Author Harvest ‘bales up’ Nene Davies

Today I welcome Nene Davies, author of the novel Distance, available May 2013. (If you love that title like I do, wait until you read the blurb.) But first things first, as always here on Author Harvest. Let’s talk food …

What delight have you whipped up for me today, Nene? A Nene-ish tart perhaps? (ROFL at my own joke!)

Even if I say so myself, I’ve been known to whip up a pretty good Victoria Sponge. Our local annual Farmers Club Show in Wales offers a tremendous opportunity to enter cakes and other culinary delights in The Big Tent section. I’m proud to announce that over the years, my Victoria Sponge Cakes have been awarded – not once, but twice – The Very Highly Commended Rosette! Actually…. perhaps it was Highly Condemned..? Let me cut you a slice and you can judge for yourself!

(Wow! You are the first to offer award-winning munchies. Take note, Harvestees!)

At home …

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’m sorry Jenn – I really am. But this is a no-gnome-home. In fact, there are no little mates in the garden at all…just grass, flowers, jasmine hedges (yes! hedges – they’re fab!) and palm trees.

(You are welcome to come home to the country and trim my  giant-and-not-so-fab hedges whenever you like!)

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

Ooh well, that’s easy. Lemons. Let’s face it – what’s not to love? They smell amazing, transform your baked salmon, are a handy means of removing garlic smells from your chopping board….and are an absolute MUST HAVE for a half-decent gin and tonic!

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

Champagne! Oh OK then, not actual Champagne, just anything sparkly. It’s important to always have a couple of bottles of fizz chilling in the fridge, because you never know when you’ll have something to celebrate! There are always lots of veggies and beautiful tropical fruits in our fridge too. And cheese. And olives. Oh and milk. And yoghurt.

(I may just stay for dinner now!)

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

Wardrobe-sorting is definitely not my forte, but if it were, then white would be the stand-out. I live in Queensland so there’s not a lot of black clothing in my cupboard!

What are you wearing now? (Be honest!)

It’s the summertime so I’m wearing a white (of course!) cotton sundress and no shoes.

Country curiosities …

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

Boots are great and when we lived in Wales, they were a winter staple. But now I’m all about the hat. White (sorry!) cotton, big brimmed and floppy.

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

I might be a gum tree so that koalas could snuggle in my branches and kookaburras would laugh amongst my leaves. And I’d smell of eucalypt!

(What a charming answer. I may have to start an ‘Author Harvest Top Answers’ list. That one would be on it!)

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?

I’ve done a fair few jobs in my time. And being a full-time mum was absolutely my most favourite role of all. Our children are now all grown up, and together with my lovely husband,  have encouraged me to really go for my writing dreams. I am so blessed to have the time and space to write full time now. A couple of years ago, we spent twelve months in Melbourne and that’s when I really knuckled down to the serious business of getting my novel down on paper – and I haven’t stopped since!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Editing! Bluegh!

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

I drew a blank with this question, so I asked my Mum-in-Law what she thought. She didn’t hesitate in replying ‘The One and Only.’ We both started giggling at that point and I’m still not sure if that’s a flattering title… or not…!

(LOL! You were brave asking your M-I-L! I’d go with flattering.)

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 novel ‘Distance’ is loosely based on our family’s own experiences and written from the mum’s point of view, so I suppose that she and I are half-sisters already. To be honest, there are times when my protagonist is positively dislikeable and an absolute pain! I’m MUCH nicer than she is! (Ah bless, don’t hate her – she has a lot to contend with!)

(You need to touch base with Allison Rushby. I think she did the reverse – Australia To England. She has a travel memior blog wth the best title – http://keepcalmandcarryvegemite.com/) The book Keep Calm and Carry Vegemite will be released with Momentum on 1 March, 2013. Ooh, March 1. What a great date!)

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?

At the risk of sounding absolutely cheese-tastic, I would have to say that I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone. Unless of course, they were an award-winning novelist with a squillion dollars in the bank and the face of a twenty year old. But then again, would I really want to swap lives with that person? Nah.

If I said to you, “Just entertain me for five minutes, I’m not going to talk,” what would you do?

I’d read my novel to you!

(I’d enjoy that very much!)

What food would you be?

Hopefully something sweet, but not sugary. Sharp, but not brittle. Warm but wouldn’t burn you. Definitely not something bland. Oh to heck with it, I’d be a lovely big glass of red wine!

(I’ll drink to that!)

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Unsliced bread I guess!

Name 5 uses for a stapler that has not staple pins.

1. Door wedge.
2. Window prop.
3. Offensive weapon.
4. Conversation starter.
5. Funky paperweight.

Thanks for being a good sport, Nene. Now, about you and your novel …

DISTANCE by Nene Davies

Take a passionate couple, a rock-solid family and an idyllic life on the West Wales coast. Throw in an outrageous dream, a life-changing situation and a difficult grandmother. Add a teaspoon of luck and a bucketload of love, mix in a dollop of emotion, a river of conflict – and stir!

Distance will be published by Australian digital publishers Really Blue Books in May 2013. (Although not the cover, this image remains an inspiration to Nene.)

Connect with Nene Davies on Facebook and Twitter: @nene_davies

In addition to writing contemporary women’s fiction, Nene writes short stories and poetry. Her story ‘Miss Understood’ has been published, both online and in hard copy by Narrator Australia as part of their anthology and is currently sitting at no. 5 in the Narrator Australia stats.

Nene’s short story ‘Day One’ has been published in hard copy by Writers Abroad in the ‘Foreign Encounters’ anthology and this will also be available as an e-book from 14th February 2013, and ‘Santa’s Helper Helps Herself’ is a short piece written for the ABC Open website and which appeared online late last year.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Nene heard that her poem ‘So Young’, written when her middle child was on deployment overseas with the Australian Army, has been selected for inclusion in a forthcoming exhibition. The 100 Years From Gallipoli Poetry Exhibition. Dates for the exhibition are yet to be announced.