Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in orangedale's LiveJournal:

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Saturday, June 28th, 2008
3:40 pm	magical hours   I still haven’t quite got used to having the beach so close. Ten minutes away and we find ourselves in national park fronting onto white sand and the turquoise and blue waters of Jervis Bay. We walked along from Hyams Beach almost to Cresswell Navy base and then stopped to watch the large pod of dolphins playing in the bay. Out pup was quite fascinated by the sand and enjoyed digging in it as well s trying to eat it. Then we ambled back along the beach, where I collected four perfect shells to add to a growing collection before stopping for coffee at Hyams Beach. What a magical couple of hours we spent and how blessed we are to live down this way.   (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
3:14 pm	authors and illustrators   It’s always interesting to see how illustrators interpret your work. And I can say I’ve had some great illustrators in my time. My first encounter with an illustrator was the detailed and expressive work of Anne Spudvilas who illustrated the cover of my first book ‘Chasing After the Wind.’  http://www.daleharcombe.com. No one could have wished for a better cover. Even though I never met the illustrator, the characters were exactly, as I had pictured them as though Anne had reached inside my head and plucked them out of there. This week I received a copy of Shaping Our Nation Big Ideas Book which came through from Rigby Blue Prints. And which includes my story Australians All. Illustrations for the pages which contain my narrative are by Paul Konye. The illustrations add to the text and I loved the one of the ferry tootling around near the Harbour Bridge and the boys playing footy. Only one criticism - what a shame they didn’t put one of the guys in a Sydney Swans jersey. Yes, I know I’m red and white through and through, which has me wondering when that poem which is being held by School Magazine will appear.  Anyway, that quibble aside, I was really happy with the presentation and Paul’s illustrations. (Comment on this)
Friday, June 20th, 2008
3:22 pm	Create- workshop What a great time on Wednesday. I ran a  'Create'- poetry and creative writing workshop http://www.daleharcombe.com/at Shellharbour organised by Sue Barnett of Shellharbour City Council.  What a lovely group of people enrolled in the workshop including one young woman who was a work experience student. The only trouble was two hours flashed by far too quickly.  That’s the problem with so much information and practical help to impart and such a short time. Never mind! From all reports it gave people the impetus to go home and continue on with work started during the workshop. Afterwards my husband and I had a lovely lunch at Shellharbour village. And this time we didn’t have to compete with the seagulls for our fish and chips.  Looking out on the ocean, I couldn’t help but be struck again by the beauty of this country we live in, especially down on the south coast. The day before, we had gone for a walk around our area and encountered about ten kangaroos. It’s rare we go out for a walk and don’t meet them somewhere on our travels.  There are several who have white noses which made me wonder about what caused it..   r (Comment on this)
Friday, May 30th, 2008
2:24 pm	Exciting times There are so many things to love about living on the South Coast and not just how beautiful it is.  The days are magic. One of the things I love is having a whole new library or two to explore. We have a small library at Sanctuary Point. Even so, it has a surprisingly good range of books. Then today while shopping in Nowra, we called into the library there. What fun! In the space of ten minutes, and without even moving far from the returned book shelf, I had picked up more books that I could carry. My husband had a similar stack. We were not the only ones. As we stood waiting for them to be checked out I couldn’t help casting an eye over the stack of books in front of the woman next to me, just to see if there was something I might want to read one day. She caught me at it and understood perfectly. We ended up having a good chat about reading, books and the value of libraries. Where would we be without them? The big decision then is which to read first – a hard choice. I finally went with ‘Errands’ by Judith Guest author of ‘Ordinary People.’ Looks like the free book I won that arrived yesterday from Allen and Unwin will be waiting for a little while for me to get to it. Reading is almost as exciting as writing! Of course this time of year is fun for another reason - PLR and ELR statements come through. That’s always good. Thankfully the government decided to continue this program which is such a boost to so many authors.     (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
9:55 am	A delight!   The Last Elf By Silvana De Mari Translated from the Italian by Shaun Whiteside   This light hearted yet thoughtful fantasy is a delight to read. The characters are engaging. The elf embarks on a quest. On the way he encounters a prophecy that sends him, along with the man and woman who have befriended him, searching for the last dragon. The plot is interesting, and action filled.   Lengths of sentences are appropriate for young readers. The author uses humour throughout and uses it to great effect. Much of the humour is based on misunderstanding between the elf and the humans and others he encounters.   The elf’s naïve attitude toward the troll and the effects of this encounter, which are otherwise than the reader anticipates, is achieved with a light hand and yet it could be used to highlight the point that others respond to us according to the way we treat them. Throughout the story, young readers will enjoy being smarter than the elf. Teachers might use this book to teach children about nouns, or the use of similes and comparisons. On page 4 the young elf dreams of  ‘clothes soft as sparrows’ wings and warm as duck down, the color of dawn, the color of the sea.’  The book is alive with colour and action, yet also interesting reflection from the elf that will have the reader smiling. The text introduces children to irony.   In the hands of a resourceful teacher this book could easily lead into discussion and lessons about how to treat someone who looks different to you and has come from a different background. It would be a useful for teaching about discrimination and friendship as well as other life values, such as keeping promises, fear and its effects, love and hate, trust and mistrust, sharing, generosity, selflessness as against selfishness, and sacrifice. The incident where the elf frees the baby dragon, regardless of the pain to himself in the process, is beautiful.   The author manages to convey in a humorous way, how actions have consequences that may not always be as we expect.   This is a book that offers hope, which is important in books for young readers. It also stresses the importance of story.  The Last Elf plays on imagination and has a charm not easily defined. There’s a depth in the text that will bear re-reading. This book deserves to be a winner with children, teachers and parents.   r (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
2:09 pm	The Writing Bug This week has been a delight, getting back into writing in a serious way and writing furiously. What a joy to get back to the adult novel I started a couple of years back and then put aside. I’ve become so involved it is hard to drag myself out of the fictional world I’ve created to write other things. So what’s different?  This time I not only have a goal but a self imposed deadline of when I want to finish it.   Perhaps it helped recently to have read ‘The Competitive Edge-how to win every time you compete’ by Dr Jeffrey Brown – a clinical and sports psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Jeffrey%20Brown&page=1 This book is filled with practical tips about decision making. If you want to know more about it you might want to hop on over to www.families.com under Christian where I have written a few articles, titled ‘Stubbornness can be an asset,’  http://christian.families.com/blog/stubborness-can-be-an-asset ‘Winning in the Game of Life’ http://christian.families.com/blog/winning-in-the-game-of-life and ‘Maintaining Integrity’   http://christian.families.com/blog/maintaining-integrity that pick up on some of the seven principles outlined in this book. The principles are: Know the rules of the game Recognize the right decision and make it Define goals that reflect your values Rethink Winning Know the psychological pitfalls of competition Make friends with failure Use time to your advantage.   Anyway, now I’m keen, motivated and writing with enthusiasm again. And off to get back to it.   (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
11:43 am	Elinor and Elenor Reading taste is such a peculiar thing. I picked up a book last week at the library, I really though I would enjoy. The first page grabbed my interest. Unfortunately despite the claims on the cover that the author ‘is the kind of novelist that you want to tell all your friends about,’ a quote from The Times and the myriad rave reviews inside from various newspapers and magazines, I gave up after about 50 pages. And had considered doing so earlier than that.   Now maybe it had to do with the frame of mind I was in, as sometimes happens with a book, or it could just be this writer and her sense of humour left me cold. The book was ‘Then she found me,’ by Elinor Lipman. http://www.amazon.com/Then-She-Found-Elinor-Lipman/dp/0671686151.   Strangely one of the other books I picked up that day was by another Elenor – different spelling. ‘In the Shadow of Trees, a shadows darken, mystery deepens,’ by Elenor Gill. http://www.harpercollins.com.au/book/index.aspx?isbn=9781869506278   I admit this cover intrigued me before I read any further. Again the one page test and reading the blurb on the back and I took it home despite the back cover which told me the author, Elenor Gill ‘has had a life time interest in folk music and the paranormal.’   I’m not usually into books about the paranormal, but this one sucked me in, so much so that last night I said to my husband, ‘I can’t go to bed now. I have to finish this book.’ I was at that stage about 50 pages from the end and had been reading during the ads in the St Kilda/Collingwood game, which we get earlier in the evening than Sydney viewers because when it come to TV football the South Coast comes under Canberra which I’m grateful for. Just another advantage of living in Paradise!   I also enjoyed the AFL match, despite abysmal umpiring and no I don’t support either of those teams. I am Sydney Swans http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/ red and white through and through.    So sometime after midnight, I finished the book and we went to bed. Bad move. The trees crowded into my dreams. Several times I woke up, calling out and feeling smothered. Eventually I got up and started to read a children’s fantasy which arrived this week that I’ll be reviewing. ‘The Last Elf’ by Silvana De Mari http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9780747577881 is quirky, funny and an absolute delight. But more about that at a later date.   It didn’t dispel the trees though. I finally dropped off to sleep some time well after 3am. Of course it may not be all the book’s fault. The previous morning I’d been given morphine and another injection by the emergency doctor for pain caused by a bout of gastro, so I’d pretty well slept away most of the day and night before and still not feeling well hadn’t exactly been expending a lot of energy on Friday. Anyway, dream aside, the book was still a good read and a great first novel. Will I read more of hers? Yes. Maybe I’ll also go back and try the other Elinor again too when I’m in a different frame of mind.   (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
2:20 pm	Three cheers for the internet   Don’t you just love the internet sometimes? It puts us in touch with so many people we might not otherwise meet and also brings our work to the attention  of others, and vice versa. Take just two examples – today I received an email from Catherine Michaels who is a DJ for a show called Night Rhythms http://www.whud.com/. This radio show comes out of the Hudson Valley region of New York. Catherine is planning to read one of my poems, ‘Brass Kaleidoscope’ from ‘Kaleidoscope,’ my collection of poems published by Ginninderra Press, tonight on her show. You can read the poem on the poetry page of my website http://www.daleharcombe.com/ If you’re interested I’ve also written a little about my swing back to poetry at my families.com blog http://christian.families.com/blog/how-god-answers-prayer The other incident was when recently I was contacted by Dr Jeffrey Brown, a psychologist from Harvard. Dr Brown has been reading some of my parenting blogs at www.families.com. This is just one example http://christian.families.com/blog/friend-or-parent-to-your-child I am now in the process of reading ‘The Competitive Edge – how to win every time you compete.’ http://www.mcintyreandmoore.com/competitive.html  I’m finding it interesting so far. I’ll tell you more when I get further into it. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
3:17 pm	Living in Paradise   What a pleasant way to spend time, escaping from work and the clutter of my desk to spend a few hours for a picnic lunch and time with 12 friends at beautiful Greenfields Beach. Even after nine months of living down on the South Coast there’s still that feel of unreality.  Yes, it certainly provides inspiration living here but, of course, the biggest problem with living in paradise it’s that it’s so easy to take time off and hive off to the beach as we did yesterday. At one stage we were all watching the big war ship from HMAS Cresswell cruising around Jervis Bay, while comparing notes and counting our blessings that we live in such a beautiful part of the world. So many pristine beaches to choose from, I don think I’ll ever get over it. Or the fact that we can often walk out our front door of an evening and see kangaroos on the lawn. As long as they’re not on the driveway or on the road in the path of our car, I’m happy to co-exist with them. Last night I finished reading the latest Jodi Picoult novel ‘Change of Heart,’ which I started on Sunday evening. I found it to be a page-turner and compelling reading. If you like Jodi Picoult, you should love this one. See if it doesn’t make you stop and think about several things. It did me. I’ve also read Cathy Kelly’s latest ‘Lesson in Heartbreak’ and while I liked it, I thought it could have benifited from more rigorous editing. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
8:58 am	a book filled with ideas For writers, ideas come from all sorts of strange places. As I read this book, I found ideas coming at me from all angles. Read a few of the 6 word memoirs in this book and you'll see what I mean. It beg the reader to want to flesh out characters and stories behind the words. Writers could find it a useful tool,especially if the dreaded writers' block rears its head. Have a look and you'll see what I mean.   Not Quite What I Was Planning Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure From Smith Magazine Edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith HarperCollinsPublishers ISBN 978-0-06-137405-0   The legend is told of Ernest Hemingway, that master of spare writing, who once wrote a novel in six words. This sparked an idea and prompted the online magazine Smith to start a six-word memoir contest. A simple enough idea. Entries poured in – over 15000 of them. Some entries came from established writers like Joyce Carol Oates. Others came from writers who had never been published.   Although I read this through in one sitting, it is a book that I suspect will be dipped into often. Some will make you laugh. Others will make you cry. Some might even leave you confused. What I guarantee you will do, is wonder more about the person and the story behind their six words. As a writer, I could see this producing endless ideas for stories and characters.   Of course what you or I imagine about the person behind the six words might be a long way off the mark. For example if you read ‘Cursed with cancer. Blessed with friends’ by Hannah Davis, I wonder what sort of person you would imagine. I’m guessing you would not imagine it came from a nine year old thyroid-cancer survivor. The child’s mother wrote to tell how her daughter spent hours at the computer searching for exactly the right six words. Then in anticipation, she checked the Smith site each day, hoping to find her name there.   Understandably many of the six-word memoirs have to do with the big issues of death, jobs, love, family, marriage and relationships, sexuality, and parenting. A surprising number concerned food. The index at the back makes it easy to track down memoirs on specific topics.   A novel idea, this is a book where everyone will have their own individual favourites. Some of mine were: ‘I couldn’t protect me from myself.’ Patrick Eleey ‘Memory was my drug of choice.’ Pea Hicks ‘I colored outside of the lines.’ Jacob Thomas ‘Without me it just aweso.’ Chris Madigan ‘I grew up in a cemetery.’ Rachael Hanel ‘Revenge is living well, without you.’ Joyce Carol Oates ‘Liked by all. Known by few.’ Zell Williams ‘Almost a victim of my family.’ Chuck Sangster. ‘I’m my mother. I’m fine.’ K Bertrand.       (Comment on this)
Friday, April 25th, 2008
11:15 am	Enter Picasso and Einstein   Last night we went to Berry to see the Berry Drama Group production of ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile’ a one act play written by Steve Martin. Yes I do mean that Steve Martin from movies like 'Father of the Bride,'Parenthood,' 'Roxanne' 'Housesitter' etc. I had never heard of the play, even though it's been around since the 1990s, and had no idea what to expect. It was more a case of we like live theatre and since our choices are more limited than when we lived in Sydney, it was a case of let’s do it.   The hall was cool. Most everyone kept their coats on. The seats were not the most comfortable and hard on the behind, the crowd, fairly small but perhaps understandable on the night before a long weekend. Traffic streaming down the Princes Highway in the opposite direction to which we were going confirmed the mass exodus that usually happens from Sydney down the coast on long weekends. But the play more than made up for all these minor inconveniences. It was a witty piece and a lot of good fun.   Imagine what would happen if Albert Einstein and Picasso met in a bar known for its artist clientele. This is the premise of the play, which takes places as Picasso and Einstein are on the verge of a breakthrough in their lives. The dialogue, as you would expect from something written by Steve Martin, is funny and yet at times thought provoking.   Set design and construction was provided by Bruce Whatley, well known as a book illustrator. Think ‘Diary a Wombat’ with Jackie French and ‘Josephine Wants to Dance’ among others. His wife Rosie Smith, vice president of the Berry Drama Group, was instrumental in ensuring this play was produced. I, for one, am glad we had the opportunity to see it.   I suspect it will not be the last production we go to see by the Berry Drama Group as their next production in October is the David Williamson play, ‘Charitable Intent,’ and I’m a big fan of Davis Williamson’s work. Meanwhile the Berry Drama Group is conducting three workshops, one an introduction to scriptwriting.       (Comment on this)
Monday, April 21st, 2008
3:56 pm	good reviews   It’s always good to read a positive review of one’s work. I was pleased to find a review recently of ‘Karaoke Kate’ up at Aussie Reviews http://www.aussiereviews.com/. If you haven’t checked out this site, it’s time you did. It features reviews not only of children’s and young adult novels but non fiction, poetry and books for adults as well. While you’re there, have a look at the lovely review of my poetry collection ‘Kaleidoscope’ which is available from www.daleharcombe.com for $17.50 signed and posted. Or you can buy it from www.ginninderrapress.com.au. If you have a special young reader in your life you can also purchase ‘Karaoke Kate’ from www.daleharcombe.com. My latest royalty statement shows me ‘Karaoke Kate’ has sold several thousand since it was published in 2007. Hopefully ‘Red Alert’ published in 2008 by Wendy Pye and distributed by Sunshine Multimedia will do the same. My newest children’s book, The Goanna Island Mystery published by Aussie Books, is being distributed by Blake and is available here http://www.blake.com.au/Aussie-Aussie-Aussie-Set-2-Ghost-Gum-p/9781921255199.htm  for $9.95   r (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
4:04 pm	What’s Behind a Name?   Every writer knows how important it is to get the right name for a character. Sometimes the character just seems to arrive in my head and introduces themselves, as Kate did in my children’s book, ‘Karaoke Kate.’ or as Abby did in an adult novel as yet unpublished. Other times a writer may have to struggle to find the right name. This happened when I decided I need to change the main character in my fist children’s novel ‘Chasing after the Wind.’ The character spent several months nameless. Eventually the name I chose after much deliberation worked better than the name I’d come up with originally.   In another story published last year by ‘School Magazine’ I tried out several names before settling on Hunter. At the time I simply thought it was a name what was fashionable of the times. But the subconscious often is at work even when we’re not aware of it. A fellow writer alerted me to the appropriateness of the name as it was indicative of the boy’s character and his quest for the right pet.   Names, like clothes, go in fashions. A writer needs to choose names that are appropriate to the times. Here are two good sites for finding out about names http://www.babyzone.com  and http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/ A baby book complete with meanings of names is also an invaluable tool for any writer. In my latest book, ‘The Goanna Island Mystery,’ the boy is called Leo. The name means a man of bravery and Leo needs to display that bravery when he opts to go and check out the island reputed to be haunted.   The wrong name can so easily undermine the picture a writer is trying to create. You can read more about how I encountered this recently in another blog titled ‘What’s in a Name?’ You’ll find it under Christian at www.families.com   o (Comment on this)
Friday, April 4th, 2008
9:51 am	another book review   Return to Baragula By Mary Hawkins Published by Ark House Press pbk ISBN 9780980452310   An ill considered choice changes nineteen year old Emily’s life. She feels she has betrayed her missionary parents, her Christian faith and the standards she has, up till then, tried to live by. From that point her life is dramatically altered in ways she never contemplated. She was unprepared for the impact the choice she and Matthew made, would have not just on their lives but on so many other lives. Emily’s’ faith falters as a result of her actions and she turns right away from the God she once professed to follow.   Behaviour of some of the townsfolk and especially those in the church where she grew up, underpins her vow never to return to Baragula. But it seems someone else has a different idea about the decision, for six years later Emily finds herself back in Baragula, albeit reluctantly. Returning to Baragula was bad enough, but worse still, she finds Matthew is the resident doctor there.   How is she going to survive?  The tension between Emily and Matthew is evident but has to be pushed aside when they are thrown into a working relationship as disease threatens. But it is not only the outbreak of disease that poses a threat.   At times I admit, as Emily and Matthew tried to work out their problems, I wished I could have knocked their heads together to make them see sense. Of course this only goes to emphasise the good job Mary Hawkins has done in creating a cast of likeable, well rounded characters that the reader cares about as they confront obstacles at every turn. Meryl Parker, Emily’s mother, and her sister Barbara are also well drawn and believable. Even though I personally found some of the decisions hard to comprehend, the motivation behind them explains their choices.   This is a highly readable novel that I whizzed through in two sittings. Given the speed with which, at that stage I picked up and discarded books because they refused to hold my interest, it is testimony to the story telling skills of Mary Hawkins that I wanted to keep turning the pages to see what happened and how the problems of Emily, Matthew and the townsfolk would be resolved. The conclusion is satisfying but not without the odd surprise along the way.   Ark House Press is to be congratulated for the variety of books they are producing. It’s a joy to see a publisher filling a need in Australian fiction.                (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
8:40 am	One letter makes such a difference   One letter makes all the difference. Please note there is a mistake on my blog entry for February 4th. The site should read www.families.com.  I’ve inadvertently left a letter out in the post which sends you to completely different site than I have nothing to do with. If you want to read my other blogs you will find them under Christian in www.families.com (Comment on this)
8:29 am	book review- no eye has seen   No Eye Has Seen Graham Carter Ark House Press ISBN978 0 9803458 0 3 pbk     The books plunges the reader straight into the action with what appears at first to be a random act of road rage that results in the death of Sarah Glen. From there the story switches between that of Matt, the grieving husband and the family Sarah leaves behind, to Sarah’s transition into heaven and the joys that await her there as she meets with her Creator as well as her loved grandmother who had died years before.   The reader is given a picture of the conflict that exists between angels and demons as they battle to influence their charges. One of these is Samuel Knight, the young man responsible for the death of Sarah.   Included in the story is the problem being faced by Ken Matthews, pastor of the Mt. Thompson church which is struggling to meet its debts and continue to fight against those who have other plans for the site where the church stands.   All of these strands are woven together into what is an interesting read that moves along at a good pace. At the same time the novel covers  biblical themes such as grace, while giving bleak pictures of the demons and those who through choice remain outside of God’s love.   The characters of Sarah Glen and Ken Matthews are well drawn. I wasn’t as convinced by the character of Mary and the way she handles her mother’s death. Though her initial anger is understandable, the change from it to acceptance is glossed over a little too quickly, as the reader instead of staying with Mary is shifted to Sam on page 68.  Similarly I felt the reader doesn’t see and feel enough of Mary’s emotions and what is going on inside her. We hear on page 176 she ‘has those holes too.’ And that ‘she still cries herself to sleep at night whenever she thinks of  Sarah’ and that she ‘hurts’ but it is all second hand which, for me, lessened the impact.   There is a refreshing and lively portrayal of Jesus and good use of humour which conveys the laughter and joy that abounds in heaven. Yet strangely despite the detail, it was the times in heaven that I found less convincing. But I’m prepared to concede that perhaps that had more to do with the way I felt at the time of reading than Graham Carter’s writing. Or perhaps it’s the difficulty of trying to describe the indescribable.   A bible verse precedes and introduces each chapter. The first is 1 Corinthians 2:9 and where the title stems from. The title is appropriate to the story being told.   The book is well presented on the whole. Therefore is it is shame about the typographical errors on page 268 that were not detected before publication.   The novel comes to a satisfying conclusion. I appreciated and applaud the important lesson Ken Matthews learns on page 302. It’s one of the great themes of the book.     r (Comment on this)
Monday, March 31st, 2008
4:04 pm	Finally   Finally, after waiting and waiting, some of my author copies have arrived. It’s always a good feeling to hold a new book in your hands. I have to say I’m happy with the presentation and appearance of my new book ‘The Goanna Island Mystery’ which is out now. Published by Aussie Books is t is available through Blake. So all you teachers out there if you’ve after a book for young boys in particular, hope over here. http://www.blake.com.au/Aussie-Aussie-Aussie-Set-2-Ghost-Gum-p/9781921255199.htm and have a look at it. It's a bright spot in what has been a miserable time with the flu and not a lot of writing getting done.   rra (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
1:26 pm	zany joy   What a zany illustration to my story ‘Dad likes to Cook’ on the cover of the Countdown issue of School Magazine for March. And the notes for teachers up on the School Magazine website are excellent and should provide lots of ideas. I can see teachers and students having a lot of fun with them. Check them out here http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/services/schoolmagazine/assets/pdf/noti_cd_2_2008.pdf.   It’s another magic day here on the South Coast. My husband and I have just come back from a swim in the beautiful clear, uncrowded beach at Huskisson –just one of the many joys of living on the South Coast.   (Comment on this)
Monday, March 17th, 2008
5:12 pm	a mornng visitor   The post parcel man came early the other morning as he usually does, more often than not, catching me in a dressing gown and night attire. I think he probably thinks I never get out of them but then he’s usually here between 7and 8am, by which time I’ve been at my desk for a while.   I was hoping he would have the author copies of my newest children’s book, The Goanna Island Mystery. You can see the cover on my website www.daleharcombe.com Or at the Blake site http://www.blake.com.au/Aussie-Aussie-Aussie-Set-2-Ghost-Gum-p/9781921255199.htm   But it wasn’t my books the postman delivered but, info from the SCBWI which I joined after the last conference in Sydney and a book to review. So still waiting on those author copies.   (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
5:18 pm	Nowra Players present Influence   David Williamson has long been one of my favourite playwrights so when  a few weeks back I saw his latest play ‘Influence’ was being presented by a local theatre group, I couldn’t get to the phone quickly enough to book, even though the play was about a talk back radio host. Or maybe because I could imagine David Williamson getting stuck into such a character.   I admit that I hate talk back radio. When talk back radio was introduced I stopped listening to the radio most of the time. When I do have it on, it is only for music programs.   But last night my husband and I went to what is for us, the first play we have been to by the Nowra Players, since we moving south six and a half months ago.   The weather decided to chuck a tantrum with thunder, lightning and rain.  As we drove into Bomaderry, we wondered what sort of crowd we could expect.   In the foyer those who braved the brief storm milled around. I decided to pass on the sherry being offered and, after one taste, gave the green ginger wine a miss too.   The theatre is best described as cosy. Certainly not the size we were used to when in Orange. But the seats were comfortable and we had excellent seats, three rows from the stage.   The play dealt as Williamson’s  plays do, with several issues in a way that had the audience laughing and at times cringing. The dialogue was close to home at times  and the actors were convincing in their roles. We thoroughly enjoyed the night and came home convinced we’ll end up regulars at other offerings by the Nowra Players.   (Comment on this)