Lines from the chorus of When Irish Eyes are Smiling are a motif in And the Women Watch and Wait, occurring at several points through the novel. The song is a romanticised tribute to Ireland and was written by Chauncey Olcott, and George Graff Jr, with the music composed by Ernest R. Ball. Olcott was … Continue reading When Irish Eyes are Smiling
The Wearing of the Green
My latest novel And the Women Watch and Wait is set in Coburg, a northern suburb of Melbourne, during the Great War and its immediate aftermath. The characters are, mainly, from the Australian-Irish community and, as with my other novels, music plays a part in their lives. Over the next few months I’ll post some … Continue reading The Wearing of the Green
A Soliloquy by Lance Corporal William O’Brien (1882-1936)
William O’BrienThe Queenslander 3 Oct 1914 p.28 A bluish haze in the far asternAnd galloping seas between,The last-long look at one’s native land,Where boyhood days we’ve seen.For our bows are dipped in smothering spray,Our course to the setting sun.We’re bound for the front, with foot and horse,And a-clanking steel and gun. The transport reels in … Continue reading A Soliloquy by Lance Corporal William O’Brien (1882-1936)
My Reading – June to October 2025
This is not a lot to show for five months reading. My excuse is that I have done a lot of non-fiction re-reading, and even more writing, re-writing and editing. Will try to do better in the future. Time of the Child*by Niall Williams This is what happened in Faha over the Christmas of 1962, … Continue reading My Reading – June to October 2025
Excerpt ~ Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown
Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Paul Rushworth-Brown’s novel, Outback Odyssey, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Blurb 1950s Australia. In the wake of war and dislocation, young Yorkshireman Jimmy journeys to the outback, chasing escape but finding something far more dangerous: the truth of … Continue reading Excerpt ~ Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown
And the Women Watch and Wait
Today I released a new novel, And the Women Watch and Wait. It is set in Coburg, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, between 1914 and 1919 and depicts the struggles of ordinary women left to watch and wait and pray during the four long years that their men were away fighting a war on … Continue reading And the Women Watch and Wait
Excerpt ~ Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury! by Judith Arnopp
Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Judith Arnopp’s recently released novel, Marguerite: Hell Hath no Fury! as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Marguerite: Hell Hath no Fury! is another impressive biographical novel from Judith, this time telling the story of Marguerite of Anjou in her … Continue reading Excerpt ~ Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury! by Judith Arnopp
Excerpt ~ The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St.John
Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Elizabeth St.John’s novel The Lady of the Tower as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. The Lady of the Tower is the first book in Elizabeth’s series The Lydiard Chronicles, a historical family saga which traces the lives of several … Continue reading Excerpt ~ The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St.John
The O’Connors of Valencia Creek – Rain, Flood and Fire
The O’Connor children, like the children of any farmer, were well aware of the weather and the effect it had upon the family farm at Valencia Creek. In their letters to the ‘Young Folks’ page of the Weekly Times, they wrote of rain and dry spells, floods and fires. The two most prolific letter writers … Continue reading The O’Connors of Valencia Creek – Rain, Flood and Fire
Spotlight ~ Bess–Tudor Gentlewoman by Tony Riches
Today I’m delighted to be shining a spotlight on Tony Riches’s recently released novel, Bess - Tudor Gentlewoman as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Bess - Tudor Gentlewoman is book 6 in Tony's The Elizabethans series. Blurb Bess Throckmorton defies her notorious background and lack of education to … Continue reading Spotlight ~ Bess–Tudor Gentlewoman by Tony Riches
Catherine Meyrick 