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Podcast title	Stuart's podcast
Website URL	http://rastousarchives.podomat...
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Updated	Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:12:43 GMT
Category	Arts
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Vote for this podcast	Currently 0.00/5 Rating: 0.0/5 ( votes cast)
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1. Hit - Tara Moss http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 17.32Mb) Description: She's street-smart, stunning and hoping to leave her troubled past behind her - Mak is back in the new bestseller from the author of Covet Makedde 'Mak' Vanderwall has her PhD and has started a new life in Australia with her detective boyfriend, Andy Flynn. To scrape together extra cash to start her first forensic psychology practice, Mak begins working part-time for an infamous Sydney PI. With a knack for investigation and bending the law, she might just have stumbled across her true calling É and the career choice that could finally bust up her relationship once and for all. Then Mak is hired by a mysterious client to investigate the murder of A-list PA Meaghan Wallace. The police believe it's an open and shut case: a junkie street-kid is guilty. But the case turns out to be a lot more complicated as Mak uncovers a dangerous web of cover-ups, killers for hire, the powerful and debauched rich, and Australia's sleazy underbelly. If the boy didn't kill Meaghan, then who set him up? And how far will they go to keep their guilt a secret? Tara Moss has successfully made the transition from international top model to bestselling author of the crime novels Fetish, Split and Covet. Her work has been published in nine countries in six languages, helping to make the young author, "...one of Australia's most successful female authors in any genre." (Crime Factory, 2002), and winning fans around the world, "Her novels are completely entertaining and gripping from beginning to end." (X-Men star Hugh Jackman.) In fact, according to AC Neilsen sales figures, Moss is Australia's #1 crime writer. In 2006 she began yet another successful transition - in North America - with her novels receiving critical acclaim in the US. "This marks the arrival of a bold new female voice for American crime-fiction fans." (Publishers Weekly, USA 2005) Her second novel, Split, will be launched in the USA/Canada for the first time in July 2006, and her latest novel Hit, the fourth in her Mak Vanderwall series, will be launched in Australia/New Zealand in September, with international release to follow. Moss began writing gruesome "Stephen King-inspired" stories for her classmates when she was only 10. She earned a Diploma from the Australian College of Journalism in 1997, and in 1998 won the Scarlet Stiletto Young Writers Award for her story, Psycho Magnet. Moss started writing her successful debut novel, Fetish, when she was just 23, and had it published two years later. Her crime novels have been nominated for both the Davitt Award and the Ned Kelly; two of Australia's most prestigious honors. Not a writer to rely solely on imagination, Moss' in-depth research has seen her tour the FBI Academy at Quantico, spend time in squad cars, the morgue, prisons, the Hare Psychopathy Lab, the Supreme Court and criminology conferences world-wide, take polygraph tests, shoot weapons, conduct surveillance with private investigators, pass the Firearms Training Simulator (FATSII) with the LAPD, pull 4.2 Gs doing loops over the Sydney Opera House flying with the RAAF Roulettes, acquire her CAMS race driver licence and much more. "By anyone's estimation, this makes Moss as tough as some of the criminals featured [on the TV show 'Tara Moss investigates'] every Friday night." (National Geographic Channel, UK 2006). Moss currently hosts the crime documentary series 'Tara Moss Investigates' on the National Geographic Channel in the UK and Romania, a series which will also begin airing in Australia and New Zealand later this year. She has also hosted National Geographic Presents in Australia and New Zealand, mediated a GNW TV Debate, been an MTV Canada guest host, and participated as a panelist on popular Australian programs such as 'The Panel', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Clever', as well as Canada's 'Viewpoint'. Moss is also in demand as a popular public speaker, having conducted hundreds of talks and emcee roles at writer's festivals, schools, universities and corporate events. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Tara traveled the world as a top model before becoming a resident of Australia in 1996. She is now a proud dual Australian/Canadian citizen, and resides in Melbourne with her film producer husband, Mark Pennell. When not researching and writing her fifth novel, Moss enjoys riding her motorcycle, spending time with her 7 foot Diamond python 'Gomez', her faithful dog 'Bogart', and serving as Ambassador for both the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and the Bone Marrow Donor Institute among others. I always love interviewing Tara, as she's just so fun to talk to... this interview was a hoot! For more information visit www.taramoss.com, her official website .
2. Steven Herrick - Lonesome Howl http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 12.83Mb) Description: Lonesome Howl is a taut and tender thriller: a suspenseful adventure, a drama of two different families, a love story and a journey of self-discovery. Jake's dad saw the wolf, before Jake was born. They say wolves don't live in this country, yet in the night Jake hears it howling, long and lonely. When Jake and Lucy hike to Sheldon Mountain in search of the wolf, Jake is out to prove his dad right or wrong; Lucy is escaping her father's cruelty. Both are tested - physically, emotionally, spiritually - but what they find on that dangerous, dark mountain surprises them both. Lonesome Howl is taut and tender; a gripping blend of physical adventure, family drama, love story and journey of self-discovery. Steven Herrick's new YA novel follows on the success of By the River and his other popular and award-winning books. Steven Herrick was born in Brisbane, the youngest of seven children. At school his favourite subject was soccer, and he dreamed of football glory while he worked at various jobs, including fruit picking. Now Steven writes for children and teenagers and visits many schools each year. He loves talking to the students and their teachers about poetry, and soccer. Steven lives in the Blue Mountains with his wife and two sons. A very enjoyable interview. Interview by Stuart Beaton
3. Alan Sunderland - Octavius O'Malley And The Mystery Of The Exploding Cheese http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 11.37Mb) Description: Someone has just blown up the biggest cheese factory in town and Inspector Octavius O'Malley is on the case. But even as the great steaming globs of melted cheese are running down the walls, it becomes clear that there is something very strange about this case - and something very strange about Inspector O'Malley too. The case is strange because all the clues point to a notorious gang of mice, but something doesn't quite fit. And Inspector O'Malley is strange because he has fur, and a tail, and long whiskers. In a mixed-up world of rats, mice and people, crime can be a complicated matter at the best of times, and this is certainly not the best of times. Before this story is over, there will be a dangerous train journey, two violent kidnappings, three narrow escapes - and a poisonous plot that threatens to destroy rodent-kind forever . . . The first amazing adventure of Octavius O'Malley - Detective with a Difference. Alan Sunderland is a former SBS reporter and now the Head of Network and State News Coverage for the ABC. Despite a long career in journalism, he has never written a news story about Octavius, and probably never will. Alan lives in Sydney. You can find out more about Alan, and Octavius at: http://www.alansunderland.com He's a great guy to talk to, and I really enjoyed both the interview and the book... bring on the next one, please!
4. Natalie Jane Prior - The Star Locket. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 13.53Mb) Description: "One of you is Esther Trier's daughter," said Anna quietly. "The other is a magical copy. She is flesh and blood, she lives, she thinks, she breathes - but when the star locket is rejoined or destroyed, she will simply cease to exist." Identical in appearance, yet raised as strangers on opposite sides of the world, Estee Merton and Sally Taverner share a perilous inheritance: a broken half of a mysterious star-shaped locket, a magical talisman that could control the destiny of millions. Aided by a renegade secret society and a young man who loves one of them too much, Sally and Estee are drawn into a terrifying struggle on the murky streets of nineteenth-century Starberg. As torn loyalties threaten everyone's safety, the star locket is fated to decide which twin will live and which will be lost. The problem is, there is no way of telling who is real and who is not. Natalie Jane Prior worked as a librarian for several years before becoming a full-time writer in 1992. Her numerous books, mostly for children and teenagers, include novels, short stories, picture books and non-fiction, and she is particularly attracted to humorous and historical subjects. Her books have been shortlisted for numerous children's choice awards, as well as for the CBC awards. Her best-known books are the picture books The Paw and Bog Bodies, Mummies and Curious Corpses. She lives in Queensland. Natalie was fun to interview, and I hope you enjoy it! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
5. Carly Crawford - The Maria Korp Case - The Woman In The Boot Story http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 8.33Mb) Description: It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction, and surely no case proves that more than that of the events leading to the slow, brutal death of Maria Korp. When the Melbourne mother of two went missing on 9 February 2005, police immediately suspected her wayward husband, Joe, and his mistress, Tania Herman. While Maria lay dying in the boot of her car near the Shrine of Remembrance, Korp made the fateful decision to point the finger of blame at his lover — and keep his role in her actions a secret. Before long, however, the betrayed Herman decided to turn herself in,confessing to police a twisted tale of suburban swingers, predatory psychics, grand-scale deceptions, petty lies, and the outrageous manipulations of a man whose out-of-control ego and desires led him down a murderous path. Sunday Herald Sun journalist Carly Crawford followed the Maria Korp case from the beginning, and was one of the last people to have contact with Joe Korp before he committed suicide on 12 August 2005, the day of Maria’s funeral. In this extraordinary, gripping account she has gathered, for the first time, all the evidence — including statements to police by Herman and her brother, Stephen Deegan; text messages exchanged between Herman and Korp; conversations recorded by the police; Maria Korp’s diary entries from the months leading up to her death, and excerpts from Joe Korp’s diary — as well as depicting the drama surrounding the Public Advocate’s decision to allow Maria to starve to death. The bizarre death — and almost as strange life — of Maria Korp is already one of Australia’s most notorious criminal cases; The Maria Korp Case is a book you will never forget. Carly Crawford was fun to interview, but the subject itself is awfully dark. Interview by Stuart Beaton.
6. Judy Horton - The Yates Garden Guide 42nd Edition. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 14.07Mb) Description: This fully updated and revised forty-second edition provides reliable, practical advice on all aspects of gardening: o designing and planning your garden o preparing and maintaining your garden o organic gardening o water-saving gardens o gardening for kids o low-allergen gardens o pests, diseases and weeds o hundreds of handy hints from Australia's leading gardeners o container gardening for courtyards You will find everything you need to know about growing trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit, in Yates Garden Guide - the essential companion for all gardeners. Judy Horton is an expert horticulturalist, and a fantastic person to interview. This is a seriously fun look at gardening, from what's new in the book, to the joy of Spring, and including pest control. I really enjoyed this interview, and I hope you do, too! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
7. Robert Wilson - The Hidden Assassins - A Javier Falcon Novel. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 13.90Mb) Description: Summer is always particularly hard on Sevillian homicide detective Javier Falcon. As the streets heat up so do people’s tempers and the crime rate soars. But this year, things are about to get even hotter. A routine investigation into a fire turns up something far more sinister: remnants of bomb-making equipment. Suddenly, Falcon finds himself at the centre of a full-scale terrorist alert. As panic sweeps the city, emptying its bars and restaurants and sparking false alarms and evacuations, Falcon’s family connections in Morocco quickly make him a central figure in the investigation, allowing him to use his relationships to establish a vital source of information. A bizarre picture begins to emerge, linking apparently Islamist terror acts to a shadowy and well-connected Catholic organization bent on revenge. However, the stakes start getting dramatically higher. High-profile arrests, a series of explosions and a suspect publicly gunned down in the street rock the city to its core. Reports of arms deals and stolen radioactive material begin to circulate as a fifteen man cell lands in Seville. But it is only when the cell goes missing that Falcon makes the most terrifying discovery of all… Robert Wilson was born in 1957, the son of an RAF pilot. After graduating from Oxford in English, he was forced to re-think his sporting career following a motoring accident. He travelled extensively, touring the states and travelling to Nepal in a VW van before working in Crete on archaeological tours. He then took jobs in shipping and advertising but soon grew restless. Wandering is in Rob's nature and he can hardly believe he makes his living sitting at a desk typing. After marrying in 1986 he spent a year travelling across Africa with his wife, an experience he recommends "if you want to know if you can live with someone for the rest of your life... the desert tells you things about yourself". It would also teach him everything he needed to know to write his atmospheric African novels. He continued work in shipping in West Africa until eventually his English degree caught up with him: he fell in love with Portugal and began renovating an isolated farmhouse while beginning to write his first novel. He is now the writer of eight critically acclaimed novels. A Small Death in Lisbon won the CWA Gold Dagger for best novel and his Javier Falcon have been published to critical acclaim. The Hidden Assassins is the latest in the series. This interview looks at all aspects of a writer's life, and touches on just how hard it is to write novels these days. Robert was fantastic to talk to, and his books are beautifully crafted. Interview by Stuart Beaton
8. Dava Sobel - The Planets http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 14.56Mb) Description: Dava Sobel in The Planets tells the story of each of the planets, the members of the solar family. Through each planet, Sobel also tells the story of their discovery; either mythic or historic This is an extraordinary book of science, history, biography and story telling by the best selling author of Longitude. Dava Sobel, a former New York Times science reporter, is the author of Longitude (Walker 1995 and 2005, Penguin 1996), Galileo's Daughter (Walker 1999, Penguin 2000) and The Planets (Viking, 2005). In her thirty years as a science journalist she has written for many magazines, including Audubon, Discover, Life and The New Yorker, served as a contributing editor to Harvard Magazine and Omni, and co-authored five books, including Is Anyone Out There? with astronomer Frank Drake. I loved this interview, and her earlier books, so enjoy this interview... it touches on Pluto, Venus, philosophy and all points in between. A must for all non-scientists and scientists alike! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
9. Rana Dasgupta - Tokyo Cancelled http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 17.17Mb) Description: A major international debut novel from a storyteller who couples a timelessly beguiling style with an energetically modern worldscape. Thirteen passengers are stranded at an airport. Tokyo, their destination, is covered in snow and all flights are cancelled. To pass the night they form a huddle by the silent baggage carousels and tell each other stories. Robert de Niro's child, conceived in a laundromat, masters the transubstantiation of matter and turns it against his enemies; a Ukrainian merchant is led by a wingless bird back to a lost lover; a man who edits other people's memories has to confront his own past; a Chinese youth with amazing luck cuts men's hair and cleans their ears; an entrepreneur risks losing everything in his obsession with a doll; a mute Turkish girl is left all alone in the house of German cartographer. Told by people on a journey, these are stories about lives in transit. Stories from the great cities – New York, Istanbul, Delhi, Lagos, Paris, Buenos Aires – that grow into a novel about the hopes and dreams and disappointments that connect people everywhere. Dasgupta’s writing is utterly distinctive and fresh, so striking that it seems to come from the future and the past all at once, but in marrying a timeless mystery to an alert modernity, his cautionary tales manage to be reminiscent of both Ballard and Borges, depicting ordinary extraordinary individuals (some lost, some confused, some happy) in a world that remains ineffable, inexplicable, wonderful. Rana Dasgupta grew up in Cambridge, England. He worked for a marketing consultancy in London and New York for a few years before moving to Delhi to write. He lives there still. This was a thoroughly enjoyable interview! Find out more about Rana at http://www.ranadasgupta.com. Interview by Stuart Beaton
10. Victoria Stilwell - It's Me Or The Dog http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 11.77Mb) Description: Do they ignore every word you say? Have they started coming in at all hours? Are they wrecking your home? No, it’s not the nation’s teenagers – it’s our pets. Nearly five million homes in the UK own a dog - but who really calls the shots? With bad behaviour rife, it’s time to put the pets in their place - move over power nannies and parenting, this is Supernanny for pets! In the major new Channel 10 series expert dog trainer Victoria Stilwell is parachuted into families where the resident pet is, literally as well as metaphorically, tearing the family apart. Through observation and interviews as well as secret filming with a ‘pet cam’, she assembles her evidence and diagnoses the problem. A clear, practical training programme follows. Will the pet – and more importantly the owners - be able to change the bad habits of a lifetime? Based on the series, It’s Me or the Dog is a superb, practical manual for pet owners – whether faced with training a new puppy or with correcting the bad habits of an existing pet. Victoria explains how dogs learn and provides a timed, structured programme for both puppies and older dogs, along with a wealth of problem-solving advice – from stopping pets peeing to interaction with children. Victoria Stilwell began her career in the theatre but in 1990 switched over to found a dog training company in London. In 1999 she moved to New York, where she set up her own training school. She is a certified animal behaviourist and trainer, lectures widely, and is an advisor for a number of rescue organisations. It's Me Or The Dog screens Sunday nights at 1900 on Network Ten. An interesting interview for anyone who has anything to do with dogs! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
11. James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2007 http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 13.95Mb) Description: James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion is the No. 1 bestselling guide to wineries and wine in Australia. Keenly anticipated by winemakers, faithful collectors and wine lovers alike, this 10th anniversary edition has been completely revised and updated to bring you up-to-the-minute information. Halliday shares his extensive knowledge of wine via detailed tasting notes, each of which includes vintage-specific ratings and advice on optimal drinking, as well as each wine's closure, alcohol content and price. He provides important details on wineries - including opening times, contact details and web addresses - in addition to biographies on each, and information about the winemakers. An indispensable reference for all enthusiasts of Australian wine, the Australian Wine Companion is a must-have for anyone planning to visit a wine-growing region or to replenish their cellar or wine rack. It is the most authoritative and entertaining guide to Australian wine. James Halliday is Australia's most respected wine critic and wine writer. He has written or contributed to more than 50 books on wine. He was the founder of Coldstream Hills in Victoria's Yarra Valley, and before that of Brokenwood, in the Hunter Valley. He regularly judges at wine shows both in Australia and overseas, and is an unmatched authority on all aspects of the wine industry. If you like a tipple, this book and interview are for you! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
12. Nigel Ruck - Hands On Landscaping With The Paving Guy http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 12.00Mb) Description: As seen on Channel Nine's Backyard Blitz, Australia's favourite "Paving Guy" Nigel Ruck believes that anyone with a can-do attitude can turn an ordinary outdoor space into one that is well-designed, functional and a reflection of their own style. A practical guide to designing and landscaping your own outdoor area, this book is a must-have for all DIY enthusiasts and anyone interested in improving their outdoor living spaces. Nigel's a funny guy, and this interview's well worth listening to if you're thinking of working around your home! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
13. Mandaley Perkins - Hanoi Adieu http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 18.57Mb) Description: Michel L'Herpiniere arrived in Hanoi as a teenager in the years before World War II. He fell in love with the country and the people, but gradually became aware that not all those around him felt the same way. Michel's story, brilliantly recreated by his stepdaughter Mandaley Perkins, is inevitably entwined with the history of Vietnam: the rise of the nationalist movement; the Japanese occupation; the revolution by the Vietminh and the United States' refusal to aid a 'colonial regime'; and the chaotic and tragic aftermath of World War II. In the heat and passion of the time, nothing and no-one can be read on the surface. Hanoi, Adieu is an intimate and compelling journey through the exotic and tumultuous final decades of French Indochina, as well as a moving story of love and loss. Mandaley Perkins is the author of Tropic Tide. She lives in Queensland and is the stepdaughter of Michel L'Herpiniere. A thoroughly fascinating interview about a place and time long since lost to war and destruction. Interview by Stuart Beaton
14. Kara Lawrence - Unmasked: The Gonzales Family Killer http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 15.18Mb) Description: Late on a chilly July night, residents of a quiet Sydney suburb were roused by Sef Gonzales, the son of their new neighbours, yelling that someone had murdered his family. The brutal triple slaying inside 6 Collins Street shocked even the police. The twenty-year-old orphaned son Sef quickly became the prime suspect, and after an eleven-month investigation he was arrested and eventually sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment. Kara Lawrence is a crime reporter for Sydney's Daily Telegraph and is one of the few journalists to have interviewed Sef Gonzales. Working with sources close to the investigation and trial, she uncovers the true extent of the case's twists and turns. And through exclusive access to key members of Sef's extended family, she probes the Gonzales' history to ask: what would lead a young man from a wealthy and apparently stable home to commit the unspeakable crime of slaughtering his own family? Is Sef Gonzales mad, or genuinely evil? Kara Lawrence was a fantastic person to interview, and this interview covers everything from how the book came into being, to Kara's time covering the Counter Terrorism Operations for the Sydney Olympics, to where Sef Gonzales is now. Definitely worth listening to several times! Interview by Stuart Beaton
15. Kylie Chan - White Tiger - Book One Of The Dark Heavens Trilogy http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 11.98Mb) Description: Action, Intrigue, Demons and Dragons Kylie Chan creates a fast and furious story balanced between the celestial and the mortal, the powerful and the innocent ... Emma Donahoe has just started her new job as nanny to Simone, the daughter of John Chen, a very rich Hong Kong businessman. She understands that Simone may be a target for kidnappers but she does not expect to be drawn into a world of martial arts, magic and extreme danger, where both gods and demons can exist in the mortal domain. When John and his American bodyguard, Leo, teach Emma their particular style of martial arts, they begin to realise that Emma herself is more than she seems ... Kylie Chan spoke to Stuart Beaton in her first ever interview. This is a wonderfully entertaining interview, one not to be missed!
16. Nette Hilton - Living Next To Lulah http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 16.69Mb) Description: "Lulah's my friend. We're on a wavelength. We could guess what the other's thinking. If you're on a wavelength, it might be the same as saying the words out loud. And I was thinking them, wasn't I, when she followed Samson out there and down the path. Even if she doesn't hear me, there are others that do. Secret others. Silent ones who pass like a cloud too close to a mountain top, felt but not seen." Ari and Lulah have been best friends almost forever. Living next to each other, they share every little secret. At least they did, until Ari began dating Samson, and Lulah started to slip away from her — and developed a secret life of her own. One that Ari knows nothing about. Now Ari thinks Lulah might want to come between her and Samson. Ari fears that in her jealousy she will bring harm to her friend. For as the seventh born of the seventh born, Ari has the gift of second sight. She didn't ask for this gift, and when her little brother's annoying friend Colin Bucket dies, she hates it more than ever — because Ari is certain that her gift has sent Colin to his death… Nette spent her early childhood in a small country town in Victoria, moving to Sydney when she was 11. She didn't adjust well to life in a city high school and her memories of this time are still with her and are reflected in her writing. After school, she 'floundered around for several years trying to work in office situations', but eventually gave up and went bush. For 12 months she worked on a sheep station, had another go at office work, and then decided to train as a teacher. The first story she ever wrote was for her daughter, who didn't like going to school. When Nette looked for a book about a child in a similar situation, she couldn't find any so she decided to write her own. 'It was my way,' says Nette, 'of saying things that I found easier to put into written words. I still use writing in this way - if I have something that needs to be said, then I try to write a story about it.' Nette has to plan carefully to fit her writing into her busy life, even going so far as to allot time in her diary for thinking about the next book. 'It's important to me,' she says, 'that I spend time thinking about the way the book will go, what the characters will be like, how it will begin, how it will end. All these things go chugging around in my head for quite a while before I sit down and start with words on paper or a keyboard.' Nette went through the same process in preparation for her novel for teenagers, Hothouse Flowers, a book which she describes as being about suicide and mental illness, youth and age, living and existing, and the value of life. Other works by Nette published by HarperCollins include: A Proper Little Lady - shortlisted for the 1990 Children's Book Council of Australia Award (Picture Book); Square Pegs; The Friday Card; The Web - Honour Book 1993 Children's Book Council of Australia Award (Younger Readers); Hiccups; The New Kid; A Frilling Time; Seeing Things; Four Eyes - Notable Book 1996 Children's Book Council of Australia Award (Younger Readers); a number of books in the Surfside High series; The Foundling; and Clouded Edges. This is a truly wonderful interview, which explores the ideas of "colonisation by stealth" of Australian children, and the importance of Australian authors writng about subjects for Australian children. Interview by Stuart Beaton.
17. Peter Fitsimons - Tobruk http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 10.61Mb) Description: In the early days of April 1941, the 14,000 Australian forces garrisoned in the Libyan town of Tobruk were told to expect reinforcement and supplies within eight weeks… Eight months later, these heroic, gallant, determined ‘Rats of Tobruk’ were rescued by the British Navy having held the fort against the might of Rommel’s never-before-defeated Afrika Corps. Like Gallipoli and Kokoda, the Siege of Tobruk is an iconic battle in Australia’s military history. Under ceaseless attack from Rommel’s men, the Australian defense held strong. In Tobruk, Peter FitzSimons relates the personal histories and stories not only of the men who defended the garrison against the German onslaught but of The Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, and the powers back in both Berlin and Britain. A long-time author, Peter FitzSimons's most recent books include Kokoda and The Rugby War - revised edition. He writes a weekly column for The Sydney Morning Herald, appears regularly on television and is a respected commentator and writer. He lives with his family in Sydney's Neutral Bay. Unfortunately, the first minute of this interview was distorted in recording, and had to be cut. It was recorded over a speaker phone. Special thanks must go to Robe Library for providing their time, phone and office space to record this interview. Interview by Stuart Beaton
18. Jock Wallace - 18 Hours The True Story Of An SAS War Hero http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 13.21Mb) Description: Jock Wallace was pumped. It was the start of Operation Anaconda, the US-led military offensive to flush out al Qaeda and Taliban from their last stronghold in the Shahi Kot Valley in Afghanistan. If intelligence reports were correct, there were between 100 and 250 enemy fighters holed up in the extensive cave systems in the mountain ridges around the beautiful valley. But reports can be wrong. Minutes after the combat-ready troops stormed down the back ramps of the Chinook helicopters, Jock’s company was under fire. Eighteen hours of hell was just beginning. With machine-gun bullets dancing about the soldiers’ feet, and mortars and rocket-propelled grenades raining down on them, it seemed the al Qaeda terorrists and Taliban fighters had them trapped. But there was no way Jock was going down without a fight. Nor were the men he was with. Holding off the enemy, rescuing the injured, reporting to base, calling in air support — Jock gave it all that he had. He was not going to die on foreign soil, not at the hands of al Qaeda. It's not often anyone gets the chance to talk to an ex-SAS trooper, let alone one decorated for gallantry, so this interview is pretty special to me. Well worth a listen if you're interested in the Special Forces side of things. Interview by Stuart Beaton.
19. Jeni Mawter - Unleashed - Book One In The Freewheelers Series. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 12.21Mb) Description: The first book in an exciting new series that combines adventure and mystery. Unlikely friendships, a missing dog, and a mysterious intruder! The Freewheelers are a group of friends who hang out together and go trick-riding on their bikes. There's street-smart Bryce, determined Mio and the high-spirited twins Clem and Darcy. When they witness the mistreatment of a beagle and discover it has been banished to an animal shelter, they decide to rescue it. But the dog disappears and things heat up when other dogs go missing Who is taking the dogs? Who is intruding on their hideout, and what do they want? The Freewheelers resolve to find out! Jeni Mawter chats to Stuart Beaton about reluctant readers, multi-tasking, researching and the importance of keeping a dog under the desk when writing books... honestly! A very entertaining look at the joys of writing books to make kids read.
20. Sally Vickers - The Other Side Of You. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 11.93Mb) Description: 'There is no cure for being alive.' Thus speaks Dr David McBride, a psychiatrist for whom death exerts and unusual draw. As a young child he witnessed the death of his six year old brother and it is this traumatic event which has shaped his own personality and choice of profession. One day a failed suicide, Elizabeth Cruickshank, is admitted to his hospital. She is unusally reticent and it is not until he recalls a painting by Caravaggio that she finally yields up her story. Through David's narration, we learn of Elizabeth Cruickshank's dereliction of trust, and the man she has lost. As her story unfolds David finds his own life being touched by her account and a haunting sense that the 'other side' of his elusive patient has a strange resonance for him, too. Set partly in Rome, The Other Side of You explores the theme of redemption through love and art, which has become a hallmark of Salley Vickers' acclaimed work. As with her other highly popular novels, this is a many-layered and subtly audacious story, which traces the boundaries of life and death and the difficult possibilities of reputance. An interesting interview that explores such diverse issues as Adelaide, Freud and ballet! Interview by Stuart Beaton.
21. Lynne Wilding - Sundown Crossing http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 9.85Mb) Description: The sudden death of her father, Rolfe, sends Carla Hunter to South Australia's Barossa Valley to claim her birthright. And to begin a search for the truth about her heritage that will change her entire life ... Rolfe's journal tells a tale of disinheritance and disgrace, and Carla knows that her grandfather, Carl Stenmark, will not accept her or her son. In fact, she finds the Stenmark family more likely to destroy her and her fledgling business than to welcome her with open arms. Carla must use every ounce of courage - and every friend and ally she can find - to keep her vineyard and make a go of her new life. Even her heart is at risk, as her growing friendship with one man, and the determined attentions of another, awaken the kinds of joy and fear she had never expected to experience again. Lynne Wilding has published six previous novels with HarperCollins: King of Cane Valley, Heart of the Outback, Whispers through the Pines, Turn Left at Bindi Creek, This Time Forever and 52 Waratah Avenue. Turn Left at Bindi Creek was included in the second Diet Coke promotion. She lives in Arncliffe, Sydney, and is a former president of Romance Writers of Australia Lynne Wilding chats to Stuart Beaton about her new book, "Sundown Crossing", which is set in South Australia's own beautiful Barossa Valley. This interview also looks at the importance of Australian authors writing about Australia, and how Lynne researchs her books. This is a fun interview with a great Australian author.
22. Peter Singer - Pushing Time Away http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 16.78Mb) Description: A personal history by the man described in The New Yorker as 'the most influential living philosopher'. 'What binds us pushes time away.' So wrote David Oppenheim, classical scholar, collaborator and then critic of Sigmund Freud, friend and supporter of Alfred Adler, participant in and observer of the intellectual and cultual highs and lows of early 20th-century Vienna. Oppenheim's grandson, the philosopher Peter Singer, never knew his grandfather, for Oppenheim died as a victim of the Nazis before Singer was born. Fifty years after Oppenheim's death, Singer set out to get to know his grandfather. He found a wealth of written materials, including intimate personal letters, and was startled to read things he had never expected about his grandparents, and their families and friends. Nevertheless, what bound him to his grandfather was a passion for understanding ideas about universal values and human nature that did 'push time away'. Through the unique documents, Singer gives readers a rare glimpse into the controversial circles around Freud and Adler at a time when Vienna had the most vibrant, and also most intensely Jewish, intellectual life in Europe. Peter Singer is a distinguished philosopher – the most influential living philosopher, according to the New Yorker. His book, Animal Liberation, spurred on a global movement in the 1970s and he continues to be one of the most controversial moral philosopher teaching and writing today. Peter Singer is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University's Center for Human Values. He divides his time between New York and Princeton, New Jersey. Interview By Stuart Beaton.
23. Terry Pratchett - The Discworld http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 6.49Mb) Description: Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987 he turned to writing full time, and has not looked back since. To date there are a total of 33 books in the Discworld series, of which three (so far) are written for children. The first of these, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal. A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller, and will be reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006. His new Discworld novel, Thud!, is now available. Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received four honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warwick, Portsmouth, Bath, and Bristol. His acclaimed novels have sold 40 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 33 languages. Terry Pratchett lives in England with his family, and spends too much time at his word processor. I love interviewing Terry, he's just a funny guy to talk to.
24. Sun Shuyun - Ten Thousand Miles Without A Cloud. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 24.54Mb) Description: Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud is a beautifully written account of Sun Shuyun’s journey to retrace the steps of one of the most popular figures in Chinese history – the monk Xuanzang, who travelled to India searching for true Buddhism. Xuanzang should be known as one of the world's great heroes. In the eight century, he crossed 110 kingdoms in eighteen years to reach India from China. On his return he brought true Buddhism to China. He opened up the east and west of Asia to each other – and to us. His own book provides a unique record of the history and culture of his time. Yet he is unknown to most of us and even to most Chinese, because of the suppression of Buddhism in China during the last fifty years. Sun Shuyun, who grew up in China, was determined to follow in his footsteps, to discover more about Xuanzang and restore his fame. She retraced his journey from China to India and back. A man of great faith and determination, Xuanzang won the hearts of kings and robbers with his teaching, his charm and his indomitable will. Against all odds he persuaded the Confucian emperors to allow Buddhism to flourish in China. At the heart of the book lies Sun Shuyun's own personal journey towards understanding the Buddhist faith of her grandmother, recognising also the passionate idealism of the communist beliefs of her own family and discovering her own beliefs. Sun Shuyun was born in China in the 1960s and grew up during the Cultural Revolution. She graduated from Beijing University and won a scholarship to Oxford. She is now a film and television producer. For the past decade she has been dividing her time between London and Beijing, making documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and international broadcasters. Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud was her first book. Her new book, "The Long March" is out now.
25. Alan Mills - City Of Animals. http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 15.25Mb) Description: At Sydney's Royal Prince Albert Zoo, fear is mounting. First a curator is found dead in a giraffe enclosure, then three endangered animals - part of a controversial shipment from Burma - are brutally slaughtered. TV producer Nikiya Adams arrives at the zoo to research a new British series and is instantly plunged into a web of danger. Ten years ago she fell in love with the zoo's director, Dr James Rivers - but now the pair must put their feelings aside to face deadly intrigue and an unknown killer. Trapped in the zoo at night, they find themselves being hunted - and Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' takes on a terrible meaning ... Against the fascinating background of the operations of a major zoo, Alan Mills crafts an enthralling story of conspiracy, terror and the struggle to protect endangered species. Alan Mills was born in England but migrated to Australia at the age of 23. He has worked as a research assistant in criminal psychology in a British maximum security prison; a sideshow barker in a travelling carnival; a scriptwriter for a TV cop series; a high school teacher; a bookshop manager; an English instructor at the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo; an odd-job man in a lion safari park; a forestry worker; a time keeper on a railroad construction project in north-west Australia; and a copywriter and creative director in advertising agencies. A black belt in karate with a Masters in English literature, Mills currently lives in Sydney. Interview by Stuart Beaton.
26. Bernard Cornwell - Lords Of The North http://rastousarchives.podomat... download (audio/mpeg, 10.61Mb) Description: The year is 878 and Wessex is free from the Vikings.Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity and repelled by the king's insistent piety. He flees Wessex, going back north to seek revenge for the killing of his foster father and to rescue his stepsister, captured in the same raid. He needs to find his old enemy, Kjartan, a renegade Danish lord who lurks in the formidable stronghold of Dunholm. Uhtred arrives in the north to discover rebellion, chaos and fear. His only ally is Hild, a West Saxon nun fleeing her calling, and his best hope is his sword, with which he has made a formidable reputation as a warrior. He will need the assistance of other warriors if he is to attack Dunholm and he finds Guthred, a slave who believes he is a king. He takes him across the Pennines to where a desperate alliance of fanatical Christians and beleaguered Danes form a new army to confront the terrible Viking lords who rule Northumbria. ‘The Lords of the North’ is a powerful story of betrayal, romance and struggle, set in an England of turmoil, upheaval and glory. Uhtred, a Northumbrian raised as a Viking, a man without lands, a warrior without a country, has become a splendid heroic figure. Born in Essex in 1944 Bernard Cornwell was adopted at the age of six weeks by two members of a strict fundamentalist sect called the Peculiar People. He grew up in a household that forbade alcohol, cigarettes, dances, television, conventional medicine and toy guns. Not surprisingly, he developed a fascination for military adventure. As a teenager he devoured CS Forester’s Hornblower novels and tried to enlist three times. Poor eyesight put paid to his dream, instead he went to university to read theology. On graduating, he became a teacher, then joined BBC’s Nationwide, working his way up the ladder to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland, then editor of Thames News. In 1979, his life changed when he fell in love with an American."Judy couldn’t live here, so I gave up my job and moved to the US. I couldn’t get a green card, and for 18 months the only thing I could do was write novels." The result was his first book about 19th century hero, Richard Sharpe, Sharpe’s Eagle. Today he has 20 Sharpe adventures behind him, plus a series about the American Civil War, the Starbuck novels; an enormously successful trilogy about King Arthur, The Warlord Chronicles; the Hundred Years War set Grail Quest series; and his current series about King Alfred. Bernard Cornwell owns houses in Cape Cod and Florida and two boats. Every year he takes two months off from his writing and spends most of his time on his 24 foot Cornish crabber, Royalist. In this interview, Bernard talks about his Sharpe character, and how he constructs his novels. Interview by Stuart Beaton.