BLOG TOUR # 14 - FORGET ME NOT - GUEST POST WITH AUTHOR SUE LAWSON

I would like to welcome author Sue Lawson to Novels On The Run and thank her for taking the time to write this wonderful guest post.

Hi Michelle. Thank you for hosting the Forget Me Not Blog Tour. It’s terrific to visit ‘Novels On The Run’, and I love your question! 

The importance of critique partners you can trust.

Author critique partners vs family member/friends 

Writing can be a lonely business, as the bulk of it is done on my own at the computer. If you’re not careful, you can become isolated and out of touch. I’m incredibly lucky as I’m surrounded by people who support, encourage and help develop my writing and are always there if I need an ear.  

As much as I love my friends and extended family, I don’t tend to discuss my work, especially while I am writing, unless I am quizzing them about something that falls within their area of expertise. For example when I needed advice about a hospital or medical scene, I talk to my sister who is a nurse, or if it’s an artistic inquiry, I seek out my girlfriend who is an artist.  

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of writing – character, plot, grammar etc, I turn to my husband, my critique group and my editors. 

My husband is a journo and former editor of a newspaper, so his skill is immense and invaluable. While I am writing, he’s a patient and invaluable ear when I carry on about plot issues and bits I am excited. This talking process helps me clarify what I am trying to say. I used to pick my daughter’s brain too, but she’s doing VCE and has enough on her plate without me going on about what a character or another has done.  My husband is also the first to read my draft and picks up mistakes, holes and ‘issues’ I’ve missed. This helps make sure my drafts are as clean as possible when I send them to my editor. 

While my husband and my daughter are an incredible support, I don’t rely on them totally. I’m very lucky to have wonderful friends who are also talented writers. We listen, laugh and discuss our work, critiquing, supporting, rebuilding and problem solving. My books wouldn’t anything like they are if it wasn’t for these three friends. And clearly from the photo, we play as well! 

My final most trusted advice comes from my incredible editors. I trust my editor and publisher implicitly and welcome their feedback. Their goal, like mine, is to make the book the very best it can be. My editors have a way of finding within the story and me things I didn’t think I could do. 

For me, the key to receiving feedback is to trust the person who offers it and to remember, especially when the feedback is tough, that it is an invaluable gift that only serves to make my story better, and at the same time develop my skills as a writer.

Thankyou Sue!!!

Here is my review of FORGET ME NOT

GOODREADS

SUE LAWSON'S WEB SITE

FACEBOOK

BOOK REVIEW - FORGET ME NOT - The story of One Family's Voyage On The Titanic by SUE LAWSON

By: Sue Lawson

Published By: Walker Books, Black Dog Books

Released : Available Now

Details : Paperback , 232 Pages

Thankyou to Walker Books Australia for this review copy.

RATING : 4.5 SAD STARS!!

Book Blurb : Taken From Goodreads

The story of one family's voyage on the Titanic.

"I am filled with the worst feeling. Everyone says it is the safest, most luxurious ship in the world, but something about it is extremely unsettling."

Evelyn Gilmore does not share her brother Thomas’s excitement about travelling on the maiden voyage of the luxurious Titanic.

For Evelyn the ship is taking her away from everything she knows and loves. For Thomas it is taking him to his new life.

How could they know what the trip would bring?

Forget me not, forget me never

‘Til yonder sun shall set forever

BOOK REVIEW:

I am going to come straight out and say this book had me blubbering.

As a rule I have stayed away from anything to do with the Titanic as it just isn’t a happy ending. Human error and ego , made a lot of people lose their lives...... and an iceberg . I just haven’t, to this day been able to watch Titanic the movie by James Cameron. It just makes me too sad.

Walker Books contacted me and asked if I would be interested in joining their blog tour.

Sure! 

Get the truck load of Kleenex ready......

Sue wrote her tale of the Gilmore family setting sail for New York , with a lot of emotion.

The story is told from Evelyn aka Eve , and Thomas her brother’s POV’s.

Eve has bad dreams and is quite fretful of the journey, where Thomas appears to be enjoying the experience.

They each take an alternate chapter and you really get to know them...hence my blubberfest.

Five year old Bea, their little sister is the reason for the voyage to a better climate ,as her little lungs are diseased. Teddy and Bea are a team. Oh , that teddy bear......it tears me up now.

Eve is upset about leaving her friends behind and the worry of the whole voyage. Her mother needed a ‘stinky dead fish slap’ from me the way she talks to Eve....but then you begin to understand a bit of her mother’s behaviour.

A boy catches Eve’s eye by the name of Hugh and we are introduced to some of the Worthington family throughout this story.

Hugh is a bit of a lad and nominates himself as tour guide of the Titanic . I really enjoyed Hugh’s character, he is a fun character who likes to bend the rules.

Sue has taken the reader on a tour via her characters, who mischievously / boldly entered First Class , peeked in the engine room where the ‘black gang’ were hard at work, dip your toe in at the swimming pool, went to the Barber for souvenirs , the hospital and met the staff and generally got us to ‘feel’ the mood of the Titanic and it’s passengers and crew........ready to make me blubber later on. Complete with music and dancing.

The book is broken up into days, just to make me ‘feel’ that much closer to the inevitable blubberfest.

I loved the autograph entries at Eve’s titled chapters. I felt like I was turning the pages of her autograph book. Everybody she asked was putting a little poetry into her pages.

I have read ‘Fateful’ by Claudia Gray, and this is my only other book that weaves the Titanic into the story. I loved what Sue did with her tale of the Titanic and I read it in one sitting.

The thing that I question myself when reading , is, my boys, my hubby, how could I leave them behind? As a mum, it is too hard to think about, but these people, these families had to separate or in some cases chose to stay together and in other cases their class on the ship decided their fate.

Very sad.

The one thing that broke my heart was her stats at the end of the book, showing the different classes and the number of women , children , men,  in each class and crew that survived and were lost, just heart breaking stats.

Sue respectfully weaves real passengers/crew’s names into the storyline....again......* snot fest for me *

It is sad and emotional in parts , but that is the disaster of the Titanic. Although this read is about a fictional family and what comes to pass, the real story is not fictional.

I highly recommend this book, Sue wrote it beautifully . 

100 Years since the Titanic sunk, April 15th 2012

I’ll be thinking of all those lost lives. 

Michelle

BOOK GIVEAWAYS - AUTHOR SUE LAWSON - FORGET ME NOT & PAN'S WHISPER

By : Sue Lawson
Published By : Walker Books, Black Dog Books
Releases : 1st March 2012
Details : Paperback, 232 Pages

Book Blurb: Taken From Goodreads

The story of one family's voyage on the Titanic.


"I am filled with the worst feeling. Everyone says it is the safest, most luxurious ship in the world, but something about it is extremely unsettling."


Evelyn Gilmore does not share her brother Thomas’s excitement about travelling on the maiden voyage of the luxurious Titanic.


For Evelyn the ship is taking her away from everything she knows and loves. For Thomas it is taking him to his new life.
How could they know what the trip would bring?
 
 
 

PAN'S WHISPER

 

Released : 1st October 2011

 
When you’re fighting to forget, what would make you remember?


Pan Harris is is brash, loud and damaged. Ordered into foster care, Pan is full of anger at the mother who abandoned her, and the older sister who kept her from her father. Pan is certain that she knows the reality of her past – until she meets Hunter, the boy who understands her story better than anyone else, and who just may be the key to unlocking the truth of Pan’s memories. But are some memories best left forgotten? And is Hunter worth Pan breaking her most important rule – Never. Trust. Anyone.
 
 
 

I have these 2 books kindly donated by Walker Books to giveaway.
2 books = 2 winners
Random Org to choose winners , please feel free to write your first preference in the comments area.

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That's it! Too Easy!

 

I am on blog tour for Forget Me Knot in April so look out for that.

GIVEAWAY STARTS NOW!

ENDS 14TH MARCH 2012

 

Good Luck!!

 

Michelle