Wake up this Juggernaut is out of Control

Wake up this juggernaut is out of control

But I'm sleeping. It's a beautiful dream, you are in it.

Wake up. This is not a dream, it's a nightmare.

You worry too much, there is nothing to see here. 

Wake up. The children are crying, mourning their lost tomorrows

Silly you, we were picking daisies over their graves and weaving them into a crown for our king. Why won't you focus on the positive? A little heartbreak is nothing for a brighter future.

Wake up. We're running over pedestrians while your king is mowing down whole cities. His plans make no sense.

But we're inside the juggernaut, so it hardly matters. Sleep now, the Dream is beautiful. I can hear fascists quoting Martin Luther King and proclaiming how beautiful their dreams of ruling the world are as we weave daisy chains of love to throw on the undeserving.  

Wake up the city is now a smoking ruin and this juggernaut is headed for a pit of fire

It's lovely and warm here, settle on in. Everything will be fine, can't you hear our new king? He's telling us everything is fine.

Wake up. Wake up. We're on fire

Somebody said it was best not to be woke, and with this pain I think I'll sleep some more.  

...

This pain I feel is all your fault. Do you hear me? 

...

...   

 

 

The Dutch House - review by Joanna Ponder

The Dutch House by 

Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is at her best with this family saga centred around the glass Dutch house. The story never falters, it's beautifully written, and captured my imagination so that I was invested in Maeve and Danny, the two main protagonists. hou

A fine exploration of place and family dynamics weave their way through this story of overcoming and embracing the past. 

One of my favourite reads this year. 

The Blurb:

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are. Filled with suspense, you may read it quickly to find out what happens, but what happens to Danny and Maeve will stay with you for a very long time.

A Pinch of Magic - review by Joanna Ponder

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison

Exciting read for 9-12 year olds who like a little high drama and suspense as well as adventure with a bit of magic.

There's nothing like overcoming the odds and Betty Fliss and Charlie have plenty of obstacles on their path to breaking the family curse .

The Other Half of Augusta Hope - review by Joanna Ponder

I have just finished reading "The Other Half of Augusta Hope" by Joanna Glen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and now Arianna is enjoying it too - finding time to read it, even with a baby. It's a book for people who like character and family and heart in their stories. Yes, there is tragedy, but there's also humour, unforgettable characters and a satisfying ending.

Augusta Hope has a much loved twin sister who is very different from her. By six Augusta likes nothing better than to read the dictionary, at seven she is "helping" out the teachers, and at eight she has decided that her favourite country is Burundi which she is determined to visit when she grows up.

After her sister's tragic death, Augusta heads to Spain to start a new life....

What other people are saying: 

‘Keep the tissues close' Good Housekeeping 

‘A beautifully written debut novel with unforgettable characters and an irresistible message of redemption and belonging' Red magazine

‘This gem of a novel entertains and moves in equal measure' Daily Mail

‘Heartening and hopeful' Jess Kidd, author of Things in Jars

‘Mesmerizingly beautiful' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus

‘An extraordinary masterpiece' Anstey Harris, author of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton

‘Gutsy, endearing and entertaining' Deborah Orr

‘Absolutely brilliant' Gavin Extence, author of The Universe Versus Alex Woods

Friday Feature book "The Note through the Wire" by Doug Gold.

Love historical novels?

"The Note through the Wire" by Doug Gold is a true story of love in the middle of war. 

"A WWII prisoner of war, a resistance heroine, and their incredible true story."

Heather Morris, the author of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" called it "unforgettable" and couldn't recommend it enough. The characters and the history really make this story... "Woven through their tales of great bravery, daring escapes, betrayal, torture and retaliation is their remarkable love story that survived against all odds. This is an extraordinary account of two ordinary people living through the unimaginable hardship of Hitler's barbaric regime."

So there it is, if you loved the Tattooist of Auschwitz, this book should definitely be on your radar. It's certainly on ours.

Thanks for dropping by, we hope to have Friday Book Features coming through next week! :) 

A.J. 

Welcome to the New Year!

Hi everyone,

I've had a bit of a holiday in terms of blogging, but not in terms of writing. I've been crazy busy with my "The Sylvalla Chronicles" series. It's an amazing amount of fun to be immersed in a world so deeply. I can't wait to publish Prophecy and Omens but in the meantime - I've created a book magnet - a free book, "The Secret Child," in the Sylvalla Chronicles World. For fans it provides a bit of backstory about the wizards and how they relate to Sylvalla and the whole epic fantasy adventure!

The Secret Child is completely free and is as available through Book Cave - all you have to do is sign up to my newsletter - which is awesome, because it's the best way to keep an eye open for specials, and also for the link to the new video trailer for "Quest" that the talented Clem Winfield is about to put out. I hope you enjoy.

For poetry fans, I've got some cute little short excerpts sprinkled through Prophecy and Omens, that I think will be fun to share over the next few Tuesdays amongst maybe some more substantial works by beloved or interesting poets :)

A.J.

PS  I think that the tuatara eye Clem Winfield animated looks really creepy - do you?

Art of the Arcane Fantasy and Sci Fi Promotion and a chance to win $50...

So you love Science Fiction and Fantasy? Winning money, and Free and 99c books? Quick, join up to my newsletter before these offers expire!
You can see the sign up form to the left
Or sneak peak the Art of the Arcane free and 99c books section here :)

Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts - Ten Tales from the Deep, Dark Woods by Craig Phillips

Buy Now

Some of our favourite tales are in this amazing graphic novel by internationally acclaimed artist, Craig Phillips.

This book is up for several awards (listed below) and it's easy to see why...

Easy to read and entertaining, this is a fun introduction a fun book to introduce some of the best fairy tales from around the world - diverse myths from Iceland to Poland to Japan, retold in easy-to-read glorious full-colour comic book form by internationally recognised artist, and author Craig Phillips

A cobbler girl tricks the Wawel Dragon, after all the king's knights fail...
The Polar Bear King loses his skin...
Momotaro, born from a peach, defies the ogres everyone else is too scared to face...
Snow White and Rose Red make friends with a bear...

We hope you love the magnificent storytelling in this graphic novel as much as we do.

Shortlisted The Ledger Awards 2018 AU; Shortlisted NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults - Russell Clark Award for Illustration 2018 AU; Longlisted CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2018 AU; Shortlisted Aurealis Awards - Best Graphic Novel / Illustrated Work 2017 AU

The Traitor and the Thief by Gareth Ward

Sin is an orphan living a life of hard knocks in London when he's hunted down by a strange organization. Fearing for his life, he runs...

But there's more to Sin that just being an orphan, and as the story goes on he finds out more about who he is, and the dangerous and exciting world that is his inheritance.

There are gadgets galore, and much fun to be had in this novel that I like to described as a cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and something darker and more steampunky - with a little Oliver Twist thrown in for good measure.

We'd suggest a readership of kids10+ But like Harry Potter, it would be hardly fair to say this book is just for kids, so grab a hold of your gadgets, and pick up your copy of  The Traitor and the Thief from Rona Gallery for $19.95 here

Review by A.J. Ponder author of The Frankie Files and Miss Lionheart and the Laboratory of Death

About the Author, Gareth Ward:

Gareth Ward, also known as the Great Wardini, is a magician, hypnotist, storyteller, bookseller and author. He specialises in magic, spinning tales and keeping you on your toes.
Apparently his letter from Hogwarts was lost in the mail, but I have no idea where it went, and neither does my pet owl. 

Welcome to Rona Gallery, 

Not only are our books competitively priced, but we're a real destination. If you can't come on out and see us, take a virtual tour. And visit our website at http://www.ronagallery.co.nz

 

Green Spot Specials

30% off all books marked with a Green Spot, 

this offer is limited until the end of January. So get in quick!

You could pick up a new favourite

Rona Gallery Christmas Party today 19 Dec 2015

Come one and all, sit down with a coffee at Giselle's and enjoy giveaways and readings by some great local authors!!

Looking forward to seeing you there, and if you can't make it, we'd like to wish you all a Merry Holiday season,

from everyone at Rona Gallery
:)

 

the after party...

Thank you to everyone who came to our Christmas party, and made this such a fun occasion, we had a lovely time, and a special thank you to our readers, Pete Carter, Maggie Rainey-Smith, Gail Mcjorrow, David McDougall, Tony Martin, Keith Westwater, Janis Freegard, and Manny Garcia, not only for reading his own work, which is amazing, but also A.J. Ponder's Kev's Christmas letters.
Most especially thanks to MC Mary McCallum...we were having such a good time, we forgot to take photos of all our prizewinners...

Artist Spotlight: Gino Acevedo

Gino Acevedo's work is darker and more dynamic than the work of some of the other artists regularly featured at Rona Gallery. His work is very finely detailed. and has a strong use of negative and positive space, which gives the work movement. Gino's work is also different because he prefers to use a computer to help create his artwork than more traditional tools and mediums. His subject matter is usually that of monstrous looking creatures, like zombies and ethereal looking reapers.

We are very lucky to have some of his work on display at Rona Gallery.

His print "The Vampire" is for sale here on Rona Gallery's New Website 
www.ronagallery.co.nz
http://www.ronagallery.co.nz/modules/SP_Webshop/shop.php?product_details&product=97

Christmas Party December 6th with Crafts, Stories and Santa at Rona Gallery

Get into the Christmas spirit with a Twisty Christmas party at Rona Gallery celebrating The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales with crafts, design a Christmas card competition, stories, Christmas treats and a visit from Santa.

Make your own gorgeous Christmas Tree decorations from Joanna’s favourite Christmas Craft book, snowflakes with Elsa, there's a Christmas Card Drawing Competition, and readings from The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales including a great story by David Hill, so come along and enjoy the fun!

From 11am to 12:30 Sat 6th December. Judging for the Twisty Christmas Design a Card Competition at 12:15.

• RSVP Rona Gallery on 04 562 8062 or ronagallery(at)paradise.net.nz
• 151 Muritai Rd Eastbourne, Lower Hutt

 Yes, it may be St Nicholas’ Day on the 6th of December but Santa has promised he’ll find time between going to the beach and organising Christmas presents to drop in on Rona Gallery. 

$10 Picture Books

$10 Picture Books 

Stock up for Christmas with these adorable picture books! 

These books make great gifts for young children, and include many old favourites as well as new titles. Including the Winnie the Witch series, the Lighthouse Keeper series. Maisy, Meg and Mog, Elmer the Elephant, Ten play Hide and Seek, and Duck on a Bike.

It's good to be back and gearing up for Christmas! We look forward to seeing you all soon, if it's picking out Birthday or Christmas gifts, or just your next Summer holiday read, Rona Gallery has an excellent selection of books for adults as well as kids!

Rona Gallery's Opening Night...

Come and see the New Rona Gallery, we're up, we're open and looking good.
Here are a few photos of the opening night - more to come soon

ReOpening Soon! Watch out for Mrs Mo's Monster and Paul Beavis.

There's so much happening - and we will update very soon with all the events, but in the meantime, mark Sunday 19th of October into your little monster's calendar! A great book event for young and old to enjoy together.
 
Our website is in the process of being changed, and might be a bit tricky to find for a while, so here's a link, so you can easily keep up to date with all the news.
http://www.richardponder.com/

We're Rebuilding

Out with most of the old and in with the new, the demolition stage is almost over and we'll be rebuilding soon. 

We hope to keep you in touch with what's happening during the rebuilding process, and are looking forward to the final product, including a cafe, a perfect accompaniment for books and art.

Rebuild Sale on Now - 30% off all Rona Gallery Stock

Yes, we're going to be rebuilding the gallery - but in the meantime why don't you save heaps - and just before Christmas, too.

30% off means you can either get 30% more presents OR use the money to go on a longer festive holiday - you choose. 

Love to see you soon.  Hopefully we'll keep you updated of the build as we go.

Gallery will close over Christmas and Boxing Day
Afternoon Hours only 12-4 until the 31st December

Thank you so much for visiting - see you back real soon with a cafe and a beautiful new front inspired by Huderwasser.

White Cloud Worlds: Opening and Events 2013

We're really excited, there's so much on during this upcoming exhibition.  Looking forward to the White Cloud Worlds Opening, it's going to be crazy busy setting up and we're expecting lots of the artists, including Paul Tobin, Weta artist and founder of White Cloud Worlds and Gino Avecedo who will be speaking on the night about his art and his roles in Weta - so if you want an invite now's the time to ask (Rona Gallery 562 8062) and of course the life drawing demonstration with a costumed model will be fun (Sun 17th).  Gino's also threatened to break out the movie makeup on Sun 10th during the signing which will be seriously awesome.