Capricorn Coast Writers Festival

With a little over four weeks until The Cinema at Starlight Creek hits the shelves in Australia and New Zealand (it will be released as The Cinema of Lost Dreams in November throughout the rest of the world), I’m gearing up for lots of events that will have me travelling Australia far and wide in the months of May, June and July. I’ll be posting a calendar with all the events shortly, but for now I want to announce my first event which will be appearing at the Capricorn Coast Writers Festival in Yeppoon, Queensland. 

I’m really excited about this festival as it’s the inaugural one and I know the organisers have been working so very hard to make this happen. It is so wonderful to see the passion and care they have put into this event and I hope that if you are in the vicinity of Rockhampton and Yeppoon that you can come along and support this festival.

I’ll be running a workshop on Creating Memorable Characters and also doing a breakfast panel about the state of the publishing industry. I’m really looking forward to these and also attending other sessions presented by some of Australia’s most talented and loved authors. 

If you know of anyone in this region, please let them know about this wonderful festival and if you’re in the vicinity, please come and say hi!

You can find out more details about the festival HERE

 

 

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Sun, Sea and Writing!

I am so very excited to announce that I will be collaborating with my very good friend and super talented writer, T.M. Clark on a unique writing retreat that sails to one of the Pacific’s most treasured destinations—New Caledonia. The relaxing nature of cruising will give you plenty of time to work on your projects as well as meet like-minded writers. When in port, you’ll have the option of exploring the vibrant local culture, swim in crystal clear waters or stroll along pristine beaches lined with palm trees—the perfect way to inspire creativity and rejuvenate your spirit!

Suitable for writers with any degree of experience, this retreat includes workshops, writing sessions, feedback, and mentoring. There’ll also be time to relax and gaze out at the azure ocean and endless blue sky, take in a show or game of trivia, read by one of the many pools, or undertake an on-shore adventure.

If you’d like to find out more, please click on the graphic below or email me directly. I’m more than happy to answer any questions!

 

Upcoming events

It’s July already! How on earth did that happen? I hope you are doing super well and managing to stay warm if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere and if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you are managing to stay cool!

With the release of Beneath the Parisian Skies in Australia and New Zealand (international edition will be released next week – stay tuned!), there’s been a flurry of activity with interviews, book signings and events. More keep getting added to the schedule (which is fantastic!) and this week I’ll be officially starting my nationwide book tour. If you’re in Geelong, Perth, or Brisbane I hope you can make it to one of my events. I look forward to seeing you and chatting all things books! 

Here’s a rundown of where I’ll be over the next month:

GEELONG – SATURDAY, 22 JULY

 

 

 

 

 

 

PERTH – WEDNESDAY, 26 JULY

Tickets for Stories on Stage available HERE.

This will be a fun and interactive event hosted by the wonderful Monique Mulligan, book reviewer and publisher. The supper provided is legendary and may be part of the reason I was more than happy to make the trek west! Well, that and the fact I absolutely love Perth!

PERTH – THURSDAY, 27 JULY

Book your FREE seat for the Midland Library event HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRISBANE – WEDNESDAY, 11 AUGUST

Book your FREE seat for the Victoria Point Library event HERE.

I’ll be talking about my extensive research behind Beneath the Parisian Skies and the incredible connections the Ballets Russes (in Bohemian Paris) has to Australian culture and dance. Learn about the Australian National Gallery’s collection of Ballet Russes costumes and designs by Matisse, Picasso and Coco Chanel. There’ll be give aways!

BRISBANE – FRIDAY, 13 AUGUST TO SUNDAY, 15 AUGUST

Romance Writers of Australia Conference, Brisbane. If you’re at this conference, please find me and say hello!

GEELONG – TUESDAY, 15 AUGUST

Book your FREE seat for the Geelong Library event HERE.

I’ll be talking about my extensive research behind Beneath the Parisian Skies and the incredible connections the Ballets Russes (in Bohemian Paris) has to Australian culture and dance. Learn about the Australian National Gallery’s collection of Ballet Russes costumes and designs by Matisse, Picasso and Coco Chanel. There’ll be give aways!

 

That’s it for now and I’ll keep you updated as more events are planned. 

Happy reading! 

Alli 

 

Bendigo, here I come!

Over the years, I’ve attended many, many writers festivals as an audience member in Australia, Canada and the USA. As an unknown writer toiling away in the hope that someone would publish my stories, I watched in awe as published writers sat on panels and spoke to readers about their journeys, their stories, their passion.

My very first writers festival was in Byron Bay in 2004. I met three writers there who took time out to chat with me personally about the writing process and the industry, and they encouraged me to keep going, to never give up. I’ll never forget the kindness of Nick Earls, Jessica Adams, and Linda Jaivin. They helped create a deep desire in me to one day be up on stage at a writers festival and talk about my journey and my stories.

Well, eleven years later it’s finally happened! I’m am super pleased to announce I will be appearing on three panels at the Bendigo Writers Festival in August and I could not be happier!

The three panels I’m on are (click on titles for details):

WHAT IT TAKES (this will be live streamed through The Wheel Centre – it will exciting and nerve-wracking!)

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

WRITING GAME

If you’d like to find out more, please click here. The program looks fabulous and there is a wonderful range of writers, so you’re bound to find someone you’d like to see!

And a special thank you to those who have encouraged me to pursue this dream. It means so very much to me and I look forward to meeting lots of readers and writers in Bendigo, a gorgeous place full of history and love for words in all its forms.

I Heart Libraries

Libraries have always held a sense of wonder and adventure for me—the chance to discover new worlds, live vicariously through a range of characters (both good and bad), and to be taken on a journey like no other. I’ve always admired the people who work in these magnificent institutions as their love for the written word is as intense as mine.

Over the years I’ve met librarians who have enthusiastically helped me with research, recommended new authors to read, and ensured my kids have the same wondrous experiences as I’ve had within the walls of the library.

So it was with great pleasure that I participated in my very first library event as a published author this week. The event coincided with Valentine’s Day and I was fortunate to be presenting with the wonderful Fiona Lowe–a multi-published and award-winning author who is experienced with library appearances and did a fabulous job of trying to calm my nerves (of which there were many).

Our chosen topic, Romance Fiction Is Like A Box Of Chocolates, concentrated on the various genres of romance. To sweeten the deal (pun intended!), we discussed the sub-genres of romance and likened to them to specific chocolate flavours. The audience got the opportunity to taste an array of chocolate as well!

Despite the shaking hands I managed to get through my part of the talk and when I saw the nodding heads and smiling faces, I remembered these people had chosen to be here because they love books and they love libraries—they weren’t relatives I’d collared in to coming along to make up numbers. As soon as the realisation hit, I relaxed and one hour felt like five minutes.

I had to pinch myself a few times as I’ve attended numerous library author events over the years and always dreamed of one day having my own. Thanks to Geelong Regional Libraries, and in particular Waurn Ponds Library, I finally realised that dream this week.

Yes, today is Valentine’s Day, but it’s also a recognised day for celebrating another kind of love—for libraries. So to all the people who work in libraries around the world, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love what you do and the care and love with which you do it because without libraries, our curiosity wouldn’t be sparked, our emotions wouldn’t be challenged, and our quest for knowledge wouldn’t be fulfilled.

And yeah, I heart libraries.

Special thanks to Waurn Ponds Libraries for the photos.

A Cover Story

No one can deny publishing is a tough business and every aspect of a book needs to be planned and created to give the book the best chance possible in the market. Covers are one such area that can make or break sales and I’ve been very fortunate that the team at Harlequin MIRA came up with such a lovely concept for Luna Tango. It has  captured people’s imaginations and I’ve received comments such as “breathtaking”, “stunning”, and “beautiful” (I agree, but then again I am a little …. okay … a lot biased!).

The dancers on the front of Luna Tango have always intrigued me and I’ve often wondered who they were in real life. When a book cover is designed, the photographs are bought but there’s rarely any information that comes with those images.

Last weekend a friend kindly offered to take copies of Luna Tango to Adelaide for a tango celebration with guest dancers from Argentina. The dancers were Fabian Salas (renowned for his stage shows and his roles in the movies The Tango Dancer and Evita) and Lola Diaz (a very accomplished tango dancer and choreographer who has travelled the world teaching and performing).

I’m not sure who got the biggest surprise – Lola when she saw herself on the cover of Luna Tango or me when I realised I have finally achieved my dream of finding out the true identity of  the Luna Tango cover girl! It was an absolute joy to thank Lola personally for being on the cover.

Now we’re in contact, I’ll enjoy learning more about Lola and Fabian as they travel the world, enchanting audiences with their beautiful tango dancing. Here are a couple of clips for you to enjoy:

 

Luna Tango book launch and tango event

To celebrate the launch of Luna Tango, a special tango event will be held at Readings Hawthorn bookstore on Thursday, 21 August at 6pm. The evening will include a dancing demonstration by some of Australia’s finest tango professionals as well as wine and food and a basic tango lesson for willing participants. The cost of the event is $10 per person and proceeds of ticket sales will go to Parkinson’s Victoria.

Please note: ticket bookings are essential as places are limited.

To find out more, please click here.

Photo by Susana Moreno