Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop 2015


G'day and welcome to my blog.

First up, I wish to thank Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out for organising and hosting this great event which is now in its third year. This time around, there are 41 blogs giving away wonderful Australian novels and other prizes. You can hop on over to Book'd Out here to check out all the other fabulous bloggers and authors taking part in this great annual initiative. Please do show them your support - you never know how many prizes you'll win.

Before I get on to the nitty-gritty details though, I just wanted to share with you one of my favourite poems, My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar - after all, Australia Day is all about celebrating this wonderful country of ours. Being an immigrant, this poem resonates very deeply with me as I do believe that "all you who have not loved her, you will not understand". I am proud to have been embraced by the Lucky Country:

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Now, onto the reason why you are here.

I'm giving away an AU$20 Amazon gift voucher to one lucky reader of my blog. All you have to do is answer this easy question:

What is the name of the above poem and who wrote it?
(Please leave a comment in the comments section below with your answer!)

Seeing as I have opened this competition up Internationally, if the winner happens to be an international visitor, it would be remiss of me if I didn't ask you to consider purchasing a book written by an Australian author and show your support of our astounding talent.

So, you've never read an Aussie novel before? Believe me, you will be spoiled for choice, no matter what your favourite genre is. Here's a sample of just some of your options:


Entries close at midnight on Tuesday, 27th January 2015 and the winners will be drawn via Random.org, announced here on the blog (which feeds through to both my Facebook Page and Twitter handle) and then contacted via email within 7 days of the competition being closed.

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to re-draw if the winner does not contact me within 72 hours of them being notified.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!! Oi, Oi, Oi!!!

Comments

  1. Dorothy Mackellar My Country Hi Marcia

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  2. I forgot to enter, but if someone wants a free copy, contact me :)

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  3. My country by Dorothea Mackellar. Thank you for introducing this poet to me. I'm enjoying the website http://www.dorotheamackellar.com.au/ One thing I will buy if I win is the Kindle ed of The Best Australian Stories 2014

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    1. Thanks for your comment MG. I'm glad you like the poem.

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  4. My Country by Dorothy Mackellar. It's just beautiful isn't it, a love letter to Australia.

    Thanks for the incredible giveaway <3

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    1. Thanks for your entry Diva Booknerd. So great to have you visit.

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  5. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar
    Thanks!

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  6. My Country Dorothea Mackellar :) ... thanks for the generous giveaway!

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    1. You're most welcome Teddyree. Thanks for entering.

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  7. My Country by Dorothea Mackeller :) Beautiful! Thanks Marcia :)

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    1. Brenda, as usual, you are most welcome. One of my most avid supporters :)

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  8. My Country Dorothy Mackeller. My favourite childhood poem.

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    1. I'ts beautiful isn't it Val! Thanks for your comment.

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  9. That would be My Country by Dorothy Mackeller.

    I still remember the first time I read that one. The line, "I love a sunburnt country" has always stuck with me. Anyway, glad to see that you're participating in the hop this year :)

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    1. You and me both Kathryn. Thanks for entering. Another of my avid followers :) Thank you.

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  10. My Country - Dorothea Mackellar
    And what an amazing country it is!

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    1. Yes, it certainly is. Thanks for your entry.

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  11. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar. Happy Australia Day. Love Australian authors. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.

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    1. You're welcome Kathryn T - thank you for your entry.

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  12. My Country by Dorothea Mackeller thank you for the great competition and Happy Australia Day

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    1. You're most welcome Vicky and Happy Australia Day to you too :)

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  13. My Country by Dorothea Mackellar. What a great post Marcia! It was lovely to read that poem again, gave me Goosebumps.

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    1. Thanks Veronica - I'm glad you like the post. Thanks so much for entering. That poem is truly a beautiful piece of work!

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  14. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar

    Wonderful post! I really enjoyed the poem. Thanks so much for sharing and Happy Australia Day!

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  15. Thanks Stephanie, so glad you enjoyed the post and the poem. Thanks for your entry and a very Happy Australia Day to you too :)

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  16. Love Dorothea's poem, Marcia. Thanks for your thoughtful post and for all your wonderful support for Australian authors!!

    Happy Australia day to you and your family.

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    1. It's the epitome of Australia for me Helene. Happy Australia Day to you, Captain G and Zeus :)

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  17. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar!!

    That's one beautiful poem. Love it!

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    1. Glad you like it Ashfa. Thanks for entering.

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  18. My Country by Dorothy Mackellar.
    A great poem and thanks for a great giveaway as well!

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    1. You're welcome Cattsy. Glad you enjoyed the poem :)

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  19. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar. And now I have that song in my head! I've always thought the words were beautiful, however.

    Thanks for offering this giveaway!

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  20. It's a beautiful poem Marcia. Thanks for including my 'Fairway' book in your picture above. After April, I won't be seeing that cover anymore ;)
    Don't enter me in your draw - I just came to visit because I love your blog.

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    1. Awwww, thanks for popping by Lily. Another of my avid supporters :) As always, you're welcome my dear

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  21. My Country by Dorothy Mackellar

    Thanks for the giveaway! I'm in the U.S. but I've read a few Aussie authors and LOVED them! It would be fun to win. :)

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    1. Wow Shelby, all the way from the U.S. - thanks for the visit and good luck!

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  22. It is My country by Dorothea Mackellar. Thank you for the amazing giveaway! :)

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  23. That would be Dorothea Mackellar's My Country, one of my favourite poems :) Thanks for the giveaway - I hope you're having a great long weekend!
    - Angelya
    www.teainthetreetops.com

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    1. It is beautiful isn't it Angelya. Thanks for dropping in and enjoy the rest of our long weekend.

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  24. My Country Dorothea Mackellar. Beautiful poem, happy that I had to chance to read it through your giveaway.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it Sandra. Thank you for entering. Best of luck.

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  25. It's My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar. Very beautiful poem indeed <3

    Thanks so much for the giveaway :3

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  26. Dorothea Mackellar's My Country, also known as Core of My Heart! Thanks for the giveaway! lotusg at yahoo dot com

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  27. Really nice to read the poem My Country by Dorothy Mackellar once again. Great giveaway :-)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it Tracey. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  28. My country by Dorothea Mackellar. I love her far horizons. Indeed I do. Thanks for the chance and Happy Australia Day

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    1. You're welcome Jessica. Thanks for dropping in to enter.

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  29. My Country by Dorothy Mackella

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    1. Thanks for stopping by to enter Kerry-Lee :)

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  30. My Country by Dorothy Mackella :)
    Thanks for the great giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome Bube. Thanks for entering.

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  31. Dorothy Mackellar (My Country!)

    Happy Australia Day!

    Deb

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    1. Happy Australia Day to you too Deborah. Thanks for the entry.

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  32. The poem is My Country by Dorothea Mackellar. Thank you for sharing it-it's absolutely lovely.

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    1. Very welcome Yun-A. Thanks for stopping by.

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  33. The very Australian Poem is My Country by Dorothea MacKellar. Australia really is a great place to live - I'm glad your enjoying it here!

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    1. Thanks Bec, yes, it truly is a great place. Thanks for dropping in to enter.

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  34. Dorothy Mackellar My Country Happy Australia Day Marcia and thanks so much for the giveaway:)

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    1. Happy Australia Day to you too Alissa and you're welcome. Thank you for your entry :)

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  35. My Country, by Dorothy Mackellar! And it was wonderful! Thank you so much for the giveaway!

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    1. Glad you liked it Jaime. Thank you for your entry.

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  36. 'My Country' by Dorothy Mackellar. Such a beautiful poem, thanks for sharing and hosting this fantastic giveaway Marcia. I hope you and your family have a fantastic long weekend and a great Australia Day!

    (blogspot isn't letting me comment with my name sorry, so I'm doing it manually instead.)

    Jess@The Never Ending Bookshelf
    www.nevendbookshelf.wordpress.com

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    1. Hope you've had a great Australia Day long-weekend too Jess. Thanks so much for dropping by to enter :)

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  37. My Country by Dorothea Mackellar 👏 Loving the blog hop - a great opportunity to discover some fabulous Australian authors.

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    1. It is, isn't it Mrs B! Thanks for your entry.

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  38. A lovely poem - it's My Country by Dorothea Mackellar. I love these lines:
    All you who have not loved her,
    You will not understand

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    1. You and me both Monique - thanks for popping by and for your entry :)

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  39. my country written by Dorothy Mackellar

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  40. Great to see you've had such a good response to your giveaway, Marcia. My Country by Dorothea Mackellar does epitomise so much of this beautiful land!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. Yes, I am slightly overwhelmed by the amazing response I have had but happy nonetheless :)

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  41. The fabulous answer is My Country by Dorothy Mackellar. What a beautiful poem to choose too!!!

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    1. Thanks for your entry Natty. Yes, it sums up my feelings about Australia perfectly :)

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