Jan
30

Genre Con – 17th February

Looking forward to running this workshop on 17 Feb @genrecon_ , places still available, both in person & also online.

Love the hybrid delivery, will be live-streamed and those online will be able to participate / ask questions through a facilitator in the room with us – brilliant ! Please find full details of the workshop.

Hope to see you there!

Jan
29

Happy Millionth Birthday Illustrations

Character design is one of my favourite things about being a picture book designer.

From the moment a manuscript lands on my desk – I get to imagine what each of the players in the story might look like.

I then develop a brief for the chosen illustrator and provide as much visual reference as I can to help them understand the direction.

These gorgeous little characters are created by Alexandra Colombo @alexandra.colombo for RWR McDonald’s @rwrmcdonald first @larrikinhouse title: ‘Happy Millionth Birthday’

What do you think?

Happy Millionth Birthday
Written by @rwrmcdonald
Illustrated by @alexandra.colombo
Published by @larrikinhouse

Coming soon!

Jan
28

Be careful what you wish for wolf!

Incredible to see the picture book cast come to life – Alexandra Columbo – genius! 🤩🙌🏻🙌🏻REPOST • @larrikinhouse The sneakiest peek of the preliminary illustrations of a project written by crime writer and best selling author of #TheNancys RWR McDonald 💛

This story is darkly funny and kids (and adults) will relate to this little wolf’s wishes!

Be careful what you wish for wolf!!!

Illustrations by Alexandra Columbo (My EXTRAordinary Mum!)

It’s a wolffish time to be a larrikin!

Jan
27

Biblio Art Exhibition Repost

Loved getting to @blarneybooksandart catching up with Jo and seeing the Biblio Art Exhibition – first class , highly recommend the trip to Port Fairy. @jdrcosy I love your entry for Nancy Business 🧡 it may have brought a tear to my eye. @ryanpola congratulations again, your entry is stunning. Thanks Jo and congratulations to you and your crew for such a wonderful event and exhibition(thanks Dean fir the coffee!) REPOST • @blarneybooksandart Lucky to have another special visitor today – author RWR (Rob) McDonald, of The Nancys fame! Rob is the most generous human on the planet, and privately sponsors the Rainbow Prize in our Biblio Art exhibition! 👏 🌈 This year’s winner was artist Ryan Pola with his response to Margaret Hickey’s crime novel Cutters End! (First pic.) Second pic is Rob enjoying the detailed and playful Biblio Art entry inspired by The Nancys by artist Joanne Russell. Whilst here, Rob signed and sold a couple of his popular books for our visitors! 🔥🥳🌟💐

Jan
24

Loved ‘Everyone In This Family Has Killed Someone’ by Benjamin Stevens!

Loved this (and late to it – catching up slowly on the towering TBR pile 📚📚📚) Inventive, fun and clever I’m looking forward to being on a panel with Benjamin Stevenson @genrecon_ with podcaster Jess Forsayeth & hosted by Megan Norris – Make A Statement With Crime – in Brisbane 18 Feb – @stevensonexperience I have questions!

Jan
22

A Man And His Pride – Luke Rutledge Debut Novel

Congratulations @lukerutledge.writer on his debut A MAN AND HIS PRIDE 🤩, devoured this book this weekend – funny, sad and unflinching in its portrayal of a hot mid twenties white cis gay man during Australia’s plebiscite on equal marriage. 💯related with the gay characters and it transported me back to that time. I was lucky enough to get an advanced reading copy ahead of having @lukerutledge.writer on @queerwritessessions podcast – can not wait to talk with him about it. Highly recommend, out 31st January @penguinbooksaus – blurb below ⬇️ Congratulations again @lukerutledge.writer , loved it! BLURB Sometimes life can be hard – until the right person shows you the way.

Despite coming out years ago, twenty-six-year-old Sean Preston has never been one to shout his sexuality from the rooftops. When his relationship of three months comes to a humiliating end, he vows never to become emotionally attached again, falling into a cycle of hook-ups, booze and an unrelenting gym routine.

The rest of Sean’s life isn’t panning out how he hoped either. His job as an online troll moderator is testing his mental health, his best friend and former girlfriend still resents him for coming out, and even his own mother seems to blame him for a tragedy that tore their family apart. But it is his surprising connection with an eighty-seven-year-old nursing home resident that pushes his identity crisis to the brink.

Set in Brisbane during Australia’s 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite, A Man and His Pride is an exuberant and deeply moving story that celebrates some of the many ways to be gay, and shows that finding your pride is a journey – one you cannot take alone.