| The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga – February 2022. |
| Oh my goodness, busy busy times at Applecross HQ. ‘Mixed Blessings’, the 5th book in the Applecross Saga is almost ready after a month of editing, formatting and checking for inconsistencies. And behind the scenes we have been preparing my very first audiobook version of Book 1, ‘The Wideawake Hat’. It is quite strange to hear someone else reading my words, but I think my narrator Su has made a mighty find job of putting character and emotion into the story. If audiobooks are your thing, I will have details of where to get your copy of The Wideawake Hat next month. Bargain Time! I am clearing room for a stock of book 5, so if you are in New Zealand and prefer the feel of a real book, I have a special bargain for you. Any of my current paperback books for $20 each, post free (usual price $30). Just go to my online shop to place your order. I’ll even sign your copy and include a free bookmark! Offer only available in New Zealand. A Writer’s Retreat For a while now I have been struggling to find my perfect writing place. I don’t work well at a proper desk, but lounging on the sofa is not ideal either. We discussed plans for a ‘writer’s retreat’ in the garden, but our climate would make that a purely seasonal affair. So, we have re-purposed our smallest spare bedroom into a writing room. I have taken residence, surrounded by all the things I need for inspiration, including a nice view of the mountains. Now, you may say the table looks a bit low, but it magically lifts up to be the perfect writing height. So, from spare room full of junk to an author’s escape in just a day! |
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| We have just returned from a precious few days staying at The Hermitage Hotel in Mt Cook village. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed some great walks in the mountains. Mount Cook is often called Aoraki these days, being the Māori word for our tallest mountain. It means ‘cloud piercer’, and it certainly did that for us. James and Sophia would see this very mountain as they go about their daily lives, and Guy and Freddie are building up a business of taking tourists into the area. No wonder people want to see it – it is a special environment indeed. |
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| We walked the Hooker Valley on a very warm and unusually calm day. Reaching the Hooker Lake, we stopped for a picnic lunch surrounded by the mountains and with a view of the Hooker Glacier and the icebergs formed when the glacier calves. Stunningly beautiful, blissfully peaceful and altogether an amazing place. |
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| Book News If you are looking for something to read during February, you may find a freebie here – Discover Free Historical Fiction I am really excited to tell you that Book 5, ‘Mixed Blessings’ is ready for publication on 1st April 2022. To give you a taste of it, here is the synopsis :- The girls are growing up. Not for them the daily grind of family life, not yet anyway. After all, it is 1873. Women have more opportunities than ever before, especially in New Zealand in an era of great prosperity and progress. Five years have passed since we last visited the Mackenzies. Applecross sheep station is thriving, more people than ever have made it their home. There are changes everywhere, big and small, but James and Sophia remain the solid, dependable mainstay of life in the rural community. Until a dramatic incident rocks the very foundations of Mackenzie’s Basin.We join Heather, Caroline and Adey Rose, daughters of the Basin, as they blossom into young ladies, find their feet in the burgeoning city of Christchurch and take their first hesitant steps into the world of romance.However, the draw of Applecross is strong…….. |
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| Mixed Blessings is already available as a pre-order ebook on Amazon and Kobo, and will appear on other platforms shortly. More news next month. Pre-order ‘Mixed Blessings’ here I have a limited number of ARC spaces available for Book 5. If you would like to get ahead of the pack and read a draft ebook copy, then please go to Mixed Blessings ARC. All I ask in return is an honest review on your chosen platform. |
Amanda Giorgis
Author of the Applecross Saga
News from Applecross – February 2022
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