Thanks for being excited for me!
The power of this small community terrifies me. How did Wales ever get conquered? Thanks heaps pawb! My publisher was sceptical when I said I wanted to offer a discount to the SSiW community. She is dancing now, I can tell you.
Just one question, if you don’t mind, I am sure I have come across the Lady Sophia as a ship taking folk to Australia before. Did she ever carry convicts as well as settlers? I thought it was in the context of women and girls getting death sentences for very minor crimes, so they could be ‘commuted’ to transportation and thus provide ‘mates’ for the vast number of male convicts and guards!
The migrant ships were often the same ships as they once used for convicts. They pulled out the bunks and tables to carry cargoes back the other way then knocked them up again at the other end. It was all very rough. For convicts and migrants. And, yes, women were definitely brought out for the men. The single migrant girls were also brought out to marry. The ratios of male to female were very unbalanced in New South Wales (Melbourne was still in NSW back then).
There was still some transportation in 1841 but none into Port Phillip District (what we now call Victoria). The colonial office were focussed on sending out free settlers. So, my novel is about migrants, not convicts. My Lady Sophia is a fictitious ship. I chose the name for its meaning. I am not sure whether there was another real one. I did check, way back in the beginning, but I may have missed a ship.
Grovel muchly! It was Lady Juliana I had read about, not Lady Sophia. There was a TV series about the poor women and men who often had done nothing so very bad! Series was a while ago.
I don’t know how to get hold of the actual file, I guess this is restricted.
I have been thinking about getting a proper e-reader for some time, but being a linux user means I would like some way of managing the files in linux which opens up cans of worms, which has put me off buying one. Really most ‘e-books’ are not cheaper enough to justify not having a hard copy.
I’ll ask in my local bookshop, I might have to resort to English for this… or maybe not, what’s ‘print on demand’ in Cymraeg? ‘Argraffu ar angen’? I did look at print on demand services but they seemed really expensive, more than ordering from Australia in any case…
Yes, there were lots of ships with similar names - Lady Charlotte is one that springs to mind. If my ship name made you think of one of them, that’s great, because that means it sounds authentic. Sophia means wisdom.
The paper back is available of Book Depository. But, yes, ask at your local,bookshop. I’m going to get a list of people’s favourite local bookshops and send an introductory package at some point.
I speak from a (Windows) PC user’s perspective (which I now see that you are not :-)).
Windows PC users can download a free Kindle-for-PC programme to read e-books which they have bought from Amazon. Using that, you can definitely find the e-book file on your PC and feed that into Calibre (also on the same PC). There are some “wrinkles” to that which I could go into via PM, but there is probably no point, since you don’t use a Windows PC. I don’t know if there is equivalent software for Linux. Perhaps not, since you were talking about reading e-books via a browser, which is a different ball game. (Oh, is that Kindle Cloud Reader? - just saw a reference to that.). I’ve also noticed that there is a version of Calibre for Linux. But of course, you’d still need the e-book file to work with. …
…oh, see here:
(hmm, I now see that is quite old. But it does talk about being able to save the file locally, and read offline. But there is probably more up to date info around somewhere).
hmm…some interesting stuff here, but I think it’s mostly aimed at people who have both actual Kindles, and also want to read Kindle books on Linux:
(I find it’s always worth reading rthe comments under those sort of articles. Often has more useful info than the original article ).
Just to let you know that I have this minute finished reading ‘The Tides Between’ on my Kindle.
Absolutely gripping - it was a good thing that I took my mum to the eye clinic this morning - an hour and a half wait, but at least I didn’t look out of place with my eyes watering at one point!
Historical novels are not my thing, but I so enjoyed this. The atmosphere of the Welsh tales interwoven with what was happening on the journey was compelling. It could only have been written by someone who understands Welsh culture and has learnt Welsh.
Bendigedig!
I may lack the quality, but I did know the meaning! up to Chapter 4 and gripped. My review will begin with, “I am not part of the target audience as I got this as a present for myself on my 76th birthday, but I assure everyone that you do not need to be young to enjoy the brilliant word pictures, taking you not just to a clear vision, but the sounds and smells and tastes of the…” I will write it when I have finished reading it and the only reason that will not be yet is because it is too good to rush to finishing, because then it will be over and I’ll have to wait a while for another!
Oh - and I will purchase the actual book. To me, books are paper with printing and I do not trust electronic storage. I want a proper book on one of my many bookshelves, to hold and cherish!
Diolch yn fawr iawn!
Oh Helen, you are so kind. Now my eyes are watering.
I’m glad you are enjoying it! I’ve been terrified people would think it was rubbish (publishing a book is like stepping out the door in your underwear).
A review would be amazing. It makes such a difference on Amazon.
I just wanted to formally thank you all for your support. My publisher was dubious about offering a discount to an obscure group of learners she had never heard of. I managed to convince her that a few people might be interested. Anyway, they were.
My publisher was dancing a jig on Wednesday. I may in fact have been doing a small jig myself. Diolch yn fawr iawn, pawb!
Can I ask one small favour? If you do enjoy the book would you mind leaving a shirt review on Amazon? It’ll make a huge difference.
I was in Perth, moved out to Tas in February…I’m in Hobart now. I was talking to someone the other day about Welsh and she said Tassie is a bit like the Wales of Australia…I think I agree You’re in Melbourne right? it would be great to make a trip up there one of these days to have a chat with the Welsh group up there
Yes, Melbourne. I know of a few Welsh speakers in Hobart. Have you found them yet?
Yep I go to the Welsh classes here and try to make it to the sgwrs each month
How many of you are there? In the stars? The classes?
I’ve bought a kindle copy for Maureen and look forward to reading it after her. I’ll make sure to leave a “shirt” review and I might even review your book as well.
Llongyfarchiadau mawr.
Diolch Hewrop. A review would be wonderful. But don’t feel pressured, only if you like it.