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Dean Mayes

Goodreads Author

Born

in Moe, Victoria, Australia

September 08

Website

http://www.deanfromaustralia.com

Twitter

Hambledown_Road

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Politics, History

Influences

Simon Winchester, Matt Price, Nicholas Sparks ...more

Member Since

April 2012

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When he emerged in 2010, Adelaide based Intensive Care Nurse and author Dean Mayes, had almost given up on the prospect of ever being published. by then in his 30's with several abortive writing attempts under his belt, Dean believed he had missed his opportunity. But Dean had an idea for one last story he wanted to tell and, rather than allow it to wither and die in his imagination, he decided to blog it instead.

Quite unexpectedly, Dean's blog took off and after a chance encounter with Canadian based publisher Central Avenue in mid 2009, Dean's dream like tale about a young man who discovers he has taken on the memories and dreams of a complete stranger, became his first novel. Dean was signed to an initial two year contract and in 2010 "T When he emerged in 2010, Adelaide based Intensive Care Nurse and author Dean Mayes, had almost given up on the prospect of ever being published. by then in his 30's with several abortive writing attempts under his belt, Dean believed he had missed his opportunity. But Dean had an idea for one last story he wanted to tell and, rather than allow it to wither and die in his imagination, he decided to blog it instead.

Quite unexpectedly, Dean's blog took off and after a chance encounter with Canadian based publisher Central Avenue in mid 2009, Dean's dream like tale about a young man who discovers he has taken on the memories and dreams of a complete stranger, became his first novel. Dean was signed to an initial two year contract and in 2010 "The Hambledown Dream" was published. The novel has since gone on to receive global attention and critical acclaim.

Dean set about penning a follow up novel that was not merely a repeat performance and in 2012 "Gifts of the Peramangk" a powerful Australian family saga. Chronicling a dysfunctional Aboriginal family in the struggle streets of Adelaide's suburban fringe, "Gifts of the Peramangk" has been described as significant literary achievement. In October 2013, it was nominated as a finalist in the prestigious EPIC Awards for contemporary fiction.

Dean's third feature length novel, a psychological thriller set in Melbourne called "The Recipient", showcased his ability to cross genres and deliver a taut and gripping tome about a heart transplant patient who discovers her organ donor was a murder victim - and that the murder remains unsolved.

Returning to his romantic roots, Dean released his fourth novel, "The Artisan Heart" in 2018. Set in Dean's home town, the novel is described as his most personal story and continues to illustrate Dean's abilities to craft realistic characters and situations.

During the Covid pandemic, Dean took a hiatus from writing to focus on his role as an Intensive Care Nurse. During this time, he managed to bring together a collection of short fiction, poetry and reflections together and will release "The Night Fisher Elegies" in 2022.

He also has plans to write a sequel to "The Recipient".

He lives in Adelaide, Australia with his wife Emily, their two children Xavier and Lucy. An Intensive Care Nurse with over 15 years of clinical experience in adult, paediatric and neonatal medicine, he can often be found lying on a hospital gurney at 3 in the morning - notebook in hand, madly scribbling ideas while on his break.

Dean is represented by Michelle Halket and is published by Central Avenue Publishing of Vancouver, Canada. ...more

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Combine Editions
Dean Mayes’s books

Average rating: 4.01 · 545 ratings · 238 reviews · 8 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Recipient 3.74 avg rating — 253 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Artisan Heart 4.13 avg rating — 93 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hambledown Dream 4.30 avg rating — 87 ratings — published 2010 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gifts of the Peramangk 4.31 avg rating — 86 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tales of Australia: Great Southern Land by Stephen C. Ormsby (Goodreads Author) (editor), Carol Bond (Editor), Lee Battersby (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Night Fisher Elegies 4.75 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2022 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Regenesis Cluster 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Feast it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dean Mayes…

391 posts
Dean Mayes's Blog

Life In A Place Of Death.

I went for a long walk yesterday. I took a path along Adelaide’s west parklands to the West Terrace Cemetery and back again. All told it was about 5 kilometres and I felt really good – given that I am still recovering from my ruptured Achilles tendon and broken ankle.

I find the cemetery a calming place – not at all disturbing or ghostly or any of the cliches one associates with a grave yard. Rathe

Dean is Currently Reading

Dean Mayes is currently reading

The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers

by Will Durant

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Nov 24, 2021 02:59AM

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Jim Harrison: The Essential Poems

by Jim Harrison

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Nov 24, 2021 02:57AM

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Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

by Tom Holland

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May 20, 2020 07:05AM

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Dean’s Recent Updates

Dean Mayes wrote a new blog post Life In A Place Of Death. I went for a long walk yesterday. I took a path along Adelaide’s west parklands to the West Terrace Cemetery and back again. All told it was about 5 k Read more of this blog post »
Aug 07, 2025 12:14AM · like

More of Dean's books…

Quotes by Dean Mayes (?)

“When we embark on the writing journey, it is an inevitable truth that we draw upon personal experiences in creating our characters. Our experiences shape us and shape how we see the world around us. From a creative perspective, personal experiences are a gold mine. How deep we are willing to go into our personal experience can mean the difference between a bland, cookie cutter archetype and a compelling character – either protagonist or antagonist.”
― Dean Mayes

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“INFINITE - "A motel room off a highway. Rain patters the bitumen in front, the roof above. Rain drips from rusted gutters. Distant thunder rolls. Lightning - both forked and sheet - light up the sky thick with swollen clouds. The pungency of petrichor hangs in the air. Portent lingers near - malevolent”
― Dean Mayes, The Night Fisher Elegies

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“THE CORNER - "The thing about coming home is though the environment may change, the places I knew so well may have passed on, the houses may be empty, the experience of life and the precious memories are sustained within my Nana. All of those places were touched in some way by her love - be it the butcher shop or the church on the corner or the tiny cottage on North Road. Somewhere in each of them, Nana has had a hand of influence, even if it is just a small influence. I connect with here because she is here”
― Dean Mayes, The Night Fisher Elegies

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