tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58768569133646985352024-03-13T21:04:01.063+11:00Book BitesA project of love, a blogging obsession, and a voracious appetite for books - add them all together and you get BOOK BITES! Discussion, reviews, new releases, memes, covers, links and other fun items I come across online. Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-83607244898148010082013-04-17T22:23:00.001+10:002013-04-17T22:27:16.582+10:00Guest Post: Nyssa from the Aussie Author Month InitiativeNyssa, co-founder of <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> talks to Book Bites about how the initiative started.<br />
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What Aussie Author Month and the The Indigenous Literacy Foundation means to me:</h3>
There’s a lot to say about what books can give us. They have a great power over us and how we feel. I have a very emotional connection with books; they let me escape the world when I needed a safe place. I’m not typically very nationalist, I don’t like sport and I’m allergic to bananas. But Australian authors offer something else, not just a setting or an accent. Aussie Author Month was started because of a conversation on twitter a few years back, because we felt there was something missing. We wanted to share what we love, and for everyone to come together to do the same. But not everyone gets to feel the power of literature. Our society is not as equal as we want it to be, and there are communities that are disadvantaged. The ability to read and write is the basis for education and expands our minds into the brilliant and fantastic, whether fiction or non-fiction. I want to see books and literacy as widespread as possible, and so I support the ILF for all their work. I want to help share what a lot of us take for granted, our ability to love books and writing. That’s why I carry on with Aussie Author Month.<br />
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“<i>A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies ... The man who never reads lives only one.</i>” </div>
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― George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BosGy00NXAo/UVqtNJQOL1I/AAAAAAAACms/ILbqUZoMTdk/s1600/Sandra+Antonelli+-+A+Basic+Renovation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BosGy00NXAo/UVqtNJQOL1I/AAAAAAAACms/ILbqUZoMTdk/s200/Sandra+Antonelli+-+A+Basic+Renovation.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
<a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
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You can win a copy of Sandra Antonelli's new novel A Basic Renovation (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
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You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors!<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-58203368664998347442013-04-15T23:12:00.000+10:002013-04-15T23:25:31.556+10:00Kylie Chan Signing at Galaxy Bookshop Tomorrow! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3f8ainhsWuU/UWv6eR_Ni6I/AAAAAAAACok/3C2QR2gbTKU/s1600/IMAG4127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3f8ainhsWuU/UWv6eR_Ni6I/AAAAAAAACok/3C2QR2gbTKU/s640/IMAG4127.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have raved about Kylie Chan before. She is a wonderful Australian author who writes urban fantasy based on Chinese mythology. Her stories are fascinating, well researched, and exciting. If you haven't read her before, I recommend you pick up a copy of White Tiger. It is a terrific read!<br />
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Kylie Chan will be signing at Galaxy Bookshop tomorrow (16th April) at 12:30pm. You can buy a pre-release copy of her book at the store on the day, as well as back copies from her series. I was in store pre-purchasing a copy for a friend tonight and thought I would share the posters they had up :) I really wish I wasn't working tomorrow so I could drop by myself... Anyway, if you are in the Sydney CBD tomorrow around lunch time you should drop by. Aussie Author Month is about shining a spotlight on great Australian authors and Kylie Chan is definitely one of them! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EEQHlMWvdeM/UWv6f6KvIdI/AAAAAAAACos/o0CAQXUUseY/s1600/IMAG4128.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EEQHlMWvdeM/UWv6f6KvIdI/AAAAAAAACos/o0CAQXUUseY/s640/IMAG4128.jpeg" width="430" /></a></div>
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Kylie Chan will also be making the following appearances in QLD:<span style="color: purple;"><b> </b></span><br />
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<li>Supanova Gold Coast, 20-21 April, all day </li>
<li>Rosemary’s Romance Bookshop Brisbane, 3 May, 4pm</li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a> <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
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You can win a copy of Sandra Antonelli's new novel A Basic Renovation (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
<br />
You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors!<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-85991333483137291312013-04-09T22:46:00.002+10:002013-04-09T22:53:30.897+10:00Aussie Author Month: Fantastic Ebooks I Have Been ReadingThis is what Aussie Author Month is all about for me. This is my recent reads on my Kindle App. Next to my bed are books by Melina Marchetta, Helene Young, Anna Campbell, John Marsden, Lara Morgan, Victor Kelleher and Isobelle Carmody, just to name a <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/reading-pile-for-aussie-author-month.html" target="_blank">few</a>.<br />
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Pictured here are:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16165777-dragonfly" target="_blank">Dragonfly</a> by Erica Hayes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17317164-a-basic-renovation" target="_blank">A Basic Renovation</a> by Sandra Antonelli (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">you can win this here</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12068902-guilty-as-sin" target="_blank">Guilty as Sin</a> by Denise Rossetti</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4637458-tailspin" target="_blank">Tail Spin</a> by Denise Rossetti </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16104090-the-final-wish" target="_blank">The Final Wish</a> by Tracey O'Hara</li>
</ul>
These authors are all fabulous fun! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a> <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
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You can win a copy of Sandra Antonelli's new novel A Basic Renovation (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
<br />
You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-73471076267231380042013-04-04T22:18:00.001+11:002013-04-05T00:10:56.762+11:00Australian Author Recommendations From My Book Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My monthly book club met tonight, and while we were missing half our members, I thought it would be fun to ask what Australian authors they could recommend*. We all come from a fantasy, romance and paranormal romance background, which really shows in these recommendations. This is what they came up with:</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/296477.Anna_Campbell" target="_blank">Anna Campbell</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/72678.Catherine_Jinks" target="_blank">Catherine Jink</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/303653.David_McRobbie" target="_blank">David McRobbie</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/484480.Denise_Rossetti" target="_blank">Denise Rossetti</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2922003.Erica_Hayes" target="_blank">Erica Hayes</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/153703.Ian_Irvine" target="_blank">Ian Irvine</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26878.Isobelle_Carmody" target="_blank">Isobelle Carmody</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/28756.John_Marsden" target="_blank">John Marsden</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/87306.Karen_Miller" target="_blank">Karen Miller</a> / <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1267027.K_E__Mills" target="_blank">KE Mills</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16143.Kate_Forsyth" target="_blank">Kate Forsyth</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7742.Keri_Arthur" target="_blank">Keri Arthur</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/760392.Kylie_Chan" target="_blank">Kylie Chan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/287923.Marianne_de_Pierres" target="_blank">Marianne de Pierres</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47104.Melina_Marchetta" target="_blank">Melina Marchetta</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1120780.Sean_Kennedy" target="_blank">Sean Kennedy</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2855899.Tracey_O_Hara" target="_blank">Tracey O'Hara</a></li>
</ul>
*They really wanted me to add Nalini Singh, but she is a Kiwi, and while we appropriate them as our own and she has attended our book club a few times... Well, she still isn't an Aussie author. Maybe someone should host a Kiwi Author Month... Let me know if there is one, and I'll join. I have a couple of Kiwi authors I love too. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a> <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
<br />
You can win a copy of Sandra Antonelli's new novel A Basic Renovation (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
<br />
You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-30709104091309905942013-04-04T00:01:00.001+11:002013-04-04T23:33:44.764+11:00Reading Pile for Aussie Author Month 2013 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a></div>
During Aussie Author Month I am planning on only reading books by Australian Authors. Because I spent all my 'fun' budget on concerts in the last two months I will not be buying books, so these will be books I already own and love. I may also borrow one or two novels from others if I get a hankering to explore. There are so many amazing authors from Australia but sadly they fly under the radar. I love that Aussie Author Month highlights this homegrown talent. Below is a list of the books I have read so far this month, and the books I am considering reading during the rest of Aussie Author Month. <br />
<h3>
Read:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2310633.Gift_of_the_Goddess" target="_blank">Gift Of the Goddess</a> by Denise Rossetti</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4637458-tailspin" target="_blank">Tail Spin</a> by Denise Rossetti </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4637549-strongman" target="_blank">Strongman</a> by Denise Rossetti</li>
</ul>
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Reading:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12068902-guilty-as-sin" target="_blank">Guilty As Sin</a> by Denise Rossetti</li>
</ul>
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Possible(*) Planned Reads:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10295809-thyla" target="_blank">Thyla </a>by Kate Gordon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/189361.Penumbra" target="_blank">Penumbra</a> by Keri Arthur </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16165777-dragonfly" target="_blank">Dragonfly</a> by Erica Hayes </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9303291-genesis" target="_blank">Genesis </a>by Lara Morgan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12408471-equinox" target="_blank">Equinox</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5876856913364698535&pli=1" target="_blank"> </a>by Lara Morgan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16123002-dark-star" target="_blank">Dark Star</a> by Lara Morgan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82557.Checkers" target="_blank">Checkers </a>by John Marsden </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51167.So_Much_to_Tell_You" target="_blank">So Much To Tell You</a> by John Marsden</li>
<li><a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82434.Saving_Francesca" itemprop="url">
<span itemprop="name">Saving Francesca</span></a> by Melina Marchetta</li>
<li><a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7417780-the-piper-s-son" itemprop="url">
<span itemprop="name">The Piper's Son</span></a> by Melina Marchetta</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2159266.Jack_Maggs" title="Jack Maggs">Jack Maggs</a> by Peter Carey </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1718477.Quest" target="_blank">Quest </a>by Shannah Jay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1718476.Lands_of_Nowhere" target="_blank">Lands of Nowhere</a> by<span itemprop="name"> </span>Shannah Jay</li>
<li><a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1718480.Shadow_of_the_Serpent" itemprop="url"><span itemprop="name">Shadow of the Serpent</span></a> by<span itemprop="name"> </span>Shannah Jay </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1250109.The_Price_of_Wisdom" target="_blank">The Price of Wisdom</a> by Shannah Jay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1718479.Envoy" target="_blank">Envoy</a> by Shannah Jay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2888577-drylands" target="_blank">Drylands</a> by Thea Astley</li>
<li><a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2023763.The_Merry_Go_Round_in_the_Sea" itemprop="url"><span itemprop="name">The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea</span></a> by Randolph Stow</li>
<li><a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7417780-the-piper-s-son" itemprop="url">
</a> <a class="bookTitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/744229.Visitants" itemprop="url"><span itemprop="name">Visitants</span></a><span itemprop="name"> </span>by Randolph Stow</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2452438.Strange_Objects" target="_blank">Strange Objects</a> by Gary Crew</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5865179-the-hunting-of-shadroth">The Hunting of Shadroth</a> by Victor Kelleher</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5051678-parkland">Parkland</a> by Victor Kelleher</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1144532.Guitar_Highway_Rose" target="_blank">Guitar Highway Rose</a> by Brigid Lowry</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1961313.Thunderwith" target="_blank">Thunderwith</a> by Liby Hathorn</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/321140.Chrysalis" target="_blank">Chrysalis</a> by Liby Hathorn</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6089981-walking-the-boundaries" target="_blank">Walking The Boundaries</a> by Jackie French </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1144682.My_Place" target="_blank">My Place</a> by Sally Morgan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47917.Scatterlings" target="_blank">Scatterlings</a> by Isobelle Carmody</li>
</ul>
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*I choose my reading material depending on my mood and how busy I am in my day job. If I am busy and wrapped up in the mundane I usually choose to read something light, either in content or writing style.<br />
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<hr />
<a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
<br />
You can win a copy of Sandra Antonelli's new novel A Basic Renovation (<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-sandra-antonelli-and-win.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
<br />
You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors! <br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-16708449271669654882013-04-02T22:29:00.000+11:002013-05-27T21:06:25.926+10:00Meet Sandra Antonelli And WinSandra Antonelli is a delightful woman who has a way with words and a terrific sense of humour. I was delighted when I found out she was being published as I suspected those qualities would come across in her work - AND THEY DID! Below Sandra tells us how she went from a reader to a scholar to becoming a published author. One lucky reader can also win a Kindle copy of her new book <i>A Basic Renovation</i>.<br />
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<h3>
How I Went From <i>West Point</i>
to <i>A Basic Renovation</i></h3>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There was a time in my life where I
lived without a television. However, we had a radio that was always
on, I possessed a very active imagination, I mean, I was <i>awesome</i>
at pretending, and I had a sort of TV in my head because I went to
the movies a few times a week.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
No, I did not grow up in the ‘30s or
‘40s. We didn’t have a TV because we lived in Europe and there
was too much cool stuff to travel to and see in real life, rather
than on a small, black and white screen with a fuzzy picture.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My parents and my older brother were
voracious readers. As the youngest, I thought it was my duty to keep
up the family tradition of reading. We went to the library a lot. I’d
come out with a huge stack of books. Because my brother was reading
big fat books like the Count of Monte Cristo, that meant <i>I</i> had
to read them as well. As a result, the books I chose were often above
my reading level. I was 7 and reading stuff like <i>West Point Plebe</i>,
which I chose because I had no idea what a <i>plebe</i> was and
dammit, I was going to find out. Mixed in with the occasional <i>Pippi
Longstocking</i>, <i>Encyclopedia Brown</i>, Beverly Cleary book, and
those tales of what it was like to be a young man in his first year
at the United States Military Academy, I had The <i>Scarlet
Pimpernel</i>, <i>The Three Musketeers</i>, and pretty much
everything by Rafael Sabatini. For me, reading meant <i>Captain
Blood</i>, <i>The Sea Hawk</i>, <i>Scaramouche</i>—all high
adventure stuff with a bit fat dose of…<i>romance</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ah, there it is, that magical word.
<i>Romance</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I noticed romance at about the age of
nine, but it was always bound within a swashbuckling adventure. At
ten I started to pay attention to the love story. I started <i>looking</i>
for the love story. At 13 I was quite a geek. Somewhere around this
age we’d moved to the States and got a TV. By then, I read science
fiction (because my brother did), I played D&D (because my
brother did) and I discovered the Gothic romance (because of a big
fat book I found at the library). While perusing the shelves for
another novel in Spider Robinson’s pun-filled Callahan series, I
discovered Charlotte Bronte and Daphne Du Maurier and holy crap, I
read <i>Jane Eyre</i> and <i>Rebecca,</i> and OH MY GOD Mr. Rochester
and Maxim DeWinter!!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
By 14, I realized my high school’s
library had quite the collection of Harlequin romance novels. While I
was at home I read Sci Fi and Daphne DuMaurier, but when I was at
school I could read most of a Harlequin during the hour we had for
lunch, and pick it up to finish the next day. While other kids were
in the cafeteria eating, I was in the library chowing down on
Charlotte Lamb, Ann Mather, and Violet Winspear romance. I also read
anything Star Wars related, Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, as
well as James Michener and a bunch of other big fat books. The
majority of the books I read were about characters who were supposed
to be young, but they were older than me. This set a precedent. I
found I <i>preferred</i> reading about more mature characters who
weren’t all wrapped up in the angsty bullshit of high
school—because I wasn’t wrapped up in the angsty bullshit of high
school. I was a well-adjusted nerdy geek with a circle of friends who
all <i>read</i> (and went to movies).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Not only did my friends read everything
and anything, one of them was storyteller who went on become a writer
of an award winning YA series about a thief. Megan came up with the
best stories to tell me. Sometimes she’d write something down and
pass it to me between classes. Since we both had vivid imaginations,
after a while we came up with a story together. It was about a moody,
Rochester-esque thief named Christian and the woman he robs. Of
course, the characters were older than we were. Megan’s parts were
always awesome adventure bits. My parts were always scenes where, for
some reason, the characters were about to kiss. Megan’s stayed with
adventure and I’ve stayed with characters about to kiss. She was
published in 1996. I was published this year. Her characters are
young. Mine are mature.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So when I came to writing <i>A Basic
Renovation</i>—and you’ve been waiting for me to get here, I know
you have—I wasn’t really aware that I had a secret when it came
to writing a romance novel with mature-aged characters. I wrote <i>ABR
</i>novel for a Master’s Degree. A novel was a requirement of the
degree, as was a thesis. The thesis was the tricky part. I had ¾ of
it completed before I had to examine my writing and attempt to find a
research question somewhere in the text that I could use as focus for
the thesis. What this made me do was examine my reading tastes. I had
to write a romance novel, so what romance novels did I like to read,
which ones did I enjoy the most, and what had I written previous to
<i>ABR</i>, and what, if anything did they have in common?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If you said, <i>the</i> <i>characters
were all older than me</i>, then you’d be right.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Yet here’s the thing. I never
consciously set out to write romance novels with forty plus romantic
leads—it just happened. In everything I wrote, from the shitty very
first big FAT novel that will forever sit in a box in my wardrobe, to
<i>ABR</i>, even to the current work in progress that is part of my PhD, the
creation of every story followed the precedent I set from the age of
7. But because I was looking from something when I was writing <i>ABR</i>, I
had a moment that made me sit up and take note that female leads in
romance fiction were limited to an age range that started as early as
17 and seemed to stop at 35. Sure, there were some that crept in
under that line, and I had read those books, but how come there
weren’t MORE? I had noticed that</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In my early days as a plebian author,
before I started down the route of romance writer turned romance
scholar, I looked to other more experienced authors for counsel. I
noted this advice as most useful: <i>Write the novel you want to
read. </i>Since there were so few romance novels with the older
characters I wanted to see, I went and wrote one for myself. Then I
wrote another. And another. And one more—<i>A Basic Renovation</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And just because I like to read about
characters with maturity, because I went to so many movies back when
we didn’t have a TV, because I adore early romantic comedies from
the Golden Age of Hollywood, I had to make <i>ABR </i>a snappy, smart-assed
rom-com with a slightly Rochester-esque Dominic and not-at all Jane
Eyre-ish Lesley. I also had to give the world my version of a really
mature-aged romance with 92 year-old GP and his eighty-something
girlfriend, Eilish Flanagan. I had to set the novel in a place of
great beauty, Los Alamos NM, which was also the location of one of
mankind’s greatest, most horrible secret—the birthplace of the
atomic bomb. Like the pretty town, every character in the story hides
something or drops some kind of bomb; Dominic’s got a dirty little
nuclear family secret, Lesley is the detonator, and GP? Well, GP
drops the F-bomb.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990204#" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BosGy00NXAo/UVqtNJQOL1I/AAAAAAAACmo/fPrbN6L-fCo/s400/Sandra+Antonelli+-+A+Basic+Renovation.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<h3>
About the book:</h3>
<i>When it comes down to it, rats in the oven trumps Lesley’s desire to
never set eyes on another Brennan family member. So Lesley, a pro at
property redevelopment, scrambles to Dominic Brennan’s hardware store
for supplies. Dominic knows poison — rat and otherwise — and he sees it
in Lesley. The woman ruined his brother’s life. Now that she’s back in
town, Dominic’s afraid she’ll drag up the past, the secrets, and the
pain. They clash immediately, but mix in a teenage boy, a puppy, some
white paint, and some loud music, and what starts as cold fury
transforms into a nuclear attraction. This basic renovation becomes a
major life refurbishment for them both. </i><br />
<br />
<i>You can purchase A Basic Renovation {<a href="http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990204#" target="_blank">here</a>} </i><br />
<i>You can follow Sandra Antonelli on <a href="https://twitter.com/SandrAntonelli" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Antonelli/485163901522218" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Her website is <a href="http://sandraantonelli.com/">http://sandraantonelli.com</a></i><br />
<br />
<b>To win a Kindle copy of A Basic Renovation please comment below with your name, your email, and tell us how you would like to renovate your home. The winner will be chosen on the last day of Aussie Author Month (30/04/2013) using random.org and notified via email. The winner will also be announced on Book Bites.</b><br />
<br />
<b>This prize has been donated by Sandra Antonelli and the competition is open internationally. </b><br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Congratulations Nae! You have won a copy of <i>A Basic Renovation</i>! </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
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<a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
<br />
You can find out more {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here</a>} about guest posting during Aussie Author Month. Let's share the love for our fabulous Australian authors! <br />
<b><br /></b>
Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com7Australia-25.274398 133.77513599999997-74.9937805 51.157948499999975 24.4449845 -143.60767650000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-53216096453219626592013-04-01T20:37:00.001+11:002013-04-01T20:38:53.851+11:00Aussie Author Month - Round Up From Previous Years<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookthingo/5576221148" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s320/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a><br />
Book Bites is again taking part in <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> during April. Aussie Author Month is a terrific initiative shining a light on Australian authors whilst <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Project.</a><br />
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You can follow along on Twitter by using the <a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23ausbooks">#ausbooks</a> hashtag and see highlights on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/aussieauthormonth" target="_blank">official Facebook page</a>. <br />
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I am currently looking for guests to post during Aussie Author Month. You might be an Australian author wishing to talk about your work or host a giveaway, or a blogger who wishes to swap blogs for a day, or reader who would like to review Australian books. Aussie Author Month is about highlighting the breadth, variety and quality of Australian authors. You can find out more about guest posting on Book Bites <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/book-bites-relaunch-for-aussie-author.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
Below is a round up of some reviews of Australian authors and discussions related to Aussie Author Month that have been posted previously on Book Bites. <br />
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<br />
Discussions:<br />
<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/what-is-aussie-author-month-and-why-do.html">What is Aussie Author Month, and Why Do I Support it?</a><br />
<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/favourite-australian-authors-general.html">Favourite Australian Authors: General Fiction</a><br />
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Reviews:<br />
<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/guest-review-gift-of-goddess-by-denise_29.html"><i>Gift of the Goddess</i> by Denise Rossetti</a><br />
<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/review-green-monkey-dreams-by-isobelle.html"><i>Green Monkey Dreams</i> by Isobelle Carmody</a><br />
<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/review-empress-of-mijak-by-karen-miller.html"><i>Empress of Mijak</i> by Karen Miller</a><br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-17112630353870111332013-03-31T20:27:00.000+11:002013-03-31T20:27:31.996+11:00Ask Lovecraft: Horror vs TerrorI love Ask Lovecraft on Youtube! He is fantastic!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-37590064981436663302013-03-31T20:25:00.001+11:002013-04-04T23:36:09.024+11:00Guest Submissions Open For Aussie Author Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I keep saying 'I'm back' but this time I mean it! I am taking part in <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> in April and using it as a relaunch date of 1 April for Book Bites.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a></div>
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As <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/signup/" target="_blank">part</a> of Aussie Author Month I am asking for bloggers, readers and published authors who would like to contribute to Book Bites with content about Australian books, authors or the reading scene here. I am willing to also swap blogs for a day with other bloggers taking part in this blogging initiative. You can find out more about submission guidelines for Book Bites [<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/p/book-bites-submissions.html" target="_blank">here</a>]. As well as highlighting the variety and creativity of authors in Australia, Aussie Author Month is <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013" target="_blank">raising funds</a> and awareness for the <a href="http://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank">Indigenous Literacy Foundation</a>. This is a really worthy cause, and you can donate here: <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013">http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks2013</a> The hashtag is #ausbooks if you wish to follow along on Twitter.<br />
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Short URL for this announcement: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/BBAusBooks" target="_blank" title="http://tinyurl.com/BBAusBooks"><span class="js-display-url">http://tinyurl.com/BBAusBooks</span><span class="invisible"></span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="invisible"> </span></span></a> <br />
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<br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-7544769612840694652012-11-16T00:27:00.002+11:002012-11-16T00:30:37.419+11:00Zombie Bites! Um, I mean Book Bites is back from the dead...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Book Bites is BACK!<br />
<br />
For good this time. I have bought a new laptop, and while I am still spending a lot of time working, now I have a computer I'll be able to blog again. I also have some giveaways planned for the new year. Some are reviewed books, while others were prizes and gifts that just didn't gel with my preferences. I'll organise those later (I still need to sort through my collection), but they will probably be limited to Australian entries because OS postage is expensive and any postage would have to come out of my closely guarded book buying budget ;-p<br />
<br />
So, why have I returned? Well, because I missed you, and I missed blogging! A better question is why was I away? The answer to that is multi-layered. To start with, I didn't have access to a reliable computer. My old desktop died a horrible death, and it took me over a year to be able to afford to fix it. And when I did get it fixed, the WiFi no longer worked reliably. So, while I technically had a computer, I wasn't able to use it for the internet. It was basically a glorified CD player... I do have a great phone, but I am really particular with how blog posts appear and I was never really happy with the Blogger App for Android. By 'particular', I mean, where in the text does the image sit as opposed to the text it is associated with? Does the image overlap the second column? How does the code of the post look and does it work properly? Are the paragraphs too long (I have a habit or rambling) and are there any typos? I usually preview and proofread a few times before I let a post go live, and then I proofread it again. I couldn't do that satisfactorily with the Blogger app, because when I went to the post, it was parsed for the mobile version of the website. I am sure a normal person would have just streamlined their processes and kept posting, however I am a perfectionist and hated that lack of control. I bought a new laptop on Friday for blogging, tweeting, writing, and all the things that have been difficult in the past year and a half (exciting!!). I am not sure if I will return to blogging at Book Bites every few days, but I do plan to blog at least once a week, and I am committing myself to reviewing books frequently.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFFrNRhp8pc/UKTf7-WK7dI/AAAAAAAACkg/2ksGiEb8K4I/s1600/High+Tea+with+Sarah+Wendell+-+Book+Thingo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFFrNRhp8pc/UKTf7-WK7dI/AAAAAAAACkg/2ksGiEb8K4I/s320/High+Tea+with+Sarah+Wendell+-+Book+Thingo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Tea with Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.<br />
Photo courtesy of Bookthingo.com.au </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I have been away I have guest posted at a few different blogs, I have <a href="http://bookthingo.com.au/meeting-charlaine-harris/" target="_blank">met Charlaine Harris</a> (and gushed over her Harper series), I've had <a href="http://bookthingo.com.au/scones-sandwiches-and-smart-bitches-high-tea-with-sarah-wendell/" target="_blank">tea</a> with Sarah Wendell from <a href="http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/" target="_blank">Smart Bitches, Trashy Books </a>at an event organised by Book Thingo (and been able to meet Sarah Mayberry, one of my favourite authors, both as a romance author, and Australian author; I kept my gushing to a minimum). I then had Sarah Wendell turn up to the paranormal book club I attend and we decided we want to adopt her (she held her own with the smut talk, the geek culture and the social contexts of themes in our books). I have also attended some less ground-shattering (yet interesting) events, met some fabulous people, and done a little networking. Fun times have been had by all! I just wish I had been able to share them at Book Bites. I have, however, shared the big joys and the small occurrences at the Book Bites <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookBites" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookBites" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/BookBites</a> So if you don't already follow the Facebook page, it may be worth your while to do so! There is also a lot of book spam and competions shared there if that is of interest to you.<br />
<br />
As to my personal life in the last year and a half, I've quit my old job, been unemployed, found a
new job, moved into a new house with close friends, been to Queensland a few billion times, and...
read a LOT of books! I also broke my unofficial record. Or, at least, I
think I did. In January of this year, I read 70 books! I don't think I
have ever read that many books in one month before (I think it was 72 or
73, but 70 seems like a nice round number). I was unemployed at the
time and within walking distance of my local library however, so that
number of books was not read under normal circumstances. For the last
six months or so, though, I have been working, and living with friends (with Game of Throne marathons and the like),
so I usually do not read more than 10 books a week now. Lately it has just
been one or two because I have been spending my commuting time writing
rather than reading. My life seems to revolve around work, friends, family (I am now an auntie, and JM Barrie was right - a fairy is born every time that baby laughs!), reading, writing, and the Lady Lair and my awesome friends/housemates. <br />
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I am on holiday at the moment (I am back in Queensland for my friend's wedding), however, as of next week, I hope to have some sort of schedule up and running for Book Bites again. I am currently taking part in Nanowrimo, so posts may be light on the ground until the end of November.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" uda="true" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0Toowoomba QLD, Australia-27.56 151.951-27.672615999999998 151.7930715 -27.447384 152.1089285tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-6026381521646623402012-05-29T23:54:00.001+10:002012-05-30T00:35:37.127+10:00Romantic clinch covers: are they offensive?<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3u6epVvXM9M/T8TVCnf-THI/AAAAAAAACjQ/XgZBJDxPvIo/clinch%252520cover%252520jennifer%252520blake.png" /><br /> <p>Are you offended by clinch covers? I just did my sexual harassment training at work tonight, and such a point was raised. Apparently I can't read sexy books at work because I'm harassing everyone who sees it. Even possession of such books in the work place is against regulation O.o One just needs to fall out of my bag and I can receive an official warning. Ebook time! </p>
<p>The above was a sensationalised statement because I'm shocked about such rules. It is only a fraction of our harassment regulations but it effects me very personally. Despite the continual debate online about reading romance and erotica on public transport and how people react to our book covers (of which I couldn't give a damn. Just don't watch me reading if you have a problem with what I am reading) and how people perceive us for our reading material, I have never stood down on my right to read what I want to read, where I feel comfortable reading it. I don't cover my book covers, I don't read ebooks because I am ashamed of my reading material, and I don't hide my book if someone starts reading over my shoulder. I am more likely to start a conversation than anything (if the person isn't being negative of course, and is genuinely interested in the novel), and if someone makes a comment about my morals or makes unwanted advancements towards me for reading such a book I count that as sexual harassment. As it is. Note, this occurred on a train when I had a salacious cover (M/F/M, with kink). Nothing I would even consider reading at work, regardless of format. When I'm reading one of those I head to a cafe ;) </p>
<p>So, I never though of reading a book as potential sexual harrassment to those around me. I should state that I don't have a problem with swimsuit calendars or images of sexy filmstars myself. I would if the images were non-consensual or of sexualised underage subjects. I do have a problem with slurs and sexualised comments about someone, because I see that as non-consensual. But I digress. </p>
<p>I understand the company regulations for no porn, no swimsuit calendars, no lewd comments, no photos of shirtless hotties as my computer wallpaper, etc. All those are common sense to me. And, on saying that, I guess can see how that can be stretched to include covers with a shirtless hero and a heroine showing a bit of leg and shoulder (classic clinch pose). But, surely it is just that! A stretch! When does a picture become so sexualised that it is unacceptable? One of my co-workers has a photo of him and his wife (who also works with us) in a pretty sexy clinch. On his desk, in plain sight of everyone. I am sure he isn't the only one. These are acceptable, but a clinch cover is not. So does this also mean I can't read a book about surfing? A shirtless man rubbing himself up against a surfboard? Or does it need a recognised sexual context to be offensive? He could have a surfboard fetish! You never know.</p>
<p>Obviously I wouldn't read a kinky erotica with a graphic cover in my office lunchroom, but I do read them on trains and at cafes. I understand that the regulations some companies have are probably actually related to these more extreme covers thar could themselves be considered soft porn. However the wording does not exclude clinch covers of even the most chaste romance novel. I guess we live in a world where sexuality is stigmatised in all its forms, regardless of how physically revealing the image is. </p>
<p>I intend to ask a friend in HR tomorrow for further clarification. I very much doubt anyone I work with would complain about me reading a novel with a clinch pose in the kitchen, and I already leave the erotica at home or on my phone. Mostly because no one needs to know the type of erotica I read, and erotica covers can get quite graphic. I very much doubt anyone would mind the clinch covers on most romance novels. As a friend said, this is extreme political correctness.</p>
<p>So, ignoring where I work (that isn't important), here is the discussion point: are you offended by clinch covers? I don't even mean the highly sexualised covers of erotica, but just the traditional clinch pose. Am I (or anyone else) offending people by reading books with such covers in a public space? We've had this debate regarding reading romance and erotica on public transport, which is similar, but the anonymous nature of public transport and cafes (etc.) leads on to think that those around us are not victims but voyeurs for watching us reading. </p>
<p><i>I must state that your comments will not stop me from reading romance and erotica on trains or at cafes. Any vindictive comments by zealots will be deleted. If you have concerns about clinch covers, please state them politely and respectfully.</i></p>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-14376104260693186662012-04-03T23:42:00.000+10:002012-11-06T16:40:56.926+11:00What is Aussie Author Month, and Why Do I Support it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFto6tHLNho/TZQJTmmCU5I/AAAAAAAACWM/kvjXEykXjMk/s1600/Aussie+Author+Month.gif" /></a></div>The way I see <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aussie Author Month</a> is the more we, as a community and as individuals, talk about Aussie authors the better. Having a dedicated month to the cause only emphasises this need. I mean, the thing is, why do we feel the need to concentrate our attention on Australian authors and their stories for one whole month? The simple answer is, their voices sometimes get lost in the blogging community. The community is international, so you would expect other voices (accents?) out there, but because the market is dominated by American publishers, a lot of Aussie voices get lost in the crowd. Some authors, like Keri Arthur, for example, get picked up by American publishers and are know to readers overseas (I found out one of my close American friends is obsessed with her). But how many amazing Australian authors don’t? I could name so many wonderful Australian authors who I buy on sight, who have helped to shape who I am as a person, who have caused my imagination to run away and my heart to soar, and only one or two have the accolades they truly deserve. Some of it is a numbers game, of course, but not always. The more we rave about an author, the more chances that someone will stumble over our blog post or tweet and decide to pick up a book and fall in love, just as we have. That person may have never had another opportunity to be exposed to that author, because they live in the UK, America, Canada, Brazil, the Philippines, wherever, and we, as a community, give them a chance to be exposed to a fabulous author. <br />
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So reviews, interviews, rambling blogs, surveys, lists, recommendations - all of it is helping to raise the profile of Aussie authors in the international stage. Last year I had a number of online friends from overseas ask me for recommendations, because the concept of reading an Australian book intrigued them (I just wish Shannah Jay was still in print. She is so damn underrated). It was a novel concept for them, but they bought a number of Australian books because of it. We have so many amazing authors who bring their unique voices to the table, but they get lost in the crowd when you look at the international market. I remember growing up, nearly everything I devoured was by Australian authors because so much emphasis was put on them at school. Every second book had won an award from the Children’s Book Council of Australia, the Aurealis Awards, or something similar. Of course I read books from overseas, but my school library exposed me to so many wonderful talents that I never would have discovered otherwise. Those are the authors that I now scour the second hand bookstores for, because quite a number are now out of print. Some, like Melina Marchetta, became famous (I was friends with the librarian, and read Looking for Alibrandi before it even had a school library stamp! I was in love from the first sentence!). Others, like Liby Hathorn, are only really know if you have school children and encourage them to read, or if you loved her as a child yourself, or if you are a librarian. It is a shame, because I think Liby Hathorn, and other authors like her are well worth reading, and have a distinctively Australian voice that people from overseas would find fascinating, and Aussies would find comforting and something they can identify with. <br />
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I look over at my book shelves, and the number of Australian books are sadly outweighed by the number of American books. I feel ashamed. But I love buying new books, and while I snap up Australian authors every chance I get, I still have less because there are less on the shelves. Most of my books by Australian authors are second hand copies which are now out of print. I snap them up like the rare gems they are, because I know I am unlikely to get another chance. I love the ebook trend because some authors who were big in Australia in the 80s and 90s are starting to release their books digitally. They aren’t always easy to find. You have to be tenacious, and sometimes the only way you discover them is by googling to see if the author now has a website, and then browsing their website until you find an ebook link. But you know what? It is worth that long haul! I hope more and more Australian authors can get their back catalogue published digitally, because it makes it more accessible to us, the readers, and it makes it easier to recommend to our overseas friends.
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You can find out more at the official website: <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com</a> and follow updates via Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/aussieauthormonth" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/aussieauthormonth</a> and the Twitter hashtag: <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.tweetwally.com/" target="_blank">#ausbooks</a>. <br />
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Aussie Author Month is also trying to raise funds and awareness for the Indigenous Literacy Fund. You can donate and find out more information about the ILF here: <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/aussieauthor2012#charity-text" target="_blank">http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/aussieauthor2012</a><br />
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If you want to guest post during Aussie Author Month, please let me know! You can read the Book Bites submission guidelines {<a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/p/book-bites-submissions.html" target="_blank">here</a>}.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" /></div>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-76058361335320128662012-04-01T21:17:00.001+10:002012-04-01T22:09:23.575+10:00Book Bites is BACK! Aussie Author Month, Writers' Tea Party, and other news<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NfLCGUN_zro/T3glRJdv9lI/AAAAAAAACiw/sf0zDdbh8Ug/s320/Bender.+I%27m+Back+Baby%21.png" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwCylMjGmmw/TTTOfcgf70I/AAAAAAAACLA/vmEhhcjSozY/s1600/puppy+reading.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>I'm baaa-aaack! *grins* I have my computer back, up and running, and I have a new job so I'll be buying books again. Be scared, be very scared! Although, for the moment, I may need to keep the blogging for the weekends. I'll stay up all night on my computer if I get the chance, and that really isn't a good idea when you need to be up and about by 6am every morning *rolls eyes*<br />
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Anyway, I have A LOT of news to share. I am not sure how much I will get to in this blog post, but I have months to tell you about everything, so I'll just mention the pertinent items.<br />
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<h3>Aussie Author Month</h3>It is that time of the year again. No, not April Fools Day (I actually slept through that, would you believe?) but it is the very first day of Aussie Author Month. How exciting! There are <i>so</i> many amazing Australian authors, past and present, that are worth reading, but sadly a lot of readers either aren't aware of them or haven't picked up their books before. When people have asked me for my favourite Australian authors in the past, they have been shocked that I can recite 20 names of beloved authors without taking a breath, and that more names follow when I gasp for that breath. But the simple truth is Australia has SO MUCH TALENT! Some have been published decades ago and we have forgotten their names. Some write for children or young adults and we forget how amazing they are. Some write obscure fantasy, science fiction, historical novels, or novels that aren't quite main stream enough to stick to the forefronts of our minds. Some are published by obscure little niche publishing houses and slip by us without gaining the headlines. And others are women writing serious literature, and where most people prefer to rave about Patrick White, Peter Carey and the like. But the simple fact of the matter is Australia produces a lot of talented writers. I think it is fabulous that someone has taken the initiative to have the month of April designated to highlighting the talent of our Aussie authors, and as such, Book Bites will also be dedicating April to the cause. <br />
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You can find out more at the official website: <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://aussieauthormonth.wordpress.com</a> and follow updates via Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/aussieauthormonth" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/aussieauthormonth</a> and the Twitter hashtag: <a href="http://aussieauthormonth.tweetwally.com/" target="_blank">#ausbooks</a>. <br />
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Aussie Author Month is also trying to raise funds and awareness for the Indigenous Literacy Fund. You can donate and find out more information about the ILF here: <a href="http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/aussieauthor2012#charity-text" target="_blank">http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/aussieauthor2012</a><br />
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As part of Aussie Author Month, I am looking for volunteers to be guest bloggers on Book Bites. The stipulation is you must blog about Australian authors or be an Australian author. You can read more about the Book Bites Submission Guidelines <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com.au/p/book-bites-submissions.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I also have some giveaways planned, although those are still in the seed stage. All I can say is keep your eyes peeled! <br />
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<h3>Writers' Tea Party</h3>One exciting project I have been a part of is the <a href="http://www.writersteaparty.com/" target="_blank">Writers' Tea Party</a>. Elle, the editor, will be guest blogging soon to share more about this wonderful project. Suffice to say, I am honoured to be a part of it, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds. If you are <a href="http://www.writersteaparty.com/?page_id=20" target="_blank">part of the book industry (author, editor, publisher, etc.)</a> and would like to be involved, let us know as we would love to hear from you! <br />
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<h3>Events</h3>I've been to a number of book events around Sydney this year, and there are only more to follow. You can watch the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookBites" target="_blank">Book Bites Facebook</a> account to see updates as they occur, follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/obsidiantears83" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or wait for me to upload photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookbites" target="_blank">Flickr</a> :)<br />
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Okay, I have to admit that I haven't been updating ANYTHING as much as I should, but in my defence, I have been without a computer for nine months :) So, as a quick run down, in the last three months I have sat on Pyrmont Bridge and read romance books with about 40 other people, and I have listened to one of my favourite Play School actors read salacious sections of sexy novels. That was ... interesting. Wonderful and disconcerting. Some of my friends were too young, and others too old to remember Rhys Muldoon on Play School, but I am just the right age. That man has a magic voice, what ever age you are! <br />
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<h3>Updates and Redesign</h3>I've been toying with some concepts I would like to implement on Book Bites. I am still ironing them out, but if there are any changes you wish to see at Book Bites, now would be the time to have your say! :)<br />
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<h3>Books Every Child Should Read</h3>I am on the look out for books that all children should read! No, I am not pregnant, but I will be an auntie in August :D I have taken on the task of providing my nieceling or nephew with every book a child could desire, and those they should. Growing up, books were a magical place for me. I want to share that with the new little person in my family. I live in a different state, so this is my way of interacting with that little bundle of joy. The upside is I am too far away to need to learn how to change nappies! :D Although my brother is threatening to teach me anyway...<br />
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Anyway, I am very glad to be back. I can't really express how much I have missed you all. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" /></div>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-16356466593542341492012-03-02T18:40:00.001+11:002012-03-02T18:44:14.901+11:00New job = new books!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYC4y-3keo/T1BvZpvSsYI/AAAAAAAAChw/SFDRtCqx6XY/s1600/bbtcelebrates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYC4y-3keo/T1BvZpvSsYI/AAAAAAAAChw/SFDRtCqx6XY/s320/bbtcelebrates.jpg" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><em>I finally have a new job! </em></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It is pretty scary, because I'll be looking after an office of 80-90 people - my previous office had less than 20. Also, I had to by a suit. I guess I am finally an adult! The Stanton Library is just down the road (I have yet to assertain if it is in walking distance for my lunch hour) and there is a well stocked book exchange across the street! There is a Dymocks too, but that doesn't count. I've realised that my last four years my spending on books was pretty extreme, and I will have to curb that if I want to have any savings. It is kind of scary how much I was spending on books per fortnight. This time I need to be sensible. I not only need to set a sensible budget, but I need to stick with it! And ebooks need to be included in that budget *le sigh* I don't know how good my self control will be, but I have done a lot of evaluation in the last 6 months and realised I need to make some big changes in my life. And those changes need to be funded. I am cutting my dvd budget out completely, and making my cd budget to stretch a month, not a fortnight (I am addicted to music too). I don't like being an adult *sigh*</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Having a new job also means I'll be able to start blogging again. Not only has my computer been fixed (although it is still in Toowoomba until my folks visit me), but I have eventual plans to buy a small laptop or netbook and at lunch I'll be able to go to a local food court that has free wifi. So I'll have less spare time, but you will see more of me!<br />
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I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but I have a second goodreads account created just to collate the books I actually own. I am slowly adding to it, and plan to keep it as a current reflection of my bookshelves. The url is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/zjanoir">http://www.goodreads.com/zjanoir</a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/zjanoir" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/zjanoir</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
My other big news is about a writing project I am taking a part of. It is an online writers' festival called the Writers' Tea Party. We had a soft launch last month, but will be relaunching with a new vision shortly. If you are an author (traditional pub, epub, apps), publisher, editor, illustrator or in some other way a part of the book industry, drop me a line! We are looking for more professionals to interview, guest blog, and offer tips and suggestions to writers. The schedule is filling up, but send me an <a href="mailto:bookbitesoz@gmail.com" target="_blank">email</a> if you are interested and I'll forward it on to the editor for consideration. Elle has offered to guest blog about the project soon, so I'll have more information then. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And lastly, I'm going through an online branding change. I'll be using my real world nickname (Zja) and writing alias (Zja Noir) for all of my non-professional networking and interests online. My professional personality is greatly different to my non-professional self, and I feel I need to make that distinction quite visible. Most of my friends know me as Zja, and all of my professional contacts know me as Jacq. I really like that distinction, and I think changing my branding online will cause less confusion at functions and conferences in the geek world. So, from now on, I'll be signing off as Zja :) I just wanted to verbally let you know why I am changing this on Book Bites so there wasn't any confusion. Anyone who follows me on twitter, is facebook friends or knows me in real life already knew of the changes of course, but I am aware that not everyone is a twitter addict like I am. The only problem is apparently this library computer has limited software so my new sig is fairly basic from now. I'll update it when I have access to better resources :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So how has everyone been? What have you been up to? Read any good books? Discovered any new authors? <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookbites" target="_blank">Attended any events?</a> I'd love to hear about your adventures while I have been away!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPi5UIWIXRM/T1B4pmnjfgI/AAAAAAAACh8/-BLZcFn_F40/s1600/Zja+Noir+sig.PNG" uda="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-3624756787255525912012-02-05T18:10:00.000+11:002012-02-05T18:10:00.435+11:00Survey XI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PboVbnZ84cE/TE0BJNN4pFI/AAAAAAAAB4s/xJCWKQE6098/s1600/books+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PboVbnZ84cE/TE0BJNN4pFI/AAAAAAAAB4s/xJCWKQE6098/s320/books+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em>Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback? </em><br />
Mass market paperback. Reading hardbacks and trades hurt my hands.<br />
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<em>Waterstones, Borders or Amazon? </em><br />
None of the above. I shop at Galaxy, Abbeys, Dymocks and a second hand store in Burwood that specialises in romance novels of a variety of subgenres. <br />
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<em>Bookmark or dog-ear? </em><br />
Both *sadface* I choose to use bookmarks, but I grew up using dog-ears and sometimes I forget I shouldn't. It is one of those habbits I have spent more than a decade trying to break, but sometimes I slip up. I collect bookmarks, but I can never have enough!! <br />
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<em>Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random? </em><br />
I sort my books by genre and then by authors.<br />
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<em>Keep, throw away, or sell? </em><br />
I hoard books. I can't seem to thin out my collection. I do have a stack of books that my great aunt gave me that I want to give away, but I can't find anyone who likes chick lit. Contact me if you are in Sydney and like chick lit and I'll give them too you :)<br />
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<em>Keep dust jacket or toss it? </em><br />
I take it off when I am reading the novel, but I replace it when I reshelve the book.<br />
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<em>Read with dust jacket or remove it? </em><br />
Remove.<br />
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<em>Short story or novel? </em><br />
Both.<br />
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<em>Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?</em><br />
Harry Potter<br />
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<em>Buy or borrow? </em><br />
Both! I have a preference of buying books, but I am skint at the moment, so I rely on my local library. It is driving me crazy though, because I've read all the books I would usually choose to read. I'm now picking books up at random and reading them even if I'm not really interested in them.<br />
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<em>Tidy ending or cliffhanger?</em><br />
Tidy ending. Cliff hangers only work if it is something like the early Morganville Vampires books. Rachel Caine was amazing. You wanted to throw the book across the room in disgust, and at the same time, grasp the following book, even if it wasn't due to be published for months.<br />
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<em>Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading? </em><br />
All of the above.<br />
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<em>Favourite series? </em><br />
Too many to number.<br />
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<em>Favourite children’s book? </em><br />
Too many to number.<br />
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<em>Favourite YA book? </em><br />
This changes constantly. I would say The Hunger Games, however I haven't read it for two years and the hype is crazy at the moment. I'd have to reread it to make sure it does my memory justice. <br />
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<em>Favourite book no one has heard of?</em><br />
Merlin's Keep by Madeline Brent<br />
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<em>Favourite books read last year? </em><br />
<em>The Flame and the Shadow</em> by Denise Rossetti<br />
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<em>Favourite book to re-read? </em><br />
<em>Merlin's Keep</em> by Madeline Brent<br />
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<em>Do you ever smell books? </em><br />
Yes<br />
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<em>What are you reading right now?</em><br />
I'm at the library and plan to max out my card.<br />
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<em>What are you reading next? </em><br />
As above.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0pt; border-left: 0pt; border-right: 0pt; border-top: 0pt;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-5234346630928651272012-02-02T16:03:00.001+11:002012-02-03T12:02:19.246+11:00Did 'ya miss me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Jah1cyKAIU/TEe3yEP2ngI/AAAAAAAAB2E/SVIX7kFd0p4/s1600/books+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" sda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Jah1cyKAIU/TEe3yEP2ngI/AAAAAAAAB2E/SVIX7kFd0p4/s320/books+%25288%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This is just a quick hello. I'm still without a computer and unable to blog frequently. I will however be trying to post a little bit of something on a more regular basis using library computers. I can't promise much however! My computer will hopefully be up and working again in a few months :) <br />
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My reading style has changed a lot now I am no longer buying books. I'm relying a lot on my local library and its fantasy/science fiction and paranormal romance/urban fantasy shelves are pretty basic. I've picked up some new authors I haven't read before, but generally the shelves are full of books I have already read or don't feel like reading. Instead I have been lured to the dark side with all the romance recommendations and been exploring that genre. My local library has an extensive (I think, anyway) collection of romance, and as most of my twitter friends and some of my close friends read romance, I've been finding new authors to read. I never ever thought I would read this much romance! However, relying on library books has meant I've been able to explore without bothering to read blurbs or pay attention to genres and subgenres. It has been really interesting actually. I've found that a lot of my own thoughts on romance aren't exactly founded. I had never realised what a snob I was! I mean, a lot of the books are as you'd expect, light entertainment, but some books are bloody brilliant :) I'll have to borrow some again and write up some reviews or something. My biggest disappointment, I have to say, is the lack of erotica. I know, it is a public library and anyone can borrow books, including children and teens. I know I was punching above my weight when I was a kid myself! But at the same time, now I can't afford to buy ebooks (or have a computer to do so) I am really missing the erotica. Just don't tell my mother LOL Ah, who am I kidding. After her overhearing conversations about romance and erotica I have had with my great aunt June, I'm sure she realises my reading content, even if it is a little too spicy for her own tastes! ;)<br />
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If you are in Sydney and a romance reader (including paranormal romance), ARRA is holding a flashmob at Pyrmont Bridge at 11am on the 12th of January to celebrate Romance Reading Day as part of National Year of Reading. It will be a lot of fun and a chance to network with other readers. I hope to see any local romance readers there! You can find out more information {<a href="http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/romance-reading-day/" target="_blank">here</a>}.On that note, today is the first meeting of my paranormal romance book club for the year. I can't afford to buy books as they are recommended to me any more, however, my list of books to buy when I get a new job has gone into the high double digits! Damn you Galaxy girls, tempting me with your bookish wiles... <br />
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You want to know gossip from the real world? I've just cut off my turquoise fringe, cut bettie bangs and dyed my hair garnet and hope this will make finding a job in the corporate arena easier. I'm considering doing my postgraduate diploma in musuem studies next year, and I may be organising a sharehouse with friends in a few months. We all have ridiculously large book collections, so that is going to be interesting LOL <br />
I hope you are all well, life is great, and you have some great books in your TBR piles! I miss you guys!!! <br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><em>xx</em></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-7357252459368584252011-11-07T17:32:00.000+11:002011-11-07T17:32:08.634+11:00Book Bites' hiatus<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/ZnBE4xiHtb" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--wBRrksmvAI/TE0C-0vkkyI/AAAAAAAAB50/OQPVnpjEd_c/s320/cookie-monster.jpg" width="225px" /></a><br />
Hello my lovelies! Gosh I miss you! And blogging! And ebooks! And everything about the internet that I can't do over my phone!<br />
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I need to apologise! Three months and no word from me! :o I was on holiday and had planned to be away for a mere month or so, but when I returned to Sydney, my computer died and I have been without the internet ever since. Regular readers will know that I quit my job to pursue other interests (including blogging and writing - kinda need a computer for those!) and while I am looking for a part time job (so I can do part time archaeology as well), I have a very stunted cash flow. Basically that means I can't afford to fix my computer at the moment, or any time soon *kicks motherboard* I was planning on buying a small netbook with my tax return, but I used it to buy flights to volunteer at an archaeology convention in my home town. Totally worth it, but... Well I really miss having a computer *sigh* I'm an internet addict, so this has been driving me insane. <br />
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I am currently at a library using their computers, however I usually get to the library on closing and the computers are busy. Today was pure luck! So, here I am. Explaining. And gosh I miss Book Bites! Oh, I suppose this is the perfect opportunity to say welcome to all the new faces!! :D I know quite a number of you from twitter and your own blogs, but I shall say welcome all the same! And apologise that I haven't been able to say welcome before today.<br />
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So, what have I been up to in the last three months? Well I went home to Toowoomba for a month or so - I had a blast! And had some ideas for a dystopian story clobber me over the head. I'm using them for <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/zjanoir">NaNoWriMo</a> this year, which is handy. I'm going absolutely crazy not being able to read any book I want to, and being limited to the library's collection and my own bookshelves is hard. I can't charge my ereader, and I can't upload new books to it without my computer anyway, so that avenue has also been closed to me. So yes, I have also been seriously searching for a new job - something which is also hard without a computer LOL I've also been attending some readers and writers events in the last few months and I'll be blogging about Paula Roe's talk at the Burwood library in a few days.<br />
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So, where do I go from here? I will be attempting to upload some posts from my Android Blogger app, but I am not sure how good the formatting will be. I would like to say sorry in advance if there are any issues with typos, images, alignment, quotes, italics, bold font, and anything else that can go wrong and probably will go wrong... Murphy's Law and all that... I had some giveaways planned, and some guest bloggers lined up, but I'll be leaving those until I have my computer up and running again. And no, I have no idea when that will be. It might be in 2012, unless a nice cushy job falls in my lap today *looks up expectedly* Nope, nothing happened... So, basically I have no idea when I can get my computer fixed. I have some techy friends of friends, but I can't afford to pay them, and I don't expect them to work for free. So it may be a while before Book Bites can power forward again. <br />
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I hope you are all well, that your TBR pile is nice and beefy and that life is providing you with the time to read them! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-66240889717030760922011-08-01T00:28:00.000+10:002011-08-01T00:28:53.450+10:00Maria V. Snyder giveaway winner announced<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6uW_OiZVTTo/ThpV8ArNU2I/AAAAAAAACfg/r8iC-fGon9g/s1600/Maria+V+Snyder+-+Outside+In+-+Outside+Out+-+Insider+Series.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6uW_OiZVTTo/ThpV8ArNU2I/AAAAAAAACfg/r8iC-fGon9g/s320/Maria+V+Snyder+-+Outside+In+-+Outside+Out+-+Insider+Series.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The winner of the <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/maria-v-snyder-book-giveaway.html">Maria V Snyder giveaway </a>was entrant 14!<br />
Congratulations: <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Pretty Lady</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">! </span></span></span></div><br />
Your prize will be posted to you shortly!<br />
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The giveaway was drawn by assigning numbers 1-38 to the 38 entrants based on the order they entered. 38 was then entered into the random.org number generator and the result was 14. The screen shots of the process are below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzTezoSXoTk/TjVkPaJuCMI/AAAAAAAAChE/9BZNJO5BhlI/s1600/2011-08-01_001351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzTezoSXoTk/TjVkPaJuCMI/AAAAAAAAChE/9BZNJO5BhlI/s1600/2011-08-01_001351.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FzB8ZEyj0C4/TjVkOq9aldI/AAAAAAAAChA/s7qj5_Sm7X0/s1600/2011-08-01_001426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="29" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FzB8ZEyj0C4/TjVkOq9aldI/AAAAAAAAChA/s7qj5_Sm7X0/s320/2011-08-01_001426.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Maria V Snyder is about to start a book tour of Australia. You can find out more on the publisher's facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus">http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-90626940320175072892011-07-31T21:00:00.002+10:002011-08-01T09:02:48.840+10:00Ashfield Library's World Café Readers’ Evening 2011What a brilliant night I had on Thursday! <a href="http://ashfieldcouncil.sitesuite.cn/page/library.html">Ashfield Library</a> had a World Café Readers’ Evening, highlighting the various special interest areas of the library. I had two friends speaking, Vassiliki the <a href="http://twitter.com/VaVeros">tweeting</a> librarian, who spoke about the romance genre and Sofia the book girl from <a href="http://www.galaxybooks.com.au/">Galaxy Bookshop</a> who spoke about speculative fiction. It was the first time I have been to the new Ashfield library as they have spent considerable time and design dollars moving to a level of the new council building (I also lost my library card – I avoid libraries when I can’t borrow books). I was really impressed with the new layout. They have gone for a more approachable bookshop style layout, rather than the Dewey Decimal System. They have split the genres like speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror), romance, crime from the fiction shelves and put them in little cosy alcoves. The library is very spacious, has a lot of conversational space, meeting rooms, arm chairs and the layout and furnishings are dynamic. I’ll be looking for my library card and visiting more often!<br />
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The event started with a wine and cheese meet and greet, with platters of delightful food being passed around. I say delightful because if I had less manners I would have fallen upon those platters with glee! There were tandoori chicken sticks, Vietnamese spring rolls and a variety of sushi. Delicious! The entertainment was provided by Terry Serio and the strains of guitar threaded its way throughout the evening.<br />
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The sections of the evening that really stood out for me were “Planet Earth” by <a href="http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/environment/environmental_education">Melissa Sellen</a>, “Romance” by Vassiliki and “Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror” by Sofia. This, however, may be because I have an interest in each of these topics.<br />
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Melissa is in the environmental services and knew her topic inside and out. I was talking to her before the evening started and was impressed with both her passion and knowledge. As a self-avowed greenie, I found this admirable, especially as she spoke about educating the children about how valuable and intrinsic the environment is for human beings. She was greeted with humour and agreement when she recommended <i>The Lorax</i> by Dr Seuss as essential reading for children.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z7caPJxMoOA/TjUxfsHO__I/AAAAAAAACg4/08aihTp1yic/s1600/Vaveros.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z7caPJxMoOA/TjUxfsHO__I/AAAAAAAACg4/08aihTp1yic/s320/Vaveros.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Vassiliki has gained a bit of a name for herself as the tweeting librarian in Sydney circles. She has a special interest in the romance genre and many of us in the Twitter community count her as a good source of recommendations in the genre. She filled her speech with anecdotes from her own life and of being a reader of romance. My favourite is still the one where her parents used to watch wedding processions drive past to their local church and referring to them as funeral processions heading off to watch a hanging. It is such a droll story and perfectly illuminates the fact that readers of romance are readers of fiction. We do not think life is about happily ever afters, but about living in the real world - we just want a bit of happily ever after to lubricate its ups and downs. One of the recommendations Vassiliki gave that I will be looking up is a romantic suspense author, Suzanne Brockmann.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctgQ2TcZdDY/TjUv_EqHieI/AAAAAAAACgw/Em4Iqk5EN14/s1600/Sofia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctgQ2TcZdDY/TjUv_EqHieI/AAAAAAAACgw/Em4Iqk5EN14/s320/Sofia.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sofia works for Galaxy, a specialist store for science fiction, fantasy and horror and has such knowledge and animated passion for the genre. She is my go to girl for new authors, and as far as I am concerned, she never gets it wrong (I may be biased as she is my friend LOL). She had such a dynamic presentation that the night ended on a high. She bought her lightsaber to play with when she was talking about science fiction, her Hufflepuff cloak when she was talking about fantasy, and a torch and wore her hood up to add suspense when she was talking about horror. I cannot comment on her recommendations as I have only read Terry Pratchett (read him if you haven’t - he is brilliant), but she did mention a book <i>Gods Behaving Badly</i> by Marie Phillips which she has recommended to me in the past. I sat down and read the first chapter while she was talking with some other attendees and I will be reading it. It is very entertaining! Like I said, she never gets it wrong!<br />
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Sofia and I stayed back until late (she was my ride home) talking with various people and had many interesting conversations. The two that stand out are probably <a href="http://sarahthepsychic.com/">Sarah Barry</a>, a psychic who spoke about the Mind and Body section earlier and Vanessa who was resident photographer of the night - both these conversations involved antics with the lightsaber! Over all, the night was a great success, and I was very impressed with the new design of the Ashfield library. I was sad to see they no longer have any Charles de Lint on the shelves, and while I think this is a great misjustice, I understand they have limited space. I also have to mention that they have an alcove for graphic novels and comics, as I plan to spend some time here in the future. I will be searching for my library card in the near future, so I can max out my card on speculative fiction, romance and graphic novels a regular basis. If you are local to the Ashfield library, I recommend you visit and check out the new location and design! If you just like libraries, are in the library industry or interior design industry, I suggest you visit just to see what a different and dynamic direction they have taken! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-17766249098022002622011-07-25T13:59:00.001+10:002011-07-25T14:03:46.560+10:00Why it is worth entering competitions....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c2cxW_RVFqo/TUoFQ5bQZfI/AAAAAAAACOw/K9ny7lSRE8c/s1600/book-tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c2cxW_RVFqo/TUoFQ5bQZfI/AAAAAAAACOw/K9ny7lSRE8c/s640/book-tunnel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The moral of the story is enter any and every competition you would like to win the books for, because you may just win them. I know, it is strange to put 'the moral of the story' at the beginning rather than the end, but I am sometimes unconventional. I had a streak a few years ago where I won a competition every day for two weeks. It wasn’t because I was entering competitions daily, but because competitions I had been entering on and off for months all happened to be drawn consecutively. I recently won 2 books in two days, and it has reminded me that I will have no income in two weeks and those books at the top of my auto buy list will have to be put on the back burner. I’ll be borrowing from the library more often, and obtaining review copies (that is right, I’ll be posting regular reviews on Book Bites!) but some times you luck out with competitions and win something you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. The best example of this is the time I won an ARC of Peter V Brett’s <i>The Painted Man</i>. I was no longer actively perusing epic fantasy (I had just come off a ten year glut) and would have been unlikely to have bought the book for myself. I loved it! It was such a refreshing take on the genre, my favourite read of the year and the author became one of my favourites over night. That would never have happened if I hadn’t won a competition that I entered on a whim. So yes, the moral of the story is to enter every competition you feel a flicker of interest in. You may end up striking gold! And if you read the book and it doesn’t give you enjoyment, you can either make a gift of it to a friend, swap it on a site like book mooch, give it away as a prize on a blog (of course, stating that it has been read) or donate it to charity. I have to admit, I usually like the books and keep them ;-p <br />
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So enter competitions, and the best of luck to you!<br />
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I have to admit, I decided to write this because I won another two competitions last week, however, now would be the perfect time to plug a competition run here on Book Bites LOL So, go <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/maria-v-snyder-book-giveaway.html">enter the Maria V Snyder giveaway</a>! It is a YA dystopian series you may end up liking! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-21372269468857623302011-07-19T08:55:00.000+10:002011-07-31T21:37:56.524+10:00Teaser Tuesday: Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE0BGwLssWI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/erl1r9iILi0/s1600/teaser+tuesdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE0BGwLssWI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/erl1r9iILi0/s320/teaser+tuesdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Teaser Tuesdays</b> is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a>. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:<br />
* Grab your current read<br />
* Open to a random page<br />
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page<br />
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)<br />
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!<br />
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<b>My Teaser: </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wCGLEI0A0Y/TgFb8IclpOI/AAAAAAAACdE/HlIuCDp0TEM/s1600/phoenix+rising+-+pip+ballantine+and+tee+morris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wCGLEI0A0Y/TgFb8IclpOI/AAAAAAAACdE/HlIuCDp0TEM/s1600/phoenix+rising+-+pip+ballantine+and+tee+morris.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWqg-dTI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Yf6B1J7GBRM/s1600/quotes1.jpg" />Standing at the entrance to Bethlehem Royal Hospital, commonly known as Bedlam, she found her feet unwilling to carry her any farther. Looking up, the ornate gate could have been mistaken for some grand country estate -- if you could ignore the writhing figures of madness above the ironwork.<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWP-n7tI/AAAAAAAAB78/x_jN_HGWmqc/s1600/quotes2.jpg" /><br />
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Page 64 of <i>Phoenix Rising</i> by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/maria-v-snyder-book-giveaway.html">Don't forget you can win a Maria V Snyder prizepack at Book Bites!</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Aus & NZ only, ends 31st July</span></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-73870033204868514972011-07-11T12:51:00.005+10:002011-08-01T00:26:27.668+10:00Maria V. Snyder book giveaway!With the creation of the new <a href="http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus">Harlequin Teen Australia</a> fanpage on Facebook and on the occasion of <a href="http://www.mariavsnyder.com/AUS.php">Maria V. Snyder touring Australia</a>, Harlequin Teen Australia has kindly donated some prizes to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookBites">Book Bites</a>! One lucky reader will win two books from her new Insider series, and an autographed poster! All you have to do to be in the winning is to enter your details in the form below. This giveaway is open to Australians and New Zealanders and closes on the 31st of July.<br />
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<h2>The Prize:</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5MHWCgcFX3A/Thpf43dCkbI/AAAAAAAACf8/n-mWc4yaZRU/s1600/Maria%2BV%2BSnyder%2B-%2BOutside%2BIn%2B-%2BOutside%2BOut%2B-%2BInsider%2BSeries.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<h2>The blurbs from Goodreads:</h2><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7059135-inside-out"><b>Inside Out</b></a><br />
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWqg-dTI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Yf6B1J7GBRM/s1600/quotes1.jpg" /><i>Keep Your Head Down.<br />
Don't Get Noticed.<br />
Or Else.<br />
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I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.</i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWP-n7tI/AAAAAAAAB78/x_jN_HGWmqc/s1600/quotes2.jpg" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8901953-outside-in"><b>Outside In</b></a><br />
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWqg-dTI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Yf6B1J7GBRM/s1600/quotes1.jpg" /><i>Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.</i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWP-n7tI/AAAAAAAAB78/x_jN_HGWmqc/s1600/quotes2.jpg" /><br />
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<h2>Terms and Conditions of the giveaway:</h2>All prizes have been donated by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus">Harlequin Teen Australia</a>.<br />
The winner wins two Maria V Snyder novels and a signed poster. <br />
The competition closes on the 31st of July 2011 at 12pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time.<br />
This giveaway is open to people residing in Australia and New Zealand only. <br />
The winner will be chosen at random using random.org. <br />
You do not need to be a facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookBites">fan</a>, a follower of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/follow-blog.g?blogID=5876856913364698535">Book Bites</a> or my <a href="http://twitter.com/obsidiantears83">twitter </a>to enter (although much love if you do).<br />
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This giveaway is now closed!<br />
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Good luck everyone!<br />
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If the winner would like to review the books for Book Bites, please let me know :-p<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-43513601648141368222011-07-11T09:31:00.001+10:002011-07-11T09:39:57.936+10:00Review: Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ld1zJrnSAA/ThfumyP42zI/AAAAAAAACes/XHfILYkyAM4/s1600/Stranded+With+Her+Ex+-+Jill+Sorenson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ld1zJrnSAA/ThfumyP42zI/AAAAAAAACes/XHfILYkyAM4/s1600/Stranded+With+Her+Ex+-+Jill+Sorenson.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9728886-stranded-with-her-ex"><i>Stranded With Her Ex</i> by Jill Sorenson</a><br />
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<h3>
Blurb from Goodreads:</h3>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWqg-dTI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Yf6B1J7GBRM/s1600/quotes1.jpg" /><i>An exotic wildlife preserve is a dream come true for conservation biologist Daniela Flores. Until she finds out her ex-husband is leading the research team. World-famous shark expert Sean Carmichael has only grown more ruggedly appealing in the time they were apart…the passion between them more intense than ever. But how could Daniela forgive Sean for betraying her when she needed him most?</i><br />
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<i>Sean had come to the remote Farallon Islands to study killer sharks. Now a real killer is on the loose, threatening the woman he's never stopped loving. And this time, he knows he can't walk away. Marooned together during a deadly storm, Sean vows to go to hell and back to save Daniela…and for the chance to begin again</i>.<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0l1vw69QteA/TE-kWP-n7tI/AAAAAAAAB78/x_jN_HGWmqc/s1600/quotes2.jpg" /><br />
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<h3>
The review: </h3>
I don't usually expect much from category romance apart from an entertaining story. <i>Stranded With Her Ex</i> bucked the trend! I hate that I must subconsciously believe the negative press that the romance genre receives, but somehow I still feel surprised when I come across a romance novel that rates high on all the levels of novel appreciation, especially if it is a category romance. I am not a literature snob, far from it, but I seem to have soaked up some of those assumptions. <br />
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From the second Daniela sets foot on the stark island, the suspense and drama sets in. The landscape is foreboding, but even the sharks are viewed with a sense of wonder. All the wildlife are viewed as wild and dangerous, even the birds, and the scientific merit of the project, environmental cause and scientific passion comes through loud and clear. The characters are well written and believable, and the tensions and relationships of the team are real and add to the high drama and suspense. Apart from the main protagonists, everyone has reason to be suspect to the reader. Those same main protagonists are dealing with real and serious issues like anxiety, emotional breakdowns and grief. <br />
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I enjoyed reading this novel immensely and recommend it to both romance and thriller readers. I'll be buying Jill Sorenson's novels again in the future, and if my second book is as near as good as this one, Sorenson will have made it onto my autobuy list of authors. <br />
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The only part of this book I disliked was the need for a Mills & Boon descriptive title, rather than a meaningful one. However, I understand their marketing strategy and this is not a complaint but an observation. I really loved this book! Five stars! I'm off to read it again...<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-7007563677563465112011-07-08T14:34:00.003+10:002011-07-08T14:41:59.506+10:00Harlequin Teen have a comp to win an iPad2 and meet Maria V Snyder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIWa4Ebx0nQ/ThaGtFqJgmI/AAAAAAAACek/oRQ6jfFp9r8/s1600/Harlequin+Teen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIWa4Ebx0nQ/ThaGtFqJgmI/AAAAAAAACek/oRQ6jfFp9r8/s640/Harlequin+Teen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Hi guys,<br />
Harlequin, the publishers of Mills & Boon now have a YA Fiction imprint called Harlequin Teen. They've published some books I really like, namely Rachel Caine's Soul Screamer series which just blew me away with their use of an original species for both YA and UF/PNR. I raved about the first one in the series when it came out and I have the rest on my TBR pile. You should read them!<br />
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I got distracted *bites lip* Anyway, the reason for my blog is that Harlequin Teen in Australia are running a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus?sk=app_107611949261673">competition </a>to meet Maria V Snyder and an iPad2. You can find out more on their new facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteenaus" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>harlequinteenaus</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876856913364698535.post-41249272859787976182011-07-08T13:48:00.003+10:002011-07-08T14:40:11.559+10:00Sony can't keep up the the demand for the Sony Reader 650 & accessories<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkmDbWpmkM8/ThUejdpdFwI/AAAAAAAACeQ/_KtyUqpin8c/s1600/Sony+Reader+Case+with+light.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkmDbWpmkM8/ThUejdpdFwI/AAAAAAAACeQ/_KtyUqpin8c/s400/Sony+Reader+Case+with+light.jpeg" width="400" /></a> </div>
So I wasn't able to buy the case I wanted. The Sony Centre in George Street had run out, and told me they had been discontinued. They are still listed on the website. I called Burwood's David Jones store and they only have the hideous red ones {<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-slgfSNP6elc/ThZ0afJkygI/AAAAAAAACec/_wCc4G_mcmo/s1600/red.jpeg" target="_blank">pic1</a>} {<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NHQjtINlvi4/ThZ0aH5L04I/AAAAAAAACeY/5jcwKrYaP2g/s1600/red2.jpeg" target="_blank">pic2</a>}. I will only buy one of the red ones if I have to. I'd prefer my pretty red Sony Reader to be in a black case. I didn't buy one when I bought my ereader because I had limited funds at the time. I do now as well, but as I explained <a href="http://bookbitesoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/travelling-so-im-off-to-buy-sony-reader.html">yesterday</a>, a girl has to do what a girl has to do! Tomorrow I am getting Lillian to scout Myer's in Toowoomba, and I'll spend the day with the phone calling around stores in Sydney. I really don't want the red one. I am not an eBay user, but the search I did on eBay today turned up no sources. I am ready to scream or cry or something emotional. If the case was cheaper I would just get the red one, but I am <i>NOT </i>spending $60 on something I find unattractive unless I have no other options. The "red" binding is too brown for my liking, and although the red flap is a gorgeous red, the brown detracts from it. If in doubt, go black! Not that it is my favourite colour or anything! *snickers* (coincidently, nearly all my clothes are black LOL The only colours are for contrasting the black.) Anyway, I am in a quandary. What to do, what to do!?!<br />
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I've been talking to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fangbooks">@fangbooks</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/staticsan">@staticsan</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/SonyNZ">@SonyNZ</a> on twitter, and apparently there is a high demand for them and they are sold out and unlikely to get new stock soon. I don't know who to believe. A busy manager who could have been fobbing off a customer or a twitter account. I'll go with the twitter account's reasoning because the girl looked busy and annoyed. Also, I would hate to think this product has been discontinued. It would be such a loss!<br />
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I guess it doesn't really matter. I'll be leaving NSW for the sticks in QLD in just under a month, and I need a case with a light. Unless I can find the black one, I'll have to buy the red one. But it may sell out. In that case, I guess I'll have to get a normal book light and *cries* clip it to my pretty red ereader.<br />
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God, these are SUCH #firstworldproblems! But I don't have much money, and when I buy something, it needs to count. Also, a month with solar power. It is lovely on paper, and I am proud that we aren't using grid power and all it's nasty associations, but I grew up on solar power, and it is <i>not </i>fun when you are a book worm! You either drain the batteries and get yelled up (just remember, I have been dealing with this since I was 6. I am now 27. I moved out of home when I was 16, but I visit as much as I can. Every night I was yelled at to put down the book and turn off the light!), or huddle with a torch which constantly kills the batteries, or ring your bed with 20 candles to get light bright enough not to give you eye strain. The option of not reading in bed of a night is a no brainer. So, yes, I need a solution. I will be home for nearly a month. A month of not reading of a night? Have I mentioned I am an insomniac? And books are my cocaine? I have? Well, you can see why this is the most pressing issue about visiting my parents. And that it is a problem I'll have in the future. My ereader was partly bought for travelling. I can take hundreds of books with me and they won't take up any room. I tried to take 20 books with me on a flight home once - it cost me a fortune! So this case will be an investment! All those times I am trying to read in low light - either on holiday, camping, on trains or in blackouts - I can just use the light!<br />
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Wish me luck! I have 3 or 4 weeks to find a solution! Damn you Sony! You create such an amazing product and then can't keep up with the demand? You need better planning in place!! <i style="color: purple;"><u><b>Serious book readers are addicts!</b></u></i><span style="color: purple;"> </span>We can't not read. It is a compulsion! And we share our love with those around us. Three people at my book club last night were interested in buying a Sony Reader after Maria and I waxed lyrical. <i>Three people!</i> I guess they luck out. And apparently @staticsan hasn't been able to buy one for months... And Rosie from @fangbooks lost hers when travelling and has been desperately trying to find a replacement. There is such a demand out there for the Sony Reader Touch 650, but it seems everyone is out of luck. So good luck to everyone else who is on the endless search for the ereader and accessories!<br />
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Edit: A quick update. Rosie from @fangbooks called around about the Sony Reader 650 and apparently there are none to be had in Australia! The new release is apparently in a few months.<br />
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Edit: My friend Zach just made a comment on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookBites">Book Bites facebook page</a> about the availability in America: "<span data-jsid="text">The 650s are becoming rare here in America, too.
There are very few left even on Amazon. The Daily and Pocket editions
are a bit more available, but that's understandable, considering the
Touch is more popular. All three are out of stock ac<span class="text_exposed_show">cording to Sony's website. I've decided that I want a Reader over a Kindle or a Nook, so I'll patiently wait for the release."</span></span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85801/jacq83/dd68ff91aa1efdd4562ce8ced2a04405.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Zja Noirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08740149971259106871noreply@blogger.com1