Four reasons to see The Lost City

How good is it when, with middling expectations, you buy tickets to a big screen movie and then be delighted by how much you enjoy it?  The Lost City, released mid-April and currently on screens world-wide, was just such a movie. A talented cast, laugh out loud moments, and a message we can all relate to—don’t judge a book by its cover.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Sandra Bullock is Loretta Sage, a successful but reclusive writer of romance novels, and Channing Tatum is Alan Caprison, a cover model (famous for his enthusiastic portrayal of Dash McMahon, the heroic fictional action-adventure character in Loretta’s books). Alan is (not so) secretly in love with Loretta, but Loretta, still pining the loss of her husband and a career as an archaeologist, wishes Alan would simply disappear. Throw in a kidnapping by a villainous Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), and the antics of Loretta’s delightful publicist Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and a few hilarious scenes featuring ex-Navy SEAL and CIA operative Jack Trainer (the still remarkably handsome Brad Pitt) and you have a movie that not only lovers of romance but plenty of others (just ask my husband!) are bound to enjoy.

So why does it work so well? There are a number of reasons, and these are my top four!

Firstly, Loretta and Alan might be polar opposites, but they’re both nice people with nice people frailties. Alan might be ‘certified CPR’ and ‘certified Cross Fit’ and have a host of other certificates in mountain climbing and lifting weights, but neither he nor Loretta have any experience of real-life adventure. Their ineptitude is not only amusing, it is endearing—they are relatable characters, and we can love them for not only their strengths but their failings.

Secondly, the chemistry between Loretta and Alan, and their growing understanding of each other’s motivations, builds slowly but surely throughout the movie. And the romance is more complex than it might appear at first. The movie is about falling in love again, about Loretta starting a whole new chapter in her life. And it also relates to how we judge others (the twist here is that Alan, the cover model, respects Loretta’s readers and what they get out of her romance novels, far more than she does). In fact, it’s only when Loretta faces losing Alan, that she truly appreciates the importance, and possibilities, of romance in her own life.  

Thirdly, I love the fact that Loretta is a romance writer, and the movie examines what romance means in both our reading and personal lives. I explore similar themes in my enemies to lovers’ novel On the Same Page, where the novelist character, a contemporary Miles Franklin, starts writing characters that bear a striking resemblance to her nemesis publisher, Lars Amundsen.

Fourthly, just like its predecessors, movies like Romancing the Stone and the Indiana Jones movies, The Lost City provides almost two hours of escapist enjoyment. Just like curling up and reading a romantic comedy novel, you’ll find relatable characters, happily ever after endings, and a lot of fun!

Romance, writing and reading 💕

I was recently on Jodi Gibson’s ‘Just Published’ blog. There have been a number of fascinating interviews with writers lately, which you can read here: Just Published. In the interview, I talk not only about On the Same Page, but the genre of romance generally.

Can you tell us a little about On the Same Page?

The main characters in On the Same Page are lawyer and historical romance novelist Miles Franklin, and a publisher, Lars Amundsen. Miles writes under a pseudonym and wants to preserve her privacy, but when she wins a major literary award, Lars is determined to find out who she is. In the process of doing that, he not only gains an appreciation for the genre of romance but falls in love with Miles.

On the Same Page explores many of the prejudices that exist towards readers and writers of romance. Lars is compelled to read Miles’s novels and give meaningful feedback. Miles takes on pole dancing in order to ‘write what she knows’ when her heroine climbs a drainpipe to a second story window. By the end of the novel, Miles also learns that some conflicts, including those with her snobbish and literary parents, need to be met head on.

The main character, aptly named Miles Franklin, is a lawyer by day and author by night. Did you draw from personal experience while developing Miles’ character?

I was a lawyer for many years (decades!) before I started writing creatively. Now I write full time, but like many writers, it was imperative to keep my day job in the early years of my writing. The only way I could find time to write creatively was to get up in the very early hours of the morning when my household was sleeping, write for two or three hours, and then begin ‘the day job’ of ferrying six children around and working full time. Like Miles, I did a lot of juggling! Two positive aspects of working like this was that I did complete my novel, and I also set up a routine I still use today. I find that once I’ve written solidly for two or three hours, I can come back to those words later in the day (in much shorter snippets of time) and, having pondered what I’ve written in the morning, I can edit and add to my words. 

Miles is in a difficult legal situation in On the Same Page because she’s being forced by Lars (her publisher) to honour a contract. Making Miles a lawyer gave me the opportunity to let her fight her own battles on the legal front (while also providing her with many opportunities to make Lars’s life extremely difficult!) 

You’ve carved a name for yourself in both the rom-com and rural fiction genres. Did you always plan to write across different genres? And do you maybe have another genre hidden up your sleeve?

Romance drives my stories, whether romantic comedy or rural fiction, and I can’t imagine writing in any other genre. As a lawyer, I know quite a lot about crime and criminal procedure, but I can’t imagine I’d ever write in that genre. I waited a long time to write creatively, and while it’s hard work, I love that it brings me joy. Writing romance does that, as reading romance did after long days of being a lawyer!

On the Same Page gave me an opportunity to have a lot of fun with the romance side of things, while in my rural fiction titles, the natural environment plays a much more important role. My first published novel, In at the Deep End, was positioned as a romantic comedy, but it’s essentially a rural (or coastal!) fiction novel. In dialogue, I think there are similarities between my romantic comedy and rural fiction titles—I love to tie the male love interests into knots.

What’s your favourite part of writing a book, and least favourite (just to keep it balanced)?

My favourite part of writing is when, usually at about 30,000 words into a 100,000 word novel, I am totally invested in the characters and have to keep their story going to resolve their conflict—irrespective of whether the novel might be published or not. At this stage, I have characters I care about, and a story I think needs to be told, so the next 70,000 words, while often a struggle (because as you know, Jodie, writing is hard!) are far easier to write. The least favourite part? The first 30,000 words!

You began your career after a successful career as a lawyer and legal academic, and after raising your family. What advice do you have for those perhaps thinking they’re ‘too old’ or they’ve ‘left things to late’ to become a published author?

Publishers and most importantly readers look for a voice and a premise and a story that keeps them invested in the characters, and anxious to turn the pages. The writer disappears in the writing, and that’s a very good thing because it gives writers of all ages the opportunity to be published. Also… life experience! I think I can write romance, children, teenagers, adults, grandchildren, love, tragedy and trauma, joy, sex, drugs (and rock and roll) with quite a bit of authority. And that’s because I’m sixty.

What are some of your all-time favourite books and/or authors?

What a difficult question! I don’t think it will surprise many of my readers to learn that I am a die-hard Jane Austen fan. In On the Same Page, where Miles makes many literary references to her favourite writers, Austen is certainly important. When I was growing up, my parents had all the classics, Dickens, DH Lawrence and the Brontë sisters, and I read my way through them. For contemporary romantic comedies, I probably started with Sophie Kinsella (particularly her early books) and Helen Fielding, and now I enjoy Mhairi McFarlane’s novels and many others. I’m also a fan of historical fiction—I’d read Julie Quinn’s Bridgerton books way before the television series came out! In relation to my rural fiction titles, I read a lot of non-fiction books as part of my research.

What can we find Penelope Janu doing in her spare time these days?

We’ve recently acquired a new puppy and a new kitten, so often I’m running after them! I’m also increasingly busy now my children are having babies, and that is a busyness I totally embrace. I ride horses, go for long walks (I’m hiking over 250km in the Scottish Highlands for two weeks in July), I love my garden, and I love to read. Also, I’ve been married to my Mr Darcy for thirty-seven years (we’ve been together for forty-one years) and he still exhausts me because while I am fundamentally lazy, he is exhaustingly active. ‘C’mon, Pen. Let’s do something.’

I also spend regular time with fabulous writing friends. The photo above was taken at Centennial Park, the setting for quite a few scenes of On the Same Page, with writing friends Cassie Hamer (her newest book is The Truth About Faking It which I HIGHLY recommend), and Claudine Tinellis a writer, friend, and host of the fabulous podcast Talking Aussie Books

And finally, why should readers pick up a copy of On the Same Page?

It’s hard to review your own work, but On the Same Page has been a book that has resonated with many different people for many different reasons. It’s a romance and a comedy, and it has laugh-out-loud moments, but it also has serious undercurrents about anxiety and family expectations, and also literary snobbery, misconceptions and prejudice. Also… it has pole dancing (which, incidentally, requires a lot of upper body strength).

On the Same Page

I’m delighted that a new edition of On the Same Page was released by my publisher HarperCollins on 1 April 2022. As part of the promotion, I wrote a blog post for ARRA, the Australian Romance Readers Association.

On the Same Page is a romantic comedy that explores what it means to be a reader (and writer) of romance, and the judgments people make about the genre that we in the ARRA community love. When HarperCollins, the publisher of my rural romance titles, said they’d like to republish a sparkling new edition of On the Same Page, I was delighted. And when a talented designer put not only a woman with a book but a man on a horse on the cover, I was doubly delighted!

The main characters in On the Same Page are Miles Franklin, a romance writer, and Lars Kristensen, a publisher of literary fiction. This is very much an enemies to lovers story, which isn’t so unusual, but there is another layer to the story as well, because as Miles writes her best-selling novels, and the characters in them fall in love, she also falls in love with Lars.

On first appearance, Lars is grumpy and strait-laced, but as he gets to know Miles, this challenges what he understands about romance, and also what he understood about love. On the Same Page is set in Sydney, and as I know the city well, it was a lot of fun to write about places I’m familiar with. I regularly go to the theatre and ballet at the Opera House, spend lazy afternoons walking through the gardens and watching equestrian activities at Centennial Park, and I enjoy sitting at footpath tables in cafés, so the research for this novel was no trouble to do at all! And, as Miles writes historical romance novels, On the Same Page also gave me the opportunity to think about the many things I enjoy when reading one of my beloved romance genres. Novels such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South pop up in On the Same Page, as do quite a few other favourites.

As dedicated readers of romance novels, and all they mean in our lives, I hope ARRA members enjoy reading On the Same Page as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Clouds on the Horizon release

Clouds on the Horizon was another January release (which seems to be a tricky release time of year … ). But there have been some wonderful highlights as well. I’ve been ‘On the Convo couch’ with Pamela Cook of the Writes4Women podcast already (this is the LINK if you’d like to see the interview) and I have other exciting on line events planned. In the meantime, Clouds on the Horizon is in all the shops and libraries (if not, please order it in💕) and the book is getting great reviews on Goodreads and other reader platforms. Below is a snippet of what ‘release week’ looks like in NSW in a pandemic. My flowers, my gardens, some four legged friends (and a bottle of bubbly).

Most importantly, I hope my readers (existing and new) stay safe and well, and enjoy Clouds on the Horizon. If you do, there is quite a backlist to discover!

Book shop visits!

One of the lovely things about being a writer is the opportunity to visit bookshops and take part in book events. And I must say, the longer I’ve been writing the more I enjoy this part of the process. I meet new readers, but I also meet readers who I might only have have had contact with via social media or email. While these events often coincide with a new book coming out, some readers arrive with copies of earlier books to sign, and it’s always a pleasure to see dog eared books you have written - it shows they’ve been read!

Bookshop visits are also an opportunity to catch up with lovely local author friends. In this photo, Cassie Hamer (After the Party and The End of Cuthbert Close), Claudia Tennelis (a writer of contemporary fiction and host of the entertaining and informative podcast, Talking Aussie Books - if you haven’t listened to this podcast of author interviews, I highly recommend it!), Anna and I are showing off our frocks!

Talking to readers and answering their questions makes me feel extremely grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity to share my characters with others who have enjoyed reading their stories as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them ❤️❤️❤️

At this recent event, we were at the fabulous Anna’s Around the Corner, a glorious cafe and bookshop in Cronulla, a seaside suburb on the outskirts of Sydney. Anna loves books, pure and simple, and it is a delight to share this love of books at one of her (highly celebrated!) book events. And can you believe Anna actually crocheted the beautiful poppies to celebrate the release of Starting From Scratch? What a wonderful memento I have of this visit (in addition to listening to David and his bagpipes!)

The Writing Life

I was recently interviewed by fabulous fellow author (Wildflower Ridge and Bottlebrush Creek) and friend Maya Linnell, for the Romance Writers of Australia blog. We chatted about my latest book, and quite a few other things too!

Short and sweet questions

Current book on your bedside table:

A (multiple) re-read of Jane Austen’s Persuasion for my current WIP, and David Howarth’s We Die Alone (a non-fiction book about Nazi occupied Norway).

Where do you do most of your writing?

As a floating writer, I write at the kitchen bench, dining table, desk in the study, sitting on my bed with my feet up, in cafés and in the car. My son calls my laptop ‘My Precious’ (after Frodo and Gollum’s ring in The Lord of the Rings) because I need to have it close.

Favourite Australian holiday destination:

My best holiday memories have been at the beach with my family, and since we tend to go to different destinations every year, I’ll simply say blue oceans, white waves, golden sands and bright Australian skies.

What’s your preferred drop?

Immediately after our babies were born, my husband knew to take the little bundles from the midwife so I could have a cup of tea. I’d have to say tea.

Guilty pleasure?

Reading until four in the morning to finish a romance novel. Holding onto a happy ending in the solitude of dawn is well worth the price of a few hours sleep.

Pet peeve:

Leaf blowers! Sweeping is far more efficient and much more environmentally friendly!

Favourite fictional couple and why?

John Thornton and Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. There were so many reasons this couple shouldn’t have been right for each other (the class divide, social upheaval, misunderstandings, his brusqueness, her distrust...) but love triumphs in the end.

If you could pack two non-essential items for a deserted tropical island, what would they be?

A deckchair (to set up in the shade so I can read a book).

My husband. Non essential but curiously essential.

Book you’re most looking forward to reading in 2021?

My daughter Tamsin is a children’s author (middle grade fiction published by Scholastic).  I’ve read her latest manuscript and LOVED it, but she just says, ‘Oh Mum, you love everything. The publisher might hate it!’ I would like to see this book on the shelves in 2021 so I can say, ‘I told you it was good!’

Best thing about being a writer?

Receiving beautiful messages and emails from readers telling me my books were important to them at stressful or difficult times in their lives.

Worst thing about being a writer?

Author angst. I should worry less about how to write, what to write and how it will be received, but I doubt I ever will. I’m a worrier by nature, my marketing skills are woeful, and I find writing (and criticism of what I’ve written) a very personal thing. All these elements make writing hard. On the bright side, the highs are really high!

Do you prefer music, podcasts or silence when writing? What song/channel/podcast do you have on high rotation?

 I can listen to music when writing, but not when editing (I’m not sure why there is a distinction—maybe my cries of distress while editing don’t want to compete with background noise). I listen to soft rock or hard pop on Spotify (my kids can’t see the distinction) because I love the mix of seventies and eighties classics, and more recent music too.

Favourite perfume/cologne: Christian Dior’s Miss Dior. I don’t wear a lot of perfume when I go out, but I do wear it at home.

TV/film crush:

David Tennant. He’s unconventionally attractive but when he’s on the screen—in so many different roles and guises—I find him compelling.

The best non-writing related prize I won was (meat raffle/free holiday/bingo game)…

I once won a copy of James Herriot’s book All Creatures Great and Small in a competition held in David Jones. I was horrifically embarrassed that I’d answered all the questions correctly, because I would have been twelve and the announcer made such a fuss about it. When I won the book I’d correctly answered the questions about, I remember thinking how ridiculous it was. I’d obviously read the book already, so why give me the book again as a prize?

Top three tips for aspiring authors?

A writer’s voice is unique—as is the story and the way the writer tells the story.

I think it’s useful for a writer to write about characters or situations they find inherently interesting. I am a very slow writer so it takes me ages to write a paragraph let alone a page, and I edit as I go so that slows things down more. I spend a lot of time with my characters and situations—if I didn’t care about them or wasn’t interested in what they were up to, I’d find it impossible to keep going.

If possible, a writer should set aside time to write, and write even when they don’t feel like it. Words are never wasted—even if they aren’t words that will stay in the book, they have led us to where we need to go to finish our story.

Can I slip in one more? Writing friends and colleagues are essential!

What theme do you hope shines through in your writing?

 Coastal or rural, I set my stories in locations that I (and my characters!) care about, so the environment plays an important role in my novels. Because my heroines have often suffered trauma or hardship, I do my best to create respectful, loving and kind heroes who will ultimately be worthy of them.  

 Proudest author moment?

Without a doubt, winning the Romance Writers of Australia’s RuBY award for On the Right Track. I was absolutely delighted. I am still delighted. I will always be delighted!

My favourite thing about writing romance is ….

Getting to spend time with the characters I will typically fall in love with by the end of the novel, and enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of my friends in the writing community.

If anyone gives me flack about writing romance, I tell them…

Romance novels are about the important things in life—characters and relationships and place and hope and grief and loss and laughter and falling in love. I make no apology for them.

 Three fun facts about the author:

I know the ‘correct’ way to iron a shirt: shoulders, back, fronts (button panel then button hole panel) sleeves, cuffs, collar. I am an excellent ironer, which might be why I enjoy ironing. Or maybe it’s because I talk on the phone or listen to podcasts or plot when I iron, and I like doing these things too!

Three years ago, I walked from England’s west to east coast (320km in 14 days), and two years ago I walked 230km around Mt Blanc (Switzerland, Italy and France). I have mountain goat tendencies.

When I was at university, I worked in a chicken shop. A very handsome northern beaches actor (the helicopter pilot from Skippy) used to come into the shop every Saturday and innocently ask for ‘two whole breasts’ (as opposed to ‘two half breasts’ which were also very popular). Three of us worked in the shop (and the boss didn’t work on Saturdays)—the work was messy and hard but we always had Tony Bonner to look forward to and chatted and laughed all day.

A new release... celebrations, and getting back to work

A new release means writing a lot about the book (instead of actually writing the book!) for the press and bloggers, and also doing the odd radio interview and live event. This release day was a little different to others, in view of us all staying safe and well, but I had a lovely time visiting a local landmark with my family, captured in these shots! Here is a sample of the questions I’m often asked - and my replies!

What originally inspired the idea of Starting From Scratch?

The setting was always going to be Horseshoe Hill, a small country town in the Hunter Valley region of NSW, which was the perfect place for Sapphie, who’d had a difficult adolescence, to find a sense of belonging and community. Matts, as a (very attractive!) Finnish environmental engineer, had to have a reason to find Sapphie in Horseshoe Hill, and that is where the second thread of this story came in—the rivers and waterways of regional Australia, and the environmental challenges they face.

What did you learn about yourself whilst writing Starting From Scratch?

I worked as a legal academic for many years and always enjoyed teaching. My students were primarily young women and men in their twenties and early thirties, the age group many of my main characters share. I love the fact that this group is passionate about issues, flexible about change, and open to different ways to find happiness. Every time I write a book, my character’s tenacity, resilience through hardship and preparedness to make change happen, reminds me to bring more of these elements into my own life.

 Are the characters based on anyone you know in real life?

The characters are all fictional, but they are, in many ways, reflected in many people I’ve known in my life. I do like writing older people as secondary characters, and also children. Having had six children of my own, I spent many years surrounded by them and their friends! One of the characters in this book, the ornithologist Ray, is based on a very dear friend of mine (we were at Law School together). My friend and Ray have different passions, but a similar way of expressing them.

How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

As I’m a romance writer, I am forever looking for ‘happily ever after’ stories because they really do exist. Relationships based on mutual respect, friendship, trust and ultimately love are always inspirational. The environment is a really important element in Starting From Scratch, and that inspires me every day. We are so fortunate to have wonderful fauna and flora and a unique natural environment in this country. It’s a privilege to be able to write about them.

What’s the main message you hope readers take from Starting from Scratch?

In terms of the relationship between Sapphie and Matts, that it’s never too late to find the person that is perfect for you. In terms of the environment, that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to not only preserve and protect our natural environment, but to take responsibility for the damage we have done and restore and rehabilitate it where we can.

What is the best thing about creating a character like Sapphie?

As a writer who spends the best part of 18 months writing and editing a book, you get to know your characters very well, and to care for them a lot. Sapphie has a very warm heart and, notwithstanding the difficult challenges she’s had, she tends to give second chances to everyone. It takes her quite a while to give a second chance to Matts, so I was very glad (and relieved!) when she did.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

To write about what they love, value and care about, because they will be spending a lot of time creating the world their characters inhabit, and the characters themselves. I enjoy writing rural fiction because the settings inspire me, and so do many of the characters who live in country areas.

What or who inspired you love of reading/ writing?

I always had access to books as a child, and my parents were readers. We didn’t have a great deal of money and rarely went on holiday, but my parents gave me wonderful opportunities to find alternative worlds and experiences through reading. Reading other people’s stories fired my imagination and sparked dreams of creating my own.

What’s next for you?’

I’ve recently submitted my 2022 book to my publisher, so I hope to be doing edits on that in the next few months, while writing the next book. I’ll also enjoy sending Sapphie and Matts from Starting From Scratch out into the world and into reader’s hands. This is an exciting time for any author and I really enjoy it! On the personal front, my extended family has been told to expect a lot of very tight hugs!

Legal Beagle: Tell me about trespass...

I write a legal column for the fabulous organisation, Romance Writers of Australia. Since it’s Christmas and we’re thinking all things festive, I thought this reflection on trespass might be instructive…

Bella and Daphne

On the night before Christmas, Amy hears a tapping noise on her roof. Five minutes later, a man, elderly, rotund and bearded, appears on her hearth. When she asks him what he’s doing there, he takes Amy into his arms and whirls her around until she’s giddy, then reaches into his sack and pulls out a brightly wrapped present. After rearranging a few ornaments on her tree, he places the present beneath one of the branches.  

‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ echoes from the chimney as Santa ascends.

Amy runs to the window just in time to see a sleigh, Rudolf leading and Blitzen riding shotgun, disappearing into the night.

How many times has Santa acted illegally? Quite a few!

In other Legal Beagle columns, I’ve looked at the differences between criminal offences (where the government or State brings an action against the accused), and civil offences (where one individual, the plaintiff, brings an action against another individual, the defendant). While Santa’s conduct would involve criminal behaviour, I’ll focus on civil claims in trespass, which come under the legal category of ‘tort.’ Whether you’re writing a romantic comedy or a romantic suspense or anything in between, and one of your characters acts without the consent of another, the principles set out below would be relevant.

Trespass is ‘actionable per se,’ which means Amy can bring an action even though she hasn’t suffered damage to her property, physical injury or economic loss as a result of Santa’s actions. All that has to be shown to succeed in trespass is ‘direct interference with person or property.’ And as trespass is relevant to an infringement to enjoyment of land, possession of goods, and freedom of movement, Amy could have at least three actions arising from these facts. Let’s look at them one by one.

Trespass to the person involves assault (the apprehension of harm, with no damage required), battery (the direct and intentional application of force, again without the necessity of physical harm being caused) and false imprisonment (where a person is deprived of their freedom of movement). Santa’s actions in surprising Amy would be assault, touching her constitutes battery, and holding her could be false imprisonment.

Trespass to land requires possession of land (it doesn’t matter whether Amy owns or rents the property, so long as she’s entitled to occupy it) and unlawful entry (entry without permission). And there could be more than one breach here, because ‘land’ includes the surface of the land, the subsoil below it, and any airspace above it that is necessary for the enjoyment of the land. So even if Santa hadn’t come down the chimney, hovering immediately above the roof could have constituted trespass to land.

Trespass to property occurs where there is a direct or intentional interference with the personal property of the plaintiff, where they are entitled to exclusive ownership of personal goods. As Santa handled Amy’s ornaments, there would be trespass to property.

Here’s hoping your Christmas is free of any behaviour that leads to a court case, and is most importantly a safe and happy one. And that 2021 brings a lot of joy to everyone (particularly after the hard year so many have experienced due to You Know What.

Where did that idea come from?

Mr Fudge (and me)

In the past few weeks, my writing group, the Inkwells, have been doing a 'November Instagram Challenge’ in which we shared writing news, tips, inspirations and a number of other insights into our writing lives. And that made all of us think - what types of things do inspire our writing? I think we all shared a story that made us appreciate how particular life events become so important to us. They might end up being a prompt for a story, or merely something that we want to share in our books. I’ve found that to be the case in quite a few of my novels, where I’ve written about re-homed racehorses. What happens to a horse (that might be purchased for a fortune because he or she has the potential to earn a lot of money on the track) if it turns out the horse, through injury or lack of speed, is retired from racing and becomes, to some owners, more or less worthless?

Oval Office the racehorse

Some owners, privately or through excellent organisations that work with the racing industry, find very happy homes for ex-racehorses. My childhood friend’s horse, Oval Office, a very successful racehorse, is one example of this. Rina re-schooled this wonderful horse, who became very successful (and much loved!) as a dressage horse. Other horses, sadly, end up in the knackers yard because they haven’t got the right look or temperament to be sold, and the original owner isn’t willing to pay for the re-training required.

My personal story of a horse I owned for many years, being given a second chance, was discussed in one of my Instagram posts:

Oval Office the dressage horse

Every picture paints a story.... the picture above is me on my pony Mr Fudge, who had quite a story of his own. My first pony was a young mare called Susie. I was around nine when she bit my cheek (I still have a tooth mark scar) and my parents thought another pony might be more suitable… At that time, the (now) legendary horse trainer Heath Harris (involved with films such as The Man From Snowy River, Gallipoli, Phar Lap and many others) was on the look out for mares - and we did a direct swap. Heath had rescued Fudge, who was destined for the knackery. Fudge had been a riding school horse, Prince, for about 15 years and had been pretty well ridden to death, but Heath believed he deserved another chance. It was winter when Fudge came to us, and his coat was so shaggy and white that I called him Snowball. But within weeks his golden palomino colour emerged and we changed his name. Over the next few years, Fudge competed in pony club (including State level) and horse shows. He was such a character and we became quite adept at hiding his bad habits in the show ring! Fudge had arthritis by the time my family moved to Victoria but we took him with us and he lived for many more years in his retirement. I never really grew out of him though, and in warmer weather I’d leave my big horses at home, saddle him up and we’d relive our glory days (or so we thought!) together. I’ve known quite a few rescue horses - and tend to re-home quite a few of them in my novels. Fudge was a testament to what can happen when horses are given a second chance, and that, in fact, is one of the themes in Starting From Scratch.

Holidays

I’ve always daydreamed on long car drives, but I tend to do it much more often now I write more or less full time. And as many of my holidays include discovering new places off the beaten track (or going back to places I’ve been to before and loved) there is always a lot to daydream about.

I was lucky enough to get back to the Snowy Mountains region of NSW recently, where my family has spent many holidays over the years. We only ever went skiing with the children once (it is very expensive!) but we had such a wonderful time with so much laughter - all being out of our comfort zones at one time or another. Now the kids are all grown up, it would be lovely to go back together one day. With travel being restricted as it is at the moment, that might happen sooner rather than later!

The snow was great this year, as was the skiing, but I stopped on our road trip to capture other images as well—from donkeys to happily situated churches and homesteads, to trees and other scenes of natural beauty.

And as a bonus, I finally worked out where to set my book after the next book after Starting From Scratch (that would be 2023 which sounds like a long time away but it made me feel better to have a few ideas to kick around in the meantime!). The character I needed to locate is Hugo, the biologist from Starting From Scratch and I could very much see him in the mountains looking for endangered frogs and other wildlife.

Sometimes you have to leave the keyboard at home in order to find inspiration. So I’ll write a few notes and then get back to my 2022 project!

Starting From Scratch

Finally a release date! I’m doing the final proof read for Starting From Scratch now, and it will be on the shelves in Australia and New Zealand, and available as an eBook world wide on 6 January 2021.

Hooray!

Farmer Wants a Wife - or does he?

The Farmer Wants a Wife is a Channel 7 TV show* in which… farmers look for a wife! With a bunch of other authors, I wrote a recap of one of the five shows for the magazine Romance.com.au. If you follow this link, it will take you to pieces written by fellow authors Rachael Johns, Eva Scott and Nicola Marsh. I looked at week two!

The episode opened with a perfect setting for a country dance – a roomy rustic shed, gardens, drinks, food, music, hay bales and fire pits – for the farmers and the women they’d chosen to spend more time with. The farmers also shared one-on-one time with some of the women, so secrets were shared and a few hearts were, if not shattered, perhaps a little bruised.

The Highs

Neil, the man who can’t bear to let anyone go, certainly had his share of drama this week. While Justine was understandably upset that Neil had told Karissa and Megan that he’d kissed her on their date, she behaved like a cranky teenager for most of the evening. And even though Karissa (who, like Justine, should arguably have been dressed in green) spent half the night saying it was over with Neil and she’d had enough, she was back in the thick of things the next day.

Neil took the three women to meet his (also blonde) ex-wife. And guess what? I think he should choose her! Though…that’s right, they’ve broken up.

We haven’t been given much background on Nick – for example, he’s been in the US for twenty-seven years but not quite sure what he was doing there…Tonight we met his mother and she was lovely! Even more importantly, when Nick didn’t want to send anyone home, she posited a sensible solution – he should identify who was most special to him and hang on to her. Go the mums of this world! Which brings me to ask…where is Sam’s mum, because this week finished with him in quite a pickle!

Sam and Riley went horse riding at a beautiful beach location. The surroundings and horses were gorgeous, but Sam was riding in thin cotton shorts (with a saddle – not bareback). This immediately suggested to me that he wasn’t planning too much action below the waist in the next few days. After the ride, he told Riley that there was no spark, and he preferred Sophie and Emily. Poor Riley!

Emily told Sam she wanted to go home because she can’t see a romance developing, which was kind and honest of her. And we also know that Sam is in the friend-zone, along with Riley. But if both these women go home, that leaves only Sophie. I guess we’ll have to work out what happens on that next week, but I hope Sam’s mum and nonna are around to pick up the pieces.

The Lows

Sarah told Alex she doesn’t believe in sex before marriage, and he seemed okay with her ‘old fashioned’ values, which was good. Because surely if he liked her enough it wouldn’t be too much of a burden to wait around? After all, he says he wants a forever relationship, and he’ll move hell and high water if he finds the right girl. Weddings can be organised very quickly! And Sarah is only twenty-two to Alex’s twenty-nine, so I think that is something else he could take into account when deciding who might be right for him. Sex before marriage doesn’t mean there can’t be intimacy in many other ways!

I am a supporter of nice-guy Harry, but I wasn’t too keen on his notion that Karlana had ‘betrayed’ him. Having a chat to a film crew guy on set does not a betrayal make, and would (should!) not have been a threat in any way. If Harry had liked Karlana enough, he could have tried to convince her he was the better bloke and he wanted the chance to prove that. If he didn’t think a long-term relationship with Karlana was going to happen, he could have wished her all the best with finding love elsewhere. I suspect this was a reality television twist, but it didn’t show Harry in a very good light.

Harry went on a date with mechanical fitter Ash, but it was clear their parts weren’t really meant for each other at all. And the pub for a date was pretty lame. I didn’t get any chemistry there and wasn’t surprised – and I don’t think Ash was either – when she was sent home. She said she’d miss the show a lot, but I wasn’t convinced she’d miss Harry. This leaves Madison and Stacey. We hardly saw any of Stacey this week, but Harry did say that he wanted to kiss Stacey ‘every second of the day’ so this looks promising for Stacey!

According to Alex this week, ‘It never rains, it pours – and tonight it’s flooding!’ Alex opens up and tells the women that his parents split up when he was nine, and all his relationships have failed, and he doesn’t want that. Does he have abandonment issues and that’s why he has trouble letting anyone go? Finally he does make a decision though (garnering respect in his household) and sends Brittany home.

Huh? moments

After telling Karissa that ‘110% there is a connection’, Neil says ‘You’re far from last’. What does this mean?

Brittany works so hard cleaning the house for Alex – pretty much the only air time she gets – but she’s the one who has to go home!

Karlana, who eats fish but not meat or poultry, not only has to cook Harry a hearty carnivore breakfast, she is traumatised when herding the lambs because they get upset. Was she ever going to adapt to life on a working farm? Thank goodness there was no dehorning or castrating going on this week.

Nick didn’t kiss Naomi because he had a sniffle (which has a whole new meaning nowadays…). But he did say there was ‘More chemistry than a test tube factory’. Are we in a high school lab here?

Predictions

Sam and Sophie might be the only two left standing on his farm, so they might make a match.
Harry and Stacey. I hope Harry has the opportunity to let his kindness and decency shine through again next week.
Nick and…no idea. I wasn’t sure about Nick at first but now I know he’s surrounded himself with strong women, I suspect he can do little harm in terms of breaking their hearts.
Alex and Jess. These two seem to get along together well.
Neil and Justine are a good match in some ways because neither of them can make up their minds about how they feel, but I’m not sure there is enough in this relationship to make it last long term. Megan is still a possibility, and I hope we see more of her next week.

* Photo credit Channel 7

Pretty Woman - Thirty years on...

Pretty Woman

This is a piece I wrote for the magazine romance.com. To read the full article, with Giffs, click on this LINK.

Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts as the irrepressible and beautiful Vivian, and Richard Gere as the charming and handsome Edward, was first released in 1990. This romantic comedy, thirty years on, with a dynamic reminiscent of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, is a romantic comedy that is not only still popular, but in many ways has stood the test of time. Though maybe not the shoulder pads…

First and foremost, Pretty Woman is remarkable because of Julia Roberts, who dominates every scene she appears in as Vivian not only because of the character’s beauty, but her humour, intelligence and spirit. She might be a call girl but she is fundamentally a working girl, striving to support herself on her own terms, and to eventually go to college. As in many romantic comedies, her professional life becomes entangled with her personal life as she falls in love with her client, Edward. Richard Gere plays his role to great effect—keeping the spotlight very firmly on Vivian where it belongs.

In her rejection of Edward because she wants ‘the fairy tale,’ her ultimate goal is something that money won’t buy— she will only achieve true happiness with a man who values her as she is. 

While the movie has elements that are problematic today (and were also controversial when the movie was released), Robert’s characterisation allows me to enjoy the good bits—while hoping that some elements would be treated differently if the movie were to be remade.

There are quite a few memorable moments, including these!

When Vivian is refused service at a Rodeo Drive boutique, she ends up shopping elsewhere. She returns to the shop at the end of the day, holds out her shopping bags and delivers the memorable line: ‘Big mistake. Big. Huge.’

Beneath Vivian’s wig is her wild untamed hair. It does get tamed in the makeover but… fundamentally it is very much a product of her true self.

Vivian not only walks out on Edward and his money, she teaches him that money alone can’t make him happy, so by the end of the movie, it is Edward who will be seen as the loser if he doesn’t get his act together. Vivian is effervescent. And Edward’s understated transition from unsettled to absolutely smitten has many heartwarming moments.

Cover reveal for Starting From Scratch

With a cover, a book comes to life in many ways. I’ve received lots of positive comments on the cover for Starting From Scratch, but I must admit that, while it was important that the cover model had blue eyes and dark hair (and I always like a horse if possible…) I leave the design up to the creative people at HarperCollins, my publisher. The cover also has input from sales and marketing and the clever people who deal with bookshops and on line retailers. I like being traditionally published because it lets me hand over a lot of important things to the publisher (like cover design and marketing) so I have more time to do what I like doing best - which is writing!

Legal Beagle: Lost and Found

I recently asked one of my sons if he had any ideas for the column I write for the Romance Writers of Australia magazine, HeartsTalk. He said he’d be no help because he didn’t read romance. ‘I’m reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings,’ he said.  Instead of telling Max that Viggo Mortensen (who played Aragorn in the movie) was an excellent romantic lead, I asked him a question. ‘Whom did the ring really belong to?’

It’s not uncommon, in literature or in life, to have a situation where someone ‘finds’ something—a diamond tiara under your floorboards, a bundle of notes in a garden shed, a valuable vase at a fete, treasure at the bottom of the sea. Who is the rightful owner? Is possession nine tenths of the law? Are finders always keepers?

It is straightforward to work out whether title (or ownership) has passed from one person to another in a contractual situation because consideration (a price) will usually be paid. Things are much less certain when there’s no contract. A court has to decide whether the original owner intended to part with possession of a good and renounce ownership of it, or abandon it. A court also has to decide whether the person who took possession of the good intended to own it. Only if these elements can be satisfied will there be a transfer of title from the original owner to another person. If goods are found years after they have been ‘lost’ intention is particularly difficult to ascertain.

If a good is small and valuable, the courts are less likely to think it’s been abandoned. If it is a large item (like a armchair left on a nature strip), the intention is likely abandonment (but this won’t apply to cufflinks found under a cushion). Intention can also be indicated by the place of abandonment—a rubbish tip as opposed to a bus stop. But if a diamond ring is found at a tip, will there be abandonment? Probably not.

The courts often rely on common law principles (based on cases decided earlier in time), but sometimes statute law applies. In South Australia the Police Act 1998 and regulations cover ‘found property,’ or ‘personal property that has been lost and whose owner is unknown at the time at which it is found (See regulation 75). A finder must take found property to the police, but may have rights over that property in the absence of a claim by the true owner.

Under many real estate (land) contracts, goods left behind will be deemed abandoned, so the purchaser becomes the owner. Treasure is different—the Crown (government) will often have title to antiquities and historically important items, and finders must surrender these. Minerals and fossils are the property of the Crown and their extraction and sale is regulated. Marilyn Forsyth’s novel Falling in Love Again (published by Escape) resolves the character’s dispute over fossilised opals beautifully!

How did my son answer my question? Sauron creates the ring. He’s killed by the King of Gondor, who takes the ring, then loses it. Déagol finds the ring and Sméagol kills him for it. Sméagol loses it. Bilbo finds it, and gives it to Frodo who destroys it. ‘Dunno, Mum.’

How about Cinderella? Did she abandon her glass slipper? If the Prince had chosen to keep it for himself, would he have had better title to it than anyone else? Let me know in the comments!

Romance Reader event Sunday 8 March

On Sunday 8 March, I’ll be one of the authors at the Australian Romance Readers Association’s multi city author and reader event. I’ll only be in Sydney, but there are so many wonderful authors (including international guests) at all the events.

The Sydney event is at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, 169 Castlereagh Street, Sydney (just down the road from Hyde Park) from 1 to 5pm.

I’d love to see you there if you could make it. Tickets for the day are only $20.00 (or $45 for a VIP ticket that includes a souvenir booklet and other items). Most importantly, all the authors would love to see you at the event so we can talk books and reading.

There will be books for sale, but if you already have copies, I’d love to sign them for you!

Click here for a link to tickets!

Legal Beagle: How Much is that Doggie in the Window?

I write a column for the writing group Romance Writers of Australia (about laws that might be of interest in our writing). A recent topic was about custody of pets. And here it is!

Daphne Dane (not for sale, by the way!)

How much is that doggie in the window, the one with the waggly tail,

How much is that doggie in the window, I do hope that doggie’s for sale …

In a recent divorce case, a husband offered his wife $20,000 in consideration for her agreeing that their dog would live with him. Her response? That no amount of money could induce her to hand over the dog, because it would be like selling a member of her family. In the case of a much loved animal, horse or dog or cat or goat or guinea pig, I think many of us can relate to this sentiment.

So … what happens to a pet that both parties want to keep when a couple separate? Who gets custody? There are marked differences between the law in Australia in this area, and some States in the US, so if you’re setting your story in another jurisdiction, take care to check the law there. This month’s Legal Beagle will look at Australian law first, and then the law in the US, because there’s a chance that Australian law might eventually head in this direction.

Case scenario: Jacquie and Jonathon have been married for thirty years, but have recently separated, and have applied to the Family Court for a divorce. Their adult children left home years ago, but they still have a family dog, JimBob, a five year old Staffie. Jacquie bought JimBob for her and Jonathan’s twenty-fiftieth wedding anniversary, but the dog is registered with the local council in her name. She takes him for walks occasionally, buys his flea and tick treatments, feeds him, cleans up after him, and takes him to the vet when necessary. JimBob is a lazy dog, and his favourite activity is to sit on Jonathan’s knee while he watches West Coast Eagles AFL games, and the cricket (particularly five day test matches). JimBob sleeps on Jonathan’s side of the bed.

Both Jacquie and Jonathan want JimBob to live with them, and each thinks this arrangement will be in JimBob’s interests. As this matter relates to divorce, it will be regulated by the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975 (this Act applies to all states and territories): Click here for the legislation!

The law in Australia wouldn’t decide this case as a custody matter, because pets under the law are considered items of personal property (a chose in possession, to use the old fashioned term). This means JimBob’s ownership, and who he lives with, will be treated in the same way as furniture, tools, a computer or any other property asset. The concept of who owns the ‘property,’ and the economic value of the ‘property,’ will be taken into account by the courts in assessing who gets what when other property is divided up. Unlike children, there is no legal framework for dealing with custody or living arrangements for a pet, so if this matter goes to court, JimBob will be just another item on a list of property assets.

But before a matter gets to court for a property division, what if Jonathan takes JimBob to live with him in WA (Jacquie stays in SA)? To have JimBob returned to her care, she would have to apply to court for his ‘recovery’ (in the same way she’d petition the court if Jonathan took her late grandmother’s Lladró collection). If JimBob is still living with Jacquie, but she is concerned that Jonathan might take him out of her garden while she is at work, she could apply to the court for a ‘Declaration,’ a court order setting out a decision regarding the correct law on a matter.

Is there a way to avoid court and the associated expense and emotional turmoil? Ideally the parties come to an informal agreement. And if that isn’t achievable, mediation may be possible. The only trouble with agreements and mediations however, is that they aren’t legally enforceable, so the only way to have certainty is by going to court and applying for a Consent Order (where the court approves an agreement between the parties, so it has the force of a court decision). Alternatively, one or both parties apply to the court for a Property Order, which deals with all the property. The facts set out above (who feeds JimBob, who has the greatest attachment to JimBob etc.) would help a court to decide who is most attached to the ‘asset,’ and who has the best claim over it.

What would happen if Jonathan and Jacquie had dependent children? Children will be relevant in deciding the living arrangements of a dog, because the ‘best interests of the child’ will always be foremost in a judge’s mind. There have been cases where a judge has decided that the pet should remain with the children, and this means the pet goes wherever the children go. The dog is still seen as ‘property,’ but property that is important to the emotional wellbeing of the child. This is an approach that Jonathan and Jacquie might favour anyway, because they’re likely to love their children and their pet.

Now for a quick look at US law: An act was recently passed in California, which differentiates companion animals from other types of property, and allows people to apply for sole or joint custody of a pet. The judge will decide the case based on the ‘best interests of the animal’ (in the way the court decides a case in the best interests of a child. See: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB2274

In Alaska, the law states that a court has to take an animal’s welfare into consideration if parties separate (so the consideration is what is best for the animal, not the owners). A judge may also assign joint custody. If one party refuses to hand over possession in the case of joint custody, the court can order them to do so. There are many thought provoking cases in this area, and plenty of scope for conflict as well!

South Coast Bush Fires

The aftermath

My friend, novelist Pamela Cook, recently wrote a post about the impact of bushfires on her family and many other families in the south coast of NSW. Thanks so much Pamela for sharing your story (there’s a link to Pamela’s website below, so you can find out more about Pamela and her writing).

Out of the Ashes

By Pamela Cook

The Christmas-New Year Fires have been a devastating experience for so many people in NSW and Victoria. It’s been a time of reckoning as we come face to face with the effects of the long-running drought and the impact of climate change. Having had a life-long association with the south coast, I wanted to share my family’s experiences during this time and express our gratitude to the amazing women and men of the RFS (Rural Fire Service) for their tireless efforts over this horrible period. 

 It’s a dull Tuesday afternoon and I’m driving the familiar route south on the Princes Highway for the first time this year. The fall of rain on the windscreen is annoying enough to need the wipers but barely there. I’m heading down to visit my daughter, her partner and my grandson, to do my bit to boost the local economy with a spot of retail therapy and to witness the havoc that’s been wreaked on my favourite part of the world by the new year fires. Adele sings something mournful on the radio. The dreary weather matches my mood and the landscape, and as I leave the industrial fringe of Nowra behind me, the tension in my neck and shoulders travels to my grip on the steering wheel.

My destination is the family holiday house at Little Forest we’ve owned for 20 years – we spent our first Christmas holiday there when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Many of my happiest memories spring from lazy days and summer weekends, blissfully endless school breaks spent in our timber house tucked beneath the escarpment, overlooking the Morton National Park. Our eldest has lived there permanently for almost five years. She runs a horse training business on the property with her partner and is raising her son in the place she now calls home. It’s the place where we all began horse-riding, where the desire to write first itched at my fingertips, where my first published novel Blackwattle Lake was set, where we’ve spent enough time to feel like locals. My connection to the area goes way back to my childhood when my family rented a house every year for three weeks at Burrill Lake. I’d spend hours and days beach-combing, floating on my airbed in the blistering summer sun, eating Jaffas at the open air picture theatre where we took blankets and pillows to watch movies under the stars. Every trip down here is a home-coming, a long slow exhale as the busy-ness of life in Sydney gives way to the soothing calm of the bush and the mesmerising whispers of the ocean.

But this drive, this visit, is different. Dread anchors itself in the shallows of my stomach. A month ago my husband and I were planning a relaxing week here with the family. Instead he dealt with the chaos of the fires while two hours to the north I tended to evacuated horses, dogs and people. I minded the little man while his parents packed as many belongings as they could into their cars, watched houses at the eastern end of the road burn while their helpless – and now homeless – owners looked on, sobbing. We spent New Year’s Day in a state of no-so-mild panic, unable to contact them after they’d been stranded in town, the roads blocked as the fires spread. Cobargo had already burnt, Mogo too. As hard as it was to contemplate, it wasn’t out of the question that Milton could come under attack. Communications were out, there was no petrol, no power. People queued outside supermarkets waiting to be led into the store by a shop assistant with a torch to choose a maximum of six items. Low lying clouds of smoke suffocated the town. Thousands of hectares of bushland burned, closing roads and businesses. Flames spread through the valley below our house, almost but not quite reaching our property. As soon as they could travel north my daughter’s little family did, returning days later with my husband to man hoses and put out the many spot fires snaking through the undergrowth.

Then came that Saturday. Our neighbour, a fireman, advised my daughter and her partner not to stay given the aged timbers of the house so they got out while they could. Despite the dire situation all I could feel was relief to have them all home under my roof. Together, we sweltered indoors as we sat glued to the TV or listened in to the RFS radio, trying to glean any information we could about what was happening, not just to our house, but to the homes of friends in the area. We kept watch on the Fires Near Ae app as the burn zone closed in around the house. Then, the news we’d dreaded: the fire was back at Little Forest and this time it had reached our end of the road. Hours passed until finally neighbours who had made the decision to stay sent through photos. By some absolute miracle – and with the combined efforts of neighbours and fire-fighters – our house had been saved. Most of the paddocks were scorched, the trees and gardens and fencing all burnt but somehow the house remained standing. The fire had been and gone leaving a trail of devastated bushland in its wake. Powerlines were down and the tank was full of ash so any return to the house had to wait. Their horse-training business had now been on hold for a month and the bank balance was dwindling so as soon as it was possible my daughter headed back to resume her part-time job in town. For days she lived with no electricity and no running water but at least there was a roof over her head and four solid walls keeping her safe. She spent the hours before work clearing the debris – melted buckets and the charred remains of a bower bird,

I keep driving but switch the music off, silence a more appropriate soundtrack. The white trunks of the towering gums flanking the highway soon give way to long stretches of sepia toned forest, the undergrowth stripped bare, the earth beneath them charred and barren.  By the time I reach the Sussex Inlet turn off I’m driving through a wasteland. News images of a policeman screaming at motorists to turn back as the flames around him fly skyward flicker in my head. I stare at the remains of trees in exactly the same location. Here, everything is black. Leafless branches claw the sky. Houses ordinarily out of sight from the road, now sit exposed, naked. I pass the turn off to the well-loved Yattah Yattah nursery, reduced to rubble, where the 80-year-old owners lost their beloved dog, their home and a business they will probably never rebuild. Impossible patches of green snatch my breath, and as I inch closer to Milton wider sections of paddocks and the familiar sight of grazing cows are salves for my wounded spirit. The dragon’s hot breath spewed out at random, devoured everything in one pocket, leaving the next patch unscathed.

As afternoon evaporates into evening I turn onto Little Forest Road. I’ve seen photos of the street, our house, but nothing has prepared me for this reality. My daughter calls. Where are you, she says. I don’t know, I say. On another planet, I add. In a warzone. Well, don’t stop along the road to take any photos, she replies. Trees are still falling. My throat is as dry as the scene before me. Houses I’d driven past and admired for years are now nothing but piles of brick and twisted mounds of corrugated tin. Others homes are in tact but surrounded by blackened trees, a testament to the bravery of their owners and the fire-fighters. I hit the stretch of national park that reaches all the way up to the escarpment. A tree-army of charcoaled skeletons stand soldier-straight on both sides of the road. It’s a landscape of death and destruction. This is crazy, I whisper to the world as I wind up the hill towards our house. I look for the lyrebird who so often scurries across the road on the bend, see nothing but ash and broken branches littering the asphalt. Dead leaves line the verge – if this was autumn and they weren’t gum leaves the sight would be quite beautiful. At the top of our driveway I stop to look out across the valley. When we’d first seen this house the stunning views of state forest melting into farmlands and the distant stretch of sea drew us under its spell. I look out now across a foreign landscape, scorched hectares of bush that surely cannot sustain life and the tears finally fall. How much wildlife has been lost? How will the bush ever recover?

With rain brings hope

Miraculously at least half of our paddocks are lush and intact, but the fences and gardens are gone. Rebuilding will take time, but it will happen. We’ve been luckier than so many others who have lost homes, and in some cases their lives or loved ones. Down the road a few kangaroos munch on the grass in a neighbour’s paddock. My daughter makes strings of corn cob and sweet potato for the possum who now visits each night.  My grandson stands at the window looking out at the scarred bushland. Smokey, he says, then Fire. It’s not, and there isn’t one, but his budding vocabulary has two new words I’d rather it didn’t contain. After a couple of solid downpours of rain new grass is sprouting. Rosellas perch in the branches of the still-green apple tree and feed on the blossoms, a stark contrast to the blackened fig, grevilleas and camellias standing alongside. Cows graze on the hills across the way. The surrounding houses are occupied again with neighbours we’ve come to know much better over the last few weeks. Life is returning to normal, or at least a new normal with tank water that tastes and smells like ash. Do Not Feed the Wildlife signs deter tourists from encouraging animals to the roadside where they can be killed, and a drab patchwork of bush leaves an ache rather than a song in my heart.

I wrote Blackwattle Lake in 2009, drawing on my own experience of being stuck in Milton when fire erupted north of the house, and the Black Saturday bushfires of the previous year were still fresh in my mind. What if the fires did come close?I wondered. What if the road was blocked when you were at home, and not in town? What if you were stuck there and had to try and save your property? This year my family and friends lived the reality of those hypothetical questions and thankfully all stayed safe. In time, the bush will regenerate and despite the enormous losses, the wildlife will return.The scars on the landscape and in all of our memories will long remain.

Pamela’s website: Click here

Up on Horseshoe Hill: Sneak Peek!

The week before the release of a new book is, for me, a unique mix of excitement, anticipation and trepidation! Reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive, which is wonderful. And my publisher is happy with pre-order sales, which is also a positive sign. Most importantly, my children keep saying, ‘Not long now, Mum!’

For a sneak peek of the opening chapter of Up on Horseshoe Hill, click HERE. The other fifty odd chapters of the book will be in bookshops, and on line, and in your ears as an audio book, very very soon!

Top Ten First Kisses

I recently wrote a post on first kisses for Romance.com.au, and thought I’d share it here. What are your top ten first kisses from movies and books? Ever since I wrote the post, I’ve thought about the kisses I missed out, but I think these ten are certainly among my score or two of favourites!

Click HERE for a link to the post!