Author Harvest ‘bales up’ Helen McKenna

You know I’m rather partial to a ‘HOUSE’. Well, today I’ve ‘baled up’ a Beach House! 

Please welcome to Harvest, Queensland author, Helen McKenna – author of The Beach House.

Start by telling me if it’s scones and tea or some other homemade delight you have whipped up for me today?

I’ve recently started making red velvet cupcakes (who knew it was so easy?) and they’ve proved to be a bit of a hit. So red velvet for sure.

(I LOVE red velvet cupcakes. The words ‘red velvet’ alone conjours up all sorts of wonderfulness! Don’t you think?)

At home with…

My mum says garden gnomes make a house a home! Are you loud and proud in your love of garden gnomes at home, a closet gnomer or with a strict ‘no gnomes’ policy at your place?

I must admit I don’t have any gnomes, however I would not be averse to inviting one to live in my yard.

(I’ll let you know if I find one looking for a new home.)

What vegetable (or fruit) have you always wanted to grow at home?

I love grape and cherry tomatoes right off the vine and just bursting with flavour. Previous attempts to grow them have been unsuccessful (damn birds and grubs!) but it’s on my bucket list.

(Perhaps a scarecrow/gnome combo might do the trick and–dare I say it — kill two birds with one stone! I said ‘stone’ NOT ‘stoned gnome’, Jennie Jones – author of House on Burra Burra Lane – see, told you I love ‘House’ books!!)

If I came to your home and looked in the refrigerator, what would I find?

It would depend how far it is in the shopping cycle! The usual boring staples (milk, cheese, butter) as well as yoghurt and leftovers of some kind (I’m a big fan of leftovers). Definitely apples and some vegies. Possibly some Tim Tams as well. 🙂

(Yowser! Red velvet cup cakes with a Tim Tam slam chaser! Happy days.)

If you sorted your wardrobe by colour, what colour would stand out? (Ahh, do you sort your wardrobe by colour?!)

Definitely blue in many varying shades in my very unsorted wardrobe.

(Then you would match that lovely book cover, wouldn’t you?)

What are you wearing now? (Be honest!)

Navy trackie dacks and a pink hoodie. Autumn has just appeared.

(Oh look, and now it’s winter! Guessing it’s still trackie dacks?)

Whose home would you like to housesit and why?

Anybody living along the Amalfi coast in Italy.

(I’ll fight you for it!)

Country curiosities…

We love a sunburnt country (slip, slop, slap and all that). What’s your ideal hat? Or are you a boots person?

One with a broad brim. I don’t see the point of caps or sun visors or bucket hats that don’t completely shade your face. I have 2 identical hats (one for home and one for car) so that way I’m always covered. (Yes I’m a Queenslander and we have the honour of having the highest rate of skin cancer in the world).

(Identical hats? They must be special. We may require a picture, Helen!)

If you were a tree (or animal) what kind of tree (animal) would you be?

A dolphin – the water is like a second home for me.

(Ah, hence The Beach House! Gotchya!)

Now for the big question… Why did the chicken cross the road?

Er….pass!

(Er … to get to the beach?)

About you…

Your turning point: when was that point in your life that you realized that being an author was no longer going to be just a dream but a reality and a career?

About 3 years ago when I’d dragged my manuscript out and played with it yet again. Sitting on my computer I googled manuscript assessment and wrote down some names and decided that the first step was just getting an opinion. If it came back no good I would put that particular story to bed and start another. Luckily it came back positive and gave me the momentum I needed to get it finished and polished.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The middle bit. The planning is fun and so is the first burst of creativity – but then when I’m confronted with the “too hard” pile I’ve started and know that only I can fix the gaping plot holes, I become very unmotivated and take the art of procrastination to a new level.

If someone was to write your biography, what do you think the title should be?

I honestly have no idea.

(Is that the title? I’m confused!!)

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Q. So is it true that featuring on Oprah’s book club sends your sales into the stratosphere?

A. Yes, definitely!

(LOL! – Love it!)

Fun stuff …

What does your protagonist think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you, the author, his/her creator.

My book has several protagonists but as each of them has some aspect of me in them I’d like to think we’d get along very well.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

A cameraman from The Amazing Race. I’d love to be along for the ride, but not have to be filmed myself.

How weird are you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very).

I like to think I’m pretty normal so I’d say  2-3.

(Hmm, bad news, Helen … 2 – 3? That’s NOT pretty normal! But that’s okay. You’re a writer. We’re all around that mark.)

Now, tell us about The Beach House.

Nothing much happens in the small Queensland town of Sunset Point, which is just the way the locals like it. So when an outsider with grand plans threatens to demolish an iconic local landmark and build a huge resort the battle lines are drawn.

Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the court case, but first she has to appease her editor and put a human interest spin on the situation. At first glance the five people she chooses to background have little in common – but it soon becomes apparent that staying at The Beach House has changed all of them in some way.

In telling the stories of Kate, Simone, Tom, Clare and Jack, Jessica too learns some important life lessons.

Find out more about Helen on her website, connect on Facebook, or click to buy the book.