If he'd lived, he'd hoped to become a full time writer
in the second half of his career. So he brought incredible
word power and deeply profound thinking into play as he wrote about
his situation.</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
For me, the simple but inspiring
message from this book is that none of us knows how long we have to
live and, by example (by extreme example in his case), Paul Kalinithi
shows how to make the most of each day and to not waste our talents.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I don't usually read back to back non-fiction
books, unless I'm researching for one of my novels, and I was about to
slip back into fiction when <a href="http://www.michelle-douglas.com/">Michelle Douglas</a> distracted me on
Facebook with a post about this book – <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-year-of-less-cait-flanders/prod9781401953515.html">The Year of Less</a>.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had heard the idea of a year without
money on Radio National and was totally intrigued. It reminded me of
the hippie movements of the sixties, but with a new, anti-materialist
slant. Since moving to the country, I'd been conscious of spending
much less on going out to restaurants or movies and the theatre, and
although I sometimes miss these things, on the whole I've embraced
the alternatives, which mostly involve having friends over to dinner,
or singing in our local a capella group.</div>
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So, I couldn't resist taking a peek at <a href="https://caitflanders.com/">Cait Flanders</a>'s book which outlines how she spent a whole year without
spending her hard earned cash on anything more than basic necessities. Cait had already
managed to clear her huge credit card debt and to lose 30 pounds in
weight and during this particular year, she also massively
de-cluttered her house. For a twenty-nine year old, these were
impressive achievements and she's certainly got me thinking about my
(sometimes impulsive) spending habits.</div>
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Now, I'm looking forward to returning
to fiction and to Lucy Diamond's <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-house-of-new-beginnings-lucy-diamond/prod9781447299127.html">The House of New Beginnings.</a> I discovered <a href="https://www.lucydiamond.co.uk/">Lucy Diamond</a> during the
Christmas holidays and she quickly became a firm favourite. </div>
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I think
this is the fifth book of hers that I've read now and I know I'll
love it. Simple chick lit, with lovable characters and cleverly
written. </div>
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So what about you?What are you reading? I'd love to hear.</div>
<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374572.post-83010350839560250612018-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:002018-03-05T16:12:06.102-08:00Writing retreats...I am lucky enough to belong to a group of authors who meet each year for a writing retreat. We've been doing this for eleven years now and we just feel so lucky to have found each other.<br />
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This started when a couple of authors in Victoria decided to invite fellow romance authors who were isolated and who might benefit from the chance to connect and share. Wasn't that big hearted of them? Here's a pic from last year when we celebrated ten years of friendship. Yes, a little wine is involved in our gatherings, although less and less as we get older. :)<br />
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Our group has members from all over Australia and even a New Zealander. I live in Far North Queensland, I have very little chance for regular face to face contact with other published authors in my genre, so I was thrilled to be invited.<br />
Of course, the venue helps.<br />
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For the past five or six years, we've chosen Coolangatta, as we can have inspiring beach views and a range of shops and cafes in easy walking distance, as well as swims and/or beach walks for those all so necessary between writing refresher breaks. Also, there's an airport with direct flights for all of us. Bonus!<br />
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So what do we do on these retreats? Just write? Well, no. There's plenty of writing that gets done, for those who need or want to, and lots of brainstorming too - either helping each other to flesh out new ideas, or to tussle with plot holes or other knotty issues. But we also have quite a businesslike agenda with other writing related issues to discuss and share.<br />
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Among this year's topics, for example, our topics include a book discussion (like a book club); publicity and promotion; getting rights back and self publishing; estate planning (tricky for writers with royalties trickling in); useful pointers for giving workshops; websites and associated tools; dealing with stress and anxiety (no job, no matter how idyllic it looks from the outside, can be free of this). So you can see, we're quite professional.<br />
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And then there's the friendship factor... over the years we've come to know each other very well, sharing the ups and downs of each other's real lives (as friends do) and that's invaluable, isn't it?<br />
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For me, the final bonus is that I have family in SE Queensland and I often get a little bonus time with them as well. Here, I'm cuddling the latest family member. Isn't she gorgeous?<br />
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Meanwhile, at home (back at the ranch, ha, ha), my husband continues to care for the little granddog we're babysitting, taking him for walks along our drive (on a lead because there are dingoes about) and generally spoiling him. How could he help it? Louis is so cute. :)<br />
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<br />Barbara Hannayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077064170686768953noreply@blogger.com0