Lisa Ireland, a brilliant new voice in rural romance, invites you to Linden Gully and the wedding of the year…
And lovely Lisa Ireland, from Victoria, also invited me to park my rig on her…
… ridiculously steep driveway! (Yikes!)
Jenn, I’m not really sure how we got the rig down there and as for getting out … How do you feel about permanent visitors?
(Well, it kind ‘Feels Like Home’ already, Lisa!)
Oh, and what’s that I see written on your ‘welcome mat’?
Kettle’s On!
Jenn, I love nothing better than a cuppa and a chat with a friend. I was raised by a woman who believed there was no problem so big that it couldn’t be solved by a natter over a good cup of tea. I tend to agree (although coffee’s my preferred hot beverage!)
(Not sure a good natter will get my rig up that driveway, Lisa!! I may require something a tad stronger to even try.)
These days quite a bit of my chatting seems to be done on the phone or online, which is almost as good as seeing a friend in person, but not quite!
I miss my HUGE refrigerator. If I looked in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?
Champagne. If you’d come last week there would have been a lot more, but I’ve been celebrating the release of Feels Like Home with friends and family and my stocks are sadly diminished.
Apart from the booze I have the fridge stocked with lots and lots of milk, meat, fruit and veggies! I live in a house full of men. My husband and I have three boys, two of whom are teenagers. The third is not-quite-a-teenager. They eat a lot! We go through three litres of milk a day. (I kid you not!) Dairy farmers … you’re welcome.
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?
I love caravanning and hope to do more of it in the future, so I’ve thought about this a lot! There’s really nothing material I couldn’t leave behind, but Big Kid is really not a kid anymore, so I highly doubt he’d leave his job behind to come travelling with his ‘olds’. I’d miss him … occasionally! Also, we have two big dogs, Millie the Labrador and Lulu the Boxer. Travelling with two ginormous dogs can be tricky. At the moment when we go on holidays, ‘the girls’ stay behind with Big Kid or if Big Kid is travelling with us they head off for a week or two in a doggy resort. I could never leave them behind for any length of time – I’d miss them too much.
Whose home would you like to visit in your van and why?
Amanda Knight’s house would be my first port of call. She’s my critique partner and although I speak to her every day on the phone, there’s nothing like catching up in person. The bonus of parking my rig in her driveway is that she lives near a lovely beach in sunny NSW and she’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from my other lovely writing friend, Janette Radevski. I can see the three of us sipping wine under the caravan awning and talking the night away.
(Make that four! Especially if she has a driveway. I would love to natter with Amanda and Janette)
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!!
Ha ha, I love visitors and friends are always welcome, but we do have a serious driveway situation! We live on a narrow dirt road so you might have to park the rig at the bottom of the hill and trek up on foot!
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?
My two favourite animals are dogs (seriously what’s not to like?) and horses. I no longer own any horses and can’t ride due to a back injury, but in my dreams I often take my favourite horse out for a gallop! However, even though I love my dogs and ponies, I wouldn’t necessarily want to be either of those animals. I’d choose to be a bear. I love the idea of preparing for winter by stuffing yourself silly. The whole “I’m not going anywhere until spring” idea has a lot of appeal for me. Plus nobody messes with a bear!
You’re cooking and your food is going up against the best cooks from the CWA (Country Women’s Association). What would be your winning dish?
Look, I know I’m a writer and I know I’m supposed to have a good imagination, but this is just stretching it too far. I am a hideous cook. I hate cooking with a passion and if I won Lotto tomorrow I’d hire someone to do it for me. (Sadly this will never happen as I never buy a ticket!) Those CWA ladies would be kicking my butt big time. I do make a passable beef stew, but I wouldn’t call it award winning.
About you & your writing…
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
All of it! Seriously, I’m one of those people who loves having written, but does not actually love writing. I’m a shocking procrastinator, so maybe the hardest part is getting started. I do have to say that I like the first draft stage – when the story is shiny and new and anything is possible – way more than editing. Editing sucks!
If someone was to write your biography, what do you think the title should be?
“Talking Underwater – a guide for beginners” or perhaps “A Chocolate (Block) a Day.”
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
I have always wanted to be asked how I stay so humble now that I am a New York Times Bestselling Author. Sadly I am not a New York Times Bestselling Author so I won’t be able to answer that question.
Favourite four…
Favourite place in Australia: Melbourne, closely followed by Mission Beach
Favourite holiday destination: New York
Favourite movie: So hard to pick just one. I’m a sucker for a good Rom Com and one of my faves is Friends With Benefits. (Bonus points for the New York setting!) But I think my all time favourite is Good Will Hunting: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams – doesn’t get much better than that!
Favourite quote: “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” – Lucille Ball
About the book… Feels Like Home (out now)
When celebrity novelist Johanna Morgan surprises everyone by arriving back in Linden Gully three weeks early for her best friend’s wedding, she’s shocked to find her ex-boyfriend Ryan Galloway is back too and well-integrated in the community as the local vet.
Jo’s maid-of-honour duties are not the only thing that’s brought her home. The family homestead of Yarrapinga is now her responsibility, and Jo needs to decide whether to keep it – and replace old memories with new ones – or sell it and cut off all ties to her childhood and her home.
Ryan has brought his young daughter home to Linden Gully to provide stability after the death of her mother. The last thing he needs is Jo’s return, and all of the emotional turmoil that she brings with her.
Thrown together as attendants at their best friends’ wedding, Jo and Ryan have no choice but to grin and bear all the tension. But it’s not only resentment lingering between them. The attraction is still there, and the heat and the memories.
They say you can’t come home again, but maybe, for Jo and Ryan, home is not just a place, but a state of the heart.
Can’t wait to buy the book? Here are some links…
Amazon Amazon Australia Google Play iTunes Kobo or Booktopia
Want a signed print copy?
Just leave a comment. Tell us what ‘Feels Like Home’ for you?
(Australian Postal addresses only. Winner chosen in two weeks.)
Author website: lisairelandbooks.com and Harlequin author page: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/author/lisa-ireland
Jenn #WriteRoundOz
You all know how much I enjoy visiting small country towns to talk to local book lovers. Well, my Paddock to Print campaign, which is about encouraging Australian readers to support home-grown storytellers by choosing Australian-made stories, is going gangbusters. Check out all the places I’ve been, so far.
