Oh, look who’s just arrived at the Calingarry Crossing pub. And she’s taking a room, too, but for one night only in honour of her latest novel – FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.
Okay, what can I get you to go with your beer nuts? (Shandy? Wine Spritzer? Pink Lemonade?)
A bottle of Little Creatures beer, please, and a cold glass.
Here, you go. Now, Phillipa, take a minute to jot down the blurb for your book on the beer coast and I’ll pin it on the book board.
When Ornella vacations in Sicily, she meets Hugh, an archaeologist working on a dig in the beautiful town of Taormina. Hugh convinces Ornella to join him on a trip to
the island of Stromboli, where they hike up a live volcano at dusk.
After a passionate night together Ornella, an actress usually focused on her career, suspects she’s in love. But after breakfast the next morning, Hugh vanishes.
Ornella is left with Hugh’s phone, sunglasses and a sudden end to the love affair she thought she didn’t want. Desperate
to know if Hugh ran out on her or if he’s met with disaster, she wants to search for him. But with an important screen test in Rome and her agent impatiently waiting for her, Ornella faces a dilemma.
Hey, did you hear the one about … Got a joke? (preferably one that comes with a punch line you actually remember!)
Asking me to tell a joke with a punch line is like asking me to tweet something off the cuff and witty.
Well, I’m a beer nut nut! What bar snack would you be and why?
I’d be a potato chip, a smooth chip that tasted of potato and salt – but not too salty or greasy. I have no idea why I would be this chip, but I know I wouldn’t be a chip with synthetic flavouring.
Ahh, that beer hit the spot. Let me slip a drink coaster under your glass while you tell us—on a scale of 1 to 10—as a writer are you a messy desker or tidy desker?
(Hmm, how shall we rate this, folks? – 1 = “Neat nut case” and 10 = “What desk? Where? Is there a desk here somewhere?”)
The publican offers you free drinks all night if you will:
- Dance to Gangnam Style
- Sing John Denver’s ‘Take me Home Country Roads’ on the Karaoke machine
- Spend an hour washing dishes
Which do you choose?
I’ll do the dishes and a have quiet yarn with the cook
Time to liven the place up. Got a buck? We can crank up the old jukebox in the corner. You get to pick three songs.
- Zap Bebes by Zap Mama
- Spanish Harlem by Aretha Franklin
- Route 66 by Nat King Cole
An author, an agent and a chicken walk into the bar… how do you know which one crossed the road?
As a long standing keeper of chickens I can tell you a chicken is more likely to wander about in a pleasant daze looking for tasty morsels than cross a road. Anything requiring sustained concentration is not part of their skill set.
So the bar is more likely to be on this side of the road and the author had to rush in to retrieve a straying chicken.
Therefore the agent crossed the road, most likely to say hello to the author and invite them to share some cold beer and what the hell, let’s send the tab to the publishers.
There’s a stapler on the bar. Tell me what it’s doing there.
It’s there to staple all the receipts together so all authors drinking at the bar can keep track of their spending and claim drinks as an essential work expense
The pub is the heart of a small town and most locals would be lost without one. What are three things you’d be lost without?
- My family and friends
- A good book
- Leafy, quiet spaces
There are a few good prizes up for grabs in the bar jackpot. Do you have a lucky number?
Your lucky number is: 10
Last drinks, my friend! It’s been great. But before we go, tell us how we can find out more about you and your writing/books.
Blog – www.phillipafioretti.com.au
Twitter – @PipFioretti
Facebook – www.facebook.com/PhillipaFioretti.Books
In the meantime, watch out … It’s on the way …
This storm season, in Calingarry Crossing, a perfect storm is heading Maggie Lindeman’s way. For emergency alerts and warnings for SIMMERING SEASON, subscribe to Jenn J McLeod’s blog or newsletter before you go, or LIKE her Facebook Page.
Simmering Season: April 1, 2014 Find out more, right here.
Hi Phillippa and Jenn!
Love your logic, Phillippa. Given all the references to chickens I have pondered the need for chicken crossings on roads. Now I know the chickens are fine so long as there’s an author around. 😉 Love the sound of your book and love the setting even more! We ran out of time to get to Taormina so will enjoy going vicariously through your words.
Best wishes,
Susanne
So glad we could help with your chicken conundrum, Susanne. 🙂
I love reading the answers to the stapler question 🙂
And I’m glad you’ll be doing the dishes, Phillipa, while Jenn and I dance to Gangnam Style instead (aint that right Jenn?) 😉
All the best with the book!
Yeah, let’s get jiggy with it, Juliet!! 🙂
Another great bar yarn – thanks Jenn and Phillipa.
Love the sound of For One Night Only….. another addition to my ever growing TBR list! Looking forward to travelling vicariously through Italy.
I’m totally with you on the chips, too Phillipa. I love my original Smiths crisps – and they go so well with a icy cold Little Creatures beer.
I had my first Little Creatures just the the other day. Sweet, but refreshing.
LOVE your books, Phillipa and looking forward to this one. Think you are hugely clever! I’m a fan.
Hello, Lovely Rae, thx for dropping by. Fans are great!
Hi Susanne, Rae, Juliet, Karen and Jenn, lovely to see you all here enjoying a drink together. I’m a bit late, sorry, poultry troubles. All sorted now! I hope you all enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I went off beer years ago, always too bitter for me, unless the day was super hot, but I was recently in New Zealand and had some very hoppy, floral beers, (I tried my husband’s beer and decided I liked it and could he please go and buy himself another), and found Little Creatures to be just as delicious. Although, a really cold Granny Smith apple cider is almost as good. Cheers everyone!
All chickens across the country should unit in the fight for their rights to cross roads when they want to!
No chickens ever get harmed in the making of Author Bar Yarns, do they Jenn?
I’m off to follow Phillipa on Twitter so I can see those off-the-cuff witty comments!
Thanks ladies. I do love a good bar yarn!
Lily M
never, Lily, although I am baking one right now!!!!!!!
Eeek! And I’m cooking turkey lasagne. It doesn’t look good for poultry tonight does it…
See you on Twitter Lily, but don’t hold your breath for wit from me! I just cannot get the hang of that darn 140 characters. I need 85k to spread out.
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