Down Under Day 21: Welcome, Isabelle Rowan, and our AUS/NZ Facts of the Day

Welcome, Isabelle Rowan!

Isabelle Rowan’s book, A Note in the Margin, was my first introduction to Australia by way of a M/M author. This novel is Australian with every bit of its heart and mind. From the Australian Christmas to the venues in and around Melbourne, I learned as I read, wept and cried tears of joy. It’s still one of my all time favorite stories to rec. So please stop by Isabelle Rowan’s page, learn about all her stories, and about the author herself! And guess what Isabelle Rowan is giving away for her contest! Yep, A Note in the Margin.

And because she is from Melbourne, that’s where our Australia fact of the day looks in on:

Australia Fact of the Day – City of Melbourne!

Interesting & Fun Facts About Melbourne:

Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia.
Melbourne is located in south-east Australia.
A person from Melbourne is called a Melburnian.
‘The Story of the Ned Kelly Gang’, made in Melbourne in 1906, recognized as the first feature film of the world, running to five reels.
About 90 tons of dog poo is left on the streets of Melbourne every day.
According to the RSPCA, Melbourne is the “Fox Capital” of the western world, with 6-23 foxes every square kilometer in the metropolitan area.
Before Melbourne came to be known as the ‘City of Melbourn’e, it was called Batmania, Bearbrass, Bearport, Bareheap and Bearbury. (I personally love Bearbrass or Bareheap!)
Melbourne’s famous beer, Foster’s Lager, was actually produced by two Americans. – See more at:
Luna Park, in Melbourne’s bayside suburb of St Kilda, is the oldest amusement park in the world under private management.
Melbourne had the first gay and lesbian radio station in the world.
The expression ‘call girl’ that is used for a prostitute, was invented in Melbourne. – See more at Melbourne Lifestyles

New Zealand Fact of the Day

New Zealand is made up of two primary isles, North Isle and South Isle, with further outlying isles known as the Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Isle, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands. The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland.

Original Maori name for New Zealand: Aotearoa
Original Maori name for Auckland: Tamaki Makaurau

New Zealand has over 4.5 million inhabitants, of which 1/3 lives in Auckland. Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world and is also known as “the city of sails”. It has more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Down Under Author: L. J. Harris

Meet L.J. Harris

L.J. Harris is the author of Heart of Glass and other story listed below.

To get to know L. J. Harris a little better, the author agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

L. J. HARRIS is a mother of teenage twin boys who she loves with all her heart. Her family is her life, her soul, and the very reason she gets out of bed every day. Coming a close second to her family is her writing.

She only just discovered a passion for writing in the past five or so years. She’d always written little poems in birthday cards for family members, but that was as far as her writing aspirations went…until she decided to write poems and give them to family members as homemade gifts.

It was then a spark was lit, and ever since, she hasn’t been unable to switch off the urge to write.

After a close family member fell ill, she began questioning what she wanted and searching for answers. Unable to sleep one night, she sat up and typed out her feelings on the laptop. Her husband read what she’d written and encouraged her to write more. It was then she knew she wanted to share her thoughts with others. She began with writing what she knew–her life story, but couldn’t get into it. Instead, she decided to write about something not based on fact, but fiction, and wrote a dream sequence which she showed to her family. They encouraged her to expand on it, and she hasn’t stopped since.

L.J. Harris discovered that as much as enduring pain, loss, betrayal, or any other negative thing in our lives can be devastating, if she hadn’t experienced them for herself, she not only wouldn’t have found some lifelong friends, she doubts she would have been able to write the feelings of anguish and loss that some of her characters have had to endure.

L.J. has been previously published and has shared several online stories and looks forward to continuing to share her work.

Contacts/Follow at :
Twitter: @LJHarrisAuthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/heartofdark0858/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6506545.L_J_Harris
Blog: https://theworldofljharris.blogspot.com.au
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/heartofdarkess
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LJHarrisAuthor?ref=hl author page

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Out now:

Heart of Glass (Bottom Drawer Publications)

This story was originally included in the SECOND CHANCES Anthology released in August 2012 and has been individually released to celebrate BDP’s anniversary.

Days after arriving in Australia for a working holiday, Zack Doherty is blindsided by the connection he instantly feels to Heath Connors, but circumstances don’t work in their favour. Zack is uncharacteristically forward in pushing Heath to accept a date when fate gives him a second opportunity.

Heath has only recently had the courage to admit his true self, walking away from his marriage and a good job when he could no longer lie to himself. The attraction he feels for a stranger that fleetingly crossed his path confirms he made the right choice.

Will Zack be the one to mend Heath’s heart of glass?

Kindle Edition, 203 pages
Published August 31st 2012 by Bottom Drawer Publications
ASINB0094AEQK2
edition languageEnglish

Just Like Pulling Teeth (Bollocks Anthology from Wayward Ink Press)

A trip to the dentist has never been so… interesting…
Kindle Edition, 54 pages
Published November 7th 2014 by Wayward Ink Press
ASINB00OJ31N2I
edition languageEnglish

Genre(s):

m/m romance/erotica

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, L.J. Harris) is an eBook copy the reader’s choice of either my e-book Just Like Pulling Teeth or Heart of Glass via amazon. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

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When did you start writing?

Five years ago.

Were you a reader as a child?

Yes.

What books as a child has the most impact on you?

My favourite was a pop up Wizard of Oz book. Also loved Disney stories such as Pinocchio and Cinderella.
Did that impression carry over into adulthood when you started writing?

I worked in a library for 11 years so that fed my addiction.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

People watching. Situations I find myself in can also often trigger an idea. And when I get writers block the shower is my place from which to draw inspiration.

Favorite genres to write in and why?

Love a good love story! I’ve always been a fan of reading the story of how two people meet.
Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?

Characters 90 percent of the time.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written?

That’s like choosing one child over another. All my characters have different aspects I love about them.

Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source):

“Friends are the family you wish you had.”

Favorite book/story you have read as an adult:

Too many to name.

Do you have a certain regimen that you follow as a writer?

Not at all. I’m a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ kinda girl.

What inspired you to write your first book?

As stated in my bio, a close member of my family fell ill. My father was my inspiration, my rock, and as a talented musician himself, the one person who understood me. He passed 2 years ago, and I miss him every day. He and my husband were the ones who inspired me to write my first sentence, and I haven’t looked back since.

Do you have a specific writing style?

See above (fly by the seat of my pants). I find that until I start to write a character, and peel back the layers little by little, only then will plot points make themselves known.

What’s the hardest part of writing your books? Writers block! They need to make a pill…

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your first book?

Oh God yes! Mostly tweaking bits and pieces, nothing major.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor or has the biggest influence on you?

It’s impossible to choose one, but a group of people including M B Feeney, R E Hargrave, Kaye P Hallows and my co-author in a story that is close to my heart P Austin are among the endless number of people who have encouraged, inspired and made me feel as though I belong in the world of the author.

What book are you reading now?

Kaye P Hallows ‘Take my Chances’.

How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?

Well the spelling and slang is often something readers from countries outside Aus/NZ have to contend with. The unique settings these countries provide also make for a nice change in backdrop, language, characters and scenes, the whole shebang.

My first impression of AUS/NZ was from stories and novels like Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds or Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice as well as from movies like The Man from Snowy River, The Dish, Rabbit Proof Fence, Strictly Ballroom, and yes, Crocodile Dundee! There are so many out there. What is your favorite AUS/NZ stories and favorite Australian/New Zealand movies?

Anything by N R Walker (Red Dirt Heart series is my fave) or Renae Kaye (Safe in His Arms and The Shearing Gun are fab!).. I have read everything he’s written and it’s all fantastic. Movies: The Lord of the Rings series (and Hobbit) for NZ, and Strictly Ballroom is my fave Aussie film.

If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see and what impression would you want them to take away with them when they leave?

I haven’t travelled so long I couldn’t say, but I guess the Great Barrier Reef would be a great start, followed by going to Crystal Creek rainforest retreat on the mid-north coast of NSW. Hubs and I went on our honeymoon there.

What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

I haven’t travelled much, but do go between home and the coast to see family on a regular basis.

What are your current projects?
His Personal Assistant, my new m/m novel.

What’s next up for you?
Finishing up HPA early 2015 and publishing, then working on whichever of my partially done documents inspires me.

Q: Is there any genre you love to read but wouldn’t tackle yourself?

Most definitely. Anything kinky – yes I am naughty and I love to read it (but it has to have a good plotline too) but would be terrified to write it.

Down Under Day 20: Meet L.J. Harris and our AUS/NZ Facts of the Day

Welcome, L. J. Harris!

Our featured author today is L. J. Harris, who resides in Australia. Please stop by her author page that follows for her interview, books, bio and giveaway! And don’t forget to search out today’s Down Under Scavenger Hunt word. As we are winding down our Down Under Author Showcase, what new authors and books have you discovered? What new facts have you learned about Australia and New Zealand? Drop us a line and let us know!

Here are our Down Under Facts of the Day for Australia and New Zealand

Australia Fact of the Day

The Big Dry
Australia has the lowest precipitation of any of the world’s inhabited continents. (Antarctica gets less.) 70 percent of Australia gets less than 500 mm (20 inches) of rainfall per year.

Australia’s Desert Country

One third of Australia’s land is desert. Australia has 10 deserts of which the largest is the Great Victoria Desert, covering just under 5 percent of the country. Ironically, the Great Victoria Desert is not located in Victoria but is in Western Australia and South Australia. The Great Victoria Desert covers 348,750 square kilometres which makes it around one and a half times bigger than the UK or slightly smaller than Montana.

New Zealand Fact of the Day

New Zealand is part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. Mount Ruapehu, situated in the middle of North Island, is the most active volcano on mainland.

The highest rainfall in a year in New Zealand was a drenching 18.4 meters (60 feet) in 1997-1998 at Cropp River on the west of the South Island.

Down Under Day 19: Author Tony Griffin, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day!

Welcome, Toni Griffin!

It’s Day 19 of our Down Under Author Showcase and our featured writer today is Toni Griffin! Toni lives in Darwin and write a number of supernatural romance series, including shifters! Toni is also involved in a new publishing company along with Angel Martinez, Freddie McKay and Silvia Violet in Mischief Corner Books which put out one of my favorite holiday anthologies in 2014, Chestnuts Roasting, including a story from Toni Griffin!

Visit Toni Griffin’s page which follows shortly, learn about Toni, her books and writing and don’t forget to enter her giveaway contest and find the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the Day.

Australia Fact of the Day!

Today’s Down Under Australia fact will be about Darwin, Toni’s home town!

Darwin is the capital of Northern Territory is a multicultural city famous for its huge thunderstorms, beautiful sunsets, colourful Mindil Beach Markets and excellent barramundi fishing. Places to see include the Northern Territory Parliament House, Fannie Bay Gaol Museum, Darwin Entertainment Centre and Botanic Gardens. Outside are Charles Darwin National Park, Crocodylus Park, Territory Wildlife Park and Berry Springs Nature Park.

Who was Darwin named after? Charles Darwin, the man came up with the concept of natural selection and evolution.

Find out more about Darwin here!

New Zealand Fact of the Day!

Since I chose a city for Australia, let’s take a closer look at New Zealand’s Christchurch.

Christchurch is New Zealand‘s second-largest city (question: can you name the first?) and the gateway to the South Island. Bordered by hills and the Pacific Ocean, it is situated on the edge of the Canterbury Plains that stretch to the Southern Alps. Christchurch, New Zealand is interwoven by two rivers linking parks, gardens and avenues. Bordered by the Port Hills and the Pacific Ocean, it is situated on the Canterbury Plains with the Southern Alps as a majestic backdrop. The award-winning Christchurch Botanic Gardens feature one of the finest collections of exotic and native plants found in New Zealand,

In February 2011, Christchurch was hit by a huge earthquake. Much of the central city with its classic neo-gothic architecture was destroyed. This event was a major element in a book from one of our Down Under Authors. Do you know which one? It’s still in the process of rebuilding, but the heart and soul of New Zealand remains the great people who live there.

Oh, the Fun Down Under, A Special Riptide Tour and the Week Ahead!

Down Under Author Showcase Update

Oh, the fun we are having with our Down Under Author Showcase. I’ve learned so much about Australia and New Zealand just putting together the facts of the day for both countries. And that has me itching to go and check it all out for myself. Glowworm caves? Who knew?

Plus, as I am devouring John Wiltshire’s series, More Heat Then The Sun, and loving it. Have you grabbed those up yet? I am overwhelmed with all the new authors and books that I myself have added to my TBR pile and auto buy list! It’s been great and it continues this week, our last full week of the month.

So far, here’s our author roll call to date:

1/1 Christian Baines
1/2/2015 Nicki J. Markus 1/10/2015 N. R. Walker
1/3/2014 Anne Barwell 1/12/2015 John Terry Moore
1/5/2015 N.J. Nielson 1/13/2015 Beany Sparks
1/6/2015 L.J. LaBarthe 1/14/2015 A.B. Gayle
1/7/2015 Michelle Rae   1/15/2015 Lisa Henry
1/8/2015 Renae Kaye   1/16/2015 Meredith Shayne
1/9/2015 John Wiltshire   1/17/2015 Pelaam

If you have missed a day, go back and see what you have missed. Check out their bios and their books and enter their giveaways. And don’t forget to search out the Scavenger Hunt Word of the Day as well as my Australia and New Zealand fun facts!

The Burnt Toast B&B Book Tour and Charity Donations!

Now onto The Burnt Toast B&B Tour,(of which we are a participant) from authors Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz and Riptide Publishing. The Burnt Toast B&B story (which Barb read, reviewed and loved) included a trans character, Ginsburg. Well, hear it from Heidi and Rachel:

Ginsberg’s background of financial hardship and lack of family support is all too common among many people who, like him, are trans and trying to live happy, fulfilling lives as their true selves. As such, we the authors, our publisher Riptide, and our generous blog tour hosts will be using the next few days to highlight the personal fundraisers of real trans people in need. We hope that if you’ve got a little extra money this month, you’ll consider donating, and if money’s tight, maybe you can help by spreading the word, too.

For our part, Rachel, Heidi, and Riptide will be giving donors a $5 Riptide credit code for every $10 in donations you make (up to $50 in codes per person, up to $5,000 in codes overall)–just email your donation receipt(s) to info@riptidepublishing.com with the subject line “Burnt Toast Tour Donation,” and Riptide will send out all $5 codes a week after the tour ends. (It’s totally cool, by the way, to spread your donations across multiple fundraisers if you’d like; we’ll add up all your receipts sent in a single email and base your credit vouchers on the grand total.)

We’re also hosting a special contest for people who donate: every dollar in donations to any of these fundraisers will earn you an entry into a drawing for a full paperback set of Riptide’s current Bluewater Bay lineup, OR two signed paperback copies of The Burnt Toast B&B. We’ll draw one week after the blog tour ends. Every dollar helps, and every dollar counts!

And there’s more, plus additional ways you can help:

Lastly, we’ll randomly select three commenters from all the tour stops and donate $50 apiece in each winner’s name to the trans charity or fundraiser of their choice. (Please be sure to leave a way for us to contact you if you win!)
Today’s featured fundraiser is for Reid, a young Canadian trans man struggling to make ends meet because of employment discrimination. You can find it at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/transman-needs-a-little-help.

For the entire post and wonderful way Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz and Riptide Publishing are using this heartwarming story to help others, visit our page here and/or follow the entire tour which can be found here!

Transgender rights is an important issue everywhere and transgender people need our support in every way possible. If you know of other organizations or venues that support transgender rights, email them to us and we will put them on our LGBTQ list.

Now Here is Our Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words this Week!

Monday, January 19:

Down Under Day 19: Welcome, Toni Griffin, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author Toni Griffin
A MelanieM Review: Chestnuts Roasting Anthology (repost)
KC Wells “Bond of Three” Book Tour and Contest
A MelanieM Review: Bayou Des Infants by Lynn Lorenz

Tuesday, January 20:

Down Under Day 20: Welcome, L.J. Harris, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author: L.J. Harris
A Sammy Review: Unfortunate Son by Shae Connor
A Stella Review: A Bond of Three by KC Wells
Draven St. James Wolf’s Sacrifice Tour and Contest

Wednesday, January 21:

Down Under Day 21: Welcome, Isabelle Rowan, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author: Isabelle Rowan
A Melanie Review: The Red Heart by Isabelle Rowan
A Melanie Review: A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan
A Mika Review: Love Lies Bleeding by Remmy Duchene
A Sammy Review: Dirty Dining by E.M. Lynley

Thursday,, January 22:

Down Under Day 22, Welcome, Maggie Nash, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author Maggie Nash
A Mika Review: We Found Love by Kade Boehme & Allison Cassatta
Tame a Wild Human by Kari Gregg book tour and contest
Amanda C. Stone ‘Adventures of Cole and Perry’ Virtual Tour and Contest
A MelanieM Review: Eoin’s Destiny by RJ Scott

Friday, January 23:

Down Under Day 23, Welcome, Penny Brandon, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author Penny Brandon
Meredith Russell’s Jack Frost Book Tour and Contest
Iyanna Jenna’s ‘Just A Little Unwell’ Book Tour and Contest
A BJ Review: Natural Instincts by M Raiya
A MelanieM Review: A Minor Inconvenience by Sarah Granger

Saturday, January 24:

Down Under Day 24: Welcome Lily Velden, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day
Down Under Author Lily Velden, Wayward Ink Press
Mika Review: The Harvest: Journey’s End by M. A. Church

Down Under Day 17: Featured Author Pelaam, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day and Contest Info

Welcome, Pelaam!

It’s Day 17 of our Down Under Author Showcase, and our featured writer today is Pelaam. Pelaam is an author of paranormal, magical and supernatural tales of love and romance. Check out all their stories, books and bio on Pelaam’s Down Under Author page that follows shortly.

Pelaam marks the midway point in our Down Under Author Showcase. Have you missed a day? Go back and double check that you have made the acquaintance of each and every one of these marvelous authors! And don’t forget to enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest on our Down Under Author Showcase page on the menu!

Now onto our Down Under Facts of the Day! As our author is from New Zealand, that country goes first today!

New Zealand Facts of the Day:

1. The longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. That’s Cape Kidnappers to the right in Hawkes Bay.

and

2. New Zealand has more Scottish pipe bands per capita than any other country in the world.

Australia Fact of the Day!

1. The first photos from the 1969 moon landing were beamed to the rest of the world from Honeysuckle Tracking Station, near Canberra. This story was told in the wonderful Australian movie, The Dish. Catch it on demand or DVD.

2. There were over one million feral camels in outback Australia, until the government launched the $19m Feral Camel Management Program, which aims to keep the pest problem under control.
Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.

Australian feral camels, are feral populations of two species of camel; *Guess what day it is…it’s Hump Day”) mostly dromedaries(Camelus dromedarius) but also some bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). Imported into Australia from Arabia, India and Afghanistan^[1] during the 19th century for transport and construction during the colonisation of the central and western parts of Australia, many were released into the wild after motorised transport replaced the camels’ role in the early 20th, forming a fast-growing feral population.

Down Under Day 16: Meet Meredith Shayne, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day and Contest Info!

Welcome, Meredith Shayne!

Author Meredith Shayne is our Down Under Author of the Day. Originally from Australia, Meredith now resides in New Zealand, so she’s Down Under times two! For more about Meredith Shayne, her bio, her books, her interview, and, of course, her giveaway, visit her page coming up shortly.

Now for our Down Under Facts of the Day!

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

Unlike Australia, there are no dangerous plants or animals of any kind in New Zealand (excluding sharks that is)! The more common ones can create discomfort rather than pain or illness. If you’re tramping or hiking in New Zealand take a few simple precautions and any problems will be minor. How minor? Well, according to the official New Zealand animal page, the New Zealand Kea is mentioned. Why? Check out the Kea!

This is the New Zealand parrot, found in southern alpine regions of the South Island. This bird is not so much dangerous as a nuisance. It is quite cheeky and will attack your personal belongings if you leave them unattended. However, the biggest damage they cause is to cars. They have a particular taste for the rubber on windscreens, mirrors and car doors and can be quite destructive. They are not a threat to humans, however.

For more information about New Zealand’s wildlife, visit here!

Australia Fact of the Day!

AUSTRALIA IS INFAMOUS FOR its dangerous animals, unlike New Zealand. With more deadly snakes than any other country worldwide ( 8 of the 10 most deadly snakes are found here), it isn’t surprising. Think about the scenes in some of the stories from our Australian authors, Can you remember where and in which story some of these animals are mentioned? I can.

Though sharks, spiders, and snakes get the majority of bad press, it is actually an awesome array of predators and venomous critters that have earned Australia its fearsome reputation.

Top 30 dangerous animals in Australia (This list was developed by the Australian Museum in Sydney. Museum staff rated animals out of 10 based on the threat they pose, combined with the likelihood of encountering one.) For more information and pictures, visit Australia Geographic!

Danger rating: 10/10

1. Box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

Danger rating: 9/10

2. Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
3. Irukandji (Carukia barnesi)

Danger rating: 8/10

4. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
5. Eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis)
6. Saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
7. Sydney funnel web spider (Atrax robustus)

Danger rating: 7/10

8. Blue-ringed octopus (Genus Hapalochlaena)
9. Coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus)
10.Common death adder (Acanthopis antarticus)
11. Cone shells (Conus sp.)
12. Dugite or spotted brown snake (Pseudonaja affinis)
13. Mulga snake (Pseudechis australis)
14. Red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)
15. Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
16. Tiger snake (Notechis scutatus)
17. Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) (low, yes, low on the list)
18. Yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus)

Danger rating: 6/10

19. Bluebottle (Physalia physalis)
20. Common lionfish (Pterois volitans)
21. Collett’s snake (Pseudechis colletti)
22. Highland copperhead (Austrelaps ramsayi) not the same as ours!
23. Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
24. Redback spider (Lactodectus hasselti)
25. Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)
26. Smooth toadfish (Tetractenos glaber)
27. Blue-bellied black snake (Pseudechis guttatus)

Danger rating: 5/10

28. Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus)
29. Bull ant (Myrmercia pilosula)
30. Giant centipede (Ethmostigmus rubripes)

I’m having fun delivering these facts to you all, learning tons as I go. How about you? What has been the most interesting, unexpected fact from New Zealand and Australia to date?

While exploring our Down Under Authors and their books this month, don’t forget to visit the Down Under Author Showcase Page on the menu for Bottom Drawer Publications contest and link!

Now on to Meredith Shayne! Have you read Cutting Out yet?

Down Under Showcase Day 14: Author A. B. Gayle

Welcome, A. B. Gayle!

It’s Day 14 of STRW Down Under Author Showcase. Today’s featured writer is A.B. Gayle from southern New Zealand. Welcome, A.B.! We have a wonderful interview with A.B. Gayle, complete with some pictures of her favorite places, discover this author through her books and bio! Don’t forget to enter Gayle’s giveaway contest and search out the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the day!

Now on to our Facts of the Day for New Zealand and Australia! It only seems right that we add in some mythology and legend in our New Zealand and Australian facts of the day:

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

The Legend of New Zealand: Legend has it that New Zealand was fished from the sea by the daring demigod Maui. Now Maui was no ordinary man. Maui is the gifted, clever demigod of Polynesian mythology responsible for fishing up the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

After a miraculous birth and upbringing Maui won the affection of his supernatural parents, taught useful arts to mankind, snared the sun and tamed fire. But one of his most famous feats was fishing up the North Island.

Despising him, Maui’s four brothers conspired to leave him behind when they went out fishing. Overhearing their plans, Maui secretly made a fishhook from a magical ancestral jawbone. Then one night he crept into his brothers’ canoe and hid under the floorboards.

It wasn’t until the brothers were far out of sight of land and had filled the bottom of their canoe with fish that Maui revealed himself. Then he took out his magic fishhook and threw it over the side of the canoe, chanting powerful incantations as he did so.

The hook went deeper and deeper into the sea until Maui felt the hook had touched something. He tugged gently and far below the hook caught fast. It was a huge fish! Together with his brothers, Maui brought the fish to the surface.

Maui cautioned his brothers to wait until he had appeased Tangaroa the god of the sea before they cut into the fish. They grew tired of waiting and began to carve out pieces for themselves. These are now the many valleys, mountains, lakes and rocky coastlines of the North Island.

To this day the North Island is known to Maori as Te Ika a Maui or Maui’s fish. Take a look at a map of New Zealand to see the fish’s head in the south and its tail in the north. The South Island is also known as Te Waka a Maui or Maui’s canoe, and Stewart Island or Rakiura is known as Te Punga a Maui or Mau’s anchor stone. For more information about New Zealand, visit here!

[Interesting side note: This legend is extremely similar, for obvious reasons, to the legend of Hawaii and Samoa]

Australia Fact of the Day:

Dreamtime. The Aborigines believe that the world began during a mythical period called Dreamtime, or The Dreaming. During this time, ancestral beings that slept beneath the ground emerged from the earth. They created the landscape, made people, established the laws by which people lived, and taught them how to survive. After the ancestral beings’ work was done, they returned underground.

The Aborigines actively recall the events of Dreamtime. By participating in certain rituals, individuals can reenact the journeys of their ancestors.

Nourlangie Rock in the Northern Territory of Australia

Down Under Day 13: Welcome, Beany Sparks, NZ/AUS Facts of the Day and Contest Details!

Its Down Under Day 13 and our featured writer today is Australian Author Beany Sparks! Beany Sparks Author page follows this one. Check out all of Beany’s books, her interview and thoughts on writing! Don’t miss out on her giveaway contest and search out her Scavenger Hunt word somewhere on her page.

Because Beany Sparks is from Western Australia, I thought it would be fun to have our Australia Fun Facts focus on Western Australia and Perth!

Australia Fact of the Day:

Perth is the most isolated capitol city in the world. The closest city, Adelaide, is 1,387 miles away.

The largest rock in the world is Western Australia’s Mount Augustus. Measuring 5 miles long and 2 miles wide.

Early astronaughts dubbed Perth as ‘The City of Lights’ since it’s bright lights stood out on our planet earth.

The largest city park in the world is King’s Park (1,003 acres) in Perth.

The oldest living things on earth, our friendly organisms, stromatolites, also call Western Australia home.

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

World’s Largest and Heaviest Insect Calls New Zealand Home!

The Giant Weta is a large grasshopper type insect found only in New Zealand. There are eleven species of Giant weta, all of which are examples of island gigantism. Check out the many YouTube videos on the man who recently found the largest Weta to day.

Down Under Day 14: John Terry Moore, AUS/NZ Facts, and Contest Info

Down Under Showcase Day 14 – Welcome, John Terry Moore!

Our second full week of our Authors Showcase starts off with Australian writer John Terry Moore, author of Black Dog published at Dreamspinner Press. John is giving away 3 copies of Black Dog with his own mini quiz! Check it out on his Down Under Author page linked above and following after this one.

As John Terry Moore has worn many “occupational hats”, including breeding Kelpies, I have tailored our Australia Fact of the Day to him:

Australia Fact of the Day:

Kelpies (how is John Terry Moore connected to Kelpies?):

Favored dogs of farms and stations all over Australia, the working Kelpies vary in size, ranging from about 19 inches to as much as 25 inches and from 28-60 lbs. The dog’s working ability is related to appearance, so stockmen looking for capable working dogs disregard the dog’s appearance.

A Working Kelpie can be a cheap and efficient worker that can save farmers and graziers the cost of several hands when mustering livestock. The good working Kelpies are herding dogs that will prevent stock from moving away from the stockman. This natural instinct is crucial when mustering stock in isolated gorge country, where a good dog will silently move ahead of the stockman and block up the stock (usually cattle) until the rider appears. The preferred dogs for cattle work are Kelpies, often of a special line, or a Kelpie cross. They will drive a mob of livestock long distances in extremes of climates and conditions. Kelpies have natural instincts for managing livestock. They will work sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, and other domestic livestock. The Kelpie’s signature move is to jump on the backs of sheep and walk across the tops of the sheep to reach the other side and break up the jam. A good working Kelpie is a versatile dog—they can work all day on the farm, ranch, or station, and trial on the weekends. Kelpies compete and are exhibited in livestock working trials, ranging from yards or arenas to large open fields working sheep, goats, cattle, or ducks

Famous Kelpie: Red Dog, the hitchhiking Kelpie of Pilbarra:

Red Dog was a fully paid member of the Transport Workers Union, an official member of the Dampier Salt Sports and Social Club, and had his own bank account.

Red Dog was, of course, a dog, a red kelpie born in the mining town of Paraburdoo in 1971, and a much-loved member of the Pilbara community.

Known simply as Red Dog, the red kelpie was known for stopping cars on the road by walking right in the path of an oncoming vehicle until it stopped and then he would hop in and travel to wherever the car driver was going.

He took bus rides as well and, once, when a new driver pushed him off her bus, the passengers all disembarked in protest.

Red Dog’s travels bought him as far south as the Western Australia capital of Perth but mostly among the mining communities of the Pilbara and the coastal towns of Dampier, Port Hedland and Broome.

He was quite well known as the Pilbara Wanderer. Dog pictured is a red kelpie but not Red Dog.

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

Flightless Birds of New Zealand!

With over 40 species of flightless birds worldwide, New Zealand is home for a majority of the species, including some that are found nowhere else in the world.

Among New Zealand’s flightless birds are the kiwi, takahe, kakapo and several species of penguins. It is thought that these New Zealand birds never developed the ability to fly because they had no land-based predators to escape from – until the arrival of human beings. Isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years, these flightless birds adapted to their environment in a way that would most benefit them.
One species calling New Zealand it’s home of origin is the kakapo (Strigops habroptila) is a flightless, nocturnal parrot. Its speckled yellow-green plumage acts as a camouflage for the ground-dwelling herbivorous kakapo. It is the world’s only flightless parrot, as well as being the heaviest parrot in the world, and very possibly the longest-living bird on the island with an average life expectancy of 95 years. It is also the only parrot to have a lek courtship and breeding system, where males gather in an arena and compete with one another to attract available females. The female chooses her mate, presumably based on his performance, they mate and go their separate ways, with the female raising the young.
Once thought to be extinct, and rediscovered in 1948, the takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is another of New Zealand‘s flightless birds. Primarily deep purple-blue in color, the adult bird has a red frontal shield and reddish-pink bill, with pink legs. These monogamous birds are very territorial, laying their eggs in nests under bushes. Conservationists have relocated small groups of the birds to some offshore islands – Kapiti, Maud, Mana and Tiritiri Matangi – considered to be predator-free, where birding enthusiasts can view them in the wild.

Once thought to be extinct from over-hunting and the introduction of predators, a few pairs were discovered in the Murchison Mountains of South Island, New Zealand in 1948. The population is around 220 birds, and is now carefully protected.

Now don’t forget to enter John’s contest for 3 copies of big dog while meeting another wonderful
Down Under author. Locate the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the day.

Enjoy your week, check in with us all month long and happy reading!

Welcome, Isabelle Rowan!

Australia Fact of the Day – City of Melbourne!

New Zealand Fact of the Day

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Meet L.J. Harris

Contests and Giveaways:

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Welcome, L. J. Harris!

Australia Fact of the Day

New Zealand Fact of the Day

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Welcome, Toni Griffin!

Australia Fact of the Day!

New Zealand Fact of the Day!

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Down Under Author Showcase Update

The Burnt Toast B&B Book Tour and Charity Donations!

Now Here is Our Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words this Week!

Monday, January 19:

Tuesday, January 20:

Wednesday, January 21:

Thursday,, January 22:

Friday, January 23:

Saturday, January 24:

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Welcome, Pelaam!

New Zealand Facts of the Day:

Australia Fact of the Day!

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Welcome, Meredith Shayne!

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

Australia Fact of the Day!

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New Zealand Fact of the Day:

Australia Fact of the Day:

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Australia Fact of the Day:

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

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Down Under Showcase Day 14 – Welcome, John Terry Moore!

Australia Fact of the Day:

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

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