Month: March 2023

Profile: Elizabeth Long

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Tasmania and came to Melbourne at the age of 18, just for a visit. Most Tasmanians used to call it the ‘Big Smoke’. That very title spoke to me as a place of intrigue and excitement. I was off. I came to like Melbourne very much, secured a job and stayed.

What draws you to writing?
Like a lot of authors (I assume) I love writing and have done it since secondary school where I received high distinctions for my essays. Added to that I find it easier to write things down than say them (if that makes sense).

So tell us about your book?
My first book is about something terrible that happened to an ordinary hard-working family.

It begins at a time when people didn’t necessary lock their doors and children played all day until they were called for tea. No one worried about where they were. It was a different time then. The story progresses to the 1990s.

Where did the idea come from?
It simply came into my mind as a what if?

How did it happen, why did it happen and what would be the consequences?

What’s the story you’re trying to tell?
How family support each other. How friends gather around those they love. Why some family members hold grudges. It’s also about resilience and justice.

And what do you hope your readers draw from your writing?
A reader wrote back to me recently and spoke about how they felt about my book.

They said they really enjoyed it. ‘The twists were unexpected’, and the story ‘tugged there heart strings on several occasions’ and made them cry.

That is exactly what I hoped my story would bring to readers.

What’s your writing process?
Firstly, when I have settled on some of the plot (it evolves along the way) I make notes about the characters. Things like their age, where they come from, what are their relationships with each other. I settle on names during that process as well.

Tell us one thing about your book, or your writing process, that nobody else knows.
Sometimes I become frustrated. It doesn’t always flow for me. I need to take a walk and clear my mind. I can also spend a lot of time on research which is very time consuming when really. I just want to get on with it.

What are you working on next?
‘A Body in the Lane’, which is a spinoff from my first book, The Taroona Incident. A few characters make a reappearance but it is a completely different story.

When readers talk about you as an author, what do you hope they’re saying?
I hope they say I tell a good yarn, they enjoyed it, the characters and settings were well described and they were surprised by the ending.

Any advice for other writers?
I’m not sure I’m that practiced at writing to advise.

However, I do think you should have an idea of what you want to say. Make notes first and get to know your characters before you begin. Don’t be afraid to change direction if it’s not working. Be prepared for some frustration at times. It’s not always easy.

Where can people find your book?
I do have hard copies if anyone wants to buy directly. I’m also on most eBook platforms. such as, Amazon, Booktopia, Barnes and Noble and others.

Please include any social media links you want to share.

I’m on Facebook and Goodreads. Or, please refer to the publisher for other contact details

Profile: Julie Ann Bryant

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I am Julie Ann and together with my husband and our two adult children, I live in the Illawarra NSW – a region traditionally known as Dharawal Country, the land of the Wodi Wodi people.  I work from home as a medical transcriptionist in radiology.

When my children were young, I completed the Advanced Diploma of Applied Social Science.

My studies focused on grief and loss, and I have a specific interest in disenfranchised grief, especially as it relates to multiple birth bereavement.

My other interests include listening to music, writing poetry and nature photography. 

What draws you to writing?
I am a visual thinker and have always expressed myself through writing.  I began writing poetry in my teenage years.  Consequently, it was a natural progression for me to keep journals through the years. Now, since publishing my book, I am also adding to my webpage blog week-by-week.

There is something about seeing words materialise in black and white in front of me on the screen that helps my thoughts develop.  For me, writing (in whatever form) is an opportunity to tell my story, in my own words, in my own way and at my own pace.

Writing provides me with a safe haven in which to explore my thoughts, process experiences and draw on insights that I can learn from going forward.  It is also a process that I find quite cathartic. 

So tell us about your book …
My book is called From One Twin Mum To Another and it is my first published work, inspired by my experience in 2001 of a complicated, high-risk IVF twin pregnancy.

I use the word inspired quite deliberately because it is not a memoir.  As a very private person, I felt more comfortable writing in the setting of psychology/self-help.

My book is intended as a guide, firstly, for newly bereaved multiple-birth parents as well as their social supports and their professional supports.

There is a strong emphasis on being self-aware about mental wellbeing in the context of grief and considers various aspects of support, self-care and creating something of personal meaning out of the loss.

Where did the idea come from?
One morning in May last year I woke with the thought, Today is the day I start writing my book.

As random as that thought was, I decided to run with it and see what might eventuate.  Within six months, my book was written, proofed and published.

As for writing in my chosen genres of nonfiction/psychology/self-help, I have always been drawn to memoirs and autobiographies.  There is something about understanding the experiences and insights of other people that resonates a lot with me.

What’s the story you’re trying to tell?
My message about grief is that it is:

• Firstly, complex and we need to have a good support network around us.
• Secondly, a necessary process that we work through for our long-term mental wellbeing.
• Thirdly, survivable – as overwhelming as it feels in the first few years following a significant loss, but as we change through the years, so too will our grief.

Having an unborn baby die has a profound impact on the expectant parents.

When that loss occurs in the context of a twin pregnancy, it is still a loss that needs to be acknowledged and grieved. 

And what do you hope your readers draw from your writing?
In my introduction I wrote, “I want to reach out to you through the pages of this book to reassure you that you will get through this”.

I hope my book conveys that no matter how unusual their circumstance of twin loss feels, that they are not alone and they will survive their grief.

Whilst not a memoir, I have shared my insights from my twin pregnancy to provide information to my readers that I hope will be of great relevance and significance for them personally.

What’s your writing process?
When it came to researching for my book, a lot of my personal research included looking through the many things I had written through the years.  Some of those writings dated back over twenty years and were adapted for Chapter One;  Similarly, I adapted other old writings dating back some ten years for Chapter Two.

Of course, I also conducted research further afield at various points in writing my book.

When my living children were of preschool age, my psychology studies provided an opportunity to examine in depth the more complicated forms of loss and grief. 

Conducting that research and composing each of the ninety-six essays was a wonderful learning experience in itself, which I am sure served to prepare me well in advance for writing my book. 

My natural style of writing has always been to “free associate” my thoughts and that is certainly how I approach writing poetry and journals.  This is also how I initially approached writing the book as well. With any concept in my mind, I would write what I knew and continue writing as much as I could.

I bought an A4 lecture book and every day scribbled thoughts into it, thoughts that would run in the background of my mind as I worked on the manuscript.  I also had a pen and notepad at my bedside for those random 3am thoughts!

Once I had the bones of the first four chapters, I wrote, researched, rewrote and read out loud what I had written thus far and continued this process … sometimes several times over, slowing fleshing it all out.

Towards the end of my draft manuscript, I took a week off work and each day that week, I read my manuscript out loud, cover-to-cover.  Whenever something didn’t sound quite right, I would go back and rework that part until it flowed.

By the fifth day and the fifth time I had read the manuscript out loud, it sounded and felt the way I had originally intended. That was when I was confident my manuscript was ready to hand over for proofing and subsequently also, publishing.

In researching, seeking permission from other authors, etc, I decided that it would be easier to just use my own original poetry  – that way I didn’t need to seek permission to publish the work of other poets.

Likewise with the cover images, I used my own photos – again so that I didn’t have to seek permission to use the work of another photographer.

Tell us one thing about your book, or your writing process, that nobody else knows.
I must admit, this question had me stumped for a few days.

And then, in looking through my table of contents I realised a parallel between Worden’s “Four Tasks Of Mourning” (as mentioned in my Preface) and the first four chapters of my book. Obviously, this was not intentional during the stages of my writing, but very much a happy coincidence for me!

Worden’s first task of mourning is to accept the reality of the death and my first chapter looks at the complexity of life and death in a twin pregnancy and in contexts such as the prenatal appointments and creating a birth plan for both babies.

The second task of mourning is to feel the pain of that realisation and my second chapter examines what grief looks like through the eyes of the grieving parents.

The third task is to adjust to life in the face of the loss and my third chapter considers the support networks the grieving parents need to gather around them, as they slowly adjust in terms of their grief, and as they parent their newborn surviving twin.

The fourth task is to memorialise your loved one. One of the main points of my fourth chapter is that the parents create something of personal meaning out of their loss that they can carry with them as they move forward with their lives.

What are you working on next?
I am still working on this book, or at least, getting it out there – and it is in my thinking this year to create an audiobook.

A few weeks ago I hand-delivered a copy of my book to a young twin mum who lives in my neighbourhood.

As we sat on her lounge talking and playing with her surviving twin daughter, I glanced across the room to see her mother sitting in an armchair, my book open in her hands, quietly engrossed in reading.

The memory of that image makes my heart sing.

I really want for my book to find its way to where it needs to be – in the hands of grieving twin parents, as well as their social supports and professional supports.

As the writing of my book all happened within the space of six months, now I am playing catch up – making contact far and wide with health and mental health professionals who may, one day, have bereaved multiple birth parents in their care and, thus, may benefit from the information my book provides.

Who knows what my next writing project will be?  Maybe one morning, I will just wake up and know that something new and exciting is about to begin …

When readers talk about you as an author, what do you hope they’re saying?
Firstly, that I have approached a complex and little understood area of pregnancy loss and presented it in a comprehensive way.

Secondly, that I have written in such a way as to invite everyone into the conversation about multiple birth bereavement, thus opening up the opportunity to talk about loss, grief, the importance of good mental wellbeing and of feeling well supported, both socially and professionally.

Any advice for other writers?
Believe in the message you are trying to tell.  Be passionate about telling it. 

For those times when writer’s block has you staring at a blank screen for any length of time, find a way to push through and tell that story anyway.  Free associate your thoughts and you may find that this becomes your best piece of writing simply because you put more time, thought and effort into making it happen.

Finally, do you want to promote your book (where people can buy it) or any events where you might be featuring?
BRYANT, Julie Ann.  From One Twin Mum To Another: An insight into the complexities of multiple birth bereavement. (2022) Melbourne: Busybird Publishing

My book can be bought direct from myself and I am happy to provide a signed copy on request.  There is an order form for this on my website. 

My book is also widely available online in both paperback and ebook formats and, again, I have provided links on my web page to the more well-known online stores, such as: Amazon, Booktopia, Angus & Robertson, Bookshop, Fishpond, Book Depository, Blackwells, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, etc.

From One Twin Mum To Another

My blogs can be read at the following links:

My website –   https://fromonetwinmumtoanother.com/blog/

Facebook –      https://www.facebook.com/julieannbryant.author/

Twitter –          https://twitter.com/OneTwinMum

Our Loss

Preface: This is a piece that Joe Dolce – Blaise’s stepfather, her ‘Dad Plus One’ as she called him – wrote shortly after her passing, and which we’re publishing to commemorate the first-year anniversary of her passing.

The 2 am call to me from her husband, the dread of telling her mother the horrific news, the anxious drive to the Austin Hospital, still half-asleep, the long wait in the hospital parking lot with her sons and their partners (COVID rules), her mother finally allowed in, with the husband, the rest of us much later, watching her quietly lying on the hospital gurney, on a ventilator, unsure what to do, the necessary drive back home to await the brain specialist, the CT scan, the numbing drive back to the hospital, the gathering in the waiting room with her older sister, her older brother (whom we haven’t spoken to in seven years, the embrace and emotional reconciliation), the crushing news that it was hopeless to operate (catastrophic brain bleed), the decision to turn off the machines, the nurse reading through organ donation forms, a final farewell to her and heartbreak of listening to her mother whispering close to her, as though she could hear, how much she loved her, the leaving her behind, the silent drive home, the knowledge life-support was turned off, the reality of loss hitting us over the next days, her mother, in the bath, weeping that she couldn’t go on, the desperate embraces at night, the intermittent and interrupted sleeps, the planning of the funeral, at first, no idea how to proceed, the service to be held at Montsalvat Colony, the choosing of the cardboard coffin (her wish), the idea for her youngest son to paint it, his trepidation that he wasn’t able (too much grief), his grandmother’s encouragement and offer to work beside him, adding flowers, the unforeseen dental emergency requiring her to have antibiotics and rest, the decision to let her grandson complete the painting alone, his brilliant achievement, the drive to Montsalvat to inspect the venue, the preparations: catering, printed programs, live video feed, photographic slideshow, order of eulogies and social media invitations, the late morning drive on the day for the ceremony, her husband’s uncertainty whether anyone would come, the hall filling with an endless stream of family and friends, the gaily painted coffin covered in freshly-cut flowers, the moving service, her sister, husband and two sons speaking through their weeping, the fine measured talk by the esteemed author (a last minute addition), the reading of May Swenson’s The Key to Everything, her mother’s wonderful stories and memories with her, her oldest son’s wife’s unexpected but memorable recitation from the daughter’s final book, The Road to Tralfamadore is Bathed in River Water, the wheeling of the coffin out into the sunny courtyard, the guests writing short messages on the box, the utterly perfect day, the furious bellbirds chiming, her coffin stripped of flowers carried to the hearse and driven away, the tea, cut sandwiches and scones in the long hall, the emotional goodbyes, the long slow drive, back home, exhausted, the days upon days following with intermittent tears and joyful recollections, of the lost daughter, that never end.

 – Joe Dolce.

Profile: Saffire-Rose Fletcher

Tell us a bit about yourself …
I’m a singer/songwriter of eight years in total, I’ve studied counselling and applied it to two non-fiction books infused with my love of philosophy and my overall life story.

My life purpose is to help people feel less alone with growing pains, adversities and to encourage more self love in the world.

What draws you to writing?
I originally started writing poems to express the emotions that I was suppressing during my day to day life.

Little did I know those words would attribute to songs and furthermore, books.

So tell us about your books?
My books are about my life story, alongside my love of psychology and philosophy.

Both books, Maybe I Can Rise Above and Revive My Life, are built on the honest foundations of the human condition and how I’ve navigated my way through a tumultuous life.

Where did the ideas come from?
The idea came from journaling.

I originally wrote diary entries from the beginning in order to ascertain why I turned out the way I did and how to correct my life. Then I decided one day, I’m going to make it a book.

Little did I know I’d be writing two in a short period of time.

What’s the story you’re trying to tell?
How to break generational patterns and evoke more self love, despite what the word encourages us to reject about ourselves.

I want to highlight that we’re still enough, no matter what stage we’re at in life.

And what do you hope your readers draw from your writing?
To love themselves, to be gentle with their growing pains and to know that they’re not alone.

What’s your writing process?
Life experience and applying it to word document *cheeky grin*.

Tell us one thing about your book, or your writing process, that nobody else knows.
My publisher/editor endures a lot of audio notes of me crying and questioning particular sections that I’m uncertain should remain in my book. Lol.

What are you working on next?
I have a new song that I’ll be recording in the studio called ‘Save Yourself’. I’m very excited.

When readers talk about you as an author, what do you hope they’re saying?
I just care that I’m helping people feel less alone out there.

Any advice for other writers?
Be brave. Don’t hold it all in.

Links
www.instagram.com/saffirerosefletcher_official

tiktok.com/@saffirerosefletcher

https://www.facebook.com/saffireroseofficial

https://www.facebook.com/saffireroseofficial

Profile: Rosie La Rosa

Tell us a bit about yourself …
I am Melbourne born and raised and have lived in Melbourne all my life.

Loved growing up with an Italian heritage. I am the youngest of all of the cousins and would love the weekend get-togethers at my aunties houses surrounded by laughter and food.

We would all pile into a small lounge room and watch movies on end. Steve Martin and John Candy movies would be watched over and over and I believe my humour stems from my siblings, cousins, Steve Martin and John Candy.

I have a passion for animal welfare and believe that all animals deserve to be loved and care for.

I believe a good cup of coffee can lift your day!

What draws you to writing?
I have been told that I am a good storyteller, I think I inherited that from my mum.

Writing a book was always an item on my ‘to do’ list. It’s just something I always wanted to do.

So tell us about your book?
My book is a humourous take on the multitude of characters that we meet through all walks of life.

It calls out some of the not-so-nice behaviours that we may encounter but it also details all of the wonderful characters.

There are some ‘light ‘strategies at the end of some chapters on how to best handle the behaviour being exhibited.

It also recognises and celebrates the fact that everyone is uniquely different.

Where did the idea come from?
The idea was created in the hard lockdowns, thinking of all the behaviours that seem to be evident in many people. Same behaviours – different people.

From there my imagination went into overdrive and I could visualise characters, almost cartoon like displaying the behaviours.

Each chapter tells a new story of a character, the behaviours they display and any associated strategies.

What’s the story you’re trying to tell?
Recognise that life encompasses all, good, kind and the not-so-kind and that from each is a lesson to be learned, but what’s ultimately important is that you remain true to who you are.

And what do you hope your readers draw from your writing?
My hope is that readers will relate to a chapter or two and know that they are not alone in experiencing some of life’s challenges but also to appreciate the good and to cherish those moments.

What’s your writing process?
Not sure that it is a process, but I hear the chapter unfolding in my head and I take to my laptop. I take a break when I feel that the writing is not free flowing, and return when the ideas are in my head.

Tell us one thing about your book, or your writing process, that nobody else knows.
The illustrator has never met me in person, nor does she know my name and yet I am told that the cover looks like me.

A little uncanny.

What are you working on next?
I am currently working on documenting my father’s migration to Australia in the 1950s and all of the discrimination and hardships he faced during this time.

When readers talk about you as an author, what do you hope they’re saying?
I hope they enjoy the book and if they relate to it would be great.

Any advice for other writers?
The same advice that was given to me – ‘start writing’.

And don’t be so hard on yourself.

Where can we get your book?
It’s not me, It’s YOU! Is available online on Amazon, Booktopia, Barnes and Noble and other online stores.

I will also be participating in the Clunes Bookstown Festival on the 25th and 26th March and will have a stall where it can be purchased. Matching coffee mugs will also be on offer.

Links:

• Facebook