Thank you to everyone who entered my very first Goodreads Giveaway.
Congratulations to Larissa P (who I have just messaged via Goodreads).
I think I may have to run another one, as there were so many of you. Stay tuned.
There will be an opportunity to win a copy just by dropping by my Online Release celebrations on Friday 1 March – right here on the blog. (I have international guests dropping in from time to time too.)
I’m very excited to ‘bale up’ Nicola Moriarty (and if the name rings a bell, it should. Nicola is a great storyteller and has two novels: Free Falling and, her latest, Paper Chains. If you leave a comment today you might win a signed copy of Paper Chains. (NB I have blocked all comments so I win!!!!!!!) I’m allowed to do that aren’t I, Nicola?
Ah, no Jenn, you’re not!
Darn! Okay then, you’d best cheer me up with food then..
Start by telling me if it’s scones and tea or some other homemade delight you have whipped up for me today.
White chocolate cupcakes are my guilty pleasure at the moment, and I think you’ll find I’m getting quite good them – as long as I actually take the time to measure the flour rather than just pour it in until I think it ‘looks about right’ because I can’t find my measuring cups.
(Pop one on the plate and I will give you my considered opinion. In fact, pop two on the plate!)
Now, 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?
We have just the one Garden Gnome sitting in between the out of control rose bush and 
the chilli plant that I’m slowly (and unintentionally) killing off, and I’ve actually become quite fond of him over the years.
(O.M.G! You’re killing off a gnome? Oh, you mean only the chilli plant. Phew!)
What vegetable (or fruit) have you always wanted to grow at home?
I have mandarins, peaches, nectarines, cherries and a curry leaf tree in my garden – but I can’t take the credit for any of these as they were all already there before we bought the house. But what I’d really love to grow is basil, parsley and mint. Tomatoes would be nice too. Oh and carrots, my four year old LOVES carrots.
(Your four year old would love my carrots (as described in my Author Harvest). They make great Alien Invader toys!)
If I came to your home and looked in the refrigerator, what would I find?
Lots of those little squeeze packets of yoghurts for our two year old – she’s mad for them. Sad looking celery and cucumber because I’ve forgotten once again to store them in one of those Tupperwear vegetable containers. Coffee beans that we’ll never use because we can never be bothered to get out the grinder and coffee maker so we just keep using instant. Home made chilli jam that I am VERY proud of (I did not expect to be able to pull it off). One or two bottles of wine.
If you sorted your wardrobe by colour, what colour would stand out? (Ahh, do you sort your wardrobe by colour?!)
I can’t tell so I took a photo instead!
(Nice … colourful … and neat!)
What are you wearing now? (Be honest!)
Light blue three quarter leggings under a sleeveless cream dress, an orange cardigan with giant white polka dots. White, orange and black heels. Glasses. I’m actually really excited that I decided to answer this question today – because usually I’m just wearing jeans, a t-shirt and thongs. I’m considering taking another photo just to prove I’m telling the truth – because an outfit that involved for me seems so unlikely.
(‘Involved’ is an interesting chose of words for that outfit, Nicola!)
Whose home would you like to housesit and why?
My brother-in-law and his girlfriend just moved to Melbourne. They’ve rented a two story town house with a spiral stair case in Fitzroy and they’re surrounded by coffee shops and restaurants and I’d like to swap homes with them for a few days and live their bohemian lifestyle and discover Melbourne. Part of this house swap would mean that they also get to babysit two small children and a bird. That’s fair 
right?
(Two small children? You are not planning to write then?)
Country curiosities…
We love a sunburnt country (slip, slop, slap and all that). What’s your ideal hat? Or are you a boots person?
Hats never suit me. I keep trying, but they just don’t work with my head.
Boots though, boots are a different story. Boots, I love.
If you were a tree (or animal) what kind of tree (animal) would you be?
I’d be a plastic Christmas tree, so that I can hibernate for eleven months of the year in storage and then become adorned with tinsel, lights and baubles for December. I’m festive like that.
(Hmm, that makes me think I could be Mistletoe. I’m voyeuristic like that!)
Now for the big question… Why did the chicken cross the road?
He knows the answer to the ‘which came first’ question, he’s trying to distract you by presenting you with a secondary problem. Don’t fall for his cheap tricks.
(I knew that!)
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?
The day that I received an email from a literary agent telling me she loved my book. I knew that there were still no guarantees at that point, having an agent doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to get published – but I just remember the excitement to discover that someone who was not a family member or a friend – basically someone who didn’t have to be nice to me – actually liked my writing. I re-read that email over and over and over…
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Distraction, procrastination, motivation. Losing faith in my ability to write. Making myself shake all of these issues off in order to pick up my laptop and just start writing.
(You are not alone!)
If someone was to write your biography, what do you think the title should be?
An Obsession: One Girl’s Journey to find the best Salted Caramel Macarons in the world.
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
“Would you like us to go ahead and make your book into a movie starring Zooey Deschanel and Mark Ruffalo?”
“Yes please.”
(Two fave actors. Can I come to the premier screening?)
Fun stuff …
What does your protagonist think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you, the author, his/her creator.
Hannah likes me a lot. She knows that I’ve been through the same stuff as her. She’d like it if we were friends.
India thinks I’m a bit of a try-hard. She knows that I wish I was like her, but when she sees the way I dress, she just wants to shake her head at me and say “Oh sweetie…”
(I hear ya, India!!!. It was the blue leggings with orange cardie, right?)
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?
Alyson Hannigan – but first I’d have to go back in time so I could be a part of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ TV series and then come back to the present day and hang out with the ‘How I Met Your Mother’ crew.
If I said to you, “Just entertain me for five minutes, I’m not going to talk,” what would you do?
Babble nervously for thirty seconds and then stare back at you awkwardly for the remaining four minutes and thirty seconds.
(Ahh, a fellow babbler! At least you stop though. When nervous, I babble incessantly – or at least until I say something really inappropriate!)
What food would you be?
Whizz Fizz.
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
Torn bread.
Name 5 uses for a stapler that has no staple pins.
(If only we had staples. I could get quite ‘attached’ to those characters!)
How weird are you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very).
Refer to above answer regarding humorous miniature cow boy hats etc.
What good fun. Thanks, Nicola.
GIVEAWAY – If you loved Nicola’s blog post you will love her books. Plus, if you leave a comment you may win a copy. Winner announced here – Tuesday 26, 2013. Sorry for the delay. I will contact the winner as soon as we have one.
And we have a winner. Nicola had her four year old choose a winner at random. The winner is Kerrie Paterson. I will email Kerrie. Congrats and thank you everyone.
Paper Chains (Out now!)
A heart-warming story of family, friendship and forgiveness – and the crazy twists of fate that shape our lives… Hannah and India are new best friends. Although true friendship means always telling each other the truth, doesn’t it…? Hannah, you see, is running from her life back in Sydney. Now in London, she’s trying to put the past behind her, and finding this amazing new friend is a positive step forward. If only she could stop punishing herself for what she did.
India knows Hannah is hiding something big, and she’s determined to figure it out. Fast. Because India has a secret of her own… One that is currently sealed in a love letter that’s making its journey across Europe in the most unconventional way.
Before it reaches its destination, can India help Hannah learn to forgive herself? And will Hannah wake up and realise that India needs rescuing too …?
www.nicolamoriarty.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/NicolaMoriartyAuthor
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/nicola-moriarty/paper-chains-9781742752624.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Chains-ebook/dp/B009OWNPSE/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1_P3F0
You’d think by now I’d be used to the rollercoaster emotions that goes with the publication ride I’ve been on for well over a year now.
But this week, the highest of highs met the lowest of lows, some 10 days out from ‘Launch date’.
Here’s what happened.
(Monday) — My mum, who has been very unwell for some time, slipped a little further, finally passing away that afternoon.
(Tuesday) At my Dad’s insistence (and him in the care of my brother), I flew down for a scheduled Simon & Schuster publicity meeting in Sydney. I’m not sure how, but I managed the pre-arranged recording of an author interview with Caroline Baum. (Caroline has worked as founding editor of Good Reading magazine, features editor for Vogue, presenter of ABC TV’s popular bookshow, Between the Lines, and Foxtel’s Talking Books, and as an executive producer with ABC Radio National.
I was a bit of a mess, and despite my day starting with sliced cucumber stuck with cellotape under my eyes to reduce puffiness (refusing to use the suggested movie star trick of applying haemorrhoid cream to my face!) the interview went well. As it turned out, the trip was a much-needed distraction in a difficult week. (You will see the results online on February 27 when the interview goes live. Be kind!!!! (BLOG UPDATE: Here is the You Tube link for that interview.)
Bronwyn Parry, who also suffered a sad loss prior to one of her book releases wrote to me, offering this advice…
Be kind to yourself; I was where you are now last year – grieving a parent, and preparing for a book launch. Cry when you need to, stroke your book and grin madly when you want to – and know that your Mum would be so proud of you.
I have taken that advice and I did find myself grinning madly after the interview on Tuesday when Caroline said House for all Seasons reminded her of a Maeve Binchy novel, and we talked about how both Monica McInerney and I love an eclectic cast of characters in our stories.
Back home that same day (pleased to find the dogs had held their water for the 6 hour trip) I rang Dad, then I logged on and found a tweet — Culture Street’s review of House for all Seasons – my first review! I promptly rang Dad back again. Thank you Sophia Whitfield.
(Wednesday) With emotions totally betwixt by now, I was further bowled over by the
overwhelming response from friends on Facebook to this photo of my mum holding House for all Seasons for the first time and reading the dedication. (I took this the Friday before she passed. I knew she was still with it because she made a joke about the book being heavy. (My Mum always loved her little pink Mills & Boons.)
This afternoon, the wonderful Annie Seaton and Marie Miller called around with flowers and hugs.
Tomorrow (Thursday) we get to say goodbye to Shirley Lewis – 02.09.30 – 18.02.13.
I am so glad my novel will be out on March 1 and with this dedication…
To the four women who have shaped my life.
Each as different as the seasons.
Jeannette ~ Kristine ~ Shirley
My partner in dreams ~ The wind beneath my wings ~ My mum
And to Pam Leicester ~ whose courage inspired Sara’s story
It’s the happy ever after you deserve. 