Books Alive 2009

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Bron

I mentioned yesterday that I’d have some good news to announce today. I’ve known about it for months, but couldn’t say anything until the official announcement – which is today.

Books Alive 2009 – an annual Australian Government promotion to encourage reading and book-buying – has launched today, and I am over-the-moon to announce (finally!) that my new book, Dark Country, is one of the ’50 Books You Can’t Put Down’ profiled in the Books Alive Guide. The Guide is distributed free in bookshops and in some major newspapers this month, and there’s a specially commissioned book of short stories that is given away for each purchase of one of the books in the Guide. The Books Alive promotion also involves a series of TV adverts encouraging reading, so, all in all, it’s wonderful to be included.

So, to celebrate both the official release of Dark Country on September 1, and it’s inclusion in ‘Books Alive 2009’, I think a giveaway is definitely in order! But, I’ll do it in a separate post – so see my next post for details to go into the draw to win one of two signed copies of Dark Country.

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Home again

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Bron

I feel as though I’ve been away for a month, but it’s really only just on two weeks – and I did get home for two nights in between Brisbane and Melbourne!

The IASPR and RWAustralia conferences in Brisbane were fantastic. The papers at the IASPR conference were many and varied, but all interesting. I may do a little summary of a few of them once I’ve had time to think back over them and jot down some thoughts.

As usual, the RWAustralia conference was a great chance to catch up with friends, make new ones, and discuss and celebrate writing, books, and the romance genre. Special congratulations to the winners of the RWAustralia omantic Book of the Year Awards:
Short and sexy: Trish Morey, The Italian Boss’s Mistress of Revenge
Short and Sweet: Marion Lennox, His Island Bride
Long Romance: Anne Gracie, The Stolen Princess
Romantic Elements: Suzanne Perazzini, Beneath the Surface

I think Suzanne deserves extra congrats – she finalled in the R*BYs with not one, but TWO books! I’ve bought both of them, and am looking forward to reading them.

After catching up with my sister and my honorary brother and his family on the Sunday night in Brisbane, I set off to drive home on the Monday. It’s normally about a 6-hour drive, but I was very tired and battling a cold, so I had to stop frequently – and by 4pm, about 90 minutes from home, I decided I was simply too tired and sick to drive any further. So I stayed overnight in Glen Innes, had a (very) early night, and got up early the next morning, arriving home about 8.30am, before G went off to work.

I had just two days at home before I was off again – this time flying to Melbourne. My mother came down from Canberra, so we had a long weekend, staying at an apartment in the city. I went to the Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards dinner on Friday night, and also to a couple of Melbourne Writers Festival events, and then a fun brunch on Sunday with some romance readers. The rest of the time Mum and I just relaxed, with a little shopping, a few café visits, and afternoon tea with my cousins and a family friend. So, all in all, a busy but good time.

What’s coming up? Dark Country is officially out on September 1. But before that – tomorrow I’ll be able to announce something that I’ve had to keep quiet about for ages, and we’ll have a give-away of Dark Country to celebrate. So, pop back in again tomorrow!

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IASPR conference

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Bron

Just a quick post to report in from Brisbane. The IASPR conference is going brilliantly – and it’s wonderful to be spending time with people and discussing the genre and books in general. There’s been some great papers, including two very different critiques of the Twilight books, which have generated much discussion and thought. I love the conference banner, but I can’t find an image of it to share – it’s got the famous sculpture (The Thinker? The Philospher? Not sure of its name) with the slogan: Romance – Think About It.

There was a brief and positive segment on the conference on the ABC news last night – you can view it here.

The day before the conference, IASPR president Sarah Frantz and I took a day trip to Lamington National Park and then to Currumbin Sanctuary. It was a great day out, followed by dinner with Sarah, Eric Selinger and his lovely family (visiting from Chicago for the conference), and Sarah Allwood from Canberra. Then there was also dinner out last night with some of the conference delegates – so it’s been a full-on, but inspiring time, with much lively discussion and debate. There’s another full day today, then this evening the RWAustralia conference starts with the opening cocktail party.

Here’s Sarah, at Currumbin sanctuary, feeding the rainbow lorikeets:
Sarah Frantz at Currumbin Sanctuary

Posted in Romance genre, Travels | 2 Comments

Travels (and walks)

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Bron

I’m rushing around getting ready to leave for Brisbane in an hour or two, for the IASPR and RWAustralia conferences. I’m driving up today, and tomorrow, the wonderful Sarah Frantz (IASPR President) and I are going to do a day trip from Brisbane to Lamington National Park. I’ve always wanted to explore some of the hinterland behind the Gold Coast, and Sarah is interested in birds and wants to see what she can of Australia in the short time she’s here, so it should be a lovely day out. And I’m sure there will be much lively discussion about the romance genre, as well!

The IASPR (International Association for the Study of Popular Romance) conference is on Thursday and Friday, and I am very much looking forward to it. It will be the first gathering in Australia of scholars and others interested in popular romance, and the program is packed full or what, I am sure, will be fascinating and thought-provoking papers and discussions.

The RWAustralia conference starts (for me) on the Friday evening, with the cocktail party, and then runs all weekend. My publisher, Bernadette Foley, and I are presenting a workshop on Saturday morning about negotiating the author-publisher relationship. Then there’s a great lineup of workshops and keynotes, as well as the chance to meet and catch up with many friends and fellow writers. Plus the Awards dinner on Saturday night, where the winners of the Romantic Book of the Year Awards will be announced – always a special night, but especially so this year, as As Darkness Falls is a finalist in the Romantic Elements category.

I’ll be driving home on Monday, and maybe catching up with my sister for coffee along the way. Then I’m home for two days, before I head off to Melbourne!

Needless to say, with all this travelling and conferencing, the blog may be a little quiet – although since I’ll have the iPhone, I may be able to send some short blogs and iPhone photos – we’ll see!

So, to keep my regular readers entertained while I’m away, here’s a few photos from recent afternoon walks:

Our road, heading into the neighbour's paddocks

Our road, heading into the neighbour\’s paddocks

Our creek paddock - and possibly the site of the original hut

Our creek paddock – and possibly the site of the original hut

Late light on the trees - a natural Monet effect!

Late light on the trees – a natural Monet effect!

My walking companions (a gratuitous cute dog photo :-) )

My walking companions (or gratuitous dog photo!)

Posted in Events, General, Photos, Romance genre, Travels | 5 Comments

Dark Country has arrived

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Bron

It’s still a few weeks before it will hit the shops, but I received yesterday my first copy of Dark Country – and it’s beautiful!

Dark Country

I have to say, that seeing one’s second book is almost as wonderful as seeing the first!

The whole cover is quite beautiful, and I am particularly excited about it because the cover designer used one of my own photos as part of the design – a tree on a nearby road, highlighted by sunshine, but with a dark bank of storm clouds behind it. This is the whole cover:

Full cover of Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry

I haven’t received all my author copies yet, but I will be announcing a give-away some time in the not-too-distant future, before the book’s official release on September 1. And those attending the Romance Writers of Australia conference next week will have the chance to bid on one in the silent auction in aid of breast cancer research, as my publisher has kindly donated two copies for that purpose.

Posted in Book news | 7 Comments