REVIEW ***

THE WHALE

The Whale is by any measure a stunning film. Brendan Fraser is mesmeric as the morbidly obese teacher turned online tutor who refuses to show his face to students because he’s so repulsive. The movie is full of drama – and when I say ‘full’ I mean chock-a-block to overflowing. It’s so damned obvious that it’s an adaptation of a play that it’s annoying by the end. Whereas film is the medium for subtlety and tact, the play is in your face for two hours. It’s hard work. That’s not to say it’s unmoving – it’s poignant and devastating in parts. But it's laboured!!! When all’s said and done it’s a story about a very fat man who loses his gay lover and can’t cope with real life. So, he turns to eating everything that doesn’t move and, as a result, become a hideous self-loathing blob. His only redeeming quality is his love for a daughter he conceived in some straight moment of madness when a younger man and for that he’s been self-tortured for the eight years (or so) following his abandonment of his family. When a dodgy end-of-days bible basher crashes into his life, he’s forced to re-evaluate his life. That's it. Then he dies. I think there’s little doubt that Fraser will win on Oscar for this turn (how much of it should go to the prosthetists though, I leave to your judgement). But that’s where it will end – while the acting by the support cast is evenly great, the directing, writing, and production of the whole thing is terrible. This is one play that I feel would have been a hell of a lot better viewed in a theatre, not a cinema. In short, a film that one man (a very, very, very big man, cannot save single handed).

Call for manuscript submissions

 Western Australian hybrid publisher eText Press is spreading its wings in 2023 by launching a new imprint - Ripper Reads (Australia) - specifically to publish new paperback titles by emerging Australian (and International) writers. 

Submissions are now invited for this opportunity.

The author(s) of selected manuscripts will be offered a publishing contract with Ripper Reads on generous terms to the author(s). However, there is no requirement to accept any offer, pre-pay for any services or relinquish any copyright for the work at any time*.

Manuscripts for consideration in the 2023 round are limited to works of fiction of between 70,000 to 100,000 words (though longer and shorter works may be considered at the discretion of the selection panel) but the genre is open (except for material deemed ‘pornographic' or otherwise objectionable). Auto-biographies, travel diaries and ‘picture books’ are not eligible for consideration at this stage*.

A full guide to the precise format requirements for submission and more information about this initiative are available from the eText Press website (see the ‘Submit' page). Manuscripts that do not adhere to these conventions will not be considered for the ‘Ripper’ deal.

(* eText Press also offers all other editorial services - like manuscript assessments, editing and mentoring - for reasonable fees - and produces traditional hardbacks, paperbacks, and eBooks for vanity author clients however these paid services do not form part of this special ‘free publishing' offer, which is applicable only to books selected for publication under the Ripper imprint).

For more information see www.etextpress.com.

WA's role as World grain giant gets put on paper

 UPDATE

Peter was 'on the radio' today to tell Triple M's listeners a little more about the book. You can hear the short segment HERE (coming soon).  Kata was on the ABC and her bit is HERE (coming soon).

***

We were thrilled to attend the launch this week (Thursday 12 Jan 2023) of a new book by Western Australian corporate behemoth, CBH.

The Fourth Quarter: The Grain Journey Continues was commission by the Marketing & Trading division of CBH (known as Grains WA) from eTextPress and our own Peter Ramshaw wrote the text of the last 15 years of the company's activities in Western Australia (and the World) with the great help of UWA researcher Dr Katja Lee.

The book documents and celebrates the century of trading grain by CBH's marketing and trading division, which was formerly known as The Grain Pool of WA and is the sequel to the popular The Grain Journey by Michael Zekulich which was written in 1997.

Well worth a read, it is a journey of how WA grain has been traded through times of war, global  financial crises and ever changing political and regulatory environments, as well as the development of new markets and production of a range of grains. 

The book will be presented to CBH shareholders and key stakeholders as well as regional libraries across the State to help preserve the history of one of Australia's most energetic and innovative companies - and easily the most successful co-operative in the World.

eTextPress offers superior editorial services across the board - from writing and editing to book publishing - and is always willing to help emerging authors reach their dreams. To get help with your project, contact eTextPress HERE.

Justin Langer's write

 This article in Saturday (14 Jan 2023)'s West Australian caught our eye.

The article is a great insight into Justin's formative years. But it's instructive in other ways too.

Writing is one of the most therapeutic activities most people can involve themselves in. It's easy, you don't need great skills (you can develop these as you go), you can start right now! Writing helps you to 'get it out' and, what's more, means that your experiences (and/or beliefs) are available to be read and understood by everyone, forever. That's a huge thought.

eTextPress has made a habit of helping people get their ideas (novels, memoirs, picture books) into print (and onto Kindles and the like) at low-cost for over 10 years. If you have a manuscript that people should read, why not contact us and see what we can do for you?

Why not make your writing worth it?

A new imprint (Ripper Reads Australia) also offers to publish a limited number of new novels from Australian and International authors FOR FREE! Check out the full guideline to this program HERE.

Great little article on writing a 'cozy' mystery from our friends at Booklinker

TIPS 

We use a service called 'Booklinker' to direct our readers to books we like on amazon. It's a great little service that helps people find books (mostly on Amazon.com) worldwide, regardless of where they live. In these days of global harmonisation (with the exception of Ukraine-Russia etc) that's a sensible thing as far as we are concerned.

However, Booklinker is more than just a re-direction service. It also has some really interesting and useful tips for writers on its Blog. Here's one that we thought you'd like. https://booklinker.com/blog/how-to-write-a-cozy-mystery/

Others at www.booklinker.com

REVIEW **** SATAN'S BUTTHOLE

[Publisher: eTextPress (December 13, 2022), Language: English, Paperback: ‎254 pages]

Just release by eTextPress, is a new satirical book by Sophie Ramshaw - Satan's Butthole. Every bit as irreverent as the name suggests, this is a 'boys' own spoof with a difference. Zombies, aliens and more! Something 'stinks' down at the Butthole (a spooky, off-limits kind of paddock in fictitious Ramsville) and the quirky (foul-mouthed) trio of adventurers, Ardal, Ashley and Simon decide to investigate. It was the worst decision they ever made! 

"My relationship with blood has been a long and unsettling one for my family. Here’s your fun fact for the day: I have type O blood, which my dad had told me as a kid meant I was something called a ‘universal donor’, and apparently that was special. Now when I was six this gave me a strange sense of superiority to all the other blood vials I would see in the nurse’s office. I liked to feel special as a kid, and I guess I clung onto anything I could. Little did that boy know he would one day become a depressed young adult with no friends. I remember telling my mother when I was 13 or 14 that I was going to grow up to become a nurse. When she asked me why, I replied, “So I can keep a vial of everyone's blood.” My family had to believe I was a serial killer in the making."

A treat for tweens and the young at heart, this rollicking adventure will take you back to the days of Scooby Do with a bit of Famous Five thrown in for good measure.

Get your copy at: https://mybook.to/butthole