Well, that went quick. Thank you for your patience, I’m late again. Winter is the best season for books, as far as indoor activities go. I spent June indoors because of the rain and as a result, I read four books and reviews completed, a virtual Discworld event and not a lot of words added to my WIP.
What I read through June
It’s wonderful to live in a time when female authors can publish under their own names (and not as men) and be celebrated for their beautiful stories. Most authors advise writers to read widely and June’s list of books met both criteria – female Aussie authors and a mixture of genres.
Vanessa Len’s debut YA fantasy novel Only a Monster is fast-moving with wonderful strong characters and I found it hard to put the book down. Vanessa signed a copy of this book with a lovely note of encouragement for my own writing at the Sydney Writers Festival. Excited? You can read my review here.
Amy Suiter Clark’s debut mystery thriller Girl, 11 grips you from the start. Her unique method of telling this story mostly through a podcast is impelling.
Pamela Hart’s cosy murder An A-List for Death was a fun read. Each character that you can easily love or hate. I can see myself as an Aunty Mary when I am a little older.
Valerie G Miller is an emerging author and her anthology Everything in Between was delightful. A mix of family, loss and love with a touch of Valerie’s Italian influence, I read the collection in two sittings. Oh and have a box of tissues close by, you may need them.
What am I currently reading?
C.S Pacat’s fantasy novel, Dark Rise (the first of the Dark Rise series). I’m already loving it so stay tuned for further updates.
June update on my Writing
Well, due to all the reading, yes four books, not as many words were added to WIP #2. At the end of June, my word count tally is 103162. The upside – I have figured out how to write the big scene. Let’s see if it all pans out in a way that is gripping and a page-turner. I guess that’s what the edits are for, right?
Speaking of which, the editing of WIP #1 is progressing steadily. I’m still on the white-room edit, but so far I am fairly happy with the pace.
What else happened in June?
Movies, well one movie – Top Gun.
Twice. I liked it as much as the first one. I’m not a huge Tom Cruise fan, referencing that jumping on the lounge incident on the Oprah Winfrey show, ugh, but Top Gun is a classic. Of course, they had to do the obligatory team-shirt-off-beach-scene, which was kinda nice and it was touching they included Val Kilmer (in the movie, not in the beach scene). The good old US of A spirit is as always present in this type of movie and who can resist huge fighter jets to stir the juices.
A Virtual Discworld Fun Day
It was Sydney’s turn to host the Australian Discworld Convention in July 2021 but due to covid, was postponed till April this year, 2022. Then, in December 2021, we made the announcement that it had to be cancelled. Covid offered us too many uncertainties to run a successful convention. And, noting the recent attendance numbers for larger conventions such as Sydney Supa Nova, I’m glad we chose to cancel. Anyway, usually, the hosts of the next Aussie con announce their convention and the theme at the end of the current con.
So, the Virtual Discworld Fun Day went ahead; fun was had and the announcement was made. The next Australian Discworld Convention will be held in Adelaide in 2024. The date and the location are to be announced soon.
For those who don’t know, the Discworld conventions are held all over the world to celebrate the books of Sir Terry Pratchett. If you’d like more details go to their website.
June Fun Fact –
When looking for meaningful quotes about writing, sometimes I come across gems in stories that aren’t, but can be related to writing. Would you agree the first three sentences relate to editing your first draft? It’s the first tip after writing those two exciting words –The End. Put the manuscript away for at least three months, so that when you come back to it you will see it through the eyes of a reader, not a writer.
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
Well, that was my June. As mentioned before, thank you for being patient – I finally got there.
What did your June look like? What are you reading?
Stay safe everyone.
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