Monthly Archives: October 2012

AFTER THE DARK, THE LIGHT IS BORN: THE BALI WRITERS’ FESTIVAL

Posted on October 29, 2012 by [email protected]

On the 12th October, 2002 a violent Islamic sect detonated two bombs in a crowded nightclub on Kuta, Bali, killing 202 people and injuring 240 more, many of whom suffered horrific burns. 88 of the people who died were Australians … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITING | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

WHAT IS AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST EVER LOVE STORY?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by [email protected]

Cool Gus Publishing is currently doing a double-whammy Goodreads Giveway! More at the end of this post. But first, what is Australia’s greatest ever love story? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tZsEllRxuI&w=420&h=315] Have you guessed the answer yet?

Posted in MASH | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

HOW TO LIVE 23 YEARS LONGER

Posted on October 18, 2012 by [email protected]

If you ask most men if they’d like to live another twenty years most would say yes. Or would they? In a recent edition of Current Biology, a study of 81 court eunuchs from Korea’s Chosun Dynasty between 1392 and … Continue reading →

Posted in HISTORY | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

WHY I CAN’T READ THE NOVEL I WROTE

Posted on October 16, 2012 by [email protected]

They say you cannot step in the same river twice. Two weeks ago I published a novel for the first time here in the US that was a huge bestseller in Australia. The Naked Husband is very different from my … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITING | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

JUST HOW LUCKY ARE YOU REALLY?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by [email protected]

Are you feeling lucky today? At the end of the post there’s a clip of some people who got very, very, very lucky. Astoundingly lucky. Don’t watch it if you have a heart condition. Sometimes though people make their own … Continue reading →

Posted in MASH | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE WORLD’S GREATEST MONUMENT TO LOVE

Posted on October 10, 2012 by [email protected]

In the west we think of Romeo and Juliet as the archetypal lovers, the ultimate romantic couple. Yet India has perhaps better claim to the accolade than Italy; if you want to find a monument to the world’s greatest love … Continue reading →

Posted in HISTORY | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

WHAT CNN CAN TEACH US ABOUT WRITING FICTION

Posted on October 8, 2012 by [email protected]

Have you noticed how the news calls every item a ‘story’. As in: We’ll keep you updated with that story as it unfolds. Yet it’s not a story. Most things we see on the news are nothing likea story. They … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITING | Tagged , | 6 Comments

WHY YOUR BOOK MUST HAVE A GREAT ENDING

Posted on October 5, 2012 by [email protected]

So what did you think about how the Harry Potter series ended? Were you happy? Did you feel ripped off? It’s important to get the ending right as you’ll see at the end of this post. First: did you ever … Continue reading →

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THE TOP 10 BESTSELLERS YOU NEVER HEARD OF

Posted on October 3, 2012 by [email protected]

TRIMALCHIO IN WEST EGG - F Scott Fitzgerald ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL - Leo Tolstoy WHACKING OFF - Phillip Roth THEY DON’T BUILD STATUES TO BUSINESSMEN - Jacqueline Susann FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF LIES, STUPIDITY AND COWARDICE … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITING | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

BEAUTY, PASSION, JEALOUSY, CORRUPTION, TREACHERY, LUST

Posted on October 1, 2012 by [email protected]

Beauty, passion, jealousy, corruption, treachery, lust. It could be just another day in Washington or Hollywood; instead these are the key ingredients in a story that happened over three thousand years ago, in the Middle East. The tale was inspired … Continue reading →

Posted in HISTORY | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments