Good coffee and burnt muffins

New Zealand Tui, native to New Zealand. Seen here in one of its favourite places the Kowhai tree.

As the title suggests my latest attempt at being awarded the title of domestic goddess has failed, and it has failed spectacularly.  But as we washed down blackened berries with strong caffeine this page has been steered in to a logical format.    Welcome to my new look blog.

I would like to share a few of the images that have been included in previous posts.  I hope you enjoy these glimpses of New Zealand through the eyes of some of my talented friends.

If you have been following my blog you will know a friend has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer.  I am happy to say that he is in good spirits and an auction was held yesterday.  It has raised considerable funds towards his treatment.  Great to see so many generous people  donating and bidding.  Mike is a wonderful man, and for another three weeks we will continue to donate proceeds from The Quilt, Unravelled to his on-going treatment..

If you would like a chance of winning a free copy of The Quilt, Unravelled please click on this link.  The competition is running for a further 10 days and is open to readers from all eligible countries.

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/124678-the-quilt

If you would like to download a copy of The Quilt, Unravelled or purchase it as a paperback please click on this link.  All proceeds will help Mike Shaffer battle bone cancer.

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L

Auckland City, New Zealand.

Waiheke Island, North Island, New Zealand. Home of The Quilt, Unravelled.

The spectacular South Island, New Zealand. Photo Des Clegg.

“GIVEAWAY”

Missed out on the last Giveaway?  Another copy of The Quilt, Unravelled is available.  Click on the link for a chance to win.  Open to all eligible countries https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/124678-the-quilt

Tragedy brings them together.  The past drives them apart.  Their choices change the future.  An epic story of love against the odds.

For one month all proceeds from The Quilt, Unravelled (both Kindle and paperback) will help a wonderful man battle bone cancer.

The Quilt, Unravelled

WRAP UP IN THE QUILT

A little advanced news.  Another Goodreads giveaway will start on the 30th of January.  Enter and have a chance of winning a copy of this novel.  Open to all eligible countries.

I would like to share with you the latest review of The Quilt, Unravelled.  5 stars and the description below is beautifully written!

“A POWERFUL FAMILY SAGA WELL TOLD”

A single thread is fragile, as is life. But as more threads are woven together, the fabric strengthens. Now those individual threads may represent major themes of the human condition–both good and bad: the fragility of health, betrayal of family, careers terminated, sociopathic cruelty — or, on the other hand, there’s the kindness of strangers, selfless loyalty, a purpose driven life, the damp muzzle of loving dog, natures splendor and the possibility of true love. All these threads come together in bold colors and powerful strands in Rochelle Carlton’s compelling novel “The Quilt: Unraveled” to render vividly life’s harsh realities in a story that is both personal and intimate. This multi-generation family saga is immense in scope (and intense); but the author finds balance by placing the majority of the action in New Zealand (such a refreshing change from typical book backdrops). By the end, I found I cared profoundly about the characters Ms. Carlton had created, and that is the essence of what a good story is all about. I’m now waiting on her next book!

Review by author Mark Fine The Zebra Affaire

The Quilt, Unravelled

A SUNNY DAY IN AUCKLAND

The New Zealand summer is turning on a show for Auckland’s Anniversary day.  Auckland is nestled between harbours.  A narrow neck of land, with leafy, sprawling suburbs accommodating over 30% of the countries total population.  Today we celebrate, many of us on the water and a few, myself included,  mowing lawns, working on the new novel and feeding horses.

Excerpt from The Quilt, Unravelled.

The soft hint of daybreak sent a milky glow across the water’s surface. They stopped to watch the river turn into a scarlet ribbon and the first shards of light break through the leaves and cast dapples on the damp grass. Paul poured another cup of rich bitter coffee from his flask and skipped the flat stones across the water’s surface for Jess to chase.

Jess jumped on to the back of the quad, refreshed by a cool drink from the mountain-fed river. They picked their way through a stand of untouched native bush protected years ago from stock by a secure fence. Tiny fantails darted in and out of the canopy above, catching small insects and dancing to a chorus of tuis and woodpigeons.

They opened a gate, and turned away from the river that had now doubled in width, after a branch flowing through the Kean property had joined its progression. A rainbow trout erupted from the crystal clear water leaving behind a circle of ripples.

Steep hills rose in front of them forming a tapestry of large, orderly paddocks divided by neat, wire fencing. The pasture was covered in a lacework of sheep tracks worn away over the years by thousands of hooves. At the top Paul hesitated to admire the soft folds of countryside that formed creases enveloping the network of rivers below. Small pockets of stubborn morning fog hung like cotton wool in the deep gullies.

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L The Quilt, Unravelled. Tragedy brings them together.  The past drives them apart.  Their choices change the future.  An epic story of love against the odds.

Auckland City, New Zealand. Sky tower.

Auckland City, New Zealand.

Happy Anniversary Day, Auckland City.

THE DIFFICULT BLOG!

Informative, uplifting and easy to read.  This entry does not fall in to any of those categories.  Let me explain.

We all have them.  Those friends that are in need and those causes that rip at your heartstrings.  They touch your life, and when the shock has worn off we are left, perhaps not voicing it, but thankful that it wasn’t us.

This is my situation right now.  A wonderful young man, a great friend to my daughter, and one of those rare people that really brighten the lives of those that meet them is fighting a battle.  Mike Shaffer has just been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma stage 3. (Bone marrow cancer). He requires treatment and he requires it now.  This is where I come in to it.   This is where, with your help we can make a difference to one person’s life.  The life of their partner Traci, their family and their network of friends.

For one month all of the proceeds from The Quilt, Unravelled will go directly to Mike.  Even a small contribution will help him fight this disease.  Yes you can also help.  Click the buy now on either kindle or paperback, share the link and you, just one individual, can really make a difference.

Cancer affects us all.  A relative, a friend, a mother that was taken before I had the chance to know her.  This dreadful disease has been part of my life,  it is possibly part of yours, and it  forms an important piece in the intricate story of The Quilt, Unravelled.

Help me help Mike.

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L Every purchase helps and you get a new book to read!

SINK OR SWIM

I would like to tell you about something important, something our family has been involved in, and something that is pivotal in the story of Paul Clarke and his family.

If you have read  my previous posts you will know I live in New Zealand.  To be precise Auckland City, which is located in the boringly named North Island.  My country consists of two main islands, and numerous smaller islands which all sit smugly in large bodies of water separating  us from our neighbours .   Chances are, if you were to walk in any given direction, you would eventually find  yourself either on the shores of  the Pacific Ocean or the Tasman Sea.

Therein lies the problem.  We love the water. We compete in numerous water related sports, fish in it, ski on it, surf in it and swim in it.  But often we are complacent when it comes to our preparation and safety.  Our populations is comprised of many intelligent, sensible individuals, and, well, quite frankly some that are not so sensible or intelligent!

Take the day the nameless member of our family found a group of ill prepared, drunk  fishermen hanging on to a buoy. In front of them  the hull of their tiny boat disappeared to its watery grave.   The circumstances were not that unusual.  What made this particular rescue stand out?  The individuals were hugging their fuel can and sucking nervously on cigarettes, while they clutched  the slippery surface of their plastic island.

Another rescue that comes to mind involved  tourists.  They were visiting our shores and armed with a high powered launch. They had   “beached” on an isolated island  as the sun sunk over the horizon.  Coastguard were greeted by raucous laughter, and a broken English request for a map and directions to enable them to walk home.   To the best of my knowledge only one human has succeeded in walking on water.

Many of the incidents the nameless member of my family experienced in Coastguard were neither  amusing, nor had positive outcomes.  Coastguard New Zealand is  a volunteer organization, and their crews are located throughout New Zealand.  In no way does that mean they are unprofessional.  Their training is long and extensive, and the  rescue boats are equipped with an impressive amount of medical, and safety gear to cope with most on water emergencies.

Maraetai 1. This crew works close to Waiheke Island, home of The Quilt, Unravelled.

The Quilt, Unravelled by Rochelle Carlton.  Available on Kindle and paperback.

LAST CHANCE TO BUY FOR .99

Today is the last day of our .99c download sale.  Escape with the Clarke family for this extra low price.

Description (Amazon)
“This should become a TV series or have its own movie. It’s that good in my opinion.” Review by Mr Butler.

Joanne Kyle watched the image of a naked man waving with one hand while struggling to keep a towel in place with the other. It would have been amusing had it not been her fiancé who was fading from sight in the rear-view mirror. A few hours later she sat on the filthy floor of an airport toilet. Joanne could hold a courtroom mesmerized when she spoke, she could turn heads as she walked through a crowd. Today she could not keep one part of her life together.

Paul is the first member of the Clarke family to feel stifled by life on iconic Twin Pines Station. He wants to break away from the farming tradition, and to do this, he must leave his self-absorbed girlfriend. But Leslie has no intention of letting the most eligible bachelor in the King Country go, and she will stop at nothing to get her own way.

Tragedy brings Joanne and Paul together. What happens will change their lives forever.

Follow the unforgettable story of the Clarke family, and share a romance that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

Jackie Parry said:- “The nearer I got to the end, the further away I wanted it to be.”

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L

The Quilt, Unravelled

THE VALUE OF A REVIEW

Reviews for authors are crucial.  They help to guide readers to books that will suit them and are of an acceptable standard.  Who wants to waste their time reading inferior material, or pages of content that holds no interest?  Who wants to write for an audience that will be disappointed when they open their book?  Yesterday The Quilt, Unravelled received a short, (no your review does not have to match the page count of a novel,)  5 star review that I would like to share.

Super awesome book for all readers..

This review is from: The Quilt: Unravelled (Kindle Edition)

My wife and I both read this. What a an intense and beautifully written book. The author really captures fantasiice dialogue and character development which I seek when reading books like this… definitely one of my favorite novels so far in 2015. If you to be seduced and hooked in by a solid read, this book is definitely for you. This should become a tv series or have its own movie. It’s that good in my opinion.

Thank you Mr Butler. What made this review special?  The first sentence!  Of course for anyone that has read The Quilt, Unravelled they will realize it is primarily women’s fiction.  However, isn’t it great that both a husband and wife have enjoyed the story?

Two days remain to download The Quilt, Unravelled for .99c.  If it is on your to read list please take advantage.  The offer finishes on the 18th. It can be yours with one click!  Have a great weekend.  If you read and enjoy the story of the Clarke family please don’t forget to review.

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L

The Quilt, Unravelled only 2 more days to download for .99c

Have a great weekend no matter where you are!

ESCAPE FOR 0.99c

ESCAPE FOR 0.99c

Transport yourself to high country New Zealand and the deserted bays of Waiheke Island with The Quilt, Unravelled.

Behind the journey of a pioneering family is a romance complicated by circumstances A friendship pushed to the very edge and series of events that will tie together to form a story of love, loss and healing.

Available for the low price of 0.99 until the 18th of January. Download your little piece of New Zealand.

http://goo.gl/yrnj5L
Goodreads average rating 4.92

Transport yourself!

The Quilt, Unravelled

REDUCED NOW!

Download for 0.99c five days only!

Enjoy a little piece of New Zealand, The Quilt, Unravelled on sale now.

Click here to view on Amazon – http://goo.gl/yrnj5L