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“The Cruising Dream” by Jenny Lawton tells the story of Jenny and Doug Lawton’s seven years spent cruising the South Pacific. Accompanied by their two cats, the couple had some wonderful, sometimes terrifying, experiences, saw beautiful sights and met lots of new friends. This very attractive book was edited by Wordfix and published by Jabiru Publishing. Jenny launched the book on 5 December 2015 at the Bluewater Tavern in Trinity Park near Cairns – a fitting venue, since it is located next to a marina adjacent to the Coral Sea.
Well-known speaker and author of inspirational books, Stephen Chong, is about to publish a new book for adolescents. This will be Stephen’s fourth book, and follows the style of his other books, where messages about life are provided through stories. “The Power of the Possible” aims to help teenagers find their way through the difficult path to adulthood. The book covers topics such as bullying, values, love, morals and ethics, making friends and motivation. “The Power of the Possible” is being edited by Wordfix, and will be published in late November by Jabiru Publishing.
“No Indication of Splinters” by Jennifer Coffison is a delightful poetry collection that was edited by Wordfix. Jennifer’s poems speak to the heart, covering love, relationships, compassion, healing, courage and hope. The inspiration for the poems is Jennifer’s own life experiences. While she has written poetry all her life, Jennifer now wishes to share some of her work with others. “No Indication of Splinters” will be published by Jabiru Publishing in Spring 2015. The book will be available for purchase from www.jabirupublishing.com.au.
“Marketing your book”, a new blog by Michelle Street, is full of creative ideas for authors to help in marketing their books. Published authors describe the methods they have used in book marketing. The latest post on the blog is from Celia Berrill, a talented poet who writes science rhymes aimed at schoolchildren. Celia’s poems have been used all over the world as teaching tools. Click here to have a look at the methods that have made Celia so successful.
A new book to help people who are caring for those with dementia has just been sent to the printer and will be released soon by Jabiru Publishing. Voices of Dementia Carers by Helene McCarthy is filled with helpful advice for dementia carers, letting them know they are not alone on their carer journeys. Helene has drawn on her own experience and the experiences of other dementia carers to write this supportive, helpful book. With almost 400,000 people living with dementia in Australia, this book is a very timely resource for dementia carers and their friends and relatives. Voices of …read more
In Wollongong in the early 1980s, jobs for women were scarce. Many women had to wake at dawn to travel to Sydney for work or sew in backyard sweatshops for minimal wages. When a group of local women decided to fight for jobs at BHP’s Port Kembla steelworks, all that changed. At the time there were tens of thousands of well-paid jobs at the steelworks but BHP wasn’t employing women. A 14-year struggle began as the women took on BHP at the factory gates and then in court and eventually won the right to jobs at the steelworks. It was …read more
Andrew Matthews, the well-known author of self-help books, is about to release the second edition of his million-seller book, “Being Happy!”. “Being Happy!” has helped countless numbers of people around the world live happier and healthier lives. Here are some comments from grateful readers: “Being Happy!” changed my life. Nancy Hayes I love your book. I keep it on my bedside table and refer to it as my Bible. Robyn Horowitz I would recommend it to everyone. S K Leggate “Being Happy!” was edited by Wordfix and will be published by Seashell Publishers and available from their website.
Reader, David Cottone, is very impressed after reading Susan Alley’s new book, “Cheerio, Don”. Here is what he had to say: I was so impressed with your latest novel, “Cheerio, Don”, and enjoyed reading every single page of it. I read the book at two sittings and was unable to put it down. What I loved most was the attention to detail of the everyday lives of Australian people in those days; the pioneers, the everyday townsfolk and the incredible community support for our boys over there…. From an historical perspective, the book would be invaluable as a source to …read more
Well-known investigative journalist and author, Robert Reid, is about to publish his new book, “Legends of Australia’s Wild North”. Robert excels in writing gripping tales of adventure and intrigue, and this book is no exception. It contains true stories of brave, bold and bizarre happenings in far north Queensland, including Cape York. Included are stories about Fred Cole, the notorious anti-smoking advocate from BUGA UP, Dottie Darwin, the longest serving barmaid in Cairns, Noel Vonhoff who worked as a mercenary pilot during the Biafran war, and the legendary Percy Trezise, artist, conservationist, aviator and explorer. Robert’s book will be published …read more
James Farrell’s new book, “Headmaster Not Eaten”, has just been released by Jabiru Publishing. The book is a collection of amusing anecdotes about his experiences while working in overseas countries. James has a rare ability to see weirdnesses and eccentricities in everyday events. The book is beautifully written and a great pleasure to read. “Headmaster Not Eaten” was edited by Wordfix. The book is available from www.jabirupublishing.com.au.
A new children’s book, “Little Rosy Lost Her Way”, has just been published by Jabiru Publishing. Kasthurie Govender, who lives in South Africa, wrote and illustrated the book. Please follow the link below to see her beautiful artwork. Kasthurie wrote the book because she feels very strongly about the need to preserve the innocence of children. “Little Rosy Lost Her Way” is available from Jabiru Publishing, www.jabirupublishing.com.au.
Chris Shaw is about to publish his next book, “Never Let the Truth”. In his inimitable style, Chris recounts some humorous short stories based – sometimes very loosely! – on his very interesting life. Here are stories to make you laugh and cry, chuckle and wonder. “Never Let the Truth” was edited by Wordfix, and will be published in the middle of 2014.
Rob Ryan’s book, “Beats Working for a Living”, was edited by Wordfix and is shortly to be published by Jabiru Publishing, www.jabirupublishing.com.au. Rob Ryan was born and grew up in Kenya. He read Geology at Oxford and became a mineral geologist, a career that started in Australia in 1955 and has since taken him to many parts of the world to look for mineral deposits. “Beats Working for a Living” covers his early life in Kenya, his educational years in England and his work as a mineral geologist in many parts of the world. He also describes some of his …read more
Jim Devitt from Indies Unlimited recently attended the Miami Book Fair International where he listened to various talks from literary agents. In his blog, he summarises, from this wealth of information, ten common mistakes that authors make in their writing. Avoiding these errors will greatly increase your chance of a positive appraisal of your book. To see Jim Devitt’s advice click here.
The next round of the Cairns Regional Council’s Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grants opens on 28 January 2014 and closes on 24 March 2014. If you are interested in applying, you are advised to contact the Council’s RADF Liaison Officer, Lucy Hart, on 07406644 or email Lucy at l.hart@cairns.qld.gov.au. Details about the RADF grants can be found on the Cairns Regional Council’s website. The RADF Guidelines and the Revisions to the guidelines can be found at the following sites: Guidelines Revisions to Guidelines
Book Creators Network, based in Cairns, Australia, aims to connect people from many backgrounds, all with the common purpose of creating and publishing books. Members include established and budding authors, designers, printers, editors, publishers, booksellers and others who are interested in books and reading. Some of the members at the inaugural meeting enjoy the camaraderie that comes from shared interests.
Sharon Wilson has published the first in a new series of children’s books, based on the endearing character of Walter Bear, a mischievous little bear who gets into all sorts of scrapes. The book, “Don’t Chew Gum and Don’t Lie to Mum”, is part of a new series called “Mum’s Morals”. As the series name implies, the books are designed to help children understand and learn appropriate behaviour. As the book has been so well-received, the author, Sharon Wilson, and the illustrator, Tracey Beikoff, are busily preparing the next book in the series. It will be released in mid-2014. The …read more