As Sally Field once famously said: “You like me, you really like me!” In this case, it applies to 2010 Independent Bookseller of the Year, ‘Readings’, and their opinion of ‘Kindling’.
Here’s a snippet:
“The story of Kindling is engrossing, and its characters beautifully realised…the novel (is) irresistible.”
Check out the full wrap at the Readings website.
Booktopia, the one-stop, online shop for everything “book” and one of Australia’s fastest growing companies, is famed for the “Ten Terrifying Questions” they put to selected authors. Among their more celebrated victims are such literary luminaries as Alex Miller, Jackie Collins, John Birmingham and Karin Slaughter. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining this celebrated list. Here’s a sample:
5. Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?
Well, I’m pretty crap at every artistic avenue with the exception of the written word. Actually, I’ll qualify that – I’m a prodigious karaoke performer. Unfortunately, the medium is not so much about you telling stories but rather others telling stories about you.
The other nine are just as entertaining…
Many thanks to Booktopia Editor-in-Chief, Toni Whitmont, for this grand opportunity…
Australian Bookseller & Publisher mag, in their July issue, have posted a five-star rating and review of Kindling. Here’s a sample of the good lovin’:
“Darren Groth has been around for a while as an author but it has been hard to track down his books. This is a shame because his latest novel, Kindling, is an absolute stunner.
Groth’s strength is his ability to switch seamlessly between father and son, with each character voice coming across as authentic and utterly truthful…He has a superb sense of pace and timing.
This is a book you could put into the hands of anyone over the age of 15. But I think the publishers have missed an opportunity with this one. They should be selling it with a free box of tissues.”
The July issue of AB&P is available at newsagents and via subscription. An online version of the July issue will be available next month on the AB&P website. Kindling, of course, hits the shelves July 1.
The Byron Bay Writers Festival (August 5-8) program has officially been released and, for anyone keen on literary love-ins, I am participating in four sessions:
“Suburban Mayhem: Characters on the Edge” (Senior Secondary Students)
Thursday, August 5
12.30-1.15pm
Macquarie Marquee
“From Manuscript to Market: Getting My Book on the Shelf”
Friday, August 6
9.00-10.00am
SCU Marquee
“KINDLING LAUNCH”
Friday, August 6
4.00-5.00pm
Launchpad
“Keeping It Real versus Going Too Far: Writing Young Adult Fiction”
Sunday, August 8
12.15-1.15pm
ABC3 Marquee
The big one, of course, is the Kindling launch Friday eve. For my Aussie pals, would love to see a whole mob of you there. For my Canuck friends, I’ll pay for your copy if you make it Down Under.
For a full gander at the BBWF program, click here.
After some serious badgering from well-meaning but violently-inclined folks surrounding, I have joined ‘Twitter’.
It promises to get a decent workout when I return to Oz in July/August for the Kindling caperings. I particularly look forward to sharing with my followers the goings-on at the Byron Bay Writers Festival (August 6-8). The card features Bret Easton Ellis, author of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘Less Than Zero’; Fatima Bhutto, niece to assassinated Pakistani President, Benazir Bhutto; and a host of other luminaries.
Barring any restraining orders I may incur, a comprehensive Twit’s-eye view is guaranteed.
I am proud to announce that Kindling has attracted its first international buyer: Taiwan.
The foreign rights offer was forwarded by noted publishing house, Global Group Holdings, Ltd and involves translation of the story into complex character Chinese. When published, the book will retail for somewhere around $6.00 US.
Big high-fives go to Airlie Lawson at Hachette for her leg-work on this ground-breaking deal.
BTW…anyone like to guess which country will snap up Kindling next?
The official release in Australia and New Zealand for Kindling has now been set:
JULY 1
To folks in my current country of residence, this date is more familiar as Canada Day. And, until Nate and Kieran and the cast of co-stars secure a publishing deal in the Great White North, Canada Day it will remain (for now…).
For anyone interested in being the absolute first to get their mitts on the book, most of the major Oz bookstores already have Kindling in their stocklists and several are taking pre-release orders. A number of retailers are also providing 12 copy packs of the title (with bonus 13th copy for free!) for purchase by libraries, book clubs and my relatives.
Here is a link to one of the online pre-release ordering pages…
Myself and the family will be back on the golden shores of Oz July 26 – August 14.
Amidst the catching up with relatives, friends, acquaintances and other associated revellers, there will be a whirlwind of Kindling happenings, taking in Sydney, Melbourne (to be confirmed), Brisbane and, of course, the Byron Bay Writers Festival (Aug 6-8).
Keep an eye out for specific dates and events to come…
Towards the end of 09, I was interviewed by talented Queensland poet, Zenobia Frost, for a ‘publishing journey’ piece she was doing for the Queensland Writers Centre mag, WQ.
After a game of email tag, the result – an excellent article entitled ‘Strange Luck and Stepping Stones’ – is available for all to read. The story also includes pearls of wisdom from noted local scribblers, Ben Law and Alasdair Duncan.
PS Page 6 of the PDF download is where it’s at…
Myperbole 