THE NOT SO SECRET LITERARY AGENT

THE NOT SO SECRET LITERARY AGENT

LITERARY AGENT ANGST In 2011 I completed  a narrative non-fiction book on a controversial, 19th century criminal case. The events in The Water Doctor’s Daughters take place in France and England, and as an opening gambit I aim high and email a query letter to one of

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A Mother’s Love Expressed in Reading Aloud.

A Mother's Love Expressed in Reading Aloud.

Sixty years ago I was a wide eyed, sharp eared kid growing up on Tasmania’s North West Coast.  One weekend my mother and  I visited her brother’s family in a nearby town.  Over afternoon tea my aunt  described an incident that had taken place a few days

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A FAILED APPEAL TO CHARLES DICKENS…..

A FAILED APPEAL TO CHARLES DICKENS.....

 SCHOOLGIRLS IN EXILE My  book, The Water Doctor’s Daughters,  is the  biography of a dysfunctional family,  but  it is also Victorian  era true crime.  It centres on the case of French born  governess  Mlle Celestine Doudet.  In 1855 the governess was tried over the deaths of  her

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BATTLE OF TWO BOOKS!

It’s an extraordinary thing having two very different books published in one year, and  it would be  quite impossible for me to choose my favourite. My first, The Water Doctor’s Daughters, has a special place in my heart due to its content.  I became so emotionally involved

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Sydney Launch of The Water Doctor’s Daughters

  THE GENESIS OF THE LAUNCH I hadn’t  considered  a separate launch for The Water  Doctor’s Daughters in Australia, but a few  months ago a generous  offer came from  Sydney’s  Ashfield  Library to do a book signing.  It was to be part of their very popular  ‘Authors

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DRINK ME and DIE! – ABC LINIMENT

 THE  SOOTHING  LINIMENT THAT COULD LEAD TO DEATH There is a chapter in  my true crime book The Water Doctor’s Daughters titled;  AS EASY AS ABC.      The letters are a reference to a popular 19th century rubbing liniment made from three powerful, but potentially fatal compounds;   

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Buscot Park and the Sydney born bride.

Buscot Park and the Sydney born bride.

Florence Campbell was born in Woolloomooloo, Sydney on September 5th 1845, the eldest daughter  of Ann and Robert  Campbell.  Her father had made his fortune as a merchant, and in trading in gold after the big strike at Ophir in the Central West of New South Wales.

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Dawlish; an Author’s Pilgrimage.

  One of the  true joys of writing narrative  non-fiction is visiting all the places associated with the story. Of  course the research for  my book,  The Water Doctor’s Daughters,  took me to Paris (such a chore..ha ha)  Hastings and St Leonards,  Malvern and Cheltenham.  Accompanied  by

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A HIVE OF ACTIVITY; Promoting The Water Doctor’s Daughters

A HIVE OF ACTIVITY; Promoting The Water Doctor's Daughters

In The Beginning..The Water Doctor’s Daughter’s When I was writing my true crime book, The Water Doctor’s Daughters, I had a moment of panic and said to my husband Rob, ‘Oh dear, what if someone publishes this one day and I have to give talks about it?’ 

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MALVERN LAUNCH OF THE WATER DOCTOR’S DAUGHTERS

I thought I’d write a  brief report on the official launch of The Water Doctor’s Daughters in Great Malvern.  Editor Des was supposed to do it, but he was still in recovery from an unfortunate incident in London [see end of article]. WELL, THE BIG DAY DAWNED

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