Susanne Bellamy's Blog

Nine Parts of Desire is a brave book in many respects, exploring, as it does, the world of Muslim women in numerous countries across the Middle East. Its author, Geraldine Brooks, is a Westerner and a Jew who worked for a number of years as a journalist in the countries about which she writes. This fact alone has drawn criticism of her book because she is an ‘outsider’ writing about a religion which polarises views. I have read numerous books written by Muslim women in which they consider, explore, and sometimes excoriate their world. Brooks’ book contributes much to my evolving understanding, and I felt her anecdotes, facts, and analysis corroborated and stacked up well against these others, and contributed a broader view by comparing the realities of living within Islam in different Middle Eastern countries. 
 
When I began reading this book, I was fairly certain it would challenge my attitudes, and it did, but in a good way. My perception was that a woman living in a Muslim country faced numerous restrictions. Through anecdotes and observation of the women she met and worked with, Brooks offers both positives and negatives to living in their world. The quiet strength and subtle influence of women such as Queen Noor of Jordan sit alongside Faezeh Hashemi who laboured to bring about the Islamic Women’s Games.
 
There are plenty of impracticalities (as perceived by me as a Western woman) for women living in, and visiting Muslim countries, but Brooks reveals she was attuned to the problems and found ways around them in order to carry out her work as a journalist. Her coverage of people and events in the Middle East also offered a perspective that a male journalist would not have gained.
 
This is not a book to be skimmed, but one worthy of deeper thinking and discussion; I would recommend it to book clubs as well as to individuals who enjoy thinking about what they have read. 

The hero bends the heroine over his knee and spanks her. 
The hero takes off his leather belt and beats his disobedient wife.  

This is not our typical 21st century Western attitude to relationships so why do we consider this acceptable and even applaud, as the premier audience of Outlander part 2 did last week?

Interestingly, it comes down to establishing what we, the reader/viewer, have accepted as an accurate representation of the social and cultural norms within the story.

Then, we must be in the right character's POV (point of view). 

Not only in historical novels, but also in contemporary stories that deal with different cultural norms, the audience needs a clear understanding of what the attitudes and expectations of key characters are. Creating this understanding must be done carefully, with respect and clarity. Once the setting is established, we need to be in the right 'head space' to connect with the key character in that scene. 

How important the right POV is to how readers/viewers react is demonstrated by the spanking scene in episode 9 of Outlander. From Jamie's POV, we can accept what happens as part of the cultural, social and moral aspect of life in 1743. Jamie's spanking of Claire is about duty and justice, not a power struggle between the sexes, or a sadistic streak in our braw Highland laddie. If Claire had a deeper understanding of the dangers of the times into which she had fallen, she would not willingly have placed Jamie and the Mackenzie men in the unenviable position of having to storm the English fort to rescue her. And she might have put aside her 20th century indignation at being told what to do and listened to the man who had committed his life and his body to keeping her safe. 

For me, the scene was skilfully played and revealed a great deal about both characters. Jamie has to adjust, not only to what it means to be a husband, but to being the husband of a woman with quite different attitudes and values from his. Two hundred years and a whole suffragette and social movement separate their ideas of what is appropriate. Ultimately though, these two wonderful characters learn much about themselves and their fledgling marriage, and discover that, just because something has always been so in their respective times, doesn't mean it must remain so. Communication and trust and a willingness to adapt will be keys to survival. 

I can't wait for the rest of their story. 

If you would like to read more about the cast and director's thinking with regard to this scene, click here. 

One Night In Sorrento – Margaret Transue

Random draw #1– (1960s gown) - $5 GC – Caitlin Rees                                      

A lucky draw prize #2 - which of these settings have I visited twice in my novellas? Answer: Italy!

One Night In Sorrento – Candace Perrewe Senese

Random draw #3 an e-copy of the ‘Encounter’ anthology

Lea Ann Patton

Cecilia Clark

Michele Gray

Jennifer Talbear

Catherine Roche

***FINAL:   ADDITIONAL RANDOM DRAW (3 available) – SIGN UP to receive my newsletter via my contact page on http://www.susannebellamy.com  for your choice of a book from my backlist.

Noelle Clark http://www.noelleclark.blogspot.com.au/ is a tough act to follow. Her post on Lobbying (as a childhood recreation!) was wonderful.

An interesting fact about lobsters:

Lobsters exhibit 'handedness'. Some animals will have the crusher claw on the right side while others will have it on the left.

Noelle nominated me as one of her seven recipients. My obligation in accepting this award is to display my award badge, link back to the person who gave it to me, Noelle Clark, and complete the following questions:

1. Have you ever written a book involving sea scenes? (That is sea. Do please make sure there are no typos here).  If not why not and do you intend to?
The sea inspires and nurtures many of my ideas. All of my stories so far feature the sea. Two are set in Hawaii ( White Ginger and the Emerald Quest continuity) although the second is part of a continuity series due out in 2015, and a novella, One Night in Sorrento is set on the Amalfi Coast. Betting on the Boss will be released in August; it is set in Melbourne and ventures out on the bay.

2. What is your current WIP?
Funny you should ask. My newest story is set in Nepal and landlocked—but I think even that pair will end up by the sea! I find myself drawn to it time and time again.


3. Do you have a favorite sea film? And why?
The Lake House—I know, not strictly sea but it is set on a large body of water. I also loved Cloud Atlas and who could not mention Titanic!

4. A favourite fish recipe to share?
Sad to say that, being a Cancerian, I don’t like much seafood. However, I will eat salmon in most forms and quite like Thai fish cakes with lots of dipping sauce. I’d hate to try to offer a fish recipe to anyone though!

5. Your favourite sea going book?
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

6. Can you share a fav sea-side memory?
Living inland, seaside memories are all of family holidays. The earliest of these was in August which used to be late winter school holidays when I was little. As a married woman, they have been Xmas holidays with my husband and children.

7. Most memorable sea-going journey?
When I was a kid, my family travelled on the Fairsky and Fairstar, one ship to England and the second on the return trip. I have a wealth of memories from those couple of months at sea:

Seeing the BeeGees when they were a young and not-that-well-known group Crossing the Line ceremonies A force 9 gale in the Bay of Biscay, which I weathered well with one sister and my dad, an ex-sailor! Most people were sea-sick in their cabins but we sat up in one of the bars drinking hot lemon drinks and watching the water slosh out of the swimming pool with every steep tilt. Bartering for a sunhat for my mum with sellers in small boats in Port Said – I thought it was pretty cool that I got to haul the prospective bargain up via a rope in order to inspect it! Conga line of waiters bearing flaming Bombes Alaskas through a darkened dining room There were many memories from those trips which alas, no longer seem to be possible or favoured in this age of jet travel. It was definitely a slower and more gracious means of reaching your destination.


And finally, I have to, in turn, bestow the Jolly Lobster award on up to 7 other unsuspecting people.



Lily Malone http://lilymalone.wordpress.com/ Kate Belle www.ecstasyfiles.com/ Imelda Evans imeldaevans.wordpress.com/‎ Lee Christine leechristine.com.au/‎ Shirley Wine www.shirleywine.com/‎

Liebster Award

Friend and fellow author, Noelle Clark, has nominated me in her list of Liebster Award winners. What this means, is that I have to display the badge, plus answer some questions. Then I'm supposed to nominate some other authors to go through the same process. So, thank you, Noelle, for this award. Much appreciated.

Which fictional character would you most fancy having a fling with and why? On the assumption I wasn’t married and wanted a fling, it would probably be with Luca, hero of my novella, One Night in Sorrento. He’s Italian, rides a motorbike and has a good heart, despite his bad boy appearance. Turns out he has a very good job too! Do you have a favourite type of character? My favourite type has to be quick-witted and have a sense of humour. I can handle some angst but not too much. Apart from writing, what are you most passionate about? Family, social justice and travelling What are you working on right now? I’ve just sent my latest book to one of my two new publishers, Entangled Publishing, so I’m working on plotting ideas for my next romantic suspense with them. I’m also waiting for first edits on “Betting on the Boss” to arrive, my first book out with Escape Publishing. You’ve been shipwrecked on a desert island, what book can’t you be without? “How to Survive on a Desert Island” by I. M. A. Survivor! Or else “Pride and Prejudice”! Who is your favourite author and why? Margaret Atwood for “The Handmaid’s Tale”. She journeys along little used paths and asks ‘what if this happened’, then heads off to explore the possibilities. Are you a plotter or a pantser? A plotting panster aka organic writer trying to learn more about good plotting! Have you been known to ‘torture’ a character and if so why? Not torture per se. I’m a wimp and want to kiss their hurts better. However, I’m picking up bigger rocks to hurl at my characters with each new book and one day, one of them is going to get caught in an avalanche. Seriously! Do you remember your favourite childhood book? Enid Blyton’s “The Faraway Tree”. I always wanted to ride that slippery slide!  Have you ever cried over a book? If so, which one? A number of times. Most recently, Annie Seaton’s “Hot Rock”. Do you prefer sweet or angsty? Somewhere in between. Too much angst and it can feel unreal. Like most things, in moderation, it’s great! Is there anything you do particularly to get inspiration for writing? TRAVEL!!!!! Old movies, songs, musicals also offer stimulus that gets me going, and Pinterest is great for settings etc. I pin to boards for each book as I work on it. http://www.pinterest.com/susannebellamy/  

Who shall I nominate for the Leibster Award?

Annie Seaton, Efthalia Pegios, Anna Campbell, Louise Roberts, Elizabeth Ellen Carter 

Today is Blog Tour Day. This blog tour is where writers and authors answer questions about their writing process. My friend Annie Seaton posted hers last week. She has written across a range of romance genres: contemporary, paranormal, suspense, sweet, as well as a wonderful Promotional Tips and Tricks for authors. You can check out her writing process here: Annie Seaton--


What am I working on?

Serendipity—I love that word!—smiled on me late last year when two contracts for two quite different manuscripts hit my inbox the same afternoon.

Merger in Melbourne (I don’t know if it will retain its title) will be published in 2014. Inspired by a visit to Melbourne and an abandoned red brick building, it pits two people who want the same building against one another. Matt needs to atone for his guilt and Andie wants to create a future for the women and children who shelter there.

I was also invited to write an historical romantic suspense, Book 4 of the five book continuity series, The Emerald Quest , for Entangled Publishing which is my current project. Set in Hawaii, as is my first book, White Ginger, you can see the attraction to this glorious location! Serendipity!





How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My passion is for evoking places through a sensory exploration of them. Music and scents are powerful triggers for me so I often use them to create the experience for readers. I hope they can see, smell, taste, hear and feel the scenes I write. I had a wonderful time researching Hawaiian hula and vicariously exploring the reef around Kauai, and played Etta James’s “At Last” dozens of times to capture the mood in White Ginger.

Why do I write what I do?

Travel is one of my favourite ways to spend time. Each journey, whether to new or familiar locations, exotic places or at home in Oz, inspires ideas which I have to write! I’m a sharer after all! Happy endings make us feel good and I love to make people feel good—what’s not to love about everything turning out well in the end!

One Night in Sorrento is a novella length story inspired by my travels with my husband in Italy. Driving along the Amalfi Coast is not to be missed and the experience led to Rhiannon and Luca’s meeting. On a motorbike. Hot Italian biker—Amalfi—glorious scenery and eye candy—do I need to say more?

How does your writing process work? 

I’m an organic writer, often labelled pantser, gradually heading to more detailed plotting, but I can’t be rigid about details in the beginning. Starting with a broad idea, often the first meeting between hero and heroine, I get to know my characters over three or four chapters then review and develop those. However, recently I’ve used a more detailed planning sheet and I’m quite liking it. I believe the writing process evolves as one grows into this writing life. My CPs (critique partners) are great sounding boards and keep a check on any ‘purple prose’ moments!


Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. You can check out other authors’ writing processes on February 17th!

NEXT WEEK
AMY ROSE BENNETT – recently signed her first contract with Steam e-Reads for an historical erotic regency story.

As February 14 rolls around we are inundated with images of hearts and flowers, chocolate and wine. Suggestions abound for how to show that special someone how you feel about them, maybe via a romantic dinner with champagne followed by a candle lit spa bath. But one food group crops up time after time. Chocolate.

Richard Cadbury, head of the British chocolate manufacturing family, is credited with the business savvy that saw chocolate boxes reach new heights of elaborate beauty in Victorian England. Gorgeous and permanent, these chocolate boxes were gifts to treasure, both for the high quality chocolates they contained and for the box itself. One could keep love letters or jewellery or locks of a lover’s hair within. While Mr Cadbury may not have patented the heart-shaped chocolate box, he did design these miniature and delectable works of art himself and paved the way for the market as we know it today.

For many years, chocolate has been a popular way to say I love you. Now I freely admit to being a salt and vinegar chip fan, but a pretty box of chocolates tied up with red ribbon would be wonderful on Valentine’s Day. Am I likely to get one? No. My husband isn’t a chocolate giver. He’s more likely to show me how much he loves me by helping me exercise off the extra Christmas pounds. And you know what, me and my hips will appreciate that too!

Foodwise, what will you be doing for your Valentine? Leave me a comment with your email address and I’ll randomly draw two winners to receive your choice of one of my ebooks.

If you are looking for more ideas, click on the link below!

http://www.pinterest.com/susannebellamy/illustrated-food-ideas/ 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Date Name 30-Jan Annie Seaton 

1-Feb Tamsin Baker  2-Feb Demelza Carlton 2-Feb Susanne Bellamy 3-Feb Bernadette Rowley 4-Feb Wendy Ross 5-Feb Georgiana Louis  5-Feb Isabella Hargreaves 6-Feb Heather Kinnane 7-Feb Barbra Novac  8-Feb Ann B Harrison 9-Feb Tarion Keelan 10-Feb HC Brown 11-Feb Kris Ashton 12-Feb Darry Fraser 13-Feb Lisa Knight 14-Feb Annie Seaton and Prize Draw

“We are One, but we are many”

Australia is a multi-cultural country, a land of opportunity and promise. The blend of people from “all the lands on earth” offers fodder for writers, in the shape of cultural misunderstandings and social conflict which writers love to explore. In fact, there are more than 23 million stories floating out there today. Go back far enough in each family’s past and we were all migrants to this Great Southern Land. 

Many years ago post-WW2, my parents sailed from England with two young children, hoping to become part of that promised land of peace and plenty. They reached Perth where Mr. Beazley, then Minister of Immigration, came out to the Oriana and welcomed them to Australia. They were told they were now citizens of Australia and swore their allegiance to the King (despite having been British citizens before reaching Australian waters!). Eventually they landed in Brisbane and made a home in a large inland city where they had more children, raised their family and made a new life. 

Over the years, their friends came to include people from many countries. My mother was the one who made sure new neighbours felt welcome and who joined various groups in which the range of ethnicity steadily grew. 

I have taught students from many parts of the world, and as a teacher of English and French, I have listened keenly to accents and sentence constructions as students grappled with the complexities of Australian English. Sometimes there are strange misunderstandings as colloquial language is shared, but perhaps I never truly appreciated our idiom until my first editor told me: “You can’t call the broken-down car ‘a lemon’”; American readers won’t have a clue what you mean.” 

Then I watched an excerpt of “Ellen” where she and Hugh Lawrie traded English and American slang terms. She had no idea what a ‘chin wag’ was--aww, come on, I thought, it’s really obvious! When she tossed out ‘badonkadonk’, apparently common in the southern states of the USA, I began to realise that perhaps our slang appears simple only because it is familiar. 

There are many differences between us Aussies; language, especially the vernacular brought with us as migrants to this beautiful country, is but one. However, there is much that unites us too, and on this Australia Day 2014, we should celebrate our diversity as a nation, the differences that enrich our experience of what it means to live in this wonderful Land Down Under.  

I wish you a Happy Australia Day on 26 January and hope you find much to celebrate with family and friends. BRING ON THE BARBEQUE!!!  Don't forget to call in every day and visit the blogs, leave a comment, enter the raffle copter for the fabulous gift basket.
$100 and 26 e-books (some print) from our generous authors drawn Australia Day
a Rafflecopter giveaway


January 1 Monique McDonnell January 2 Sara Hantz January 3 Annie Seaton January 4 Imogene Nix January 5 Caitlyn Nicholas   January 6 Tima Maria Lacoba January 7 Nicole Flockton January 8 Wendy L. Curtis


January 10 Susan Horsnell January 11 Susanne Bellamy January 12 J'aimee Brooker January 13 Victoria Purman January 14 Ann B Harrison January 15 Cate Ellink
 and
 Demelza Carlton January 16 Jenny Schwartz January 17 Donna Gallagher January 18 Lily Malone January 19 Tea Cooper January 20 Fiona McArthur January 21 Max Henry January 22 Jennie Jones January 23 Alison Stuart January 24 Eve Rabi January 25 Kendall Talbot January 26 Annie Seaton-Prize draw

THE 19TH HOLE

My greatest achievement on the golf course was winning the Bradman Award.

Bradman? I hear you ask. On a golf course?

Well, yes, I had the highest score for air swings and I doubt my poor partners counted all of them in the end. Of course, I also came away with a chook as my prize so I think I did fairly well for a novice player.

My strength lies in knowing the best approach to the nineteenth hole. I line up my run and negotiate hazards with a degree of skill and speed rarely seen outside Formula One racing.

I like nothing better than cocktails at 6 pm on the balcony/veranda/deck (wherever I happen to be!) and kicking back and enjoying the view. So it was with great pleasure that I researched golfing cocktails for this post. You wouldn’t believe how many I tried before settling on this one! Whatever your tally, this drink will definitely ease your way home.

Derosier's 19th hole Cocktail Pour the rum, bourbon, creme de cacao, Drambuie, and coffee into an Irish coffe glass. Pour the cream carefully over the back of a teaspoon so that it floats on top of the drink.

Ingredients: 1 oz. White rum 1/2 oz. Bourbon 2 tsp. Crème de cacao (dark) 2 tsp. Drambuie® 4 oz. Coffee 2 oz. Cream What’s your favourite 19th hole story or tipple?

Random draw for one lucky commenter on my post—an e-book of my new novella, One Night in Sorrento. (International draw) Best of luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The A.B.C. Award My friend and fellow author, Noelle Clark, has nominated me for an ABC Award. I am truly grateful that you bestowed this on me, Noelle. Thank you. 

Today – the beginning of 2014 – is the perfect time to look at ourselves and seek out what really makes us tick. So, in keeping with the inevitable rules surrounding the acceptance of this award, I’ll do my very best to play honestly.

The rules are as simple as ABC!



1.    Display the logo and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2.    Nominate some other blogs.

3.    Work through the alphabet writing one word or phrase about yourself or things you like or associate with yourself, that begins A...B....C....  All 26 of them.

A – Archaeology  

B – (hot air) balloon – I want to ride in one

C – children; my own and the thousands I’ve taught over many years 

D – Daniel Craig! 

E – elegant clothes 

F – French champagne 

G – going for walks 

H – husband 

I – Italy! 

J – (social) justice

K – Kir Royale and kisses 

L – lots of shoes! 

M – movies, music and macadamias  

N – Narratives

O – Overseas travel

P – perspectives  

Q – quintessential (just love the word); quiet times 

R – Romance and reading 

S – Sav Blanc and spontaneous fun activities

T – Techno gumby (I do try!)

U – “until the end of time” 

V – V for Vendetta 

W – writing, my chosen career 

X – Xen (from my good friend, Effie’s WIP – Xen is Greek and hot!)

Y – Yin/Yang 

Z – Zorro (as played by Antonio Banderas) 

OK, I now bestow this award on: 


http://www.efthaliapegios.com/ 

http://lilymalone.wordpress.com/