Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress and occasionally wheedle author buddies into doing the same.
Did you catch last Friday’s This Writing Life post, where I shared a stack of photos from our visit to Sculpture on the Farm? Check it out here, if you missed it. It’s a blast!
As for Teaser Tuesday, it’s been guest central here lately. Wasn’t last week’s post with Cheryl Adnams great? The Bushranger’s Wife sounds like such a fun read, as does today’s featured book. But more on our most excellent guest in a moment. There is news from the Hein house to be had.
What a week! The first few days were spent writing and getting prepared for a big Rocking Horse Hill ebook promotion. If you’re suuuuuper quick, you might still be able to grab a copy at the bargain basement price of 99 cents. But like I said, you’ll need to be quick because this will end very soon. Find all the store links here.
Then we spent three days in Sydney where we attended the amazing spectacle that is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and on Saturday I caught up with Pamela Cook at local Newcastle bookshop Secret Book Stuff, where she talked about her new release Cross My Heart (catch up on her Teaser Tuesday for that book here). Then on Sunday, I spent a delightful (and laughter-filled) afternoon with writer buddies Annie West, Michelle Douglas and Anna Campbell.
Phew!
As you can probably guess, writing took a back seat last week but I’m back in the chair now. If I get excited, I might even share a few lines from Scarlett and the Model Man on Teaser Tuesday next week. We shall see.
Ooh, you are going to LOVE our guest today.
Here to show off her faaaaabulous new read is none other than rural romance and life-lit queen …
Rachael Johns. Whoop!
Rachael’s new book is called Just One Wish and with a tag of “Three women, three secrets, one life-changing journey” you know it’s going to be page-turner. Here she is to tell you a little more about Just One Wish and to share a delicious snippet.
Take it away, Rach!
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Hiya Cathryn and all her lovely readers – thanks for having me on your AWESOME blog. I’m super excited today because my new book JUST ONE WISH has been out officially for ONE day!!
This book was so much fun to write and has some of my favourite characters I’ve ever created in it. Ged, the main character, is stuck between the opposing views, values and personalities of her mother and grandmother, both strong and domineering in their own ways.
Today I’m giving you glimpse into these three characters as well as Ged’s long-suffering dad. In the snippet below you’ll meet Ged, her dad and her feminist grandmother, Alice – better known as Gralice. I hope you enjoy the taster! And if you want to read more, JUST ONE WISH is available now from your favourite bookshop or online.
Happy reading, Rach!
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Less than ten minutes later I was dressed, no longer looked like an assault victim and, with the help of Gralice and her umbrella, was making my way outside to meet my father who had parked his Holden Commodore (still his pride and joy) on the street.
‘You look swish tonight, Dad,’ I said trying to sound chirpy as he pulled away from the kerb. He was wearing an honest-to-God suit, making him look like a fancy chauffeur. The last time I’d seen him wear it was to his mother’s funeral two years ago. Or was it Will’s wedding? They were around the same time.
‘I think I look like a right tosspot. Who wears a suit to have dinner in their own house?’ he said. ‘How’s your foot?’
‘Sore. Thanks for coming and getting us.’
‘It’s my pleasure—gave me an excuse to get away.’
‘Oh Dad, is it that bad?’
‘It’s getting worse by the second. It used to be I couldn’t eat my dinner before she took a photo for that Insta-thing, but now I have to dress like I’m dining with the Queen for a meal in my own house.’ He scratched his near-white, receding hairline. ‘I don’t know how much more of this I can take.’
‘You could always learn to cook yourself, then you can eat whenever the hell you like,’ Gralice suggested.
Dad chuckled as if such a thing was as unlikely as humans establishing a settlement on Mars.
Now’s probably a good time to mention that my mother is what can only be described as an Instagram and YouTube sensation. You may have heard of her. Her handle is @thehappyhappyhousewife, and no one is more surprised than me by the fact she has over a hundred thousand followers on all her social media platforms and her YouTube channel (yes, she has her own) has been trending for months. She’s an advocate for the social movement ‘new domesticity’—a crusade that promotes the revival of the lost domestic arts of cooking, cleaning and taking care of one’s husband and children at the expense of all else.
If you ask her, it’s all about being proud to be a homemaker, not needing, wanting or looking for satisfaction and self-fulfilment outside the home. If you ask Gralice, it’s a terrifying step back in time, a slap in the face to all the hardworking women like herself who fought for gender equality and women’s liberation in terms of their bodies, children, work and relationships. Gralice does not approve of Mum’s new ‘hobby’ any more than my mother approves of Gralice’s lifelong activism.
‘Have you told Mum how you’re feeling?’
‘I’ve tried, but she tells me to stop being a grumpy old man.’
‘Well, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, Tony,’ Gralice said. ‘It’s all the things you’ve enjoyed all your married life that she’s now promoting to the masses. Why should you be the only man to benefit from her archaic ideas?’
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PS. @thehappyhappyhousewife IS a real account on Instagram. Feel free to follow Sappho and get tips about how to live your best housewife life!
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Ooh, I can’t wait to follow The Happy Happy Housewife. I bet that’ll be a hoot of a feed. As Just One Wish sounds a hoot of a read!
And it’s out now. Satisfy your need for this excellent read immediately thanks to these bookstores:
Booktopia | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson
Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play
Order from Booktopia and you could not only score a signed copy (limited stocks) of Just One Wish, but do it before October 31st and you’ll go into the draw to win a year’s worth of books!
If you’d like to learn more about Rachael and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect on Facebook, Twitter using @RachaelJohns, Goodreads and Instagram.
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