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Kelly Doust, author of The Crafty Minx at Home
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Crafty Minx at Home: 50+ handmade and recycled objects for beautiful living is about the things closest to my heart: living the handmade life and appreciating the beauty of vintage objects. It also shares the joy in making things yourself and sharing them with loved ones.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I was raised mostly in Sydney’s Inner West which is where I live now, but I spent my twenties living overseas in Hong Kong and London.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
From the age of about six or seven I wanted to write and started making up short stories and prose for my family (most memorably, a poem imaginatively titled ‘My dog’ when our beloved childhood pet died). My dream of being a writer never really changed, but I’ve certainly had a few failed careers in the interim. I’ve finished exactly one year of a hairdresser’s apprenticeship, and I never quite cut it in the corporate world. I also thought that if I couldn’t write, I’d study to be a fashion designer. I might still do that one day.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
The next book I’m working on… I always think I can do better and I’m naturally still learning and improving with each book. I consider The Crafty Minx at Home the best book I’ve published so far, because my taste has evolved along the way and I think we’ve created a beautiful, visually-inspiring world for readers to fall in love with.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I’m pathologically tidy so I always clear my work area at the beginning of each day. That said, I write at the kitchen table so it’s important to get rid of any distractions before I start, such as the morning’s dirty breakfast bowls and my daughter’s half-finished craft projects. It’s also near the kettle and my digital radio, both of which I couldn’t live without.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I read in every genre, from autobiographies to investigative journalism and non-fiction, but my favourite indulgences are novels and beautifully-illustrated lifestyle books. Writers such as Jeannette Winterson, John Irving, Wally Lamb, Jonathan Tropper and Annie Proulx blow me away with their intelligence and talent.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Tolkein’s The Hobbit. As a child, I couldn’t think of anything more exciting than escaping to other worlds where magic and adventure existed.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Flora Poste of Cold Comfort Farm. She has a plucky sense of humour and made the best of herself in straitened circumstances. She’s my heroine.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Watch horror movies. Dance hip-hop. Put my body through stupid challenges like Tough Mudder, just to see if I can.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Pasta. My mother’s family is Italian, and despite being told I’m gluten intolerant, I can’t seem to give up the good stuff. Favourite drink would have to be red wine. Or mojitos. Or champagne (I have several favourite drinks).
Who is your hero? Why?
People who stay true to themselves but manage to do so with respect for others. In terms of famous identities, I really admire Jamie Oliver for his passion, ambition and success. He seems like a good
person to me. Ditto Barack Obama.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Definitely all the other forms of entertainment available to us. I remember being despondent if I ever found myself on a bus or in a waiting room without reading material when I was younger, but now I rarely travel with anything other than my iPhone and use it to watch videos, listen to podcasts and browse online instead. But I think there will always be people who want to sink their teeth into the meatiness of a full-length book. I don’t think anything can replace the beauty of books as objects to covet, touch and possess. Especially illustrated titles, which only grow more tailored and exceptional as time wears on.
Follow Kelly:
Website URL: www.thecraftyminx.com.au
Blog URL: http://thecraftyminx.com.au/
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crafty-Minx/125651777489366
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/TheCraftyMinx
Tell us about your latest creation…
Sex, Drugs & Meditation is my meditation memoir. It’s the true story of a woman with a talent for self-sabotage who learns to sit still, shut up and start living – and loving.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I was born and raised in Hobart, studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts and played in bands in Melbourne and Sydney before I got a proper job – in radio. I’ve worked and played all over Australia but since discovering the Sunshine Coast I’ve been inclined to stay put.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I wanted to be an archaeologist. I had a desire to dig up the past, which ironically is what I’m doing now with my memoir.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I love Sex, Drugs & Meditation. It’s a great story and it’s all true. There are lyrics to three of my songs in this book from my time as a singer/songwriter. The song about my father dying, “Strange Homecoming” took me two years to finish and just as long to be able to perform without crying. It still affects me to this day. My best work is my most honest work.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
My writing space is the spare room. I have a big trestle table so that I can pile everything up and out of the way when people come to stay. I love it when my husband goes out or away because then I can take over the lounge room, slouch on the couch with my laptop, surrounded by notebooks and paper.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I have a regular books and writing segment on ABC Local Radio and I focus on Australian writers. I always aim to read the book before interviewing the author. It doesn’t matter what genre, or if it’s fiction or non-fiction, the books I enjoy reading are a good story well told.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
I’m one of six children and we were raised on the C.S Lewis Narnia series, so much so that I gave one of my brothers the boxed set for a wedding present. We also had all the Beatrix Potter books and some of the recorded versions as well. Every Saturday morning we’d go to the library and I’d get out the Mary Plain books. The Magic Faraway Tree was a favourite as well. When I was in high school we studied Saul Bellow’s Henderson The Rain King. It was unlike anything I’d ever read before. It confounded, frustrated and astounded me. It stretched my heart and my mind.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (Beatrix Potter), making endless cups of tea surrounded by the smell of fresh laundry. Only trouble is I’m allergic to ironing. The ending of the book has a strange and bittersweet melancholy to it that I’ve always been attracted to. “Why, she’s nothing but a hedgehog.”
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I love playing Scrabble. The only reason I joined Facebook was to play Scrabble with my interstate and overseas friends. And at the moment I’m playing my guitar a lot. It’s been a while since I used to play in bands and I need the practice. As well as talking about my book I’ll be playing the songs from it. I’d like it to be a pleasant experience for everyone.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Anything with coconut in it is a firm favourite, my latest food fetish is coconut butter by the spoonful. Apart from water, tea is my favourite drink. There is a whole section of the pantry dedicated to it.
Who is your hero? Why?
Maggie Beer. She’s smart, hard working, creative and generous. Her work with Alzheimer’s Australia is admirable, as is her passion for improving the food in aged care facilities. Her food is delicious, her recipes always work and everyone feels as though she’s their friend even if they’ve never met her. I was lucky enough to meet her and she’s genuinely warm, engaging and funny. And she’s like the Queen, she doesn’t carry any money.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Screen time. I love reading but even so I find it hard to drag myself away from the lure of social media and the endless sticky strands of the web. I work in radio and that hunger for the immediate is ingrained in what I do but nothing gives me more pleasure than reading a book.
Follow Mary-Lou:
Website URL: http://maryloustephens.com.au/
Blog URL: http://maryloustephens.wordpress.com/
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/maryloustephenswrites
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/MissyMaryLou
Allison Rushby, author of The Heiresses
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Heiresses sees triplets Thalia, Erato and Clio—estranged since birth—thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone—least of all each other.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m from Brisbane, but lived in Cambridgeshire in the UK whilst writing The Heiresses.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
A ballerina with pierced ears (I got the pierced ears, at least!).
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
The Heiresses truly is my best work. It was such a learning experience writing a very long and unwieldy tale full of drama!
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
Now that I’m back in Australia, I have a very normal study, but The Heiresses was written in Cambridgeshire, where I lived in a converted mill on a lock, complete with swan and cygnets. It was all rather idyllic!
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I do love a bit of English fiction — P.G. Wodehouse, Stella Gibbons and anything Mitford.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Robin Klein’s Hating Alison Ashley was a defining book for me. Up until that point I don’t think I realised you were allowed to write about ‘real’ life and schools, suburbs and so on that you knew truly existed.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
I’d love to say someone both beautiful and clever, but the truth is, most likely Kate Reddy from Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It. I write and have two kids who go to two different schools. I am always juggling!
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
It always surprises people to find out I used to ice skate competitively.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
I’m a huge corn chip fan and what goes better with corn chips than a very large margarita!
Who is your hero? Why?
I’ll have to go with my Nana. She’s 94 and still going strong, after not having the best start in life.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
I think it will be interesting to see Australia’s digital sales pick up in the same way they have in the US. With the proliferation of self-published books, it will also be interesting to see how quality books are chosen by the public in the future.
Follow Allison:
Website URL: http://www.allisonrushby.com
Facebook Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Rushby/189442837771168
Twitter URL: http://www.twitter.com/Allison_Rushby
Tell us about your latest creation…
‘Meet Ned Kelly’ is a look at the Australian bushranger who lived in the early days. His story is told in rhyme and tracks Ned’s life from boyhood to his death at age twenty-five. Was Ned Kelly a Robin Hood type hero or was he, as he maintained, forced to become an outlaw? Matt Adams’ illustrations are stunning and quirky and bring to life a feeling of the times and the countryside. There’s a fascinating and factual Time Line at the back.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m from Glenelg, which is a seaside town, just twenty minutes from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
To date, I think it might be my picture book, Where does Thursday go? because I love the basic premise of Splodge, a bear character heading out to look for Thursday in order to say goodbye to it. He wanted to do that because his birthday had been on Thursday and he asked his friend, Humbug, ‘Where does Thursday go before Friday comes?’ I love the poetic simplicity and word image that I was able to create, and the characters which the illustrator, Stephen Michael King brought to life in an aura of soft blues.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
My office, NOW, is big, but it used to be a desk in my bedroom. The room has large windows that look out onto a lovely backyard. Along that wall are benches on which are set my computer, printer, phone and various other equipment and containers for files, books and stationery. I have a large library shelf and a big red cupboard with glass doors to display my own published books, other cupboards and filing cabinets. In the centre is a nice table where I can spread out stuff – or sit and have a cup of tea with a friend!
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I love Australian fiction, both adult and children’s. I like biographies of people who are in the Arts and I love reading picture books and poetry.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
My parents gave me an Omnibus (a large book with stories, article and poems in it) when I was twelve, because I’d done well in Year 7. They didn’t usually do things like that,so the book was special. I read and re-read that book till I almost knew it backwards.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Someone like Elsie, who is a girl in my forthcoming children’s historical novel called, That boy, Jack. Elsie is brave or forthright, funny and caring. I’d liked to have been as strong and as outspoken as her when I was a girl.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I make mosaics. I love the look of broken crockery, and recycled tiles and found objects, like shells or bits of old jewellery, put together to create something beautiful out of things that’ve had a life and been discarded. I read, of course. I knit about a dozen scarves each year for homeless people. I garden and walk, swim and go to Yoga and Keep Fit classes. I love going to films and the theatre. And I’m sing in a choir called Sing Australia. I love laughing, looking for colour and eavesdropping on people’s conversations.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
I drink tea. And I love seafood.
Who is your hero? Why?
My sister. She is the biggest-hearted, warmest, most caring person you could ever meet. She’s funny and has been the most wonderful friend to so many people. She’s passionate about food and the
growing of it, and the environment, and lives for the minute.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Helping children have time to read. I think it’s vital for them to experience the joy of being elsewhere in their mind and their imagination and to realise that they choose to enjoy a book no matter how
easy other ‘distractions’ are – because reading needs concentration. I’m concerned about reducing our sensory needs and so books, as we know them now, will still have a place. I use an E-book reader for convenience when I travel, but I still like to read a book. Parents need to have one night a week where everyone sits and reads together.
Follow Janeen:
Website URL: www.janeenbrian.com
Blog URL: janeenjottings.blogspot.com
Diane Hester, author of Run To Me
Tell us about your latest creation…
RUN TO ME is a chase thriller with a twist. Shyler O’Neil is still struggling to come to terms with the death of her son two years earlier. Believing she did not do enough to protect him, she retreats to her family’s old cabin in the forests of Northern Maine. Ten-year-old Zack, in foster care for the last three years, has forgotten what a mother’s love is like. When he stumbles on information that could put a powerful crime boss in prison, he goes on the run, ending up at Shyler’s cabin. In protecting Zack from the men pursuing him, Shyler comes to believe he’s the son she lost. Zack, finally getting the love he has craved, is happy to play along with her delusion. When the killers find them, ‘mother’ and ‘son’ are forced to flee into the New England wilds. But no-one knows these woods better than Shyler.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
Born in New York, I came to Australia in 1978 as a violinist with the Adelaide Symphony. When I married I moved to Port Lincoln SA where my husband was teaching and we have lived there every since.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
My parents were both musicians so as a child I was drawn to music. I started violin at the age of 10 and attended the Eastman School of music to become a professional violinist. It was only when that career ended that I discovered writing.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I wrote six other novels before Run To Me but none of them has been published. I feel Run To Me is my best work because in writing it I created the story I myself would most love to read.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I’ve taken over a large spare bedroom as my study. Despite it having two desks and two tables, I often find my notes and materials spilling out into other rooms! I have a huge fish tank next to my ’plotting chair’ and love to watch the fish as I write.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I love Tess Gerritsen, James Rollins and Simon Beckett. Aside from these and other suspense authors, I read a lot of non-fiction, mostly on the creative process, learning, talent, motivation and goal achievement.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
I had ADHD as a child and didn’t really get into reading until I was in high school. Stephen King’s The Stand and Dean Koontz’s Watchers are the two books I remember most vividly.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Ayla from Jean Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear. I love her strength, resilience, compassion and curiosity.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
For many years I ran a donkey sanctuary and trained my charges to saddle and harness. These days my hobbies include juggling, mushrooms, and shell, rock and fossil collecting.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
My favourite drink is without doubt coffee. Don’t really have a favourite food, although I am quite partial to ice cream.
Who is your hero? Why?
My dad – the kindest person I’ve ever known, who treated everyone the same.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Tearing kids away from texting and computer games long enough to get them hooked on reading.
Follow Diane:
Website URL: dianehester.com
Tell us about your latest creation…
It’s my fifteenth novel and it’s called The Honey Queen. They say that to make the perfect pitch, you have to be able to describe your story in twenty-two words and I can’t…so let’s start: I’ve got about five main characters and the first to appear is Melbourne lady, Lillie, who is mourning her husband’s death when her grown-up sons suggest her visiting Ireland, from where she was adopted sixty-five years previously. Lillie doesn’t really want to go but she does, and travelling to Redstone and meeting the people there, brings her into a whole new life… There are bees, a man who’s been redundant, a woman hitting the menopause at full force and the wisest fifteen-year-old tomboy you’ll ever met.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m Irish, born in Belfast, brought up in Dublin and now I live in county Wicklow in a quirky house with lots of odd-shaped windows and a fabulous view down to the sea.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I wanted to marry the guy from Hawaii 50 (kid’s crush), briefly I wanted to be a jockey as I am very small but truthfully I have always been in love with the world of books. I told everyone stories so it was inevitable I’d end up doing this.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
Eek… Impossible question. I’m always proudest of the last book, so right now, it’s the Honey Queen.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
Ho hum… I like a little chaos. Or I don’t like it but I somehow make it! I recently heard that genius lives in clutter and if so, then I am onto a winner! I have two work spaces. One is an office I share with my husband where I do my admin/communications type work. Then upstairs I have a study where I write but I don’t have Internet access in case I get too distracted. The upstairs office is full of books, pictures of and by my sons, paintings, bits of embroidery, rocks… mad stuff, basically.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I love reading so much that I tend to dip into lots of different genres. I am a mad thriller/crime thriller reader and have been on a big Skandi crime binge. I like biography and historical biographies. I’ve just finished The Twelve Tribes of Hattie – brilliant.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
I can recall perfectly reading Alexandre Dumas Three Musketeers when I was about thirteen and off sick from school. I’d had the wit to go into school, head to the library, get some books, and then be sick and have to go home. Good plan, huh? It was an old edition and those filmy pages took me into another world. I loved it and went on a French writers’ binge.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
When I was young, I thought I was – like so many others – Jo in Little Women. I loved her courage and wit. Now… I don’t want to be anyone else. Too complicated a vision. It’s hard enough being yourself, isn’t it, without being someone else too.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I love films, yoga, knitting and attempting to tidy the books in the house.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Nice sweet, strong coffee in the morning with spelt toast and homemade marmalade. Yum.
Who is your hero? Why?
My husband. Because he’s a good man and I love him for so many reasons.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
How did you know I have a crystal ball…? It’s a hard time for booksellers because of the e-readers and I hope readers realize that bookshops offer a fabulous way to browse shelves in a way it’s hard to on an e-book but I also think the actual book has plenty of life left in it.
Follow Cathy:
Website URL: http://www.cathykelly.com/
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/cathykellybooks
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/cathykellybooks
Rachael Herron, author of Cora’s Heart
Tell us about your latest creation…
Cora’s Heart is the story of Cora, a farm-girl who’s been hurt too much in the past, who safeguards everything–except her heart. Mac is a large-animal veterinarian who has already risked it all and lost everything that mattered. When a secret is revealed, Cora has to decide whether Mac is a safe bet . . . or the worst gamble of her life.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m from Oakland, California, a lively town just on the other side of the San Francisco Bay.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I’ve wanted to be an author since I was old enough to realize that an actual person was behind the books I loved. I wanted to be that person.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I always love my latest book best. Cora’s Heart is definitely my favorite, and I’m still in love with the hero, Mac.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I go to a local coffee shop to write. It’s big and bright and full of people at all times. I put on my headphones, and the process of drowning out the voices drives me into the work. Sometimes I look up, completely stunned that I’m sitting in a room with other humans, instead of living inside the world I’m making.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I love the work of Sophie Littlefield and Nicole Alexander. I love to read about women who find their true strength in unexpected places.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Anne of Green Gables! Oh, I wanted to be Anne Shirley so badly. I still do, I think.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Jo March, still furious at Amy for throwing my book in the fire.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I play the accordion! I play badly but with gusto!
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Tacos from the taco trucks Oakland is famous for, and I love a good scotch and soda after a long day.
Who is your hero? Why?
My mother, sadly passed on, will always be my hero. She taught me that I could do anything I wanted to, and she believed in me utterly.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
For me, the challenge is finding the time to read through my To Be Read pile! I think most readers find the same problem staring at them from their bedside table.
Follow Rachael:
Website URL: http://yarnagogo.com
Blog URL: http://yarnagogo.com
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/Rachael.Herron.Author?ref=ts
Twitter URL: http://twitter.com/rachaelherron
Tell us about your latest creation…
Dinosaurs Love Cheese: for every child who loves dinosaurs — and cheese.
The Girl From Snowy River: World War I is over, but it still haunts the mountains. Flinty McAlpine lost a brother when the Snowy River men marched away. The man she loves won’t talk to her. But on a rock in the mist she meets a ‘ghost’ from the future, crippled in Vietnam: a man who needs to speak about the war that none of his friends will discuss with him, as much as she needs to hear. The second in the saga of Australia that began with A Waltz for Matilda.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
The Araluen Valley (NSW Southern Tablelands), cliffs streaked with eagle droppings, a wombat under the bedroom, the sugar gliders eating the blossom from 800 fruit trees, an a possum who snores above my study.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
Always — no matter what — a story teller
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
Pennies for Hitler, Diary of a Wombat, a Waltz for Matilda: all somehow achieved much more than I could have given them..
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
20,000 books, 200 wombats, wood, glass, pottery (gifts, not chosen), 3 wombat skulls, a table of seeds, another of manuscripts, a desk of scribbled notes, an apple core, two coffee mugs, a spider called Bruce, and the possum with sleep apnoea.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
Atwood, Pratchett, Haldeman, Trillin, Steingarten, plus about 500 more.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley), at age 7. Didn’t notice the sex scenes, just the realisation that ‘life will not always be like this.’ Great Dialogues of Plato, ditto: Socrates the youth of Athens to ask questions, unlike both home and school.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Every writer includes aspects of themselves in each book they write.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Can sharpen a chain saw, load a musket, milk an echidna, grow a five course dinner, but am functionally innumerate, dyslexic, and can’t spell hipop…hypop..that big grey animal from Africa.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Fresh bread and tomato salad with new olive oil, cold water, apple pie with hazelnut pastry, Jonathon and Cornish Aromatic apples, but mostly: lots!
Who is your hero? Why?
Socrates: the unexamined life is not worth living; and integrity.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Withering attention spans.
Follow Jackie:
Website URL: http://www.jackiefrench.com
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Big Book of Lunn contains the biggest selling book ever about an Australian childhood: “Over the Top with Jim” — plus the sequel about young love in the 1960s: “Head Over Heels”.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
Born in Brisbane and live here. Spent 7 years overseas aged 23-30 as a journalist and foreign correspondent. Lived in Hong Kong, Vietnam (during War), London, Indonesia, West Papua. Went into “Red China” in 1965!
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
A radio announcer — but my voice was too husky. But now, whenever I walk into a shop or talk in a cafe people say I know that ‘voice’ from hearing me interviewed about my books.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
“Over the Top with Jim” because it made enough money over the last 24 years for me to become a full-time author. Readers tell me my Vietnam and Rupert books are my best. My favourite is “The Great Fletch”.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I have a huge desk with a return with a set of shelves for books and papers behind. The third bedroom; the back toilet and the large room under the house are full of my files and MSs and future book
options… and my 30 years of journalism.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
George Orwell, because I aspire to write as clearly as him and to make such acute observations on the people I write about. Plus books about medicine and the human condition.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Poems mainly. Horatius Defends the Bridge was the first before I was five. And later Byron, Marvel, Pope, Tennyson etc. Browning was my favourite.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Winston Smith from Orwell’s 1984. In fact, sometimes I think I am Winston Smith! Because he wrote down what was really going on.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I collect songs for my “State of Origin — the Musical”.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
A steak at Moo-Moos Wine Bar and Grill in Brisbane. A Bundaberg ginger beer.
Who is your hero? Why?
Queesnland scientist Michael Good because he gave up his job running the Queensland Institute of Medical Research to try to find a cure for rheumatic fever and malaria which kill so many people in the world. And he’s on track with both.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Writing books that makes people laugh and cry.
Follow Hugh:
Website URL: http://www.hughlunn.com.au
Buy the physical book here…
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Divinity of Dogs is a book of stories where people describe the moment they learned something profound about life from an experience with a dog. It is also part memoir, including stories where dogs have helped me through different trials in my life.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
Home is where my dogs are. I live in Perth, Australia and on an island in Maine, in the United States.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
When I was 12 years-old I asked my Dad for an electric typewriter. I’ve always wanted to be a writer.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
The Divinity of Dogs is clearly my best work to date. Writing it was a deeply personal experience. I cried throughout the process. By all accounts from the reviews, it’s having a similar effect on readers. They are moved by the writing. It’s a wonderful feeling as an author to share your journey and to have others embrace it.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
In Perth, my studio feels like a tree house – lots of windows overlooking life. In Maine, my studio is nestled in the woods in the middle of a wildlife corridor. I can’t write unless everything around me is clean and tidy. I write best when I can only see words and nature.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
True Crime. Ann Rule.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
I was most moved by the works of Charles Dickens.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Heathcliffe from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. I am Heathcliffe.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Mow lawns. Play with dogs. Raise money and awareness for animal charities.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips. Zacapa Rum/Coke Zero with half a lime. Preferably together, on a boat.
Who is your hero? Why?
I have many heroes. I admire every person in this world who has a compassionate heart and works toward positive change to make the lives of others better.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
People love to read and write and always will. The challenge, for all of us, will be to adapt to the ever-changing forms of publication and to embrace the change.
Follow Jennifer:
Website URL: http://www.jenniferskiff.com/
Facebook Page #1 URL: https://www.facebook.com/thedivinityofdogs
Facebook Page #2 URL: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferskiffauthor
Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/JenniferSkiff
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The longlist for the 2013 ALS Gold Medal has been announced.
The longlisted titles are:
- Lola Bensky (Lily Brett, Hamish Hamilton)
- Darkness on the Edge of Town (Jessie Cole, Fourth Estate)
- Questions of Travel (Michelle de Kretser, A&U)
- Montebello (Robert Drewe, Hamish Hamilton)
- The Engagement (Chloe Hooper, Hamish Hamilton)
- Cumulus: Collected Poems (Robert Gray, John Leonard Press)
- Like a House on Fire (Cate Kennedy, Scribe)
- Lost Voices (Christopher Koch, Fourth Estate)
- The Mountain (Drusilla Modjeska, Vintage)
- The History of Books (Gerald Murnane, Giramondo)
- The Fine Colour of Rust (P A O’Reilly, HarperCollins)
- The Light Between Oceans (M S Stedman, Vintage).
Tell us about your latest creation…
How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You is the story of 16 year old Aurora Skye, who is a little like a modern day version of Jane Austen’s Emma – she thinks she knows everything about love and dating, when really her experience is entirely theoretical and often far off base. She runs a program called the Find a Prince Program and she’s constantly getting herself and her friends into the most ridiculous situations in the process of finding them their Potential Princes.
At the same time, she’s dealing with her dad, the NAD (New Age Dad) who’s in the midst of an existential crisis that began after Aurora’s mum left four years ago and her pesky next door neighbour Hayden Paris, who doesn’t believe that Cupid needs Aurora’s assistance. He’s also been witness to many of Aurora’s very embarrassing moments – which seem to happen every time she tries to keep a boy from kissing her (she’s saving her first kiss for her Potential Prince).
When her friend’s love lives don’t seem to be going to plan, Aurora is forced to take her program to the next level and signs up to be part of the school play, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Unfortunately she’s cast as Beatrice, opposite Hayden Paris’s Benedict – and they’re scripted to kiss! Aurora launches a full scale operation to save her first kiss, help her friends achieve their happily ever afters and protect the vulnerable NAD from the crazy interpretive dance teacher who’s seemingly stolen his heart.
I wanted to write a book that you could curl up with if you were having a bad day and then find yourself laughing on every page. I hope I’ve achieved that.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I grew up in Byron Bay, which I still consider to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. I went to a creative arts high school, which definitely helped inspire me with confidence in respects to expressing myself in a creative way. My
upbringing also influenced my writing in terms of some of the themes in ’How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You’ – the NAD (New Age Dad) and the interpretive dance classes that Aurora is forced to participate in are very close to the alternative aspects that define the region. Nevertheless, I still love Byron and spent part of my time writing the sequel to How to
Keep a Boy from Kissing you (How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You) whilst on holiday at my family home up there. I now call Sydney home.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I thought ’Pirate’ was a legitimate profession. I spent a lot of my time making pretend gold chests and coins out of paper. That along with the fact that I thought I’d grow up and have a vault of money to swim in like Scrooge McDuck from Duck Tales, makes me worry that I was a rather materialistic child!
My father tells me at age 11 I told him very matter of fact that I was going to be an author and write books from my house in Maui. I now write books, but the house in Maui is yet to materialise (I’ve given up on the vault of money!)
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
Aurora and her story ‘How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You’ will always hold a very special place in my heart. I wrote the book when I was 21, just because I wanted to tell a story. I hid the fact I wrote a book for a very long time, because most
people are very quick to tell you the miniscule odds of getting something published. However I always believed in the worth of the story and having the chance to share it with young girls (and the young at heart) has meant this time has been one of the happiest of my life. That said, I’ve immensely enjoyed the sequel and hope all my readers will too.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I write in my little studio, surrounded by posters of very romantic scenes (i.e. Tiffany ads and Pre-Raphaelite artwork) signs proclaiming ‘love’ and many candles. Very Aurora-esque room. However I also write after work in the office – I’m a firm believer that a writer can and should be able to work wherever. I’ve learnt to be able to focus even if there are conversations being shouted around me.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I pretty much read just about every YA novel out there when I was growing up, and writing within this genre I try to stay aware of what’s going on in the market. When I’m writing however I tend to read non fiction – things like specific
histories like Colour by Victoria Finlay or Beauty by Umberto Eco. I also read alot of poetry, because it tends to reflect upon the whole gamut of human emotion and triggers certain thought processes for a writer.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Anything by L.M Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables and her other novels were a huge part of my adolescence. I loved her characters fiercely and the summer of my fifteenth year was spent finding and reading every work she had ever
written. There is such a beauty to the worlds that she created. There are shades of Anne and Gilbert in Aurora and Hayden – Aurora’s fierce dislike of Hayden hints at how attracted she really is to him, as did Anne’s for Gilbert and both characters are huge romantics with big hearts.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Anne of Green Gables! She gets to marry the gorgeous Gilbert Blythe, so enough said. Plus, she has the most optimistic, lovely view on the world. Every stranger is a potential kindred spirit to her. I like that notion.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I adore going to the theatre. I would love to have the chance to write for theatre one day. There’s something magical about seeing the written words of a script brought to life so vividly and often so unexpectedly by the actors that is tremendously affecting. Johanna Murray Smith just blows me away as a playwright – I am both in awe and immensely envious of her ability to write such hilarious yet immensely emotional stories. Other hobbies include adding to my jewellery collection, planning hypothetical luxury holidays and a worrying addiction to Pinterest.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Food – dark chocolate strawberry Lindt – far too many pieces get consumed whilst I’m writing. Favourite drink? If I’m being saintly its fruit smoothies, if I’m being sinful its magaritas.
Who is your hero? Why?
There are too many to name. Anyone who takes a risk and puts themselves out there as creative professional, whether that’s as a writer, film maker, jewellery designer or musician.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
The transition from traditional print form to e-books is what is really shaking things up for the industry, along with the availability of cheap books from overseas websites – the traditional local bookstore is finding it tough times to survive.
E books can be opportunities for readers to discover new authors because its less of a risk price wise to buy something new. If someone enjoys an authors work, they may then buy the entire backlist and become a new fan. That’s a boon for the author.
However I do believe that there will always be people who prefer the print form (I am one of them) and we just have to ensure that we support our booksellers by buying locally.
Follow Tara:
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/findaprince
Buy the physical book here…
Tell us about your latest creation…
Antidote to Murder is book 2 of my Dody McCleland historical mystery series. The series is set in Edwardian London
and features Dody McCleland, Britain’s first female autopsy surgeon. In this book Dody is accused of conducting a criminal abortion, for which the penalty is death.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
Not sure where I am from! Born in Germany, educated in the UK and lived all over the world! Home these days is Gidgegannup, WA.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
All sorts of things! The arts (writing, the stage) was the biggest attraction, but I didn’t think I would be able to support myself that way and so chose the safer option of nursing – which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Arts came later, so I like to think I had the best of both worlds.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
My present series - naturally! Seriously though, I love writing about the Edwardian period and hope my passion for it is reflected in the writing.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I write at a large cluttered desk in my bedroom. The desk faces a window that has a stunning view of our rural property. My little dog is usually sitting at my feet or, as he is now, snoring softly from my bed.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I guess you could call me an eclectic reader who leans towards crime. I’m currently reading Peter Robinson’s latest and before that it was Stephen Fry’s bios. I also enjoy contemporary literary but don’t read too many classics these days -
had enough of those at school and uni.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
So many, where to start? The classic fairy tales, Beatrix Potter, Water Babies, C.S Lewis,Black Beauty, Hiedi, Anne of Green Gables etc progressing to the Willard price Adventure books, Alistair McClaine. Hammod Innes then Graham
Greene, Morris West etc when I became an angsty teenager.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Hmmm, that’s a hard one. The Scarlet Pimpernel perhaps? Risking my life for a worthy cause?
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Look after the menagerie, the farm, my organic veg patch, breed rare catfish, play the piano and fight bushfires with our local volunteer bushfire brigade.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
That’s an easy one - Oysters, champagne, and chocolate. Also very partial to spicy (vegetarian) food.
Who is your hero? Why?
Any member of my immediate family is a hero to me. They are all individuals in their own right with admirable, unique,
characteristics that I try to learn from.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
The tension between the traditional forms of publishing versus the new digital age. I hope the two forms can evolve in a way that is beneficial to both.
Follow Felicity:
Website URL: www.felicityyoung.com
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/felicity.young.10
Buy the physical book here…
Tell us about your latest creation…
Dead By Friday – how lust and greed led to murder in the suburbs - It’s the true story of two lovers who hire a hitman to kill their partners, but one of the lovers, Michelle Burgess, starts an affair with the hitman. It focuses on the 18-month period from when their affair began, through to the negotiation of two murder contracts outside a primary school, to the hitman eating one contract in a sandwich after it had been fulfilled. It also tells the story from the perspective of Michelle’s Burgess’s husband, Darren, the target of the second contract, who speaks publicly for the first time in this book.
I wanted to find out what made Michelle tick, so I commissioned respected forensic psychologist Dr Jack White to create a profile of Michelle Burgess and he delivers some genuine bombshells about her personality and her state of mind at the time of the murder.
The book is also intended to honour the memory of murder victim Carolyn Matthews, a wonderful woman whose life was overshadowed by the sordid and brutal plot that ended her life.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m from Manjimup, a delightful timber town in Western Australia’s lower south west. I live in Adelaide’s far northern suburbs – the spiritual home of the Snowtown serial killers. It’s the second stint I’ve had in Adelaide – I came here for the weird crime in 1995 and liked it so much I came back again in 2003 and stayed.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I wanted to be an author from the age of 8. Somewhere along the way I decided this was beyond me. So I set my sights much, much lower and became a newspaper journalist instead.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
Dead By Friday is easily my best work. It’s an extraordinary story that several people had previously tried to pin down without success. When I started researching it, I had interview knockbacks from virtually all the key characters. A lot of people were badly traumatised by this murder and, unsurprisngly, no one wanted to talk. It took five years of persistence, patience and negotiations to change their minds, but it was absolutely worth it.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
A small study at home with an office desk, a laptop and a shelf crammed with true crime books. On the walls are a Ned Kelly Wanted poster, A framed newspaper article about Brenden Abbott and a poster with every single Simpsons character.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I read an unhealthy amount of true crime, but also love a good biography. I’ve rarely read fiction in recent years, but discovering GRR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books last year was an absolute revelation. I immersed myself in the amazing world of Westeros and now live in constant fear that the fat old guy will die before he finishes writing the series.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
I was a voracious reader as a kid, but there was nothing I read that I would describe as “defining”. In 1991, when I was a young cadet journalist, I read David Simon’s Homicide – A Year on the Killing Streets. Nothing before or since has inspired me as much as that book – the characters, the painstaking detail, the humour, the dialogue, the structure and above all, the writing.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Stumped on this one. Hannibal Lecter? He did have such fantastic manners and tastes.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Spare time – what a fantastic concept! I I waste time playing Call of Duty and in fact had to institute a one-year ban on it to ensure I got Dead By Friday written. Also a passionate West Coast Eagles fan and fantasy footy nut.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
I love a good seafood platter with a Heineken on the side.
Who is your hero? Why?
David Simon. I admire his writing talent and his ability to tell sprawling stories with great pathos, using very real and very complex characters. Sadly, he’s not written many books, but has promised that he will one day “put down the crack pipe of TV” and go back to books.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Maintaining the quality of writing – and the trust of readers - amid the growing slushpile of eBooks.
Follow Derek:
Website URL: derekpedley.wordpress.com
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/deadbyfridaybook
Buy the physical book here…
Tell us about your latest creation…
A Ring Through Time is a ghostly romance set on Norfolk Island with a timeslip back to the brutal Second Penal Colony. Alice and Cormac are two star-crossed lovers whose ill-fated romance will haunt the future unless Allie can solve a family mystery and lay the ghosts of the past to rest.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I was born in Zimbabwe but have lived in Sydney for more than 40 years. Home is close to the beach and to the bush and I love them both.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I’ve written stories from the time I learned how to write – but never considered it a career option, it was just something I did – while dreaming about being a famous musician, or a brilliant surgeon – always something wonderful - until real life intruded! I was 40 by the time I started to take my writing seriously – a bit of a slow developer!
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I always love what I’m writing about; it becomes my whole world. I always find it hard to let go at the end, and I have to wait to fall in love all over again with the new book and its characters. I give every book my absolute best shot – and I hope I’m getting better with practice!
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I’ve colonised a spare bedroom for my study and its crammed with books (mostly for research purposes, my fiction lives elsewhere.) I have two filing cabinets + cupboards and shelves jammed with old mss, photo albums (for research) papers, etc etc. I also have an altar decorated with semi-precious stones and objects that hold special significance for me. And a CD player. There’s a lovely view out of one window, but once I’m writing I might as well be living in a cupboard!
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
Because many of my books have a basis in history (medieval and Australian) I read historical fiction and non fiction. I’m also a crime addict and I love family sagas too. Standout Aus. authors for me include Helen Garner, Marcus Zusak’s Book Thief and Geraldine Brooks.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
In my day there was little choice other than Enid Blyton. I so loved The Magic Faraway Tree that I think I’m still writing versions of it!
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Lisbeth Salander – I envy her strength, her courage, her freedom – but I might like to temper her prickles with the knowledge and caring of a Brother Cadfael.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I bush walk, body surf and snorkel at home and in exotic places like Indonesia, Fiji, Mozambique, Vanuatu and the Galapagos Islands. I’ve swum with manta rays, seals and penguins – it’s a magical world underwater.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Smoked salmon and avocado accompanied by a glass or two of chardonnay (not trendy I know, but I’m now old enough to please myself!)
Who is your hero? Why?
I admire people who perfect their craft and use it for the benefit of others as opposed to their own self-glorification - someone like Victor Chang, for example.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
For authors (and probably publishers and booksellers too) I think the challenge will be to adapt to changing technology and new ways of telling stories. I hope the book per se will never die – but once people become used to reading and interacting with stories on line and using different aps, then it might well be said that ‘the author is dead’.
Follow Felicity:
Website URL: www.felicitypulman.com.au
Blog URL: www.felicitypulman.com.au/blog
Facebook Page URL: www.facebook.com/felicitypulman
Twitter URL: http://www.twitter.com/felicitypulman
Buy the physical book here…
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Icon Murders is a crime thriller, a tale of murder and of why people commit murder, and of the people who occupy our world, but are invisible to us, the ordinaery law abiding citizens. The story is about Syd Fielding, now very senior in the WA police, who is accused by his best friends of multiple and brutal murders. Syd is emotionally scarred, a romantic man and a loyal friend. He has a flawed religious philosophy and a conscience that is flexible enough to accommodate violence. As he struggles to control his own inner voices, Syd must defend himself, without mercy to those who have set him up. After all, when right and wrong, good and bad, co-exist in every person … who deserves to live and who to die? It is a story about political corruption and evil, and a love story with a different ending.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I live in an apartment in Brisbane, with my wife of 50 years. We travel a lot, and spend a lot of time in Phnom Penh, where we have a hotel in partnership with our daughter. The hotel is an endless source of interesting characters.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I always wanted to write, but circumstances demanded that I should not dream but should have a career that might bring in some income. Looking back now, I realise that sometimes one should follow childhood dreams. Easy to say from a distance.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
This is only my second book. I do believe that I have improved upon a very good debut novel. I have completed the third draft of my third book, and I am very excited about it. I have enjoyed immensely writing all 3 books, but this one is the tragicomedy that I always wanted to write
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I am an orderly person in my usual life, however when I’m writing (which is almost always these days) I become obsessive and my concentration is entirely upon my characters and my story, to the
point where I forget to pay the bills and to take care of my basic every day living. I start at 8 am every day and spend the first few hours dealing with stuff concerning the hotel and my superannuation, and then straight into the writing until 6pm with a short time off for lunch and maybe a long walk sometimes to clear the head. I love it.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I’ve read a lot of crime. Lee Child, Nelson de Mille and much history and many historical novels. Before and while I was writing The Icon Murders, I read Graham Greene, Hemingway, Steinbeck and Dostoevsky. I think this combination has had a positive influence upon my writing this novel. Right now I’m reading Christopher Hitchens (“Arguably”) and hope to be able to write with his light touch.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
In Grade 7 we studied Macbeth, and I’ve had a great love of Shakespeare’s plays ever since then. To this day, I have books that I’ve kept over the years, by Ion Idriess, and Rolf Boldrewood. Wonderful adventure stories with Australian flavour, and A.W Horning and Jacques Weygand. Tom Sawyer was another favourite and is still on my bookshelf.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Whenever I read “A Farewell to France” by Noel Barber, I envy the main character, the young Astill (cannot remember his first name) for his carefree youth in the champagne district of France, and for the elegant style of living he managed during the war years in Paris.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I have the hotel in Phnom Penh. My wife and I helped to get it started two years ago, and that has been an incredible learning curve for all of us. We both play bridge and love to travel. About every 12 weeks we go to Cambodia and we seem to manage to get to Paris every so often, where we have a friend who gives us his apartment at an economical rent. Love that city.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
I like white wine, but I suppose I have to say that a single malt scotch is hard to beat. I get no great fun from going to expensive ( pretentious ?) restaurants and when we eat out it is to a smaller Italian, or a good fish and chips place. I like Thai food and find it hard to go past pie and peas. Right now I’m doing the 2:5 diet which is so easy.
Who is your hero? Why?
It would be Winston Churchill, despite his terrible record in Ireland and India and his supposed dislike of Australians. I think anyone who could lead England out of the tragedy of the WWII, and who
foresaw many of the problems that would beset the remainder of the century, is worth a bit of hero-worshiping. Besides anything else, he was a great writer, with an incredible command of the language and an elegant style that holds my attention.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
I believe that we will come to see electronic readers as being a positive influence. If, of course you are a bookshop owner, then that is a challenge to be overcome. Books have been written and read for centuries. Often for the enjoyment of the reader. I cannot see that this will ever change. TV has been absorbed; we are coming to grips with Kindle etc. I don’t see a problem except for the usual challenge that we must, as writers continue to challenge and entertain and/or educate our readers.
Follow Noel:
Facebook Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/NoelMealeyAuthor
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Margareta Osborn, author of Hope’s Road
Tell us about your latest creation…
My latest book is called HOPE’S ROAD (Bantam, Random House). This novel is a captivating rural romance set in the rugged, beautiful high country of East Gippsland.
Montmorency Downs has been in Tammy McCauley’s family for five generations. The land, and all it has to offer, flows through her veins, and she couldn’t imagine any other life. When her abusive husband walks out, he strikes where it hurts most, and Tammy is forced to do something she never imagined she could do.
Joe McCauley has long been estranged from his family. Sixty years ago he walked out on his parents and brother, and never looked back. He now lives alone on McCauleys Hill, widowed, with no friends or family to rely on. When he falls and breaks his hip, he is forced to rely on his neighbours and great-niece – who he has never spoken to – to avoid being placed in a home.
Travis Hunter is struggling to adapt to the role of single father. A dog trapper who hasn’t spoken to his brother in years, he is attempting to suppress growing feelings for Tammy and trying to be a father – but doesn’t know how to. Still heartbroken from his wife walking out on him, he finds it hard it hard to let anyone in, especially his ten year old son, Billy.
When a massive flood threatens their land and lives, they must come together under the most difficult of circumstances to save each other.
Hope’s Road brings these characters together in a tale of love, faith, heritage, and loss. When pitted against adversity – whether in the form of abusive, unfaithful husbands, absent mothers, deep feelings of betrayal and anger, lack of self belief, the perils of the land or the temperament of Mother Nature, Tammy, Joe and Travis will unite to show that no matter what life throws at you, there is always hope.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I’m a fifth-generation farmer who has lived and worked on the land all my life. Home is the beautiful Macalister Valley of East Gippsland where, with my husband and three children, I spend many hours in the mountains where my novels are set.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
A farmer, a parks and wildlife ranger or a nurse with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I’ve managed to achieve variances of the first two of the three. I also seemed to think back then I could write in my spare time. Why I thought there would be any of that, I have no idea!
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
My children. Because a) they are adorable (most of the time). I love and cherish every moment with them, and b) they are a blank canvas. It is up to us to guide and support their growth in life. It’s such a privilege (and challenge).
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
My office. It is chaotic. Farm bookwork rubs up against writing paraphernalia. Craft work and the linen press compete for attention. Sometimes I just give up, grab my laptop and head for the nearest hilltop. At least the view is good there and I’m not filled with guilt over what I SHOULD be doing.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I have an eclectic taste. I like to read good quality fiction. I love anything written by Geraldine Brooks, Caroline Overington and Diana Galbaldon. Other all time favourites are The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), The Dovekeepers (Alice Hoffman), The Guersey Litereary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer & A Barrows). I also like to throw in the occasional Lee Child or Vince Flynn novel and even some of Robin Hobb’s fantasy tales.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
Mary Grant Bruce’s Billabong Books. I adored them and whilst watering the farm trees in the drought of the early 80′s, I devoured the whole series. It took me the whole summer. When I found out Grant Bruce was born not 30 kilometres from where I lived, and the country she was writing about was ‘my’ country’, I was in heaven.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Elizabeth Bennet. Why: Mr Darcy (especially if he looks anything like Colin Firth in a wet shirt). Need I say more?
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Fight bush fires. Hike around the mountains searching for brumbies. Arrange church flowers. Ride motorbikes, horses and waterski like a mad woman. Oh, and I bake cakes and make the odd quilt.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
A camp oven roast followed by apple pie and cream. Drink? Where do I start? Cowboy shots (see my book BELLA’S RUN 
. Vodka and raspberry? I will have to say though, nothing goes past my late
mother’s cold tea punch recipe, especially on a boiling hot day.
Who is your hero? Why?
My husband. He embodies everything that is good in a man.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Accessibility to books for everyone. It’s all very well to have e-books being the way of the future. But here in the bush, we need to have good internet access to ensure we can join in this evolutionary
change. Here, where I live, I can barely download one book let alone a whole personal library.
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Tell us about your latest creation…
‘Sex, Lies and Bonsai’ is the story of Edie, a shy, awkward redhead who has returned to her childhood home on the north coast of New South Wales after her ‘perfect’ boyfriend dumps her by text message. It’s been called ‘a quirky love story’, ‘a zany romance’ and ’a bloody good laugh.’
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I was born in Holland, grew up in Fiji and spent my teenage years in Brisbane. I then worked all over Australia, from the Barrier Reef to the Snowy Mountains. I am now delighted to call the beautiful north coast of New South Wales home.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
My first ambition was to become a dolphin trainer. After that I decided I wanted to become a park ranger and, eventually, I did! Really though, I have always wanted to write, it just took a while for that simmering desire to become a reality.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I only have two published novels at this stage, ‘Liar Bird’ and ‘Sex, Lies and Bonsai’ and also a radio play ‘Baddest Backpackers.’ I love them all but ‘Sex, Lies and Bonsai’ is my favourite, because while it is a comedy I think it does capture the joy, pain and drama of falling in and out of love.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
I work in a corner of my bedroom on a small desk which is usually overun with paper. The best part about it is that it has a view of the sea, although that can be quite distracting at times. I have a collection of objects on my desk that remind me of my stories. ‘Liar Bird’ is a ceramic tree frog, while ‘Sex, Lies and Bonsai’ is a small statue of Japanese lucky gods.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I am a very eclectic and whimsical reader. I love a good comedy, but also read a lot of literary fiction. Most recently, I have enjoyed ‘Nine Days’ by Toni Jordan, ‘Black Mountain’ by Venero Armanno and ‘Little Bee’ by Chris Cleave. My goal for 2013 is to read as much Australian fiction as possible.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ turned me into an obsessive cupboard dweller as a child. I was sure that one day I would get through the back wall to a snow-covered landscape with a lone lamp post, a faun carrying parcels and a bunch of talking animals. Actually, that feeling is still with me.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Lucy from ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ because she gets to Narnia first! Who wouldn’t want to be Queen Lucy the Valiant?
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I surf at least a few times a week – every day if it’s good. On holidays, I am as active as possible and come back exhausted. I love disappearing into wild places with no internet or phone.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Mangoes and coffee! I’m pretty wholesome really.
Who is your hero? Why?
My heroes are too many to mention. I admire people who are prepared to stand up for what is right – in particular, those who dedicate their lives to protecting our environment.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
The use of computers in various ways impinges on leisure time that would previously have been used for reading. I am guilty of that myself. But it is clear to me that there are still large numbers of
passionate readers out there. The book is far from dead.
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Tell us about your latest creation…
Losing February – my first book. It is a story about love and loss and lots of bad sex.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
I was born in Melbourne but grew up in the dusty steelworks town of Whyalla in South Australia. Even though I live in Sydney, I call Federal, in the Byron Bay hinterland, my home. I lived there for 10 years.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
I wanted to be an air hostess (as they were called in those days), a wildlife conservationist (like in the film Born Free), a teacher (which I became) and a writer.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
I couldn’t possibly answer that. And I don’t believe I have done anywhere near my best work yet. Can I get back to you in ten years time?
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
A study with lots of fun things on my desk like blue gorillas, a Dexter and Superman doll, a pig painted as a tiger by my daughter and lots and lots of books and inspirational pieces of poetry on the walls. It is eclectic but tidy. My mind is chaotic so I need a tidy desk. I look out of four big windows across the train line and trees.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I love to read. Helen Garner, Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, Raymond Carver – so, so many wonderful writers.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
All the Famous Five and Secret Seven AND The Magic Faraway Tree ( I still fantasise about the pop biscuits and topsy-turvy land). Standouts include February Dragon by Colin Thiele, I Can Jump Puddles by Alan Marshall, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. I could go on. I lost myself in books.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
One of the kids who ate those pop biscuits in Magic Faraway Tree? I think I’d like to Heidi. I read that book so many times and the goats, the mountains, the bed in the haystack, I sooo wanted to be Heidi- she was a little social activist too.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
I gaze – I sit in the garden with the chooks and the dog and simply look at the sky. I love to be on, in or near the ocean. Eating out, walking, annoying friends and making up stories about strangers on the street.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Favourite food is pancakes – there isn’t anything that doesn’t go with a pancake. I am waiting for them to be the height of culinary fashion again. Whisky is a favourite, and real old-fashioned lemonade – but not together.
Who is your hero? Why?
Nelson Mandela- because of his resilience and his ability to forgive. Can I choose Winnie-the-Pooh and his friend Tigger. What characters – what a wonderful philosophy they have on life. They remind me not to take myself too seriously.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Reaching an audience- there is so much noise competing on the airwaves of life. the internet, television, YouTube. Everyone, it seems wants to be famous. We will have to be more discerning when we realise how much time we waste (even though it is fun) looking at funny dog and cat videos.
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From the author of the acclaimed Grassdogs comes a breathtaking story set in the Blue Mountains during the late 1800s
When I was a babe in rags my father had three wives …
Half-brothers Byron and Clancy Wilson are inseparable during their childhood. They run wild in the dark valleys of the Blue Mountains, run riot during their school years in Katoomba, and run afoul of the ogre of the town, Constable Barnaby Clout. But it is a love triangle between the brothers and emerald-eyed Violet Kefford, as well as a dramatic jewel heist, that ultimately tests their unconventional family.
The Forgotten World is a breathtaking story that lyrically charts the landscape and people of the Blue Mountains in the late 1800s, and sees real characters in Australian history, such as Sir Henry Parkes, artist Julian Ashton and Lord and Lady Carrington dancing through its pages. Poignant and unforgettable, it plumbs the depths of family loyalty and betrayal.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark O’Flynn was born in Melbourne and now lives in the Blue Mountains. Mark studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, and in 2001 he was funded by the NSW Ministry for the Arts to write the play Eleanor & Eve, which premiered at Varuna in 2002, and was remounted at the Q Theatre in 2003. This play was the most successful production there for five years.
After his stint in the theatre, Mark turned to fiction and poetry. He has published four poetry collections and a novella, Captain Cook. Mark’s first full-length novel, Grassdogs, was published in 2006 after he participated in the HarperCollins Varuna Manuscript Development Program.
His short stories, articles, reviews, and poems have appeared in a wide range of journals and magazines both here and overseas, including Australian Book Review, The Bulletin, The Good Weekend, Heat, Westerly, Meanjin, Southerly,Island, Overland, New Australian Stories and Picador New Writing.
False Start, Mark’s comic memoir, was recently published by Finch Publishing.
A stunning Australian novel based on the true story of the first woman to set foot on Antarctica
It’s the early 1930s. Antarctic open-sea whaling is booming and a territorial race for the mysterious continent between Norwegian and British–Australian interests is in full swing. This was the era when Antarctica was closed to women, in spite of hundreds applying to expeditions.
Determined to learn more about the first women to reach Antarctica, Jesse Blackadder travelled to Norway where she made the exciting discovery that the first woman to reach the Antarctica Peninsula was not an explorer but Ingrid Christensen, a 38-year-old mother who left her six children behind and travelled there on a whaling boat four times in the 1930s with her husband, taking a female friend or two on each trip.
With this intriguing fact as inspiration, Jesse tells the story of a sea voyage from Cape Town by the Norwegian whaling magnate Lars Christensen and three women: Lillemor Rachlew, who tricked her way onto the ship and will stop at nothing to be the first woman to land on Antarctica; Mathilde Wegger, a grieving widow who’s been forced to join the trip by her calculating parents-in-law; and Lars’s wife, Ingrid Christensen, who has longed to travel to Antarctica since she was a girl and has made a daunting bargain with Lars to convince him to take her.
Loyalties shift and melt and conflicts increase as they pass through the Southern Ocean and reach the whaling grounds. None of the women is prepared for the reality of meeting the whaling fleet and experiencing firsthand the brutality of the icy world.
As they head for the continent itself, the race is on for the first woman to land on Antarctica. None of them could possibly know how their arrival will change them forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jesse is an award-winning short-story writer and freelance journalist, fascinated by landscapes and belonging. Her earlier novels are After the Party and The Raven’s Heart (2011). She was awarded the Guy Morrison Prize for Literary Journalism in 2012 and the Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship in 2011/2012, which enabled her to travel there for the second time on a six-week voyage. Born in Sydney, Jesse now lives near Byron Bay.
Tell us about your latest creation…
The Rosie Project: A socially-challenged genetics professor sets out to find a wife scientifically. A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that both men and women will enjoy. Winner of the Vic Premier’s Award for an unpublished manuscript and rights sold in 32 countries.
Where are you from / where do you call home?
Born in Auckland, NZ, live in Melbourne, Australia.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?
As a young kid, an astronaut. Later (from about 10) a theoretical physicist.
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?
The Rosie Project (novel - there’s a screenplay too). It took a lot of small steps to realise a lifetime ambition of writing a novel. Previously I’d written non-fiction and made several short films.
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?
It’s a notebook computer. That’s it. And I use it anywhere except in my office – which is for business.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?
I’m a guy. Non-fiction. I have to force myself to read fiction – but I’m fine once I get into it. I like Nick Hornby, John Irving, John Fowles, Joanne Harris and (sorry) Philip Roth.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Solzenitsyn. It taught me something important about the nature of happiness – which may or may not have been the author’s intention. And I read ALL of Asimov, Hemingway and Henry Miller.
If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Daniel Martin – in Fowles’s Daniel Martin. A screenwriter trying to make sense of life - and eventually finding some. Which is what I turned out to be. (It’s 30 years since I’ve read it – I may be very wrong).
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?
Walk. My partner and I walked 2000km from Cluny in France to Santiago in Spain (pilgrims’ route) in 2010. And make short films.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?
Crab or tuna. Hard to beat fresh pepper crab eaten outside in Singapore. And I’m a wine nut so a great pinot noir from France or Oregon.
Who is your hero? Why?
Bob Dylan. For many reasons, including his determination to maintain his creative energy in later life.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?
Short attention spans.
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This is a remarkable true story about how America’s best pianist was immortalised by an Australian lipstick salesman.
A Lasting Record is a haunting story about two men who never met but whose paths crossed in a surprising way. With a mix of detective work and imagination, Stephen Downes tells the spellbinding tale of the greatest pianist who almost never was, and his eccentric and passionate fan.
William Kapell was returning from a series of concerts in Australia in 1953 on a BCPA plane that ploughed into a mountain south of San Francisco. He was just 31 years old, a husband and father. The airline was subsequently taken over by Qantas and litigation for damages went on for years.
This is the first biography of the American but it also tells the story of Roy Preston, a humble Melburnian whose home-made recordings of Kapell’s playing, miraculously released by Sony BMG in 2008, confirm the pianist’s genius.
Preston had used a Melbourne-made ‘Royce’ recorder to capture the pianist’s last performance – Chopin’s ‘Funeral March’ sonata – from a live radio broadcast a week before Kapell was killed.
A Lasting Record is filled with bizarre coincidences – the men looked similar; two other great pianists whom Kapell knew also died at 31, and the Kapell family in New York heard about the discovery of Roy’s recordings 50 years to the day after Willy’s death. A black cat walked across the stage at his last recital, and days later he told reporters on the tarmac at Mascot that he would never return to Australia. He had held out his hand to show Melbourne friends his short ‘life’ line and told them he wouldn’t be around for long.
Stephen Downes brings his love of music, keen journalist’s eye and detailed research to this epic tale spanning several decades. It is a diamond of a book, with many glittering facets.
Buy the book here…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Downes is the author of ADAGIO FOR A SIMPLE CLARINET, a narrative that involved musicology, biography, memoir, Nazi history and an interview with Mozart. A writer and journalist who wanted to be a concert pianist, he has ‘collected’ for decades live performances by some of the world’s greatest pianists, including Sviatoslav Richter, Daniel Barenboim and Julius Katchen. He has a significant collection of piano recordings. Stephen is the author of several books, including BLACKIE, the story of a pet cat’s treatment for a brain tumour and his unfortunate demise; the book was met with considerable sales and is now translated into three languages.
What’s Your Dog Teaching You? by Martin McKenna
The follow-up to the bestselling What’s Your Dog Telling You?
Martin McKenna, aka the Dog Man, has learned plenty from the dogs he grew up with and from the dogs he now owns. He firmly believes that dogs hold the key to human happiness and wellbeing and that they can help us to be better people — if we only learned how to learn from them.
Over the years he has counselled countless people in doggy lore, in how to be more relaxed, more confident, less aggressive, more loyal, how to make the most out of life, how to use routine to clear your head — and numerous other useful modes of behaviour. In this book he runs through the many lessons dogs can teach us, via colourful anecdotes about hounds and their owners.
Be warned! Not everyone is up to the task of learning from their dog.
Martin McKenna is the author of the bestselling book, What’s Your Dog Telling You? As a boy growing up in Limerick, Ireland, he escaped from family violence by running away from home and living in an abandoned barn with a pack of stray dogs. Martin learned the unique psychology and language shared by dogs all over the world and now he is passionate about helping dogs and humans to communicate more successfully with each other. He lives on the far north coast of New South Wales with his wife, children and an assortment of dogs.
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Praise for What’s Your Dog Telling You?
‘The book exudes his passion for reshaping our perceptions of the dog world. Martin is an entertaining, thoughtful writer, who even the most conservative disciplinarians will come to like.’ – dogsnsw.com.au
‘It’s entertaining and thought-provoking and well worth a read.’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘The book is easy to navigate and is a dog owner’s go-to book for all their questions.’ – Toowoomba Chronicle
‘Upon reaching the last page, the readers will be astounded by all the new things you have learned to say fluently in dog language, not just to your own dog, but to every dog you meet.’ – Margaret River Times
The feel-good novel of 2013, The Rosie Project is a classic screwball romance.
Rights sold into more than thirty countries.
Don Tillman is getting married. He just doesn’t know who to yet.
But he has designed the Wife Project, using a sixteen-page questionnaire to help him find the perfect partner. She will most definitely not be a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also fiery and intelligent and beautiful. And on a quest of her own to find her biological father—a search that Don, a professor of genetics, might just be able to help her with.
The Wife Project teaches Don some unexpected things. Why earlobe length is an inadequate predictor of sexual attraction. Why quick-dry clothes aren’t appropriate attire in New York. Why he’s never been on a second date. And why, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love: love finds you.
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Praise for The Rosie Project:
‘Funny and heartwarming, a gem of a book.’ — Marian Keyes
‘Although there are many laughs to be found in this marvellous novel, The Rosie Project is a serious reflection on our need for companionship and identity. Don Tillman is as awkward and confusing a narrator as he is lovable and charming.’ — John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
‘Graeme Simsion has created an unforgettable and charming character unique in fiction. Don Tillman is on a quirky, often hilarious, always sincere quest to logically discover what is ultimately illogical—love. Written in a superbly pitch-perfect voice, The Rosie Project had me cheering for Don on every page. I’m madly in love with this book! Trust me, you will be, too.’ – Lisa Genova, bestselling author of Still Alice and Left Neglected
About Graeme Simsion
Graeme Simsion worked as a computer operator, programmer and database specialist before founding a consulting business in 1982. By the time he sold Simsion Bowles & Associates in 1999, it had grown to some seventy staff in three cities. Graeme had built an international reputation in data management and written the standard text on data modelling. Until the success of The Rosie Project enabled him to concentrate on his writing, he continued to deliver seminars around the world.
Graeme is a founder of Pinot Now, a wine importer and distributor and Roy’s Antiques in Melbourne. He recently resigned from his position as a Senior Research Fellow at Melbourne University. He is married to Anne, a professor of psychiatry who writes erotic fiction. They have two children.
In 2007, Graeme completed his PhD in information systems and enrolled in the professional screenwriting course at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has made a number of short films and his screenplay, The Rosie Project, won the Australian Writers Guild / Inception Award for Best Romantic Comedy Script in 2010. While waiting for The Rosie Project to be produced, he turned it into a novel which in June 2012 won the Victorian Premier’s award for an unpublished fiction manuscript.
Readers of The Rosie Project will know that Graeme Simsion has a first-class sense of humour. At professional conferences he has given addresses from on top of a ladder, dressed as a duck, and he once engaged a group of spellbound chartered accountants in community singing.
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