I am currently working on two manuscripts, one is loosely about the story of grief and my experiences losing my brother and then my son and the ripple effect that it had on my family, friends and co-workers. The other is a thriller based around the exploits of my character Alex Pearson in a race against time through a number of countries in an effort to save not the world but something eve more precious to us all, free will and free choice. 

That aside it was devastating to come back to my day work yesterday and find that one of Western Australia’s most lovable rouges had passed away over the weekend. Glen Bridge, winner of Western Australia’s funniest joke telling competition and an all round Aussie guy. I will miss our occasional talks and remember fondly the times we had too much to drink, the nudie dances on the boat, the laughter that you brought too so many people. I will not forget that it is “mint”. Good luck in the next chapter mate, love ya.

For everyone that does read my blog I can’t stress enough the importance of being and doing what you want to do in life, don’t let anything hold you back because every corner in this world does hold something different for us, not always good but always a new experience and part of the learning journey. Embrace life with all that you have and hold it dear, and make sure you tell those people that you love.

Currently reading China Cukoo by Mark Kitto – anybody who has read it send me your comments – love to hear what you think.

Good Times

After 3 great days at the writers festival and a few dollars contributed to the local bookshops its back to the day job. Thank you for all the emails of support everyone I do appreciate your comments – and yes I did pick up on the spelling and grammatical error – again my impatience (to get the site up before the festival) made its impact.

Great writers at the festival – if you get a chance to listen Emmanuel Jals story about growing up with the Sudan civil war and onwards to becoming a rap star – definitely take it. The line of people snaked around the auditorium for quite some time after the completion of his talk with all waiting patiently to get a copy of Emmanuel’s book signed. During the day I had been talking to another Author and she was very happy to have sold and signed 6 books, using her as a yardstick, Emmanuel would be pleased with the number of people he reached.

In life we can be lucky to come across people that encourage and motivate you, I now add Emmanuel to that list of people, not in so much as the way people like Tony Park have inspired me as a writer but more in a way that his story encourages me that wherever we are in life we should never give up. This is equally applicable in struggling for your very life as Emmanuel was and being faced with the challenges that come into all of our lives. Thank you to all those that take the time to share, encourage and motivate you truly have an important role in the universe, more of the same.

I picked up some great books from the festival which I will be diligently reviewing over the next couple of weeks:

China Cuckoo – Mark Kitto, The Lost Sky – Alice Nelson, Deep Water – Peter Corris, War Child – Emmanuel Jal

Don’t forget to try for the cash prizes and submit reviews of your own.

My sights are now on this week’s Literati on the Gold Coast, some outstanding authors are going to be present – Tony Park, Peter Watt, Sydney Bauer, Katherine Howell, Kim Wilkins – to name a few – great stuff.

Day 2, first up on my program was the Happiness Principle – with a seminar like that how could i go wrong, well 20 minutes before and still missed out on the line up – need to be early on the weekends. No matter though joined another lecture about research , really good even if it is normally a dry sounding topic – all the same i have spent perilous hours on research (and enjoyed it too much) – or is that procrastinating ?lol.

Sat in on a lecture with Kate Grenville, Amanda Curtin, Nava Semel and Alan Gold. All truly enteraining authors and a great time.

Few hours later and the flu and sleepiness exerted the pressure and decided to head back to Swisotel – what a place to recover. Could not hang round long though the lure of the local pub – Lowenbrau – was calling me. I was not dissappointed, mango biers, frauleins and good company what a way to finish the day – recommend that next time you are in the Rocks.

I could not think of a better weekend to launch my new website and blogsite – The Sydney Writers Festival. So here it is – please make any comments and suggestions – as long as they are constructive…lol

We were up at 5:00 am looking forward to getting away from the murky weather that the Gold Coast has been having, only to find out that it had all moved South.

Aside from the standard toilet break after getting off the plane the very first essential stop was new jumper – so cold. The cab ride into town was more interesting than i had anticipated – a muslim named Bruce was our driver – at least thats what the name looked like reading upside down though the secuirty screen. Conversation started lively with our cabbie sympathising with us about the overgrown germ that pushed passed us in the cab rank and relating the experience that he faces every day with the corrupt cab directional man working at the airport passing off the good jobs to those that show the appreciation.  The conversation then drifted to a clear reminder about faith. I know we all have our own interpretation about what is right and wrong, but i really enjoyed Bruces oratory on the koran particulary his reminder that it does not matter who and what we have, it is imporant who we are, and to forget “the mud on our shoes” and stand up and be counted.

It was strange then (message from higher power…lol) to get involed in the first Author discussion with Mark Kitto – the author of China Cuckoo. Sitting before me was a vivid reminder of how at one minute we can everything and the next minute its all gone – so relevant in todays economic environment. When we are faced with challenges like this it needs to be the real man or woman that steps forward to take up the gauntlet. Mark Kitto has done just that in his life, and what a colourful story that has been. I must admit i only chose to listen to Mark because of the China angle – being a long lost want to be nomad it struck a chord. The result though was that i enjoyed every minute of the discussion and could not ask to meet a more down to earth person than Mark. I will be reviewing his book over the next few weeks and i will hve no need to be gentle with that because the story by this man I can already see is going to be well worthwhile.

Next up was Peter Corris and James – oops i mean Graeme Blundell in conversation, sorry Graeme. One of the first names that i read on the program for the festival was Peter Corris, claim to fame, author of the Cliff Hardy series of novels. Peters Cliff Hardy books are mostly set around Sydney area, although Cliff does tend to travel quite a bit, and Peter likens this travel almost to a whos who of the Greogry street directories.

Cliff Hardy is a quiet unassuming down to earth and straight to the point typical Australian, and although Peter says there are not likenesses  with Cliff and himself i disagree. I found Peter to be quiet, unassuming and straight to the point, even in so much as not quite in love with the idea of photo somthing that the no fuss Cliff Hardy would aslo chhose….i read somewhere. Sometimes in life we do not see the ripple effect that we have on others and the actions that you have on other people, Peter has had an effect on my life and i will always remember the advice that was on offer from a plain and simple veteren of 62 books, one heart operation followed by being clipped by a car followed by……..at 67 mate keep up the great work and remember the passion burns brightly, fanned by men like you. Starting to sound a little like Star Wars without the light sabre, but definately the force.

Aside from picking up the flu, everything is going to plan and looking forward to another day of wonderous and exciting stories. 

Good times.