Carry Me Home Archives - Dorothy Adamek

2019 Ink Dots Christmas Giveaway

November 28, 2019 · 1 Comment

I am SO thankful, so very #giddy-thankful for the wonderful reader feedback and reviews I have received for the second book in my Blue Wren Shallows series, Carry Me Away.

Bless you, dear readers, for the comments, reviews, and heartfelt emails… and for all the love. As always, faithful readers like you have made my launch month a true delight and I continue to add new readers to this list of wonderful people worldwide who’ve embraced my stories and celebrated with me!

I’d love to give you all a big hug, but here’s something even better. Books!

More specifically, an introduction to the Blue Wren Shallows series set on Australia’s beautiful Phillip Island.

Are you new to these stories? Have you already read Carry Me Home and Carry Me Away? It doesn’t matter. I’d like to invite you all to enter my 2019 Ink Dots Christmas Giveaway ~ and bless someone in YOUR life.

Three lucky winners will receive a signed paperback copy of Shadrach and Finllea’s story in Carry Me Home. An Australian historical romance, I believe, is a wonderful gift for any lover of fiction. And who doesn’t love a new book to snuggle up with during a wintery afternoon … or a summer’s day at the beach, the way we Aussies like to spend our January?

All you need to do is leave a comment here on this post telling me who you think should receive this gift and why. Yes, it can be you, why not? But if you’d like to nominate someone you adore, someone who’d be encouraged by this kind gesture on your behalf, I’d love to play my part in delivering some of their Aussie Christmas cheer.

You could be one of three lucky winners, so enter now with your answer to this question: Who would you like to bless with a signed gift copy of Carry Me Home and why?

This international contest closes on Dec 15th

Good luck to all who enter. I hope you’re inspired to embrace your moments of thankfulness and heartfelt giving in these increasingly busy weeks ahead.

As ever, happy reading,
Dotti

This contest is now CLOSED. Thank you to all who entered.
Congratulations to our winners….WinnIe, Gail, and Sarah.

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #24

November 7, 2019 · 1 Comment

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Sandra Dufoe… winner of the Blue Wren Shallows Giveaway.

G’day Scavengers,

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

The hunt BEGINS on 11/7 at noon MST with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergen
Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (notExplorer).
There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 11/10 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

My name is Dorothy Adamek, writer of Australian Historical Romance, and I love it when my friends call me Dotti. I adore all things old-worlde ~ black and white floors, blue and white china, and licorice. Yum. Did you know licorice was invented in the 16th century? My most recent heroine also loves to nibble on licorice. And when you read my stories you will travel through time and across the globe, straight into Colonial Era Australia, with a dash of Dotti thrown in for good measure.

Yes, I’m a proud Aussie and love introducing my readers to our beautiful country and its courageous people.

You can learn more about me and my Blue Wren Shallows series set on Phillip Island, (two hours drive from my home in Melbourne) right here on my website and on Facebook and Instagram.

If you’re new to my Australian series, this is a great time to start with book 1, Carry Me Home ~ currently at the special price of 99c (ends November 11th) and you can find it here.

PLUS, you are scavenging through my Ink Dots Journal Page in a week of great celebration.

My newest book, Carry Me Away, released TWO days ago! And I’m delighted to welcome readers back into the 1870s pioneering world of Australia in her infancy.

Carry Me Away – AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON

When the Black Swallow sinks off the Australian coast in 1877, Australian midshipman Tom Darley rescues English passenger Ada Carmichael from the disaster that claims her entire family. News of the only two survivors enchants the world, but Ada needs to hide before secrets and old foes find her. Tom is chasing big dreams of a crumbling house he will convert into a small hotel ~ but the promising start he’s acquired now sits at the bottom of the sea.

Inexplicably entangled, Ada and Tom lean upon each other to make sense of the tragedy that’s displaced them. But when scheming journalists observe their affection they drag Tom into life-altering riches and a news-worthy romance he cannot resist. So he arranges for Ada’s protection where only he might find her ~ the quiet Phillip Island farm of his friends Shadrach and Finella Jones.

And that’s where real trouble finds them. When heroic promises fail to shelter, and love refuses to be silenced, only surrender will pluck Ada and Tom from where life has wrecked them.

Chris Hemsworth ~ Tom Darley, Carry Me Away

How Did I Pick My Most Recent Aussie Hero?

I know many authors have been smitten by Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth when they’ve gone looking for a romantic hero. He’s handsome and fights for what’s right. He often appears in hero material Pinterest collections and writing room vision boards. And with good reason. Look at those eyes!

But did you know Chris and his famous brothers were raised on Phillip Island in their teen years? Yes, they were. (Around the same time my family holidayed there every summer.) What better choice for my hero inspiration than someone who also holds the island among his formative memories and who returns there from time to time to visit his parents?

I’ve yet to bump into Chris Hemsworth in the Phillip Island supermarket. But I might, someday. And wouldn’t it be fun to let him know he’s the inspiration for a hero who walked the very shores that lap the island…. 140 years ago?

And if Chris and I ever discuss a Blue Wren Shallows movie, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Here’s the Stop #24 Skinny:

If you’re interested, you can order Carry Me Away from Amazon.

Clue to Write Down: -Hal

Next Stop on the Loop: Camille Eide’s site!

Good luck to all those entering for major prizes.

But wait, before you rush off ~ here’s another chance to WIN.

To celebrate the release of Carry Me Away, I’m giving away a Blue Wren Shallows Gift Pack to one lucky entrant. Enter the Rafflecopter form below to win Carry Me Home, along with the beautiful sounds and earthy aromas of the Australian bush!

This is an international contest ~ open to all.

Signed print copy Carry Me Home (book 1)

Blue Wren chirping soft toy

Olive oil soap made on Phillip Island

Australian-made Kakadu lip balm

Two Australian botanical notepads

Blue Wren Card – painted by renowned Melbourne botanical artist, David Reynolds

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by, and GOOD LUCK in your book gathering and new author discoveries. Fabulous readers like you are the reason we write, and I am ever grateful for each one.

Happy reading,
Dotti

Carry Me Away ~ Release Day!

November 5, 2019

Carry Me Away ~ Now Available on Amazon

Here in Australia, the first Tuesday in November is all about ‘the race that stops a nation.’

Sometime this afternoon, the historic Melbourne Cup will run and most of us who live in Melbourne are grateful for a sunny public holiday, even if we’re not into horse racing.

For me, this day is much more than a public holiday.

I chose today to release Carry Me Away because it’s the day my dad arrived in Australia, in 1950 as a post-war Greek immigrant, aged fifteen.

On that November day when his ship dropped anchor, the streets of Melbourne were deserted. Upon disembarking he wondered what kind of a ghost-town he’d rolled into. His father, (who’d arrived in Australia earlier that year) met him at the wharf and explained the people of Melbourne were enjoying a day off.

My dad’s arrival into Melbourne has always fascinated me. Displaced from all that was familiar, he stepped into what may have looked like an empty life ~ without a proper grasp on the English language, without a home to call his own, with no work experience and no opportunity for further education that he’d wished for in Greece.

My dad, Bill, (Vasili) just before he left Greece for Australia

But my dad’s story is one of triumph. Like many migrants of that era, he embraced his new identity with determination. He studied the language, he worked hard and created his own business. His roots dug deep and his Christian faith took hold. Together with my mum, they raised a family and created a full life beyond the wildest dreams of the fifteen year old boy who ran aground into an empty Melbourne-town.

Today he celebrates 69 wonderful years in Australia.

So on this day, I honour the journey that brought him home and shaped my own identity.

As an Australian author, I’m delighted to ‘land’ something of me, on this day, too. In tribute to my mum and dad and their immigrant experience, and in celebration of the many Australian stories of displacement I long to tell… it’s my pleasure to release the e-book edition of Carry Me Away, book 2 in the Blue Wren Shallows series into the wide world of fiction readers. (Print copies and Large Print copies available later this week.)

Woo Hoo!!!

Thank you to the many who’ve cheered my own author-race to this happy day. The nation may stop to watch the horses, but I will stop to give thanks for those whose stories inspire me to write… and those who choose to read them.

Happy reading,
Dotti

Carry Me Away ~ Now Available on Amazon

Carry Me Away ~ Cover Teaser

August 31, 2019 · Leave a Comment

It’s my giddiest pleasure to share this sneak peek, cover teaser, for Carry Me Away, book 2 in my Blue Wren Shallows series.

Isn’t it pretty?

And the entire wrap around cover still gives me gooseflesh! Trust me, I’ve stared at it… and stared some more… and stared again even more… and I can’t wait to share the entire cover SOON!

Some of you may have already read the first chapter of this story. It’s in the back pages of Carry Me Home – latest kindle edition.

I am most grateful to the real life characters who inspired this book. Tom and Ada’s story hooked and followed me for the better part of the last three years. I’ve edited Carry Me Away through the major highs and lows of life as we know them. On four continents, in hospital rooms and airplanes and cruise ships, in quiet libraries and bustling cafes, and even in a snowbound hotel in Bath, England.

Tom and Ada are as real to me now as Shadrah and Finella, whose Australian home is where this new romance plays out. I hope you will enjoy returning to Phillip Island for the next installment of the Blue Wren Shallows series.

But before the story itself…. (synopsis coming NEXT!) … we need a cover! In the next few weeks I will be revealing the full beautiful Carry Me Away cover and I’d love for you to join in.

Would you like to make some happy noise with me?

If yes… here’s a Cover Release Team application prepared by the fabulous Rel Mollet. This will allow you to share the Carry Me Away cover on your favourite social media platforms on the same day that I do.

Already, Carry Me Away is enjoying fabulous early reader feedback.
Here’s what one happy reader had to say.

Carry Me Away is the whole package. Adamek uses superb writing to construct scenes and dialogue that flow and are not forced and that will elicit from the reader a host of human emotions. She skilfully peels layer after layer from her characters until we fully understand why we feel for them the way we do.

An impressive sequel to her debut Blue Wren Shallows series, Carry Me Home, which put Adamek in my ATB (automatic-to-buy-) list of authors. The third book in the Blue Wren Shallows series can’t come soon enough for me. ~ Patti Jones

And here’s an endorsement from USA Today Best-selling Author, Tamara Leigh

Carry Me Away is another beautiful tale from the imagination and heart of Dorothy Adamek. This Australian-born storyteller had me at the first line and secured her hold on me with a hero worth rooting for. Based on the events of a late 19th century shipwreck of the coast near Melbourne, this lyrical, heartfelt, redemption, and love will keep the pages turning ~ as will lush descriptions sure to make readers long to take a trip Down Under. ~ Tamara Leigh

I hope you will soon be among those who’ve already enjoyed Carry Me Away and add your voices to Tamara’s and Patti’s.

But first… the cover! Here’s where you can sign up to join the Reveal Team. I look forward to seeing some of you there.

Blessings and many thanks,
Dotti

Sovereign Hill ~ Winter Wonderlights

July 31, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Dear Ink Dots Readers, the engines are humming for the release of Carry Me Away, book 2 in my Blue Wren Shallows series. I am WAY beyond excited to share the beautiful cover, first chapter, and endorsements… and in the next few weeks I will have all the links here on my website and pretty much anywhere else authors take happy book news. Stay tuned…!!!

In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been up to in my quest to fill the creative well.

For an author besotted with all things Victorian Era, Australian Colonial, and just olde worlde, Ballarat’s living gold rush museum is one of my favourite places to visit. And in the last few years, July is a month not to be missed.

Only 90 minutes from home, the 25 acre historical village of Sovereign Hill draws me like a moth to a freshly dipped tallow candle. Re-enactments, demonstrations, and the opportunity to wander and become lost in the heart of the 1850s is more than my idea of fun. It fuels the storyteller in me like nothing else.

Add the smell of real wood fires, the chill of winter, and a great big dollop of Christmas-in-July cheer, and I am right there. Sprinkle ‘SNOW’ over everything once dusk hits (even if it’s machine made and not the real thing) and I’m in another realm of glee.

I’ve have a romance series set on the Australian goldfields bubbling away for a few years now. Once I complete the Blue Wren Shallows series, set on ‘my’ beautiful Phillip Island, I plan to shift my attention to the wonders and dramas of this the 1850s.

Until then, I shall make do with the memories my Beloved and I captured this year when we visited Sovereign Hill for the Winter Wonderlights spectacular. I hope you enjoy sneaking into Australia’s Gold Rush Years with me, too.

Happy winter reading, or summer reading… wherever you’re cuddled up with a good book.

Dotti

Phillip Island in the Winter

June 29, 2019 · Leave a Comment

I spent most of last week at Phillip Island, working through the bones of what will become Book 3 in my Blue Wren Shallows series.

For those of you waiting on Book 2, Carry Me Away... it’s currently (happy-squeal!) in the lap of a few of my all-time favourite authors who are reading for endorsement, and my talented cover artist is putting her finishing touches on the cover.

I’m most grateful to those who continue to ask about Carry Me Away. I can’t wait for you to meet the characters who come to life in the telling of this story and cause their own trouble in Shadrach and Finella’s world. (Carry Me Home)

Until then, I want to share with you last Monday’s sunset and my scarf-wrapped walk to Red Rocks and back home ~ a true riot of setting sun and clouds playing in the shallows.

Somehow, I managed to sneak into the one majestic hour of stillness over an island battered by rain most of the week I was there.

Depending on whether I had my back to the sun or walked towards it, my phone camera captured all manner of wintery light and reflections. And even in the stillness, the ominous power of the clouds hung above me in a bruised sky.

And that, dear readers, is why I run away to write on this beautiful island.

To breathe in the beach after a storm. To capture the sun that falls into the horizon, and to wade through the shallows where my characters play and fight and learn to love.

These photos are unedited. But sometimes I like to run them through pretty filters and I post on Instagram.

You can follow me there for more photos.

Meanwhile, please join me on this quick stroll through the Blue Wren Shallows.