Love and Land Management with Rachael Treasure

Rachael Treasure (pictured) is the bestselling author of Jillaroo, The Stockmen and The Rouseabout. In her latest novel, The Cattleman’s Daughter, Rachael draws on her own experience of riding horses and droving cattle in the snow gum country of Eastern Victoria. This book is a love story, but at the heart of this novel is a message about conservation and reconciliation.

Rachael Treasure doesn’t just write about rural Australia, she lives it. Born and raised in rural Victoria, she now lives on a farm in Tasmania with her husband John and their two children. Read more

Book Review: Women & Money by Suze Orman

Known throughout the United States as ‘The Money Lady’, Suze Orman is the author of nine best selling books on the subject. Named by Time Magazine in 2008 as one of the ‘100 Most Influentional People’ in the world, Orman is the host of her own TV show on CNBC, a popular motivational speaker, and the contributing editor of O The Oprah Magazine. And with the release of the Australia Edition of Women & Money in August 2009, I have no doubt Suze Orman will soon be able to count thousands of Australian women, myself included, among her legion of fans around the world.

Suze Orman’s story is truly inspirational. Born with a speech impediment and unable to read as well as her class mates, Orman struggled through school and then college – dropping out of university before graduation when she was unable to fulfill the language requirement. In 1980 the then 29 year old Orman, was working as a waitress earning just $400 a month and dreaming of opening a restaurant, when something quite extraordinary happened. Upon learning that she was unable to borrow the money she needed to follow her dream, customers at the restaurant where she had waitressed for the past six years, loaned Orman $50,000 to open a restaurant. Read more

The Gleefully Exaggerated Gretel Killeen

She’s been heavily criticised in the media and vilified by just about every armchair TV critic with access to a mobile phone and a computer. But you won’t hear her complaining. In fact you won’t hear Gretel Killeen say a bad word about anyone.

When I told my friends that I would be interviewing Gretel Killeen this week, no mention was made of her most recent TV appearance as host of the Logies, or the years she spent as the host of Big Brother. Instead, the conversation that ensued focused on her comedic talent and her abilities as a strong role model for women, particularly working mothers. Although not a representative survey by any means, I’m not surprised by this response – I have long suspected that this hard working single mother of two, has at least as many fans as she does critics. Read more

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Dan Brown’s new book THE LOST SYMBOL will be published by Random House Australia on 15 September 2009.

All we can share at the moment is that the story takes place over a 12-hour period in the life of THE DA VINCI CODE’S protagonist, Robert Langdon.

In an official statement Dan Brown (pictured) said: “This novel has been a strange and wonderful journey, weaving five years of research into the story’s 12-hour time frame was an exhilarating challenge. Robert Langdon’s life clearly moves a lot faster than mine.”

The highly anticipated follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, one of the most thrilling bestsellers of all time, THE LOST SYMBOL is finally available to pre-order from book shops, including the following online retailers who have heavily discounted the price in the lead up to the book’s release:

Australian Retailers:

• QBD The Bookshop for AU$29.99

• The Nile for AU$31.99

• Fishpond.com.au for AU$32.99

International Retailers:

• Amazon.com for US$16.17

If you would like to receive updates about Dan Brown’s new book THE LOST SYMBOL? Sign up to the Random House newsletter for the latest news, updates about any competitions, exclusive stuff or promotions that we will be running for THE LOST SYMBOL and other Random House books!

Best Selling Fiction for Adults December 2008

1. Fishing for Stars by Bryce Courtenay. Published by Viking, RRP $49.99.
Fishing for Stars has, at its heart, two passionate, unforgettable but very different women. One is exotic, damaged, and shrewd; the other beautiful, determined and zealous. Both are bitter rivals for the love of the same man.

This story is set in Australia, the Pacific Islands, Japan and Indonesia during the latter half of the twentieth century. Nick Duncan is an ingenuous male with a great deal more female on his hands than he can possibly hope to understand.

The contest he is called upon to referee is the clash between the two great loves of his life: the seductive Anna Til, and the older, equally fascinating Marg Hamilton. Nick struggles between their worlds: one exploiting the world’s riches for profit, the other fighting to save the environment and its creatures, large and small.

BUY THE BOOK
International retailer: Amazon.com
Australian retailer: Save 40% at QBD The Bookshop Read more

J.K. Rowling takes legal action against RDR Books

J K Rowling, author of the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series, has taken legal action against RDR Books over the publisher’s planned release of a 400 page Harry Potter Lexicon. 

The lexicon is based on entries posted on a website www.lp-lexicon.com created by librarian, Steve Vander Ark. The publisher will argue in court that the lexicon provides fresh insights (and criticisms) of Rowling’s popular series.  But Lawyers for the author called the lexicon a ‘rip-off’ and want the court to issue an injunction preventing the release of the book.

According to a New York Times article published on 14 April 2008, Rowling was close to tears as she gave evidence at Manhatten Federal Court.

“These characters meant so much to me, and continue to mean so much to me, over such a long period of time. It’s very difficult for someone who is not a writer to understand. The closest I can come is to say to someone, ‘How do you feel about your child?” she said.

The New York Times has quoted Rowling as saying that the release of the lexicon by RDR Books will interfere with her own plans to publish an encyclopedia on the Harry Potter series and donate the proceeds to charity.

In a statement released to the media today, Rowling said:

“It gives me no pleasure to take legal action, but I am here today because I feel very strongly about an important issue that affects everyone and not just me. If books that plagiarise other works are permitted, authors, fans and readers stand to lose. There are lots of books in many languages that comment on or criticize Harry Potter, and that’s fine. But the book in this case is different. It provides no analysis and virtually no commentary. It takes far too much and it offers precious little in return. I would just like to add that I am extremely grateful for the incredible support of Harry Potter fans everywhere.”

The court case will last until Thursday and a verdict in the case could take several weeks.