Monday, January 31, 2011

THE SEVENTH WAVE is Now Available!

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you all now that THE SEVENTH WAVE, the second book in my PEARL Trilogy, is now available. Here's a blurb on both books for you! Hope you enjoy them!



THE PEARL

The Top End of Australia—a tropical paradise filled with beauty. Wonder. Danger.

For two young boys growing up, the remote beaches and aqua waters of the Northern Territory provide a playground of adventure. So it is for half-Aboriginal Jarrah Yindi and his best friend Luke Lawson, who spend their summers diving for pearls and dodging Old Salty, a man-eating crocodile, under the stormy summer skies of Darwin.

And as the boys grow older, their friendship gradually becomes a need to be together, and slowly something more blossoms.

But for two teenage boys, falling in love is very different to understanding love.

As they teeter on the brink of manhood, as life beyond school looms like a summer storm—at once exciting and terrifying—will life tear the two friends apart?

Or will love keep them together forever?



For Jad and Luke it was a summer of love; of sweltering thunderstorms and salty fresh oysters; of afternoons spent diving naked through the warm tropical waters, and nights spent laying on the wet sand wrapped in each others’ arms beneath the southern stars. But if the two young men were certain of anything other than their love for each other—it was that summer couldn’t last forever.

As Jad begins his medical studies in faraway Sydney, Luke joins the Royal Flying Doctors as a pilot, attending to medical emergencies in remote outback Australia.

But will the temptations of the city, the allure of a handsome new friend, and his dream of becoming a doctor tear Jad away from Luke forever?

Or will the beautiful but harsh Australian Outback decide the fate of the two young friends and lovers?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Henry Cavill is Superman!

Everyone loves a man in a suit, especially when it's Superman's suit! And now it's official, Henry Cavill, one of the handsome men from TV's THE TUDORS, has finally landed (or rather, will be taking off in) the role of Superman in the new reboot of the superhero franchise.



And Cavill's casting isn't the only thing that's got us all excited! The new movie, entitled SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL, will be directed by Zack Snyder (300, WATCHMEN) and produced by Christopher Nolan (THE DARK KNIGHT, INCEPTION). The whole project smacks of quality, talent, sexiness and utter awesomeness!!! I cannot wait!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Today's Life-lovin' Moment!

A few years ago I was doing a production job for a client. When I'm not writing novels I make ads and do creative stuff with brands, and for this particular job I was hired to sit in an edit suite for 2 days with a video editor and cut together a brand reel. Anyway, the first freelance editor on the job did NOT want to be there. He sat there for two hours complaining about the job and telling me that this gig was beneath him and that he was better than this (not thinking he was insulting me in the process, but hell, when you get a bread and butter gig you do it!) Anyway, after two hours this editor walked out on the job... when you're on a deadline to produce something, that is a HUGE professional no-no, it basically leaves everyone high and dry with a looming deadline and no editor.

Enter a fast replacement freelance editor named Kristian Anderson. For the next day and a half Kristian and I cut together one of the best reels I've ever produced. Not only was he fast and professional and skilled, he was also one of the NICEST people I have ever met in my life. You know how sometimes you just meet people and you think, you are a good person, why aren't there more people like you out there. He told me about his lovely wife and family and how he had just started his freelance career and wanted my advice on the freelance world to make sure he had made the right decision and could make enough money for his family. At the end of the session we swapped numbers, but unfortunately I haven't had reason to call on Kristian's skills since then.

Then the other day he popped up on the news.

A short time after I worked with him, Kristian was diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer. Knowing that such a good person has to go through such a painful experience breaks my heart. But the reason Kristian was in the news was because he has turned this painful experience into a life-changing one. Below is a video he made for his wife's birthday telling her how much he loves her and thanking her for all her love and support during their trying time. Amazingly, Kristian somehow persuaded the New Zealand Prime Minister and even Hugh Jackman to appear in the video! Not only that, when Oprah came to Australia recently she was so moved by Kristian's video that she invited Kristian on the show and gave him and his wife a cheque for $250,000 so they wouldn't have to worry about money while they go through this experience together.

This isn't a story about fame or being given a truckload of money, it's about passing on the good stuff. Whenever Oprah does something generous, she does it in the hope that generosity—or kindness or hope or a good twist of Fate—is passed on down the line, no matter how big or small it is. It's tragic that a guy as nice as Kristian has been struck with cancer, but he put his story of love and strength and hope out there, then Hugh Jackman made it bigger, then Oprah made it bigger still. So hopefully others will find love and strength and hope too. I guess that's the point of this post: pass on the good stuff, pass on hope.

I only met Kristian because I had to first work with a guy who was the complete opposite of Kristian. A good twist of Fate. I wish Kristian and his family well!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Muse of the Day—Chip Tanner





Movie of the Month—CATFISH



Okay, here's the thing about CATFISH. You have to go in knowing virtually nothing about the movie... which makes reviewing it kinda hard. Having said that, telling you the basic set-up won't spoil anything. In a nutshell, it's a doco made by two guys, Rel and Henry, who use Rel's brother Nev as their subject as he begins a Facebook relationship with a young girl who is something of an artistic genius. Nev himself is a photographer, and he and the young girl strike up a genuine friendship. When Nev is introduced (online) to the young girl's family, he ends up falling in love (online) with the young girl's older sister, Megan.



That's all I'm gonna say about the plot of the movie. But trust me, this film is fantastic!! It's so utterly compelling and holds up so many mirrors to the world we've created for ourselves. If THE SOCIAL NETWORK was about starting up Facebook, then CATFISH is the movie that shows us the effects of Facebook—socially, personally, emotionally.




Some people have questioned the authenticity of the doco, whether it's real or not. The filmmakers stand by their claim that its completely authentic. To be honest, it doesn't really matter. This film raises so many real issues and delivers its message so well that it proves to be must-see filmmaking regardless of whether it's real or not! I'm giving CATFISH 9 out of 10!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Song of the Day—Clare Bowditch's "Bigger Than the Money"

I love this song! Clare Bowditch is one of Australia's most talented singer-songwriters. She's gorgeous and clever and honest, and when you listen to the lyrics of this song you get such a sense of regret, of a story of success that went sour once money got involved and dreams died. It's a very cool song!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Mugshot of the Day—Phil Barone, Playgirl's Man of the Month, March 1986

When I was in my mid-teens, I remember slinking up to a newsstand in the middle of the city and buying my first Playgirl Magazine, handing over my hard-earned cash with a trembling hand. It was the March 1986 issue, and centerfold Phil Barone was pretty much the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on. Even now I think his centerfold photos depict one helluva gorgeous male specimen!






Unfortunately while sourcing some of these hunky classic pics, I stumbled across this: a Florida mugshot of Phil from late last year, aged 51. Beauty really does fade, time marches on, but I'll always remember that day at the newsstand. Thanks for the memories, Phil!