Ned Kelly Awards

Crossing the Lines my strange little metafiction won the Ned Kelly Award for 2018!  I know!  I'm not sure if I entirely believe it yet. Every Australian crime writer dreams of winning the Ned someday, and I have been shortlisted before, but I am so glad it was Crossing the Lines they chose to honour.  I've copied my acceptance speech below.

Acceptance Speech

A couple of years ago, after having written six or seven crime novels, I set out to explore other genres.  The file I opened on my laptop was simply named "non crime novel".  Eventually it was published under the title Crossing the Lines.  The irony of the winning a Ned for my "non crime novel" is not, I assure you, lost on me.

Clearly all I've established by my attempted literary expedition to new worlds is that I am in my heart and soul a crime writer.  And here, tonight, in the company of the extraordinary and talent colleagues in the crime writing community, I can't imagine why anyone would want to be anything else.  

I do first want to pay tribute to my fellow shortlistees - Candice Fox, Anna George, Alan Carter, Iain Ryan and Gary Disher.  I am truly honoured to share a list with you.  I feel a little like I've stolen this award but considering that it's the Ned Kelly, perhaps that's appropriate.

To the ACWA who do the phenomenal job of administering the Ned, and the Ned Kelly judges who read the mountain of entries to choose from among them, thank you.  There is not a writer alive who does not wish to be read and the light shone by the Ned Kelly and awards like it serve to help readers find their way to our books.  In addition to everything else the Ned Kelly is a show of support and for that I am very grateful.

My publishers:  The brilliant and brave Poisoned Pen Press in the US, particularly Barbara Peters who first believed in this book.  My beloved Australian publishers, Pantera Press.  To be honest I'm still not sure if Pantera believed in this book or if they simply believed in me.  Either is wonderful and something for which I can only offer a writer's gratitude.

My friend and agent Jo Butler who championed this book from the beginning.

Finally my family and friends.

My poor husband who married a lawyer and found himself financially tied to a writer, who remains my first reader and my first editor.  My boys who advise me on how exactly to kill people.  My sister, Devini and my day who have been unfailing in their support.

Leith Henry and Angela Savage who kept me from giving up on this manuscript and Robert Gott who launched it into the world about a year ago now.

Crossing the Lines is in many ways my love letter to writing, to a writer's live with all its highs and lows, it absurdities and previleges.  This is very definitely a high and a privelege.  To everybody who took a chance on this strange little book, thank you with all of my heart.

The Prodigal Son

Book VIII in the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries has been scheduled for release in September 2017.  That's a while away.  I do love that readers care enough about my books to complain that it's too long a while.  

Of course publishing schedules are for the most part out of a writer's control so there is nothing I can do to bring Rowly VIII onto bookshelves any sooner, but the heartfelt lament of some of Rowland Sinclair's most ardent fans did make me want to write something to tide them over till the book proper came out.

My intention intially was to write a short story, a prequel to the series which looked at the time when Rowland first returned to Sydney and met his louche entourage.  It was to be not much more than a vignette, a glimpse of my characters in 1928 before the markets crashed.  Of course Rowland had different ideas, and my short story became a novella.  Writing it made me want to paint so it became an illustrated novella.  The result was a little too big to email out as I originally planned.

Fortunately, my publishers, Pantera Press, are lovely, generous people who are very indulgent of the mad whims of their authors. Despite the fact that this endeavour was what lawyer-me would have termed a "frolic of my own", they proofed, typset and lent their significant publisher know-how to  turn The Prodigal Son into an e-book which from the 4th of November 2016 may be downloaded FREE in every possible format from www.RowlandSinclairNovella.com.

So on the 4th (tomorrow) the site 'go live' and I will be able to give something back to all the readers who have supported the Rowland Sinclair series over the years... to let them know I appreciate their time and their attention.  And a story is the most valuable thing a writer has to give.

I'll be sending The Prodigal Son out into the world with cake and tea in my hometown.  To that end, my friend and partner in mad notions, Sarah Kynaston and I have made an appropriate cake.

If you're in Batlow on the afternoon of the 4th November (3pm) please feel free to drop into Coffee and More (the cafe) and have a slice of cake... I promise we will not run out!