Three colleagues who assisted me in getting my writing off the ground, have just published new works: Dina Davis with A Dangerous Daughter (Cilento Publishing), who avoided lockdown and actually had a book launch in Darwin recently; Helene Grover missed out by a hair’s breadth to publicly launch her memoir, Sometimes the Music (Cilento Publishing), before lockown intervened; and Geraldine Star, who has just published her debut novel, Shee-Oak on Amazon.
A DANGEROUS DAUGHTER is a brave and inspirational story about healing from a mysterious mental illness set in Australia in the 1950s. Ivy, a teenager from an immigrant Jewish family, is on the cusp of adulthood, struggling to survive undiagnosed anorexia nervosa. After failed and sometimes brutal attempts of medicos to trial a cure, Ivy’s family sends her away to relatives in Perth, where hope becomes possible for Ivy through psychoanalysis. Drawing on true events from the author’s life, A Dangerous Daughter will resonate with people of all ages and cultures who have endured the shame and blame of this misunderstood disorder.
“Through deftly combining her life experience with fiction in A Dangerous Daughter, Dina Davis provides a window into the much-misunderstood eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and the complications that surround it.”
“Dina Davis’s courage in creating this book will be a gift to many.” Dr Dianne Moses, Physician
Helene Grover’s SOMETIMES THE MUSIC is another bravely honest narrative; in places poignant, funny, adventurous, and, in turn, expressing a certain vulnerability. Sometimes the Music presents the captivating lives of Helene Grover and Serge Ermoll, two dynamic individuals, children of migrants from Paris and Shanghai, who land separately in Australia, where they ultimately find each other, and the music of Rock’n Roll and jazz, which bonds them together through difficult times. Helene says: “Some people plan their life. I fell into my action packed one.”
Geoff Kluke – Australian Jazz Legend, writes: I loved Helene’s book and you will too. Couldn’t put it down. She brings to life so many of those fabulous Jazz Legends and Characters many of whom are sadly no longer with us. The stories are so fascinating and entertaining. It brought a smile to my face to be reacquainted with many of them once more.
These two authors have been part of writers’ groups for many years, the most recent one, linked to their current publishing success, being Randwick Writers’ Group, convened by Dina Davis. They have both been supported and published by Cilento Publishing, recommended by this author for all publishing and layout needs.
And then there’s Geraldine Star, also linked to Randwick Writers’ Group and others, who has taken the courageous step to self publish with Amazon, becoming an Indy author with her debut novel, Shee-Oak (Star Monde Australia). The lovely cover and layout are by Green Avenue Design, part of Cilento Publishing.
SHEE-OAK by Geraldine Star is a modern drama and testimony to the power of a stranger to undertake a troubled journey through alcohol, pills and romance to help transform a difficult young woman’s life.
A twist of fate on a rural back road begins an intergenerational story, in which vivid Aussie characters jump off the page with their personal battles, goals and changed hearts and lives. This is an authentic Australian story and voice with outback locations in which the dust and nature gets under your skin as you read.
Two women share a volatile adventure across the drought-stricken rural Hay Plain to Adelaide for a music festival. The transformative lure of pills, alcohol and romance drives them on with the possibility of a veritable explosion and tragic ending looming on the horizon for the women, ominous throughout.
I would recommend these 3 works for enjoyable/interesting reading during lockdown. And look out for future publications by them!