Amanda Giorgis
Author of the Applecross Saga
The latest ‘pup’date from Applecross
Is there such a thing as Puppy Brain? You know, like Baby Brain. Anyway, I have it, whatever it is called! To begin at the beginning…..Many of you will be familiar with Jess, our old huntaway girl who starred on the paperback cover of ‘The Wideawake Hat’ in her role as Friday, James Mackenzie’s favourite dog. Sadly, we lost her a week or two ago at the good age of about 13 (she was a rescue dog, so ages are all a bit approximate). Here she is as Friday’s ‘cover dog’ on the paperback version of the Wideawake Hat, and on the day she arrived with us – just over 9 years ago.
Because we have been expecting her time to come for a while now, we have been keeping an eye on available rescue pups to fill her paws as Ted’s companion. So here comes Hunter, a 5 month old huntaway who was found wandering the streets of Invercargill, unclaimed by his owner. Last week he made the big journey up to Christchurch, with an overnight stop in Dunedin. And he is just wonderful! I could bore you with photos and videos for ever. It is so hard to choose just one, but this will do for now. Be warned, there will likely be more to come as he grows into adulthood.
Those of you with young children know that finding time to concentrate for any length of time is hard, and so it is with a puppy. Checking that he is chewing toys, not the furniture, counting the minutes between toilet breaks and waking to howling pups during the night are not ideal for creative thinking, so writing has taken a back seat for a week or two, I’m afraid. However, with shorter days coming over winter here in New Zealand, logs on the fire and the garden in hibernation, I plan to get into Book 7 very soon. No spoilers as yet. Suffice to say that it will mainly be set in Scotland and that the first shipment of frozen lamb was sent from New Zealand to London in 1882, organised by a land owning company based in Scotland. Put two and two together, and those of you who have read Book 6, Cocksfoot and Clover, may well realise that John James does indeed journey over the seas. The question is, will he be persuaded to return to Applecross? And by whom?
Cyclone Gabrielle
Have you heard about the havoc caused in parts of New Zealand by Cyclone Gabrielle? It has not been widely reported outside of New Zealand, even though there are areas of the country, like Hawkes Bay, Tairāwhiti and the west coast of the North Island, where many people have been made homeless and, in particular, our farmers and growers have lost their stock and had their crops utterly devastated. Debris from forestry work washed down swollen rivers, blocked bridges and caused slips and massive flooding, with metres of silt being deposited on houses and land. The clean up will take a very long time and require orchards to be replanted, stock to be replaced and fields and fences to be recreated. Fencing is a priority. You will remember that George and Sophia built a fence as soon as they decided where to settle in Marytown. Then James and Edmund spent a good deal of time and effort fencing their land at Applecross and Combe, and in the latest book, James and his son are seen mending and replacing those first fences. Fences are important to farmers. They protect crops, stop animals from wandering and provide a symbol of ownership. I give you the following extract from Book 2, Shepherd’s Delight, with a request that, if you are able to do so, you donate to the New Zealand Disaster Fund – see how some of the money will be spent on the Farmy Army Facebook page.
Fencing
The Great Historical Fiction Giveaway
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And finally
The Easter weekend is a perfect break to catch up on the latest from Applecross. Curl up in the Spring sunshine or by the Autumn fireside wherever you are in the world and come on in to Applecross to meet the folk who have made their home in Mackenzie’s Basin. Download the ebook version of all the Applecross Saga books from your favourite ebook provider, or listen to Book 1, The Wideawake Hat, narrated so well by Su Melville, from Audible, Spotify or your local library. I love hearing from my readers, so please do reply to this post or email me at Amanda.giorgis@icloud.com, or comment and review wherever you see my books. And tell your friends about Applecross too – they would be most welcome to join us on our adventures in 19th century New Zealand.
In the meantime, Hunter says, “Goodbye for now.”
Cocksfoot and Clover – available now!
| ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’ – available now! Here in New Zealand all the talk is about the weather at the moment. In the north, unprecedented rainfall has left many homes flooded and roads blocked by landslips. While in the south, we are baking in exceptionally high temperatures. Whatever the weather is doing at your place, there’s nothing better than to curl up with a good book. So get your copy of ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’, the 6th book in the Applecross series, available now from all the usual ebook outlets, or in paperback from Amazon or directly from the author. Details on the website I would love to hear your feedback, so please do consider leaving a review when you’ve read book 6, or contact me directly via amanda.giorgis@icloud.com |
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In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover.Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings?Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world. |
| An extract…. “Good God, this is a tedious job,” John James broke into his father’s thoughts. “However did you manage back at the beginning?”“Edmund and I were younger and fitter, I suppose, and keen to make our mark on the land,” replied James.“Frank says we should be making the fences rabbit proof by burying wire below ground,” said John James.James was a little bit fed up with what Frank said, and Abe and Henry too. These days his son started almost every sentence with ‘Frank says’, ‘Abe thinks’ or ‘Henry reckons’. So far today, Frank had suggested burning off the land to reduce tussock grass clumps and keeping rabbits out by fencing, Abe was all for importing a new ram from somewhere up north and Henry thought they should buy a new plough. It was all very well for John James to correspond with these new friends, but he couldn’t help feeling that one needed a bit more experience before making such sweeping changes.“I hardly think we need to keep the rabbits at bay to that extent,” replied James. “We can shoot the odd one or two for the pot, and skin the rest for their soft pelts.”“Henry says the rabbits are becoming a real problem down his way,” answered John James. “They breed too well, and they are destroying the land with their diggings.”James thought that Henry could keep his lowland ideas to himself. What would he know of high country farming? However, not wishing to dampen his son’s enthusiasm, he replied gruffly, “Won’t come to that up here. Ground is too damned stony.”“You can say that again,” John James laughed as he pulled two more big round stones the size of his fist out of the hole he had been trying to dig. He felt like he had already made a pile of them bigger than the hole that had been created in the first place.The two men continued their work without further words for a while, the only sound the skylarks rising above them, augmented by the occasional curse as father or son hit a stone with the shovel, or found themselves tied up in a coil of wire. James eventually pulled himself upright, putting a hand in the small of his back to ease the ache before mopping his brow with the back of his shirt sleeve. The midsummer sun was strong, and almost directly overhead. Nearly time to stop for lunch. He cast a glance in the direction of home, hoping to see his wife carrying a basket towards them, and indeed there was someone coming, but it was not Sophia.It was Jakob, with a shovel over his shoulder and a wicker basket in the crook of the other arm. When he got within earshot, he called out, “I thought I would give you a hand this afternoon, and Mrs Mackenzie sent some lunch.”“Both you and your basket are welcome visitors,” said James. He leaned his shovel against the post he had just set upright and flopped down onto the grassy bank. “Now, let’s see what my wife has packed for three hungry workers.”There was a stone bottle filled with ale, which the men willingly shared by passing it round and taking a swig. No need to dirty the enamel mugs that Sophia had packed for them to use. Then, unwrapping the cloths that covered each item, James found three hearty chunks of raised pork pie, some wedges of a round crusty loaf and several thick slices of cheese. There were three apples loose in the basket, and he left the final package still wrapped up for now, knowing it would contain cake or biscuits, depending what had been baked in the Applecross kitchen that morning.There was barely a word spoken as they tucked into the delicious food. It was a good few hours since breakfast time, and they had been working hard and had the appetites to prove it. Eventually, James offered the flagon round once more before tipping back the last dregs himself. “Ah, now that’s better. I was ready for something to eat,” he said, settling back against the bank, with his feet stretched out and his hat tipped forward over his eyes. “Let’s have a few more minutes before we get back to work, eh?”James shut his eyes. The two younger men had not yet reached an age where they needed a nap after lunch, but they too stretched themselves out in the sun, chatting of this and that.“Heard from the Viners lately?” asked John James.“Not for a while,” Jakob replied. “They seem happy down there on the coast with Mr Viner’s sister, but I do miss their company. And Mrs Viner’s baking was nearly as good as your mother’s. Mrs Mackenzie asked if I would like to invite them for Christmas, but I doubt they will come. Too many unhappy memories.”“Yes, it will be a strange Christmas this year, remembering Grandpapa,” replied John James.“Is Heather coming home this year?” asked Jakob.“Yes, she should be arriving in the next few days with Caroline and Adey Rose. They will travel up with Uncle Samuel, I daresay,” replied John James. “She’s bringing that George Latham fellow with her again. He’s a bit of a drip in my opinion, but she seems taken with him, and you have to admit, they have a lot in common with their books and learning.”The two young men failed to see James’ wry smile beneath his hat. He couldn’t help agreeing with his son. George Latham certainly did seem a bit wet behind the ears.“Do you think they will marry one day?” asked Jakob. There was a time when Jakob hoped for Heather’s attentions, although he would never admit it to John James. But no longer. She was spoken for now, and he liked George Latham. They would make a fine couple.“I wouldn’t wonder,” John James replied as he studiously picked each seed head, one by one, from a tall piece of grass plucked from the bank.“He will need to speak to me first, if he wishes to steal my daughter away from me,” said James, pushing his hat back and beginning to get to his feet.The two younger men went to rise too, John James throwing the stripped stalk over the fence and saying, “You wouldn’t say no though, father, would you?”“Maybe, maybe not,” James replied with a twinkle in his eye. “Heather could do worse, I daresay. She isn’t one to follow in her mother’s ways. Domestic tasks were never her favourite thing. Do you remember that cake she baked? It was more burnt biscuit than sponge.” |
The Latest News from Applecross
| January 2023 It is very nearly time for the 6th book in the Applecross Saga series to be added to your bookshelf, so this month’s news is (almost) all about ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’. Pre-order your ebook copy from Amazon or Kobo now. Available from other outlets and in other formats from 1st February 2023. I would love to hear your feedback. Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com or post a review online.  In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover. Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings? Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world. COCKSFOOT AND CLOVER – An explanation ….. ‘Why the title?’ I hear you ask. Well, the 6th book is set against a background of big changes in agriculture. Wool from New Zealand was widely used around the world and had made our farmers rich, but changes in the way wool was woven, and the over-grazing of much of our land, meant that things had to change. In the mid 1870s, we started growing wheat, and we moved over to farming sheep for their meat as well as their wool. It meant breeding a different kind of sheep because merino meat can be tough and fatty, and that created a need for good pasture. Tussock lands were ploughed up and re-seeded with a mix of plants that improved the soil for crops and fed the sheep. Seeds from England were used mainly, and the most common mixture was Cocksfoot and Clover, Timothy and Rye. In fact, it is a mixture still used to this day. Only a few years ago our own little field was re-seeded in that way, and the 6 sheep who graze there at the moment are looking mighty fine on it too! A teaser, not a spoiler Samuel and his passengers were approaching the ridge above Applecross.“Samuel, you will stop, won’t you?” Nancy asked.“I always do,” Samuel smiled. He knew very well that Nancy would be anticipating the panoramic view of the Basin community from the vantage point at the summit of the track. As they climbed, the weather had been improving a lot, and now, as if on cue, the sun came out from behind the clouds, flooding the Basin in glorious golden light. Samuel pulled the horse to a halt, immediately jumping down to help Nancy and Edmund alight too. For a few moments, the bright sun dazzled them all, but as their eyes began to focus, the whole valley lay in front of them in all its glory. The three of them stood, silhouettes against the skyline, absorbing the view that Nancy had been waiting so long to see once more.Nancy took it all in from right to left, saving her old home until last as if it was the final chocolate in the box, the one with her favourite filling. Smoke rose from Ngahuia’s fire, the chapel and school stood quiet, the Penders’ house too, apart from the tiny figure of Rex chasing shadows in the garden. She could hear him yapping. The row of workers’ cottages, the home fields full of sheep, the old Applecross house, and the new, the yard where washing flapped in the breeze, Jack and Daisy’s house, then Lucy’s place, the orchard and finally Combe.“What the devil?” Edmund was saying. “Samuel get me down there as fast as you can. What on God’s earth has happened to Combe? If all this talk of ‘Cocksfoot and Clover’ is too much, how about a special January sale of historical fiction from some of my fellow authors? From medieval times to the 2nd World War – there’s something free for everyone at Historical Fiction Freebies. A chance to win a free copy of the audiobook version of ‘The Wideawake Hat’ – this time on Spotify! If yours is among the first 10 emails I receive with a subject line of ‘Audiobook’, I’ll send you a redemption code to download the audiobook version of The Wideawake Hat, read by Su Melville, for FREE! Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com Subject Line ‘Audiobook’ (Please note – the voucher can only be redeemed via Spotify) An Applecross Companion Here you will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs, updated with the new characters for Book 6, plus a map of Mackenzie’s Basin. Dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access. |
News from Applecross – October 2022
| The latest update from Amanda Giorgis, best-selling author of the Applecross Saga. |
| Coming soon Book 6 of the Applecross Saga |
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| An explanation ….. The 6th book of the Applecross Saga is due for publication early in 2023. It has the title of COCKSFOOT AND CLOVER. Why? I hear you ask. Well, the 6th book is set against a background of big changes in agriculture. Wool from New Zealand was widely used around the world and had made our farmers rich, but changes in the way wool was woven, and the over-grazing of much of our land, meant that things had to change. In the mid 1870s, we started growing wheat, and we moved over to farming sheep for their meat as well as their wool. It meant breeding a different kind of sheep because merino meat can be tough and fatty, and that created a need for good pasture. Tussock lands were ploughed up and re-seeded with a mix of plants that improved the soil for crops and fed the sheep. Seeds from England were used mainly, and the most common mixture was Cocksfoot and Clover, Timothy and Rye. In fact, it is a mixture still used to this day. Only a few years ago our own little field was re-seeded in that way, and the 6 sheep who graze there at the moment are looking mighty fine on it too! |
| A little taste of Book 6 In the sheep country of Canterbury and Otago the native tussock lands had reached the end of their useful life by the 1870s and were sown with European grasses – mainly ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and clover. Rural New Zealand in 1876. A time of prosperity for Applecross sheep station. However, dark clouds are gathering over the settlers of Mackenzie’s Basin.James Mackenzie is good at his job. Quality wool from his flock is valued around the world. But his son, John James, sees the future differently, embracing new ideas and opening up new markets. Will father and son reach a compromise that will allow Applecross to survive through the threat of pestilence and fire? Will Captain Shepherd’s legacy offer the opportunity for his beloved family to spread their wings? Join James, Sophia and all the folk of Applecross as, once more, they celebrate triumph and success while joining together to face adversity and tragedy against a backdrop of an ever-changing world. |
| Bird of the |
| It’s that time of year again. The couple of weeks where we all choose our favourite New Zealand birds. Last year (in something of a travesty) a bat won! That’s not going to happen again this time. The theme for this year is ‘Underbirds are Go!’ – showcasing the many critically endangered birds who don’t get as much attention as our rockstars – kiwi, kakapo and takahe. Did you know there are only 40 Fairy Terns on our shores? They deserve a vote, as do our other ‘in serious trouble’ underbirds – Southern NZ dotterel, Wrybill, Grey duck, Australian crested grebe, Black fronted tern, Shore plover, Black stilt, Reef heron, Red knot and (the current leader), the teeny, tiny Rock wren. Oh, how I wish I could vote for them all. It took a long time to whittle all 72 birds down to my favourite 5 (see below). It’s not too late to cast your vote – https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz |
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| Another chance to win! If yours is among the first 10 emails I receive with a subject line of ‘Audiobook’, I’ll send you a voucher to download the audiobook version of The Wideawake Hat, read by Su Melville, for FREE!Email amanda.giorgis@icloud.com Subject Line ‘Audiobook’ (Please note – the voucher can only be redeemed via the link you receive in the email and can only be played on the Authors Direct IOS or Android app. The app is available in UK, EU, Australia, Canada and USA. Author’s decision is final.) |
| An Applecross Companion Here you will find a list of Applecross folk and their dogs, updated with the new characters for Book 5, plus a map of Mackenzie’s Basin.Dive on in there and take a look. Go to https://amandagiorgis.com/the-applecross-companion/ – use the password ‘Applecross’ to get access. Buy the Applecross Saga |
Accidental characters
Every now and then I introduce a character to my stories who plays a small role in another character’s thread, and then takes on a whole storyline of their own. I call them my accidental characters.
First there was Guy Pender – only introduced in Book 2, Shepherd’s Delight as the photographer who took the only known photo of Friday the collie. He became such a favourite that he ended up having his own complete book – Book 3, Guy Pender, and is now very much part of the Applecross community along with his lovely wife, Amelie and their growing family (and Rex the scruffy dog, of course).
Then there was Jakob (pronounced Yakob due to his Dutch ancestry), introduced in Book 4, Three Cedar Trees. Just a farmer’s son who swapped places with Freddie so that both boys could learn about other ways of farming. Somehow he accidentally grew into a firm favourite with his own stories to tell. He, and his faithful collie, Leda, have now made a home in the Basin. All we need now is for Jakob to find a wife! I am busy working on that one, although you may have to wait a few more months to see how that develops in Book 6, Cocksfoot and Clover, due for release in early 2023.
In the meantime, while doing some research for Book 6 (more about that next time), we recently visited Elephant Rocks near Oamaru in New Zealand’s South Island. It reminded me that this was where Jakob sheltered for the night after falling in the river as he escaped from the terrible incident with a flock of sheep. Battered and bruised, he and Leda slept in the contours of a rock worn into shape by millions of years of erosion. It is an atmospheric place. I recommend you add it to your list of places to visit when touring the South Island of New Zealand. Hopefully, as there are lots of places to stay nearby, you won’t have to sleep under a rock!
Here is an extract from Three Cedar Trees :-
He had not accounted for the mist. The wet weather was on the change and warmer temperatures over damp ground were causing a ground mist to form, rolling gently towards Jakob and Leda as they walked on towards the setting sun. Very soon, they were surrounded, unable to see more than a few feet in any direction. Jakob could tell only that they were surrounded by rocks, some of which seemed to be like giant animals looming out of the mist at them. He moved from one to another, trying to find a crevice big enough to squeeze into, but they all seemed to have flat, weathered surfaces. Thinking that he had no choice but to hunker down against one such rock, he made one last attempt to find better shelter. He put a hand out to the next rock he saw, feeling along its surface, working his way around it in the gloom. He was rewarded by finding an almost circular crevice where water had eroded away at the base of the rock. The remaining cave like space was enough for a boy and a dog to squeeze in under cover, wrapped round on both sides by rocks too. It was the perfect sleeping place for a tired boy and his exhausted dog.
What greeted Jakob the following morning was a sight like nothing he had seen before. He found himself in a flat field beyond which were steep cliffs on two sides, almost as if the ground on which he stood had dropped down, leaving a jagged edge. Punctuating this green area were a variety of incongruously shaped grey rocks rearing up through the grass as if they were fossilised giants. Blown smooth by erosion, forming weird and wonderful shapes, Jakob could not help himself from running between them, reaching out to touch the smooth surfaces, dancing round them as if they would dance with him. To Jakob it was a magical, enchanted place. It was as if the rocks themselves were giving him hope, telling him to go forward, wishing him good fortune.
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