The city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, from the beach |
At the age of six
Australian author Helen Ellis composed poetry for her school magazine. She’s
been writing ever since. Her work includes contemporary women’s
fiction, romantic drama, cozy fiction, urban fantasy, mystery, humorous
chick-lit, historical drama, linked short stories, and novellas, all with a
romantic element. Learn
more about Helen and her books at her website.
Hello from Australia – or Oz, as we Aussies call it!
I live on the Gold Coast, in the southeast corner of
the state of Queensland. The Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Oz, (the
others are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth), and it’s a
subtropical area with a mild, dry winter and a hot, humid, wet summer. My city
is a destination for tourists from everywhere. It’s here that the mighty
Pacific Ocean rolls onto great stretches of sandy beaches, bringing surf that’s
the envy of the rest of the world! Some tourists have likened the Gold
Coast to Miami – we even have a suburb called Miami – others to Hawaii, but,
even though we have our skyscrapers and serious shopping precincts, I think we
are rather unique in that laid-back “it’ll be right, mate” kind of Australian
way.
I think we Aussies tend to underestimate the beauty
of our country. It’s such a large place. There’s a bit of a poem I was taught
at school – “I love a sunburnt country, a wilful, lavish land, all ye who do
not know her, you will not understand” – and this rather sums up Oz, I think.
We have terrible droughts, floods, bushfires, storms and cyclones, but
beautiful springs, amazing summers, gorgeous flowers, stunning scenery, and
very friendly people.
70% of the Australian
mainland is classified as semi-arid, arid or desert, making it the driest
inhabited continent on Earth. Consequently all the major settlement is around
the coastal areas, and on the east the Great Dividing Range separates the coast from the remarkable
inland pastures. However don’t think we are without mountains, for in the south
of New South Wales and northern Victoria are the Australian Alps, snow-capped
in winter.
Lorrikeets |
And of course everyone knows about our kangaroos (we
have a small group of them living on the hill behind our home) – fascinating
animals. But it’s the birds that I love. Oz has some of the most colourful
birds in the world – lorikeets, parrots and galahs – and also the famous laughing
kookaburra. Kookas sit on the light pole outside my home, eye me off, and laugh
at me.
This is my world. I sit at my desk and write, happy to live in Oz. Come
visit.
Escape to Santorini
Afraid for her life, Mary Illingford abandons her
home in Sydney and her abusive and violent husband, Paul. With her daughter,
Jenni, she embarks on a journey to a place where she thinks he will never find
her – the island of Santorini, Greece, where her friends Eleni and Julia await
her.
Jenni and Marios, Eleni's son, fall in love and are
challenged by the differences in their cultures. The three women, and Eleni’s
friend John, learn about each other and share their problems in the beautiful
surroundings of the Greek island. Mary discovers real friendship and support,
Julia puts old issues behind her and extends her horizons, Eleni gains comfort
beyond her family, and John shakes off the paranoia of his ex-wife.
But Paul, in trouble with the law, resolves to find
Mary and Jenni. His chase inevitably leads him to Santorini…Love will prevail,
however. Always.
Thanks so much for having me on the blog. Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of the beach, Helen. Thanks for sharing. I will be thinking of my summer vacation all day (smile!). Best wishes with your book!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela!
ReplyDelete