Down Under Showcase Author: John Terry Moore

Meet John Terry Moore!

John Terry Moore is the author of Black Dog from Dreamspinner Press and others listed below.

To get to know John Terry Moore a little better, the author wrote an essay on writing.  Look for the guest essay below (make note that the spellings found here and in all guest posts use NZ/AUS spellings and not that of the USA). John Terry Moore has a wonderful quiz for you to answer, prizes to hand out, and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

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John Terry Moore lives with his partner Russell in Geelong, Victoria’s largest regional centre, one hour from Melbourne, Australia.

He completed his education at Hobart Matriculation College, and held a number of senior positions in the automotive industry over a thirty five year period.

He has been a civil marriage celebrant and funeral celebrant since 1995, (now retired) and together with his partner were successful flower growers, raising stud sheep and breeding Kelpies, Australia’s working dogs.

Born into a farming family, his empathy and understanding of country people has allowed him to focus on rural issues in his writing.

Geographical and social isolation through the worry and stress of poor seasons, fluctuating prices, and in particular, sexual orientation in men has fuelled depression across regional and rural Australia in epidemic proportions.

Driven by his experiences as a funeral celebrant, he understands full well the ultimate penalty paid by men of all age groups when they feel marginalised by homophobic attitudes and actions in rural and regional communities in particular.

Over the years, he has become an increasingly strident and persistent voice with politicians, community groups and the general public, encouraging, supporting and driving the push for gay marriage and equal rights for same sex parents and their children.

“Black Dog” reminds us that gay kids should never be allowed to feel that they aren’t as good as straight kids.

That only when everyone is treated exactly the same under law will society begin to heal itself.

 

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“Black Dog” (Gay Romance) published by Dreamspinner Press, launched 03/09/2014.

Blurb: Australia is a nation in transition. Marriage equality looms but homophobia still rules. Depression and suicide are commonplace as Dean Prentice and his lover, Danny, grow up together in country Victoria. When Dean moves to a nearby regional center to study veterinary science, he finds acceptance and love when reunited with Danny. Profound tragedy visits Dean’s life and he grieves, moving on through a series of lovers both male and female and struggling to focus on his studies and his dream of becoming a veterinarian. He graduates and specializes in equine work.

With long hours and unrelenting pressure, he misses the support of a full time partner. The only constant in his life is his loyal Kelpie, Bruce. Then he meets Neil Andrews and falls in love. Neil is a stunning widower in his forties with children and grandchildren, and Dean realizes he wants kids of his own.

But Neil is still deep in the closet and while their relationship is passionate, it’s going nowhere permanent. They separate, and Dean contemplates marrying a woman for company and friendship. For the second time in Dean’s young life, depression reveals its ugly presence; this time there are medical professionals at hand and he might have a chance for love at last.
ISBN-13 978-1-62798-962-6
Pages 220
Cover Artist Maria Fanning

“Rhythm” (Gay Romance) on  www.awesomedude.com (free site)

Other Titles: not released.
“The Medal”
“Tarnung”

Catch Me When I Fall is fantasy romance

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway: An eBook download of “Black Dog” each for the first three participants who supply five correct answers

What is the meaning of the following phrases:

1.“Flat out like lizards drinking”:  Thirsty?   Sleeping on the job? or Busy?
2.“Spit the dummy”  Vomit?  React negatively?  Acting stupid?
3.“Run up a dry gully”:  Nothing, no support, no sympathy?  Morning exercise? A valley in drought?
4.“Chooks came home to roost”:  Kids returned home? Everything happened because it was deserved? or Lovers returned to where they met?
5.“Stacking on a turn” means:   Arranging a good party?  Feeling quite ill. or Showing displeasure.

. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners chosen MUST have all 3 answers correct when asked for verification!

2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt “word or phrase” in bold green .

Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.

Guest Blog from John Terry Moore

WRITING, A REFLECTION?

Of course there is much of every author in almost everything they write.
Their life experiences are the things that have shaped them, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always unique.

I’m often aware that when I read something I’ve written, months or even years later, I hear my own voice. With all my faults, hang-ups, good and bad qualities.

It’s usually a healing experience, the person I’ve become is an amalgam of many influences, not the least of which are genetics (over which we have little control), parental guidance and example, and in particular, the social mores of the time; the social environment, if you like.

All of which contributed in no small way to the material in my first published novel, “Black Dog.”

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I was fortunate to grow up on a farm in Tasmania, Australia’s smallest and most southernmost state. An island with a population (in 2014) of only 500,000.

Much smaller when I grew up there.

But my experiences allowed me to focus on the basics of rural life and I’ve been drawn back time and time again to my rural beginnings.

In Australia there are significant lifestyle difference between the cities and the bush, the loneliness of rural areas is in contrast to the busy cities.

I spent 35 years in the automotive industry in some very senior positions and that gave me a feel for the corporate world in all its excitement and ugliness.

I lived in Melbourne for around 15 years, met my first partner and separated after 12 plus years then 16 months later I met Russell.

31 years later we’re still together and thriving as a little family.

But we left Melbourne and bought a small farm of 5 acres, sold it 10 years later and bought a 50 acre property. I commuted to Melbourne daily.

In 1995 I was made a Civil Celebrant which is a federal government appointment and unlike anything else in the world. Celebrants were created as an alternative to church ceremonies, and have been highly successful. Australia has become a secular society faster than most western countries; 75% of all weddings are now performed by celebrants, funerals now similar.

I’ve performed hundreds of weddings, funerals and baby namings before retiring earlier this year. So I had three jobs, auto industry, celebrant and farmer.

Russell worked as a chef ran our home and worked as a farmer as well.

In “Black Dog” we make an appearance as David Canning the Celebrant and his partner Peter.
“Black Dog” to me has become something of an anthem.

So much joy, laughter, tragedy and tears.

A reflection.

I remember sitting down as a celebrant with the family of a boy that had taken his own life. And with horror I realized it could well have been my life as a young man.

And so we tackle the issue of depression because men’s mental health remains a problem, as is homophobia one of the contributing factors.

But the lesson, and why we want it read by as many people who are so affected, is that there is hope. Because “Black Dog” spells it out; love solves all!

WHY ARE WE SO DIFFERENT TO OUR MATES IN THE UNITED STATES?

Good question, probably much to do with history.

I can only speak for Australia as I see it.

Somewhere we had more Englishness programmed into us.

You guys had the War of Independence; we still have Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

Australia was first settled by the British in the same time frame as the United States became an independent nation.

So we’ve had more of a constant British presence in our lives.

There is also a pronounced working man’s streak, an unpretentiousness that isn’t really replicated anywhere in the world.

It came from the very beginning of Australia.

The British jails were full, and sentencing so-called criminals to transportation relieved pressure on the UK penal system and created a low cost work force in the new colony.

Then after the Potato Famine in Ireland, vast numbers of paddies came to Australia as immigrants, particularly between 1840 and 1914.

The combination of the convict and Irish bloodlines has created a race of people that have a healthy hatred of authority, who loath wankers, gong bangers and people who are up themselves. Politicians are given one chance, if they don’t deliver; they’re pissed off like ice on a barbeque.

The saving grace in this country has been European and Asian immigration, similar to the USA. The Europeans brought some sophistication to a cultural desert.

We had Chinese here in the very early days in the Gold Rush; they are great workers and family people. By 2050 half of Australia’s population will be able to trace their ancestry back to Asia.

And it can’t come soon enough.

We need people to get off their fat arses and work. Instead of worrying where their next hit is coming from.

I can trace my mother’s family back through India.

200 years ago my ancestor was born near Kolkata and he became a very famous ‘Anglo-Indian Australian’!

So our differences aren’t so great in racial mix but our sense of humor is.

I can only point to the wonderful working class people who had a dry, earthy sense of humor as part of their birthright.
Laughing at the lords and ladies who swanned around full of themselves whilst below stairs had a good laugh at the silly pricks.