Hi Honey, I’m home!!
To celebrate Honey Brown’s latest release (Six Degrees) I am dropping in to say “Hi, Honey, I’m home!” (Sorry, could not resist that one.)
Honey Brown – author of exceptional talent and versatility – thank you for letting my park my rig on your…Hmm, impressive sealed driveway and roundabout! (All country folk love a good driveway).
And what’s that I see written on your ‘welcome mat’?
Within that little Hive, such Hints of Honey lay (from an Emily Dickinson poem)
If I looked in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?
Last night’s leftovers, far too many wilting vegetables in the crisper, beer and a bottle of Vodka.
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?
Our very large and picturesque dam. I’d miss all the squawks, flaps, croaks, the thousands of different sounds that drift across the paddock from it.
Whose home would you like to visit in your van and why? (anyone, anywhere)
Stephen Fry’s house. I hear he has wild parties, and I imagine some amazing people would turn up as guests, also he seems to be such a wonderful mix of intelligence, warmth and thoughtfulness.
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!! 🙂
You’d probably love it down by the water. Just don’t be disappointed when I serve reheated leftovers for dinner.
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?
A big cat. Tiger, lion, jaguar or panther. Cats give the impression of enjoying their bodies, all that stretching, sunning, lazing around, showing off that they do, and that enjoyment of their own flexibility, strength and capability really appeals to me. They’re also at the top of the food chain, so, hopefully, I wouldn’t spend my days fearing being eaten.
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?
Lasagne. Only to then realise it’s the only savoury dish amongst the cakes and slices! They give me a prize out of sympathy, and send me off the right pavilion.
About you…
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Controlling the characters. If I give them too much freedom, they runaway with the story and take it somewhere crazy and extreme, but if I rein them in too much, they become stiff and stilted and the energy drains from the work. It’s a case of gently coaxing them along, not stepping on their toes too much, steering them carefully to each plot point.
If someone was to write your biography, what do you think the title should be?
Raw and Unauthorised – I just know I’d open up too much, say too many revealing things, then wish I hadn’t, and then try to stop the publication!
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Q: How much truth is in your fiction?
A: A lot. But not in the sense of the things that happen. The story is made up (I haven’t actually ever murdered anyone, or, for that matter, had a kitchen experience like the one in Six Degrees…well, not quite anyway), while the truth is in the feelings and emotions, the reactions, the settings, the tone and landscapes, the character traits. For me there’s more honesty in art and fiction than there is cold hard fact. Stories, paintings, songs, sculptures, movies, all tell us so much about what it is to be human and are so revealing of what it’s like to live on the planet.
Favourite four…
Favourite place in Australia – My sister’s kitchen with all the family around.
Favourite holiday destination – Any five star hotel in walking distance to shops, galleries, cafes and fine dinning.
Favourite movie – Brokeback Mountain
Favourite quote – “Take my advice and please yourself.” Bob Brown, my dad.
If I said to you, “Just entertain me for five minutes, I’m not going to talk,” what would you do?
Take you for a walk and not talk either.
Okay, I’m off for a walk. The I’ll be back to post my review of Six Degrees. (But don’t wait. Get reading now. You won’t be disappointed.)
Honey Brown books…
Six Degrees (Simon & Schuster) and Ventura Publishing
Aussie suspense stories (Penguin)
Connect with Honey Brown… on Facebook
About Honey Brown…
Honey Brown lives in country Victoria with her husband and two children. She is the author of five psychological thrillers: Red Queen, The Good Daughter, After The Darkness, Dark Horse and Through The Cracks. Red Queen was published to critical acclaim in 2009 and won an Aurealis Award, and The Good Daughter was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and shortlisted for the Barbara Jefferis Award in 2011. Dark Horse won the Sisters In Crime 2014 Davitt Award. Her sixth novel, Six Degrees, is her first foray into rural romance, and will be released in August 2015.