What is your book about?
– Brumby’s Run is a story about a young woman named Samantha. She discovers she has a twin sister, Charlie, who is critically ill. City girl Sam soon finds herself running her sister’s farm, high in the Victorian alps. This new life, Charlie’s life, intrigues her. Bit by bit she falls in love with the mountains, the brumbies and with handsome neighbour Drew Chandler, her sister’s erstwhile lover. Sam begins to wish that Charlie might never come home.
What or who inspired it?
– Originally I was inspired by the classic Banjo Paterson poem of the same name. It is one of my absolute favourites. But I was also inspired by the magnificent wild horses of the high country, and the fine work done by Australia’s various Brumby welfare associations.
What was the biggest challenge, writing it?
– My biggest challenge was finishing the novel in time to pitch to Penguin at the 2011 RWA Conference. I only just made it!
What did you want to achieve with your book?
– I wanted to share my love of Victoria’s beautiful upper Murray region, and pay tribute to the fabled wild horses of the high country. I also wanted to entertain readers with a passionate and unusual love story.
What do you hope for your book?
– I hope it may be widely read and enjoyed.
Are there any parts of it that have special personal significance to you?
– The horses are based on my own, favourite animals, past and present.
Do you have a favourite character or one you really enjoyed writing?
– I have a soft spot for Charlie, and really admire her spirit.
What do you see as the major themes in your book?
– One of the major themes in Brumby’s Run is our search for personal identity. The book also explores our relationship with animals and the environment.
What made you set it in Victoria’s high country? – I have a great love for this region, and it is where the Brumbies are.
Did the title come instantly to you or did you labour over it? – I’d always wanted to base my novel on Banjo Paterson’s classic bush poem, Brumby’s Run, so the title was a given.
To whom have you dedicated the book and why? – I’ve dedicated the book to Australia’s various Brumby welfare associations, in acknowledgement of the wonderful work they do protecting our wild horses.
Who do you think will enjoy your book?
– Anybody who enjoys passionate love stories, set in Australia’s spectacular wild places.
Do you have a special ‘spot’ for writing at home? (If so, describe it)
– I have a small office space off the lounge room (no door!), but with a noisy family, this isn’t always ideal. My favourite spot is over at the stables. Horses are good listeners, and don’t mind you reading aloud.
Do you like silence or music playing while you’re writing?
– Silence. I’m easily distracted otherwise.
When did you start writing?
– As a child I was an avid reader and loved writing stories and poems. I began my very first novel when I was eleven years old.
Did you always want to become an author?
– I did, but then I grew up, and life kind of got in the way. There was long gap before I returned to my original passion for writing.
Tell us a bit about your childhood?
– I was a horse-mad child. My family had a house in Melbourne as well as a property in the mountains. At every chance I escaped to the farm to be with my horses.
If you’ve had other jobs outside of writing, what were they?
– I graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Law and Jurisprudence, and worked for a while as a solicitor. I have also raised four children, with the youngest one still at school. Now that’s a job!
Describe yourself in three words? – Passionate, compassionate and curious.
What star sign are you and are you typical of it?
– I’m a Capricorn. That’s an earth sign, and I do feel a deep spiritual connection to the earth. Typically Capricorns are ambitious and serious, with a strong work ethic. I suppose that describes me. They are also supposed to be neat and tidy. That definitely doesn’t describe me!
What three things do you dislike?
– Cruelty, greed and indifference.
What three things do you like?
– My family, my animals and having the opportunity to write, in that order.
Have you a family, partner or are you single?
– As I said before, I have four wonderful children. I am divorced and do not have a partner. Maybe no real-life man can measure up to my fictional outback heroes!
Yesterday was our very first gig. It was in celebration of National Bookshop Day, and we were warmly welcomed and entertained by the gorgeous people of Foster and South Gippsland. Many thanks to Jan and Bob of Foster’s Little Bookshop, for organising and hosting the event!
I talked about how a modern romance may be all about passion, but it’s not just about the passion between two people falling in love. The medieval concept of romance always involved some sort of a quest, and so does a modern love story – it is a character’s search for herself. I also talked about how my passion for the environment is channelled into my stories.
Margareta (author of Bella’s Run and Hope’s Road) talked about her own, marvellous brand of rural fiction. As a fifth-generation farmer, her ties to the land are very strong and her books convey a sense of place, community and belonging. Kathryn (author of Rough Diamond) gave us her hilarious take on romantic comedy. Kate (author of The Yearning) discussed whether or not that happy-ever-after ending is an essential element of a modern romance novel, and much, much more.
All in all it was a fabulous day, and an encouraging beginning to our life together as an author panel. We are available for events and festivals! Contact the lovely Kate Belle (ecstasyfiles at gmail dot com), who has become our de facto organiser. I look forward to many more stimulating authorly discussions and would love for you all to join us sometime in the future!
