I really enjoyed my trip back home to Brisbane, Australia. Yes, I signed books and spoke in a panel at the Australian Romance Readers’ Association (ARRA) ‘Romantic Rendezvous’ convention. Yes, I loved taking part in a local book club.
But do you know what meant the most?
Seeing my mother (pictured left, above), sister, and old uni and school friends in person.
Especially my mum.
She’s the reason why I can speed through a book in one sitting, and why I love writing.
“Estelle, you could not read or write!”
Aww, Mum.
Looping back to the connection between my mother and my love for books, I was an absolute challenge when she taught me to read and write. I struggled, oh, I really did, and I hated words. Forming them, piecing them together, and more. I remember feeling incredibly stressed in my first year of schooling. Believe me, I cried.
Until something snapped.
I won’t go into the psychology behind it all, but I can tell you that hate turned into love because somewhere in my younger mind, I had willpower and perseverance. My love for Mum and watching her overcome her struggles transferred into the pages of every story I read, of every piece of writing I wrote. Many of these pieces were published in my school’s magazine. Those were my formative years.
My struggles became my strength.
Fast-forward to graduating from high school and finishing journalism at university, Mum would critique my stories. She told me what worked and what was garbage. She didn’t mince her words; her brutal truths helped me to become a persistent and resilient writer.
When I came home last month, I found old newspaper clippings: she’d saved articles I wrote as a senior reporter for what is now known as News Corp Australia. I think I was a better writer then compared to today. I churned stories like butter, finding interesting angles and smoothing out the articles. The headlines and the first sentence were always the toughest: I had to be creative while still writing the facts.
Back to my March trip…
Mum organized an interview with the local news. I poured my heart and soul into reading and writing during the interview.
You can read the article here.
Fitzgibbon Book Club
I also attended a local Brisbane book club as a guest and talked a bit about my writing process and journey. I felt incredibly grateful to receive these gorgeous flowers. I will definitely come back the next time I visit home in Fitzgibbon, Qld.
ARRA Romantic Rendezvous
At the Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA) annual book convention in Brisbane, I took part in a panel about small-town romance writing with my favorite authors: Cathryn Hein, T.M. Clark, and Sarina Bowen. Honestly, I was fangirling inside, as a reader, and almost forgot I’d written my own books. They were so lovely, and it was a wonderful experience to be on the panel and talk about our books.
The book signing after the panel was my first, and as the day got busier, I hadn’t noticed how quickly time flew. I enjoyed meeting both readers and writers. They were super supportive, and that’s the reason I fell in love with the author community in Australia. Thank you so much for the love to all who were at the Brisbane event.
Photo courtesy: Australian Romance Readers’ Association for the group photos (top far right and middle).
Old books revisited
I went down memory lane in Mum’s garage, where I saw books I read during my high school and university years. It was a different time when I was a lot younger and a whole lot more ambitious than I am today. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to chill a little and take care of my health. Would I have listened to the older me? Probably not.
Until next time, Australia. Hello again, Norway!
The difference between the early autumn in coastal Queensland (left) and spring in western Norway (right). I was sad to leave my mum and Australia, but I was happy to return to my husband and kids in Norway.
What more can I say? I love both countries. ♥️
I hope to visit Australia more often, though.
