Deborah O'Brien Writer | Community
Deborah O'Brien Writer
Reviews
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25.01.2022 Sacr bleu! Downloads of Camille Dupr have reached 2563 copies in three months. Thanks again to those who made donations to COVID-19 causes. If you havent read the book, its free and can be downloaded from my website: deborahobrien.com.au - just follow the links.
24.01.2022 A happy post. Beautiful, soaking rain is falling in the Highlands today, and now that the fire is under control, everyone is bringing back their precious belongings which have been stored in safe locations for the past month or so - family photos, personal keepsakes, heirloom furniture, jewellery, paintings, important documents ... As I unpacked my own stack of boxes there were a few choices that made me smile. Choices made on the spur of the moment as the fire loomed nearby, such as two bags of soft toys which are now happily back in the nursery. Not worth much in monetary terms but the memories they represent are irreplaceable.
23.01.2022 Fragrant flowers from the winter garden at White Gables - daphne, French lavender, osmanthus and jonquils.
22.01.2022 After the fires and the floods, here is something lighthearted to celebrate Valentines Day: My Top Ten Romantic Comedies. I wrote this list way back in 2014 but I dont think Id change anything. Do you have a favourite rom com?
22.01.2022 What a difference the rain makes.
22.01.2022 The first daffodils of the winter have made their appearance at White Gables. Theyre a little late this year, but who can blame them? Theyve been through one crisis after another - drought, heatwaves and then flooding rain. Now theyve burst forth from the safety of the ground and theres something very reassuring about their sunny cheerfulness and resilience.
21.01.2022 The House Detectives lovely post about the cover of THE JADE WIDOW prompted me to look up my original rough artwork for the cover. #thehousedetective
20.01.2022 Im honoured that Camille Dupr has been featured in Art, Gardens and Always Roses, the inspirational monthly newsletter from my dear friend, writer and internationally acclaimed rose painter, Michelle Endersby. Heres the link to the newsletter: http://archive.aweber.com//8GQ_Z/h/May_Inspiration_From.htm When Michelles newsletter pings into my inbox each month, I look forward to a delightful and uplifting read. If you wish to subscribe (its free) youll see how to do so at the end of the newsletter. And a big thank you to those who have downloaded my e-novel (over 500 people!) and made donations to COVID-19-related charities. As Camille would say: Merci mille fois!
20.01.2022 The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon - harvesting lavender at White Gables.
19.01.2022 One of the best forms of therapy in times of anxiety and crisis is reading fiction, particularly the historical kind its an exercise in time travel which allows you to escape to another era and place, at least for a while. Which is why Ill soon be releasing my new novel Camille Dupr FREE online. Ive been writing it, on and off, for many years and finished the final draft last summer, just ahead of the fires. Then came the coronavirus . . . This book is my gift to you... to read in lockdown. All I ask in return is that you consider making a donation to the charity of your choice. Perhaps one with relevance to mental health such as Beyond Blue. Heres what Books Galore had to say about the novel: "An enchanting story about making it through to the other side . . . Perfect reading in these coronavirus times. Camille Dupr will be available soon.
19.01.2022 A very moving driveway service to commemorate this years ANZAC Day with the Last Post accompanied by a chorus of kookaburras and our operatic neighbour Daphne, singing Amazing Grace. Remembering my grandfather Ted who was served on the Western Front in 1917 and his older brother Arthur, who died at Gallipoli.
17.01.2022 Thank you to everyone who has downloaded Camille Dupr and made donations to COVID-19-related charities. In the past 12 days, 372 copies of the book have winged their way through cyberspace to readers here and overseas. Please continue to let your friends know about the free e-novel. There will be reading group questions coming soon. In the meantime, here are some of the 1930s and 40s songs which formed the soundtrack to the novel:... https://www.deborahobrien.com.au//250-the-camille-dupre-so See more
17.01.2022 First it was the fires. Now its the coronavirus. Hard not to be stressed by these back-to-back crises. Heres something calming and beautiful - the floral harvest from my garden at White Gables, which only weeks ago was struggling to survive. A garden is definitely good for the soul.
16.01.2022 Its eight and a half weeks since Camille Dupr was released online and, as of today, 2071 books have been downloaded. Thank you to everyone who has read the book and for your wonderful donations to causes such as the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne, which is working on a vaccine. This is the beautiful French actress, Annabella (born Suzanne Charpentier) who appears on the cover of Camille Dupr in a portrait from the British Film Pictorial 1939. Sadly, the photographers of both portraits are not named. If youd like to download the novel, heres the link: deborahobrien.com.au/index.php/books-menu/camille-dupre For those who are concerned they dont have an e-reader, the book is in PDF format and all you need is a laptop, iPad or even an iPhone.
15.01.2022 Its been seven weeks since Camille Dupr first went online and, as of just now, 1108 copies have been downloaded! More importantly, some generous donations have been made by readers to organisations such as the Melbourne-based Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, which has developed a non-invasive saliva test to detect COVID-19, suitable for small children and those who cannot manage the existing tests. For those whove asked about the cover of the book, it ...features a B&W photo of beautiful French actress Annabella, who achieved fame in the 1930s. The image came from my mums copy of the Film Pictorial Annual 1939, which has a series of gorgeous monochromatic portraits of movie stars. Sadly, theres no attribution or copyright notice so I dont know the name of the photographer. The young Camille dreams of being a movie star like Clara Bow; Annabella actually went to Hollywood and married heartthrob, Tyrone Power. See more
15.01.2022 Free bookmarks for you to download and print, featuring proverbs about hope and happiness from Camille Dupr. And yes, I know it seems odd that these are actual bookmarks when Camille Dupr is a digital novel but you can read the rationale in the article. Besides, as readers, we can never have enough bookmarks! Heres the link to the article and the download: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au//249-camille-dupre-bookma Enjoy!
14.01.2022 Yesterday afternoon, with the main fire burning close by (see earlier post), and a big back-burn at the bottom of the street, we decided it was time to leave. (Yes, this is the fourth time in less than a month!) After filling the gutters, wetting the verandahs and hosing down the lawn with water from our underground tank, we bundled the dogs into the back seat of the Defender which was still packed with the things we had optimistically brought back! As nasty black smoke plumed nearby and burnt black leaves fell from the sky, we were able to make a speedy departure. Hoping to return today. Stay safe, everyone in fire-affected areas, and huge thanks to the amazing firies of the RFS and F&R NSW.
14.01.2022 My new novel, Camille Dupr is now available as a free ebook. This is my gift to you to read in lockdown and during the challenging times ahead. All I ask in return is that you consider making a donation to the charity of your choice. Perhaps one with relevance to mental health such as Beyond Blue. If your friends or fellow book club members would like to read the book, would you kindly ask them to download it directly from my website (rather than forwarding the PDF to eac...h other). In that way, Ill be able to see how many books are going out into the world. Heres the link to your free e-Novel. https://www.deborahobrien.com.au/i/books-menu/camille-dupre Happy reading!
13.01.2022 One of the finest film Ive seen in a long time. Be prepared to experience the gamut of emotions as this film immerses you in its gripping narrative. My review below.
13.01.2022 Some good news about Camille Dupr - over 200 e-novels have gone out into the world since Monday evening, and donations have been made to Lifeline, Beyond Blue and various hospitals - many thanks to those readers whove made donations and been in touch to let me know about their charities. If you enjoyed the book, you might be interested in this article I wrote about researching the story, featuring some of the posters and other items that provided inspiration: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au//248-researching-camille- If you havent downloaded your free e-novel yet, theres a link at the bottom of this article.
12.01.2022 I was thrilled to see that the House Detective was drawn to THE JADE WIDOW because of the building on the cover. Actually, all the covers in the Emporium trilogy feature a building, starting with Mr Chens Emporium, which was inspired by an old haberdashery in the main street of beautiful Braidwood. #thehousedetective
12.01.2022 Eighty years ago, almost two million Parisians fled the city to escape the advancing German army. In my novel, Camille Dupr, one of those refugees, a librarian called Anna Moreau manages to make it to Montpellier in southern France where she becomes Camilles boss at the lending library, The exodus from Paris only takes up a few paragraphs in the book but here is an interesting article about it to accompany the opening of the new Muse de la Libration in Paris. Following the armistice, most Parisians returned to their homes. Anna was one of those who decided to stay in her new location. If you read the book, youll find out why. Heres the link to the free e-novel: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au/i/books-menu/camille-dupre
11.01.2022 Its a month since Camille Dupr went public and, as of this morning, 758 e-novels have been downloaded! A huge thank you to everyone who has spread the word about the book and its mission to raise funds for charity. For the next fortnight Im running a COMPETITION for the most interesting review of Camille Dupr - the word count is up to you. The winner will receive a signed copy of The Rarest Thing and their review will be published on my website. Entries close at 5 pm on Wednesday, June 24. Please email your review to: [email protected] with Book Review in the Subject box.
11.01.2022 Sacré bleu! Downloads of 'Camille Dupré' have reached 2563 copies in three months. Thanks again to those who made donations to COVID-19 causes. If you haven't read the book, it's free and can be downloaded from my website: deborahobrien.com.au - just follow the links.
10.01.2022 For all those who are fascinated by politics, today is a special one with the release of the correspondence between the GG and the Queen leading up to the Dismissal in 1975, documents many of us have been waiting 45 years to access. Congrats to Prof. Jenny Hocking for making that possible. While were on the subject, here are my top five films about politics.
10.01.2022 Following a couple of emails from aspiring writers asking for tips on how to write historical fiction, I wrote this piece which I hope has been of help. https://www.deborahobrien.com.au//227-my-top-six-tips-for-
09.01.2022 Spring has sprung here at White Gables and theres good news. Its four months since Camille Dupr was released and downloads have now reached over 3250! If you havent downloaded the book yet, go to: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au/i/books-menu/camille-dupre Its free! And if you enjoy the novel, you might like to make a donation to the charity of your choice. ... The book is a PDF which means it can be read on your laptop, iPad or even your iPhone. See more
07.01.2022 More from the garden at White Gables. Pic: WGH
06.01.2022 Home among the Gum Trees. Can you spot Molly? Pic courtesy of WGH.
05.01.2022 Happy birthday, Molly! Five today.
05.01.2022 Ive been challenged to post seven books I love - one book per day. No explanation, no review. Just the cover. Each day Ill ask a friend to accept the challenge. Thank you, Sue Schipp, for the nomination and also for choosing Mr Chens Emporium among your books. Today, Day One, I nominate my good friend and fellow writer, Mary Anne Bunn.
04.01.2022 Just when we thought it was safe to bring back our family photos and other precious belongings . . . After waking around 2am to get a glass of water, WGH looked out our living room window and saw this! The fire had been burning all day, spurred on by yesterdays high temperatures and gusty winds, but we hadnt been able to see it from our place because of the thick smoke haze. Last night, however, the wind was blowing the smoke away from us and it was such a clear night you ...could actually see the stars . . . and the fire itself. So WGH picked up his trusty camera and went to the top of our hill to take these pics. Following another massive effort from fire-bombing helicopters and the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW on the ground, the fire is back at Advice level. Still a potential threat but being controlled. Thinking of all those impacted by yesterdays fires.
04.01.2022 Spring has sprung here at White Gables and there's good news. It's four months since 'Camille Dupré' was released and downloads have now reached over 3250! If you haven't downloaded the book yet, go to: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au/i/books-menu/camille-dupre It's free! And if you enjoy the novel, you might like to make a donation to the charity of your choice. ... The book is a PDF which means it can be read on your laptop, iPad or even your iPhone. See more
03.01.2022 Coming very soon - the free ebook version of Camille Dupr. In the meantime, heres a wonderful advance review from Chris McGuigan at the Kensington Review: https://kensingtonbookreview.wordpress.com
03.01.2022 Picked this bouquet of fragrant flowers for a very special person who has just had a baby. Lilacs, French lavender, rhododendrons and verbena.
02.01.2022 Hope for the future . . . Regeneration in the canyons of the Morton National Park, just behind us. Pic taken 9 July by WGH* * Worlds Greatest Husband - it says so on his coffee mug.
01.01.2022 Heres the trailer for my new book: https://www.deborahobrien.com.au//camill/246-camille-dupre
01.01.2022 Amid the ongoing stress of the bushfires, I really needed some good news. Yesterday my lovely agent emailed to say Mr Chen is going to be published in yet another translation.This one should be very interesting. Details to come once the paperwork is completed. Meanwhile, like an evil dragon, the bushfire is lurking in the deep gullies behind us, puffing smoke into the sky. During the past week, the wonderful firies have worked nonstop creating a buffer zone between our village and the fiery dragon. Hopefully all will be well. To everyone in the fire zones, stay safe this coming weekend, Cover (c) Penguin Random House
