Beachwalk Press goes down under!
Join fellow Australian authors Imogene Nix, Jess Buffett,
Larisa Anderson, Hazel Gower, and Susan Child as they celebrate Australian Day.
From January 24th-26th, their books will be on sale at
the
Beachwalk Press website for 99 cents!
On Sunday, January 26th, they’ll be chatting in
the Beachwalk Press Readers Group on Facebook.
Be sure to stop by and get to
know the ladies down under a little better.
Below, Imogene Nix gives her view on Australia Day.
Australia is such an interesting country. We are one of
the world’s most urban settled countries, yet we have such an affinity to our
farming heritage. The immortal words of
Andrew Barton (Banjo) Patterson:
And
the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its
bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit
plains extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the
everlasting stars.
Yet Patterson, a solicitor (Lawyer) was actually an urbanite
from Sydney (though originally born on a property in New South Wales.) The
works of Paterson are etched into the psyche of many an Aussie… They include
The Man From Snowy River (ever seen the movie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Snowy_River_(1982_film)
) and Waltzing Matilda. If you haven’t
ever heard/read/seen these, I recommend you do!
But back to my original post. Where most countries have a
“single definition” of what they are, we don’t. Being such a diverse country,
in fact over a hundred years ago, we were struggling with out identity, just as
we do today. But what is an Australian?
Some would say it’s a “Ringer” (cowboy) from the Outback…
Others will tell you it’s the blond haired blue-eyed surfer dude from
Bondi. I guess, because most of my
married life has been in regional and remote Queensland I tend to gravitate towards
the first. I live right alongside some
great Australians – they epitomise (for me) what being an Aussie is all about –
a person who becomes stronger through adversity and finds workable solutions to
problems because parts and items aren’t available. Let me give just one
example.
The young guy my oldest daughter travels to work with every
day is an excellent example. He was a Queensland Hero during the floods 3
years ago. He works for the local council and when our water resources were
down to 3 hours left, he organized a crew, walked along the railway tracks to
various farms and collected agricultural pipes He then rigged a tractor to pump
water from the river… which was then primary treated. Sure, we were on water
restrictions and had to boil water… you know what? There was still a supply!
(At the time he was a first year engineering student.)
We are a land of inventors – mainly because of geographic
isolation. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is a brilliant example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Doctors
To learn more about Aussies and their ways of dealing with
life in a harsh land, just check these inventions! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_inventions
So when I celebrate Australia Day, I’m celebrating not just
cultural diversity, but also the long and illustrious history of people who
have lived in and made their home in some of the harshest places on the planet.
What’s more, we’ve thrived and found new and innovative ways to do so.
To me, that’s what being an
Aussie is all about!
Happy Australia Day!
Imogene
Blurb:
A Bar In Paris
Ever considered a naughty
weekend? A “Hook-Up” with no strings?
What does a woman do when she’s
turning thirty? She takes a sexy weekend trip to Paris looking for
commitment-free sex. Or, that’s what Davina Chalmers does, anyway.
Enter Johnathon a tall charming
Englishman. How can she possibly resist his charm and that dimple?
But what starts out as a lark
quickly becomes so much more. But how does one weekend become a lifetime? And
how does a lie of omission bring everything into jeopardy?
Excerpt:
The waiter smiled and I sighed.
“Time to go.” As I started to rise, gripping my bag in my hand, the bell above
the door rang and I watched with interest as the sexiest man I’d ever seen
entered. The cool blonde on his arm was scowling and he pried his fingers from
her arm then walked away. For a moment, she wobbled on her stilettos before she
sneered in her super chic French way only they can pull off and stalked out the
door. It slammed so hard the panes of glass shuddered.The man scowled, but to
be honest, it didn’t hurt at all. He was tall and well built. Blond hair with
gray eyes.My mind screamed that this man that could probably satisfy my needs.
He didn’t appear even slightly inebriated and he was obviously single now, if
that little carry-on was to go by. Perhaps this was my chance? I smoothed down
my black dress, making sure my cleavage was just peeking out, then I sucked in
a deep, deep breath and stood, hoping to catch his eyes.
I watched the man stalk to the bar
and order in perfect English-accented French. “Une bière, s’il vous plait.”
My toes curled at his voice and the
waiter hurried to do his bidding. Mr. Sexy’s voice was cultured and deep. I
like voices, particularly men’s voices. They can make me go gooey at the knees,
and this one warmed my insides to the consistency of thick, warm honey. And I
knew he was the one I wanted to be with all night long.
The server handed over a bottle of
beer and a glass, but Mr. Sexy looked at the bottle, grimaced, and then took a
long pull.
The other men at the bar started
talking in low voices, putting aside newspapers. They paid their money and
left.
I didn’t want to think it was
because of the dangerous aura surrounding the man. It was, after all, three in
the morning. No, there had to be something else. But I was sure it wasn’t the
time to ask these questions.
The small bar was quiet now as I
was waiting alone with the mystery man. The waiter disappeared to the back.
Obviously, with only two patrons left, he could do other things. I sucked in my
confidence, folded it around me like a coat, and approached the man.
“Hi. Mind if I join you?”
He grinned and gestured to the seat
beside him. I slipped onto the small stool, perched uncertainly. Then I wiggled
my bum a little, thrust out my chest, and gave him my very best come-on smile.
“Looking for a hook up, are you?”
His voice caused a curl of heat to gather deep inside me.
I nodded slowly. Better to be
honest from the start, I thought. I didn’t have time to say a word. The next
thing I knew, he had me thrust against the bar, his lips on mine and his tongue
halfway down my throat. But man, what a tongue it was.
He played me like a violin until he
lifted his head, casting a wicked smile in my direction. “Your hotel or mine?”
“Umm, yours.” Right now, I felt the
rosy glow of arousal roaring through me. Sexy and quick to catch on. Yep, I was
sure this guy was a winner.
“You’re not from around here, are
you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Trailer
Buy Links:
Siren Bookstrand http://www.bookstrand.com/a-bar-in-paris
Angus & Robertson http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebook/a-bar-in-paris/46330892/
All Romance EBooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-abarinparis-1351193-149.html
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bar-in-paris-imogene-nix/1117441293?ean=2940148749103
Beachwalk Press http://beachwalkpress.com/a-bar-in-paris/
Bio:
Imogene is a mother of two,
compulsive reader and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland,
Australia with her husband, two daughters, dog, cat and chooks. She has a
particular fondness for vampires, star ship captains and things that go bump in
the night (especially vampire types!)
Imogene has tried many varied
roles in her working life including kindergarten assistance, teacher and
childcare director, but rates owning a bookstore and writing her own novels as
a highlight.
In her mother and wife alter ego,
she has travelled widely and lived in some very unique places including Far
Western Queensland, Cape York and even Tasmania. She loves to travel and rates
China and Hong Kong among her favourite destinations.
She blames Star Trek Voyager,
Firefly and the works of Alexander Kent for her interest in naval and space
fleet interests.
You can find Imogene on Facebook www.facebook.com/ImogeneNix
Twitter www.twitter.com/ImogeneNix
and her website www.imogenenix.com
