Welcome back to Thursday Book Club!
I hope you've enjoyed the summer or, for those of you further north, the winter. Over the break, the six of us - my husband (David), three adult sons, one thirteen-year-old daughter and I - spent a few weeks in New Zealand. The trip's theme was something for everyone so we hiked the Queen Charlotte Track and, as part of a camping trip with a group of alarmingly athletic New Zealanders, canoed down the Whanganui River - despite my failure to steer the canoe in the right or, indeed, in any direction. We compared haunted house experiences, tasted the nightlife in Queenstown and visited family, including cousins with a pair of emus as pets and a 94-year-old aunt who entered the convent when she was seventeen.
Those of you who know me well - or even just a bit - might agree that relaxing has never been my forte. For me, a dream holiday is hiding away to write for ten hours a day. It was difficult to write while canoeing or hiking and for the first half of our trip, I chastised myself for being so unproductive. Only in the second half of our time away did I stop even trying to be achieve anything much at all. I'm told that's what it means to relax. Despite the tumult of the world, I hope you, too, had some time to relax over the summer.
What better way to kick off Thursday Book Club for February than by asking you, my dear readers, for a small favour?
Each year Dymocks asks readers to vote for their favourite books then publishes the list of the Top 101 books. It's a wonderful way to publicise and extend the shelf life of a book. Voting is now open and I'd love it if you'd consider voting for my novel, The Deceptions, which is included in the nominations here.
The Deceptions is particularly close to my heart: it was released in 2020 on the first day of the nationwide Covid lockdown which, as you know, meant bookshops were closed and all book events cancelled. This made it difficult for The Deceptions to reach as many readers as we'd hoped - although by way of silver lining, it did spark my idea for Thursday Book Club.
Having The Deceptions included in Dymocks Top 101 would give it another burst of life. And if The Deceptions does make it into the list, I'll be celebrating with an in-person Thursday Book Club event...and you'll all be invited!
I'd so appreciate your vote in the Dymocks Top 101 You can vote here
**** To vote in the Dymocks Top 101, you need to be a Dymocks Booklover. It costs nothing to join and you can register here.
Suzanne xx
PS Bestselling author, Christian White, is my guest on Thursday Book Club in three weeks. He'll be joining us online on 27 February to discuss his new release, The Ledge. Add it to your reading list and have your questions ready!