tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704482797273331192008-07-09T20:35:30.757+08:00ScribblingsAbout Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-7784394416256781062008-07-09T20:32:00.002+08:002008-07-09T20:35:30.791+08:00New reviewsHave added eleven new reviews to Aussiereviews this evening.
I think my favourite from this batch is Corinne Fenton's The Dog on the Tuckerbox. What a beautiful picture book.
Enjoy the reviews.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-26036269140320715962008-07-08T14:39:00.001+08:002008-07-08T14:43:02.204+08:00The Big BlowieSome exciting news. I have had a book accepted by Aussie Schoolbooks for their Aussie Aussie Aussie series. The Big Blowie is a chapter book with plenty of Australian elements – a drought, a remote location and a Big Thing in the same vein as the Big Banana, the Big Pineapple and so on. It will be released later this year.
I'm excited.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-65372408444194337712008-06-16T22:07:00.003+08:002008-06-16T22:12:20.703+08:00Aussiereviews LivesPhew! It has taken a week of frustration, but at last Aussiereviews is back online. I had to change webhosts and reupload the whole site to do get it working again - not easy for someone as technologically challenged as myself, but anyway, it is done and I am happy.
There may still be a few small glitches - for example, I have lost a couple of graphics - but I'll keep chipping away at these. At About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-21145170763423943502008-06-10T16:34:00.002+08:002008-06-10T16:37:17.040+08:00BlogrollBlogger have added a new feature - a blog list - which can be added to the sidebar so that the blogger can add a list of favourite, or relevant links. So, I've started a roll of my writer friends' blogs, which you can see on the right now. Only three added so far, but more to come. These three are all blogs belonging to wonderful Australian chidlren's authors, so enjoy!About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-71177170798270024972008-06-10T14:42:00.004+08:002008-06-10T16:37:51.658+08:00AussiereviewsGrrr! Grumble! Growl!There - that's off my chest. My website, aussiereviews has been down for the last twenty four horus - possibly longer. All I've managed to get out of my provider is that they are aware of the issue and are working on it.
So, if you're wanting to read my reviews, sorry. Hoepfully all will be fixed soon. Else I might be loking for a new host.Not happy, Jan.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-23126105598546339832008-05-31T18:21:00.001+08:002008-05-31T18:23:46.084+08:00Aussiereviews UpdatedHave just spent my Saturday afternoon updating Aussiereviews with twenty one new reviews – possibly the most I’ve ever added in a single sitting. Ten of the reviews were by myself, ten by my colleague (and friend) Claire Saxby, and one by Murphlet 3, who enjoys reviewing when it means he gets to read a book before I do.
Enjoy the new offerings – there is a real range of books there.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-71485007694810741262008-05-26T16:24:00.004+08:002008-05-26T16:30:40.201+08:00Assembly Samples
Ready Ed, who publish several of my educational books, have added a new feature on their website – free sample pages from their books of printables. If you’re interested, for example, in my book Assembly, you can click on a link on the book’s information page and see several pages, including two of the poems – Elephant and Rhyme Time.
A cool function.
I’m happy to see that Assembly is still About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-23134143529455222492008-05-25T16:37:00.002+08:002008-05-25T16:41:35.956+08:00Juggling HamstersMy past few weeks have been even busier than usual. At a time when my creative juices are really flowing, it seems there are a million little demons determined to trip me up and keep me away from my keyboard or, when I’m at that keyboard, to ensure I’m busy doing anything other than writing creatively. But I’m a writer – and writing creatively is what I need to do. So I try try try (not always About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-30068063267762069182008-05-21T17:12:00.004+08:002008-05-21T17:25:35.855+08:00Author VisitsI just got hold of some photos from my latest school visit. It was a couple of weeks ago, and involved classes from preprimary to year eight at Corrigin District High School, my local school. I had an absolute ball, and think the kids enjoyed seeing another side of me - they usually know me as their music teacher. Let's just say that as a music teacher I make a great author :)
Anyway, I can't About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-36876470178544088792008-05-15T11:11:00.004+08:002008-05-15T11:17:25.541+08:00Postie's PresentMy postie had a present for me this morning - my author copies of Frogs: Awesome Amphibians.
It doesn't matter how many books I have published, the thrill of holding the first copy of a new 'baby' doesn't diminish. I was home alone, so jumped into the car and raced around to work (the local school) where it was recess time, so I could share my news. Lots of enthusiastic responses, which is nice.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-9444939235719325782008-05-13T21:36:00.002+08:002008-05-13T21:42:23.520+08:00A Frog BlogAm so excited about Frogs: Awesome Amphibians that I have set up a new blog - a frog blog, dedicated to my two frog books: this one and, of course, Floatingest. I'll include bits and pieces about the two books, but will also talk about and link to anything frog-related. So, if you are into frogs, check it out.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-68938121410697576462008-05-13T16:59:00.002+08:002008-05-13T17:03:07.076+08:00Awesome!
Just checking some links and discovered that my new nonfiction book, Frogs: Awesome Amphibians, is now available. Take a look at the cover.
Great, isn't it?
I'm a hoppy author tonight, though look forward to actually holding my author copies, which I'm still waiting for.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-80183388269666868082008-05-13T14:55:00.002+08:002008-05-13T15:01:50.268+08:00Been BusyBlogging has taken a back seat these past few weeks, but now I’m back at my desk and ready to talk about what I’ve been doing.
Firstly, I spent a week in Melbourne where I caught up with some long-lost rellies, caught trams and, most significantly, attended the CBCA National Conference.
What a wonderful event this was. This is the fourth time I’ve attended the CBCA conference, and while each About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-40850416412307181162008-04-25T19:58:00.002+08:002008-04-25T20:02:01.283+08:00More On ANZAC DayHave been up since 5 o’clock this morning, having struggled out of bed to attend the ANZAC day dawn service on the hill behind my house. Worth the struggle, to spend the time reflecting on what the brave soldiers from our past (and present) have done.
Back at home, my beloved cooked me bacon and eggs and we spent a lazy couple of hours before it was my turn to cook and I whipped up a batch of About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-88775476019002358182008-04-22T16:19:00.004+08:002008-04-22T16:53:44.697+08:00ANZAC DayANZAC Day is coming up this Friday, April 25. This is the day that Australia pauses to remember both the first ANZAC Day, when Australian and New Zealand forces landed in Gallipoli, and all of Australia’s military involvement in international conflict.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about two new books coming out in time for ANZAC Day, but wanted to write about it again because this particular About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-90867924794061896582008-04-21T19:32:00.004+08:002008-04-21T19:48:10.694+08:00Nice PublicityHow lovely. Two nice blogger colleagues have given Aussiereviews a mention in the past two days. First, a writer friend alerted me that Judith Ridge had included my site in a list of recommended review sites in her Misrule blog. High praise indeed from someone like Judith who is so knowledgeable and passionate about children’s literature.
Then, a Google alert alerted me to a mention in another About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-81704944941889579492008-04-05T20:51:00.001+08:002008-04-05T20:53:09.981+08:00Ten New ReviewsI’ve added ten new reviews to Aussiereviews. Three of the ten cover themes and content focussing on Australia’s experiences in the two world wars and/or the celebration of ANZAC Day, which is very timely given that ANZAC Day is coming up later in the month.
It was interesting to read two books for young adults – one (A Rose for the ANZAC Boys, by Jackie French) which tells the tale of a sixteenAbout Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-75287691424888856112008-04-01T14:13:00.002+08:002008-04-01T14:28:28.177+08:00CBCA AwardsThe Shortlist for the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards was announced today. You can see the list at the new look CBCA Website, or you can read it here:
THE 2008 SHORT LIST
Book of the Year: Older Readers
(NB: These books are for mature readers)
French, Jackie Pharaoh: the boy who conquered the Nile Angus & Robertson,
HarperCollins Australia
Hartnett, Sonya The Ghost’s Child Viking, About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-57313963666482059052008-03-23T14:41:00.001+09:002008-03-23T14:44:05.685+09:00Happy Easter - and a New ReadHappy Easter. I’m celebrating this wonderful feast of new life and joy for all by spending time at home with my beautiful family. Lots of chocolate has been eaten, and everyone’s feeling good. What better way to celebrate ANYTHING than by eating chocolate.
In between chocolate and joy I’ve managed to read a book, which I started yesterday and finished today – Claiming the Courtesan, by Anna About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-72787778322009562482008-03-21T16:44:00.004+09:002008-03-21T16:53:38.656+09:00New Reviews and a Good InterviewI've spent a goodly part of my Good Friday afternoon updating Aussiereviews with twelve new reviews. As always, the majority are children's and young adult titles, though this time round there are two nonfiction titles and one adult fiction. My favourite from this batch is probably Cold Skin, a verse novel by Steven Herrick, a master of the form. Having been recently working on verse novels About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-24220534544632112032008-03-17T16:44:00.001+09:002008-03-17T16:45:32.523+09:00Happy St Patrick's DayHappy St Pat's Day. Pemberthy has written some words in honour of the day.About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-32677668745618177002008-03-09T18:56:00.002+09:002008-03-09T19:02:22.053+09:00Excellent AdviceHave just been browsing some of the blogs of writing colleagues. Sherryl Clark has a brilliant two part posting (or should I say a two posting discussion?) about the Myths and Realities of publishing. The first part debunks the myths, including the myth that it is who you know that gets you published, while the second part elaborates on the realities, highlighting what it is you need to do to About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-15254273164073637392008-03-09T12:48:00.001+09:002008-03-09T12:52:15.066+09:00Busy Week and New ReviewsHad a busy week this past week with two days in Perth with Murphlet 3, two days work at school, Murphlet 5’s birthday and more, but managed to finish work on the picture book which feels ‘done’ now and another tweak of my verse novel, which also feels done. Have been taking a notebook to the swimming pool each afternoon and, while the Murphlets swim, I’m working on some new poems. Naturally, manyAbout Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-15991859145611580402008-02-29T16:01:00.001+09:002008-02-29T16:03:14.273+09:00Finishing UpHave finished two projects today. Finished a final tightening of a midgrade novel which I had tightened many times before. This time, though, I’ve been reading the whole thing aloud, and did pick up quite a few errors and/or clunky patches. It’s a good way to see if your work really flows.
I also finished my proofing of my new nonfiction Frogs book, which is looking really good and is due out About Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70448279727333119.post-36144122873378302702008-02-26T22:18:00.002+09:002008-02-29T16:01:22.061+09:00Weather, Multi-Tasking and ListsThis evening I was doing a little multi-tasking. On the computer, my FTP program was uploading new files to Aussiereviews. In the kitchen I had dinner underway, with rice boiling on the stove and chicken cooking in the oven. I had the television news on so I could catch the weather report (the Murphlets have a swimming carnival tomorrow). I was ducking in and out the back door to the washing lineAbout Sally Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.com