The Locksmiths Daughter by Karen Brooks review…

Mallory Bright is at the beginning of this book a shamed woman who hides from everyone except her playwright friend Caleb. She enjoys the theatre but not the walk through the streets of Queen Elizabeth's London where her former fiancé ridicules her. As readers, we are drawn into an Elizabethan England with Protestants against Catholic…

Kim Wilkins books in my collection…

I've read several of Kim Wilkins books including the 'Gina Champion' Young Adults books 'Bloodlace', 'Fireheart' and her much darker adults 'Angel of Ruin' in the gothic horror mode. Then a friend of mine suggested I read her Kimberley Freeman books which are much more romantic and not as chilling. Either way she's a fabulous…

Back to Book Reviews

My youngest granddaughter has just had her eleventh birthday, so I've read and reviewed a few books I'll be giving her. I did get her an illustrated and abridged 'The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe' but I'm not reviewing that one here. Her older sister has the book but this version is more suited…

Christine Bongers books next in my book collection…

Christine presents difficult topics through teenage girls eyes, so realistically it makes you feel sad, confused and frightened with the characters. I love her writing and have enjoyed her presentations at Somerset Storyfest. If you like Fiona Wood, Cath Crowley or Jaclyn Moriarty, you'll love Christine Bongers' gripping new coming of age story, Intruder.I don't…

EOFY summary of my books collection…

Over the last couple of months I've posted about books I packed away because we moved house. I've now unpacked these books and they now take pride of place in my new home. As we're in Lockdown again, and, for those who've not caught up with all these posts I thought being the first of…

Deborah Carlyon shows us cultures colliding…

Deborah Carlyon came to Gold Coast Writers several years ago and spoke about her family and life. I purchased 'Loku And the Shark Attack' and loved the charm of the story being told and how it was a lesson learned and shared. Later I bought 'Mama Kuma: One woman, two cultures. As the title suggests…

Cath Crowley books in my collection

I first saw Cath Crowley at Somerset Storyfest when she was talking about her book 'Graffiti Moon'. I loved the way she admitted to her young audience that they were her inspiration and that she was wanting to know what they were thinking. Plying her audience with questions became a two way street. It was…

Next book ‘The Peony Lantern’ by Frances Watts

Here's my next must keep book in my collection, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Peony Lantern When Kasumi leaves her remote village in the teeming city of Edo, her life is transformed. As a lady-in-waiting in a samurai mansion she discovers a rare talent for art and falls in love with a young samurai. How…

Another from my book collection…

Kim Kane is another author I was fortunate enough to see at Somerset Storyfest a few years ago. I purchased 'When the Lyrebird Calls' which is a timeslip story that includes a lot of Australian historical references. I loved it. She's also written the Ginger Green children's series and many other books for children of…

Belinda Murrell is a wonderful writer…

sisters together Kate and Belinda My last post was Kate Forsythe and today I'm showcasing her equally talented sister Belinda Murrell. She has written some great books for kids in the 'Lulu Bell' series. I gave my granddaughters Lulu Bell's Amazing Animal Adventures. I love the family living at the back of a vets surgery…

Kate Forsyth is next up…

Next up on my book collection of favourite authors is Kate Forsyth, I adore her writing and have followed her books for years. I've also been lucky enough to meet her at Somerset Storyfest and delight in her talent. She is adamant that editing her work until it is perfect before sending it off is…

Back to books…

Returning to my book collection and this time I'm going to showcase an on-line friend Aleesha Darlison. I've been involved in a blog tour for her picture book 'Fox and Moonbeam' and my granddaughters love the 'League of Llamas books. She also has may intriguing series which I'll have to get for my budding readers…

Simon Higgins books in my collection…

I started reading Simon's books many years ago with Doctor Id, then went on to devour Thunderfish, Under No Flag, Beyond the Shaking Time and all but the latest ninja books are in my possession. Simon conducted writing workshops for Gold Coast Writers and was generous with his time. This is his bio. Simon Higgins…

Sweet Adversity by Sheryl Gwyther another treasure

Many of these Young Adults or as they are now referred to as Middle Grade books are the genre I most adore and I'll give these to my granddaughters to enjoy. Sheryl Gwyther’s mango-gorging, tree-climbing, pirate ship-building, book-reading childhood in Queensland’s tropical far north inevitably led to the best job ever – writing stories for…

Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres in my book collection

More books in my collection Marianne de Pierres also writes under Marianne Delacourt. http://www.mariannedepierres.com/about/ ABOUT Marianne de Pierres My word journey began when I was eight years old with a sweet Enid Blyton rip-off entitled ‘The Splendid Six’. My dear sister solemnly typed it for me on an old typewriter and made word substitutions all the…

Female authors books in my collection…

Today I'll showcase Karen Brooks who is a legend in my eyes. She's written exquisite books I've thoroughly enjoyed. She inspires me with her strength of character having suffered health issues and dramas, all of which she's overcome. Karen has also appeared on television. Wikipedia Karen Brooks is an Australian author, columnist, social commentator and academic. Brooks was…

My book collection continued…

I met Robert Newton at Somerset Storyfest a couple of years ago. I loved the concept of his book. Urban grunge life and how can kids make it bearable. Robert is a firefighter and in his work he came across some sad cases. A bit like ambulance drivers and paramedics, he's seen the seedy side…

My Book collection – Markus Zusak

I adore Markus Zusak's writing style. Every word counts and the emotions are deep, raw in well-defined characters. I loved 'The Book Thief' and 'Bridge of Clay.' There are a variety of covers for 'The Book Thief' all reflect different aspects of this telling Second World War drama. More after the release of the movie.…

Karen Tyrrell books in my collection…

Karen and me outside Big B Bookshop in Burleigh Karen is a passionate local author who has written children's books and soul searching memoirs. As a teacher she encountered abuse that haunted her leading her to a breakdown. This led to her writing her memoir 'Me and Her a Memoir of Madness'. She promotes self…

Marisa Parker books in my book collection

A talented local author, and former President of Gold Coast Writers Assoc. Marisa has written two beautiful books about her parents' lives. https://www.marisaparkerauthor.com/ Here's her Bio Ciao! My name is Marisa Parker. I am the middle daughter of Italian parents,Eugenio Piergiovanni and Maria Martore. Despite a thirteen-year age gap betweenthem, my parents were adventurers and always…

Mother’s Day wrap up…

Mother's Day was last Sunday and I was blessed to be able to celebrate it with my son and his family who treated us to a whole weekend of delights. We explored Brisbane by night on Saturday and had a lovely meal with our son, his wife and our two beautiful grand daughters at The…

My book collection – Tara Moss

Today is this months Ten Penners Meeting and I'm so thankful to be living in a COVID safe are where we can meet and enjoy renewing our writing passion by bouncing ideas off each other. To continue my books I've read and enjoyed and mostly kept, I'm moving onto Tara Moss. I've only read two…

the hypnotist’s love story by Laine Moriarty reviewed by Jill Smith

Book Review by Jill Smith©May21 Title: the hypnotist’s love storyAuthor: Laine MoriartyPublisher: Pan Macmillan AustraliaEllen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who is looking for love. She’s empathetic and encouraging to all her clients. She’s well liked and finds the boring balding men looking back at her from the dating sites as father figures not someone she’d…

Books I’ve read by Katherine Howell…

Katherine Howell Katherine Howell is a fine Australian Author, I've met her at Gold Coast Writers meetings, luncheons and am always intrigued by her crime/mystery stories. She was a paramedic and the background of her own life is woven into her gritty tales. I've read several of her books and 'Cold Justice' is one I've…

Books I have kept to treasure…

The Hidden Series Lian Tanner is an author I discovered at Somerset Storyfest. She's brilliant as a speaker who engaged her young audience with her creative ideas. I love her books and her alternate world concepts. She brings her characters to life on a very intimate personal level. They are easy to love and the…

My book collection – Jennifer Bacia

I started off writing book reviews over twenty years ago and I started with 'Best Kept Secrets' by Jennifer Basia. I bought her how to write book and then enjoyed many more of her books. Here's her bio:-Jennifer Bacia was born in the UK and grew up in Australia. The turning point in my life…

Nick Earls books…

More from my book collections. Nick Earls writes about the urban world with candid clarity and humour. He also wrote the Word Hunters series for children illustrated delightfully by illustrator Terry Whidborne. Nick Earls is the author of twelve books, including bestselling novels such as Zigzag Street, Bachelor Kisses, Perfect Skin and World of Chickens.…

All Sorts Cafe, Kirra is where you can find my books…

All Sorts Cafe, Kirra is where you can find my books. I love this little coffee shop which looks out over the ocean. The lovely Katrina sells her mothers' books and I've bought a copy of 'Hold the Ladder Steady' by Sue Barlow, and will be reading and reviewing it soon. It's wonderful to be…

My Isobelle Carmody book collection…

Isobelle Carmody was born in Wangaratta on 16 June 1958, the eldest of eight children. She began work on Obernewtyn Chronicles at the age of fourteen. This was soon after the death of her father in a traffic accident. She continued to work on them while completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in literature and philosophy; she worked in public relations…

Continuing my book collection authors, books and bio’s…

Here are books by local Gold Coast writing friends of mine. I've thoroughly enjoyed their books and invite you to do the same. First my lovely writing buddies and fellow members of The Ten Penners Kate Russell and Julie Baythorpe. Kate Russell is a writer based on the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia. "Shadow of a…

The Ten Penners meeting Saturday 10th April…

I love meeting up with my fellow Penners to enjoy talking books, writing magazines, and do creative writing exercises. Our theme was kids using imagination to play in the back yard. Here's my little story. We only have ten minutes to write it and then we each read our our stories. We write children's stories…

More marvelous creative authors books…

Karen Foxlee is a Everything a Marvellous and Most Magical writer. I've been lucky enough to see her share her creative insights with children who've been in the audience with her at Somerset Storyfest in recent years. I've reviewed her books and taken time to ensure I do justice to these wonderfully written tomes. Karen…

Beautiful books by local Australian Authors…

Robyn Lee Burrows http://www.robynleeburrows.com/about/ Robyn Lee Burrows is a talented Australian writer and I've been lucky enough to be her friend and have her mentor me, particularly assisting me with my editing. Robyn grew up, a child of the ‘fifties, in the northern New South Wales town of Bourke. It was one of those country…

Fab authors books continued…

These beautiful books that engender happy memories are now in boxes, but I'm continuing to provide images of them for you and profiles of the creatives who've shared their talent with the world. Today I'll share some by Andrew McDermott who is the current President of Gold Coast Writers Association, a group I've been a…

Books I’m packing by wonderful authors…

More on my packing books. Yes, some I'll be giving to my friends to enjoy, others I'll keep for our next house. It is April and in the past this was Camp NaNoWriMo month for me. This year, I have to forgo that joy as moving has become a priority. Here are some talented male…

Can you have too many books?

We're moving house again and I've started packing. It's never a fun job, especially when you need to cull more. I have boxes of books. I've decided to be ruthless but it's the hardest thing to do. However, packing also give me the opportunity to relive my favourite authors words while putting these joys into…

Back to Book Reviews…

Book reviews are something I work on. This gives me writing practice and offers an invitation to those who follow me on Goodreads and my blog a taste of the stories and temptation to read the books I review.Everyone has their own pile of Books TO BE READ and their own tastes in what they…

Somerset Storyfest is on again

Each March Somerset College host the Somerset Storyfest and young children from schools all around the Gold Coast come to hear authors from Australia wide. This year there are some cracking authors and I would dearly love to see them. Normally, I'd have booked up tickets and be lining up to join the activities, however,…

Maddy West and the Tongue Taker book review by Jill Smith

Maddy West and the Tongue Taker by Brian Falkner (Goodreads Author), Donovan Bixley (Illustrator) Book review by Jill Smith copyrite March 2021 Maddy West is a normal nine year old with a remarkable gift. Her mother takes her to the doctor and he tells them her gift is valuable. Her best friend Kazuki is a great baseball pitcher, he’s…

This is a very Irish story. I love how Maeve sets the scene as a small coastal town that serves the tourists during the short summer months then barely survives through the tough winter.The prologue is the pivotal scene in the book, later repeated as the critical scene unfolds.The 1950s are tough for those who…

More Book Reviews…

Following the blog tour for 10 Naughty Numbats I thought I should read some more picture books to warm my heart. Somewhere in Australia by Marcello Pennacchio, Danny Snell (Illustrator) Scholastic offer another delightfully illustrated learn to count picture book. The Australian animals enhance the lesson for the youngsters to count on. and another picture book... Amy…

Luck Be A Lady by Chris H Stevenson reviewed by Jill Smith

Book Review by Jill Smith©Mar21 Title: Luck Be A Lady Author: Chris H Stevenson Publisher: Winged Publications Mason Hart remembers he has a fiancé, a job, and life was good until he lined up in a takeaway. He was going to be ten minutes then he'd go back to the car yard he left open.…

Follow on from ’10 Naughty Numbats’ blog tour…

10 Naughty Numbats is a One to Ten & Back Again - Let's Count book. After that successful blog tour I thought I'd follow up with short reviews with the next two books in the series by written by Grace Nolan and illustrated by Nancy Bevington. All these books are endorsed by Australian Geographic and…

10 Naughty Numbats Blog Tour

As a grandmother I’ve read lots of counting books to my little treasures.This one is superb. The Australian animals are delightfully illustrated and the baby animals learn to count on each other as friends while learning to add up.The adding to ten sequence is only part of the story. The baby animals repeat the task…

10 Naughty Numbats blog tour continues

I shared previous snippets of the posts at the beginning of this blog tour. I had intended to share these as the tour progressed but life got in the way, so now I'm sharing the 23rd, 24th and 25th before you see my own final day post tomorrow. The Book Muse asleighmeikle.com her full post…

Books on Tour Blog Tour kicks off with…

The Blog tour kicks off with Romi Sharp of Just Write for Kids post. This is a delicious introduction to the creative world of the author Grace Nolan. Learn the Tens Facts with Grace Nolan Posted on February 22, 2021 by Romi Sharp #onetotenandbackagain #tennaughtynumbats #bookcampaign #booksontourpr Just like her new picture books, author Grace Nolan is an absolute delight to meet! Her…

Gold Coast Writers creative writing

Today at the Gold Coast Writers Association meeting at Burleigh Community Centre we were treated to an Oral History author Guest Speaker: John Thompson-Gray speaking on “Making Non-Fiction as Enticing as Fiction”. It was entertaining and enlightening. The next part of the meeting was a creative writing exercise. We were all sitting at tables with…

Blog Tour coming up!

Hi again everyone, I'm delighted to be part of an upcoming 'Books On Tour' blog tour for this beautiful picture book '10 Naughty Numbers'. Written by Grace Nolan and Illustrated by Nancy Bevington. This is the third book in the series, '10 Bush Babies' and '10 Lively Lorikeets'. The blog tour begins on the 22nd…

How was your Valentine’s Day?

I hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day. I certainly did as we had our monthly game day catch up with friends, we ate lots, laughed and played 'chicken foot' (it's a great domino game). Here are my February Writing Prompts, to jog my memory and yours, and to keep ideas flowing. Valentine's Day 2021 Theme:…

Writing Prompts

Back in January I posted some writing prompts with the theme Back to School - This is a little story on the last prompt for that month. Prompt 5. Write a story about your handwriting and how glad you are you can do most of your work on a computer, instead of freehand, or, if…

Carole Wilkinson ‘Dragonkeeper’ series…

I love dragons so this book is a keeper. I only have 'Dragonkeeper' but see that it is part of a series that my fondness for this story will have me searching Booktopia to buy the rest of the series in the not too distant future. I also love to see different covers for the…