Category: AUTHORS

Everyone needs a holiday – right? Even those of us travelling full time. Well, I am doing a ‘fly in’ to visit Georgina Penny, before I ‘fly out’ and she’s thrown in a little ‘fact or fiction’ question at the end. ***

Georgina, if only I could have put the van on the plane, I could have parked my rig on your… Hmm,  4 acres of ridiculous lawn (that isn’t quite a farm) in the middle of some lovely hills in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

And what’s that I see written on your ‘welcome mat’?

You’d see a lot of spray painted bunnies covering up any writing that might have been there. Given how many real rabbits live in and under our lawn, we thought it would set the tone.

If I looked in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

Raspberries! We recently moved here to Scotland and it’s berry season. I spend most of the time I’m meant to be walking and getting fit picking berries out of the hedgerows. There might also be a couple of bottles of Aussie wine in there too. Whenever I’m homesick, a glass of Margaret River white never fails to cheer me up.

Downsizing my life into a 24 ft caravan meant leaving lots of things behind in boxes. What (or who!!) would you have trouble leaving behind if you took off in a caravan?

My king sized bed! My lovely husband has the sleeping habits of a starfish and I would miss having the room.

Whose home would you like to visit in your van and why? 

Right now, I’d probably vote for visiting my godson in Singapore. It might be hard to fit the van along side my friend’s apartment building but we’d give it a go!

Do you REALLY have room at your house to park a fifth wheeler caravan and do you mind visitors? Oh, sorry, you don’t have to answer that one!!

We love visitors! The more the merrier. We don’t know how long we’ll be in Scotland so we’re encouraging anyone and everyone to come take advantage of our hospitality. Put floaties on the caravan and come check out bonny Scotland while sipping a nice glass of Aussie wine. 🙂

Country curiosities…

My latest novel, Season of Shadow and Light, has a strong horse theme. (I love what horses can teach us). If you were an animal what would you be?

Given how much fun the bunnies in our hedgerow look like they’re having, being a Scottish rabbit doesn’t look like too difficult a life but if I really had a choice, I’d probably go for a squirrel. Our last expat location was Brunei and there were squirrels in the trees everywhere. They spent all their days nibbling nuts, teasing the monkeys and playing. Looked like a pretty great deal.

You’re cooking and your food going up against the best cooks from the CWA (Country Women’s Association). What would be your winning dish?

Nasi Ayam (Chicken Rice). I learned how to make it from a Eurasian Aussie master years ago. It’s super simple, just rice, chicken, soup and veges but so tasty. The perfect comfort food. If that didn’t suit the ladies’ tastes, I’d probably go with my mum’s tried and true caramel slice recipe. It used to win hearts and minds when I was growing up in country WA and I doubt it’s lost its magical powers in the intervening years 😉

About you…

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Getting anything done in between moving around the place has proven a challenge of late but I’d say the first draft is the hardest bit for me. Pinning my story and characters down on the page is always a challenge. After that, the editing is a breeze.

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

‘So, Where Am I Again?’ So far I’ve lived in over 25 places in Australia and around 30 all up if you include international moves. It’s getting to the stage that if I’m unpacked completely, I begin to wonder when the next move is coming!

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

Q: Are you inspired by real-life people and events?

A: All the time. I can’t write anything I don’t feel and I frequently ‘steal’ things from my own life and from those of my friends/family (or just plain anyone I run into). Although, by the time my books get written, any recognizable relation to the actual real-life event is usually so obscure it would take a detective to trace the source!

Favourite four…

Favourite place in Australia – Margaret River in WA.

Favourite holiday destination – I’m going to have to go for Margaret River again. From the beach to the bush, the place is amazing. The wine and the great food helps as wellJ

Favourite movie – Jaws

Favourite quote – ‘Lower your expectations and don’t assume anything’ from a fellow expatriate not long after we moved to Saudi Arabia 8 years ago. It’s proving to be a pretty good life motto.

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

Probably tell you a crazy story from my time in Saudi Arabia. That or I’d give you a good book and read with you. 🙂

***You’re a fiction writer. Tell us a secret and we’ll guess if it’s true or not.

Georgina says: “I once knew a dog like Gerald in Irrepressible You.”

True or fiction, folks? 

Thanks for dropping by,

Jenn J

Current release: Season of Shadow and Light (click image for more info)