Judith Ridge casts her eye over the recently released Children's Book Council of Australia - Book of the Year Shortlists. She's surprised at some of the omissions.
Damien continues his good work on his weblog "Crime Down Under", this time alerting us to the crime novels of Robert Gott: "In Good Murder he was unleashed on the unsuspecting Queensland community of Maryborough. In A Thing Of Blood he was back home in Melbourne but no less despised. He is William Power: actor, private inquiry agent and, yes, total dickhead. Robert Gott has sent Power north into the wilds of Australia's top end for the 3rd mystery in the series titled Amongst the Dead (pub. Scribe Publications)."
Sean Williams thinks he's talking about fellow writers when he says: "There's always someone who won't take criticism. There's always someone trying to please everyone. There's always someone who over-researches. There's always someone who's blocked. There's always someone who thinks they know everything. There's always someone doing it for the money. There's always someone who reaches right into your heart and makes you want to weep--or laugh, or dance, or hide--and strangely they're often the ones who give it away all too soon, as though they've over-generously expended everything they had in a few short pieces, whetting your appetite for more that never comes." Sounds like my work, and probably yours too.
