Cleaning out the shed

If I was a famous writer, this might be a notable discovery—but as it is, it is more just a spot of interest. While recently sorting through the accumulation of removal boxes, books and other assorted detritus of life in the shed, I found a box of papers from university days, including a hand-written first draft of some of what was to become Nemesis Train.

The pictured pages are the beginning of what was to become the “Jed” sections of the novel, written about 2000 or 2001. I initially dropped the notebook into the recycling bin but later went back and retrieved it and gave it a closer look.

Also among these papers were assignments completed for a Bachelor of Letters (Literary Studies) in 1999 and 2000. Perhaps not surprisingly, given that Nemesis Train was a major focus of the writing I was doing at the time, a couple of the assignments that offered creative writing options were adapted versions of chapters of the embryonic novel.

These were generally well-received and sparked the first “reviews” of the Nemesis Train material, including the following:

“You offer a subtle, disturbing and startlingly accurate story. . . . well written. . . . You have quite a cinematic eye.”

“A sophisticated and well sustained vignette. Excellent attention to detail and a complex narrative voice. . . . A fascinating story.”

“The story works very well. . . . Extremely well written with a sharp intonation that suits the subject matter and you demonstrate a sense of narrative pacing, and sensitivity to nuances and inflections. Very well done.”

So not only do I now have a tidier shed, I also re-visited some of the pre-history of Nemesis Train and some of its first appreciation and encouragement.

Catching Nemesis Train

A number of people have contacted me to report difficulties with ordering Nemesis Train from the publisher's website (linked to from the site). They have told me they are trying to fix the situation but in the meantime I have added an alternative link to another source—the good folks of Koorong bookstores.

I was also excited to discover Nemesis Train listed on the website of Dymocks, one of Australia's largest bookshop chains.

So if you're trying to track down the book and/or you have read it and want a purchase a copy of Nemesis Train for everyone you know for Christmas, perhaps you are now better equipped to do so.

"A unique and captivating story": ABC review

Another radio moment in the Nemesis Train adventure. My book was reviewed on the Saturday morning breakfast show on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) radio in Brisbane this past weekend.

Of course, it all comes down to contacts and moments. The regular host of Saturday mornings was the MC at a publishers awards dinner at the beginning of October of which I was part. I had previously crossed paths with him and chatted to him for a couple of minutes on the evening. I took a long shot and asked him if he reviewed books on his program and that my new novel was set in Brisbane so could fit. He was interested, I sent him a couple of copies and so it goes.

You can check out their 3.5-star review at their blog.

There's a couple of good lines I will be able to cut-and-paste—with the weight of the ABC brand behind it—"a clever and talented writer" ... "a unique and captivating story."

Nemesis Train on Light FM

I recently joked with someone that the publicity tour for Nemesis Train would take about three hours—and that included travel time. But there are a few things happening more than that and I more than spent my three hours in travelling in to Melbourne radio station Light FM to do an interview about the book.

"Your Morning" host Clayton Bjelan was a gentle interviewer and, with my amateur interest in radio, I was happy to be able to check out the facilities from which Light FM broadcast.

The interview was broadcast today and the podcast is available on their podcast page. Enjoy the listen.

Reviewed by Compulsive Overreader

One of the blogs I regularly visit and occasionally find book recommendations from is "Compulsive Overreader," the review blog of enthusiastic reader and writer Trudy Morgan-Cole. So it's a privilege to have a review of Nemesis Train on this blog. Check it out.

In a bookshop near you

There are many steps in the creation and distribution of a book. And another significant step in the process is to see it on a shelf in a bookshop, available for almost anyone to wander in and purchase a copy.

So here it is in a bookshop near you. Just how near will depend significantly upon where in the world you are reading this. But as comedian Steven Wright put it, "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."

And, of course, like many bookshop experiences, you might have to look for it—kind of like an extra-literary "Where's Wally?"

On location: Brisbane, Qld

It is a few years now since I lived permanently in Brisbane but recently I had the opportunity to spend a few days in the city. It’s interesting to see how a place has changed—and how it hasn't—while one has been away.

But there is an extra interest when visiting a city that is the location for one’s novel. Having spent time as a keen observer of the city and its people, I was reminded of what an interesting place the city and its inner suburbs are. In the Spring sunshine, the Brisbane River winds its way around the city, giving the central business district a unique sense of space and confinement.

But perhaps the most remarkable experience came on the Saturday afternoon. Staying with family in an inner suburb, we headed out to walk to a nearby park. It was warm afternoon with a near-cloudless, Queensland blue, Spring sky.

A couple of blocks away from their home, I looked up and noticed a skywriting plane beginning to do its thing. It caught my attention and more so as I realised it’s first letter was a G. (See chapter “one” of Nemesis Train for the significance.)

I contemplated running back for a camera but realised by the time I did the moment would have been lost, so I just continued to watch the sky. It ended up spelling out the name of an upcoming music festival. But, for just a few moments, the book came to life in an unexpected way while wandering the streets of Brisbane.