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Tuesday 17 March 2009

The mysteries of life…


The Fall Girl is out sometime in November with Resplendence Publishing. It follows on from Taking the Fall. Interesting feedback on TTF - some people were upset at the ending...it was happy but it wasn't. I wasn't really surprised by this feedback. The ending was left so it would follow one of the male characters on. It's good to know people liked him enough to care what happened to him….hmmm…what does happen to James? Anyway - The Fall Girl follows the character of Jonties's best friend Tosh.

When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious” – Edna O’Brien

It’s St Patrick’s Day and like any country with a large Irish ancestry, we’ll celebrate in Australia. I’m descended from Kennedys, Mahoneys and Hempenstalls – it’s the last name that intrigues me and one relative in particular – actually the only known relative with that name – Jane – my great maternal grandmother. She has long since passed but Jane had a story that my mother and I tried to work out when we were in Ireland. Jane came from County Wexford. She’s an interesting lady by virtue of the fact that we know nothing about her other than the story she gave everyone when she landed in Australia in the 1800’s with a baby. The trip to Ireland told us nothing. I’m not even certain that was her real surname. Oh sure, it’s on documents but anyone back then could have plucked a name out of the air to hide who they were.

Anyway Jane arrived, unmarried, with a kid in tow, yet she told this amazing story about herself and a sea captain. Nah, I’m not going to give you all the specifics – and they’re pretty wild - as I will write her story one day but let me just say this…having kissed the Blarney Stone myself in Ireland, I am pretty damn certain Jane did as well. And of course now, a young woman with a baby and a story that you could shoot holes through is just par for the course but back then it would have taken a single woman guts to sail the ocean to a pretty wild country that was months away by sea. She had nerve and I have to admire her as she never faltered or fell apart – she just made what she could of her situation. She married John Boatwright and had a slew of kids. Unfortunately, like a lot of strong, adventurous people, she died young and no one, but maybe John knew the truth.

So here’s to the Kennedys, the Mahoney’s and particularly Jane Hempenstall – a woman of mystery I’m proud to be related to.


My fave comedian also happens to be Irish – check Dylan Moran out here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUH34iqK7cI&feature=related

Winners….

Once more thank you for all the entries in the Pushing Fate contest. The winners - Maggie and Becky. Because Rowdy is released from Ellora’s Cave on Wednesday – busy, busy - I’ll have another contest – stay tuned for details.

www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

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