A new edition of In at the Deep End!

💙💙 In at the Deep End was my debut novel. And just like a first born child, there are all sorts of wonderful memories associated with that special first - joy yes, but also uncertainty about what comes next (will I ever be able to write another book?) and fear of the unknown (will readers like the book?). Which is possibly why this re-release (and sparkling new cover) is particularly exciting. Seven years on, I not only have the same great publisher in HQ/ HarperCollins, I also have a wonderful and supportive reading and writing community around me. Some readers have loved this book already - but this new release gives new readers an opportunity to find In at the Deep End in bookshops and on line. And if they enjoy this story, they might discover my next one and the one after that …

I loved the old cover of In at the Deep End. It was unusual, quirky and represented the characters well (I’ll always think of ‘Trouble’ ‘Control freak’ and ‘Hopeless Romantic’ when I think of Harriet, Per and golden retriever Dougal. But, while this book is in keeping with my rural fiction novels like On the Right Track and Up on Horseshoe Hill (and later books) and Harriet has a traumatic past, there is a lot of lightness too, particularly in the interactions between Harriet and Per, and their arguments about the early 20th Century explorers Scott and Amundsen - the British and Norwegian explorers who battled to arrive at the South Pole first. This lightness is reflected in the new illustrated cover, and the romantic comedy positioning. I hope you love this new cover as much as I do!

If you haven’t had the chance to read In at the Deep End (or even if you have 💕) the new edition will be in Dymocks bookshops and elsewhere on 7 June 2023. 💙💙 I’ve also reproduced the full cover (back and front) below. I do love the dog on the spine!

ARRA Book Signing Event

What a fabulous day!

Around fifty romance writers recently took part in a book signing event, hosted by the Australian Romance Readers Association in Sydney, and I was delighted to be a part of it. I not only met many readers (who brought along books for me to sign) but I also met the very delightful Julia Quinn, the phenomenally successful (for very good reason) historical romance writer (who also wrote the books behind the Bridgerton series). I’ve been a fan of Julia’s for the past twenty years (I brought a number of her books along on the day, and she very kindly signed them for me).

At the end of the day, I was beyond excited when Julia purchased a copy of In at the Deep End and asked me to sign it.

What a very special day!

Shelter From the Storm launch

A new book release is always exciting, and I was delighted when my latest hit the shelves. January 4 isn’t an ideal time for events too close to the release, but I was fortunate to be able to travel to beautiful South Australia in August, where I visited quite a few libraries and a few book shops as well. Thank you South Australia for your very warm welcome. And thank you to the talented writer and podcaster, and gorgeous person, Michelle Barraclough for being the host of my book launch at Berkelouw books at Brookvale. A full house and lots of fun talking about Shelter From the Storm, my writing process, and many other bookish things.

Shelter From the Storm has received lovely reviews, and many people have told me they have enjoyed learning more about frogs (Hugo from Shelter From the Storm is an environmental biologist specialising in biodiversity and herpetology (that’s frogs!). I enjoyed researching frogs A LOT while writing this book, and while many parts didn’t make it into the story (possibly because my editors like readers to keep wanting to turn the pages … ) I think there’s enough in the book to portray the importance of frogs to biodiversity and a healthy environment. Also, frogs are (mostly) very attractive critters. If you’d like to know what frogs you hear croaking in your back garden, or if you’re on holiday and curious, have you thought about registering for Frog ID? You download a free app, record the frog, send it off, and the wonderful scientists and field assistants (often known simply as ‘froggers’ will get back to you and tell you what frogs you are listening to. This project also assists the Frog ID project in mapping frog populations, vitally important research for the preservation of many species of frog. Here is the link to the highly recommened Frog ID!

Last but never least, thank you lovely readers for welcoming Shelter From the Storm onto your physical and virtual bookshelves!

Glasgow Hospital, and The Duck House

Setting the scene:

I’ve recorded various hiking adventures (and misadventures) in the past couple of weeks, but now our hike is over, I was intending to end my blog posts (because reading about someone else’s holiday has its limitations). But my friends, family and readers have been so generous in their support, that I thought they deserved to have the icing (or more accurately casting) on the cake. So I’ll round off our hike with a post about…. .

What happened next:

Remember the sore shin I referred to on my Day 7 post? Our walk was over! We went out to dinner! I was walking very slowly, but surely after a good night’s sleep all would be well?’

Only, it wasn’t. When we hopped on a bus to Glasgow after our final day, my shin was still very painful. Our little hotel was lovely and I didn’t want to leave it, but I had to. We’d already established a piggy back from Mr Darcy wasn’t the solution to my problems, so it was time to get my lower leg (which was now red and puffy) examined. Since I could no longer walk very well, we caught an expensive taxi to the hospital (it was only 5km away - I was so annoyed that we couldn’t walk!) There was a four hour wait, but the nurses and doctors were great. And the prognosis, while not ideal, at least gave me certainty. I have a stress fracture in my tibia.

Walking on my leg (in the absence of trojan soldiers to lift me Cleopatra-like, or a helicopter airlift, or a horse) on the last 20km of our hike was patently overdoing things a little. On the bright side, I now have a moon boot, and I can blame my hobbling on that!

The Duck House:

We are now staying in The Duck House in Kent, England. The Duck House is a tiny cottage with beautiful gardens, built on the grounds of a much larger house (conveniently located in the middle of nowhere). The willow tree that gracefully dips its fronds into of the ponds reminds me of the willows I read about in childhood. And the interior of the cottage is charming (a very appropriate English word!). But the very best thing about being here is that our daughter Michaela, who has been working in London for a year (so far), is with us. We’ve already been out and about, exploring so much of what I love about England. The country towns, the gardens, the old buildings. But, besides friends and other family (including the four legged members), I’m starting to miss a lot of things from home. Items at the top of that list? The sounds of the waves on the shore, my very own bed, and the scent of eucalyptus. But…

Back to work:

It won’t all be bush tracks when I get home (not only because I can’t walk very well). I’m up to the next round of edits for Shelter from the Storm, which I can’t wait to get stuck into (hard work, but it always makes the book the best that it can be). I’m also excited about attending the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Fremantle mid-August, together with an Australian Romance Readers Association signing event. In early September, my good friend Pamela Cook and I are going to the snow (moon boots and ski boots are interchangeable, aren’t they?). Later in the month, I have a family wedding! And from 23 - 25 September, I’ll be attending the Northern Beaches Reader’s Festival, which all Sydney (for very good reason!) is talking about. There is so much to look forward to after our wonderful Scottish adventure. And so much to plan before we go on our next walk.

In the meantime, thank you for reading this blog. Letters are currently out of style, but recording our daily events has reminded me that letters and other correspondence play such an important part in our lives. It has been wonderful to reflect on not only the walk, but the scenery and events I loved (and endured) along the way, and it’s been equally wonderful to read your comments here and on my socials 💕

Boot style number three….

Day 7: Kinlochleven to Fort William 25km

Our day started with a long climb back into the heart of the highlands. The weather was fine, the breeze was brisk, the clouds were high in the sky. But then…

Another boot issue:

Mr Darcy: Why are you limping?

Me: These new boots are good for my sore toes, but the left boot hurts the back of my heel, and the band aid I put on last night isn’t helping. I wish I could hack off the top of the boot.

Mr Darcy: After today, I’m throwing your boots out.

Me: But I’ve hardly worn them.

Mr Darcy: I have a knife. I’ll cut the bloody top off.

See photo below. It was an excellent excision, and problem solved. But then…

My horse leg and more…

As you’ll all know, I’ve had a slight problem with my right leg (my ‘horse leg,’ because my horse fell on it) but it had always been manageable, and at the start of each day we hit the road in relatively good form. At the end of Day 6, the bottom of the shin of my horse leg was tender, but I put it down to the boots and loosened the laces. However, a few hours into Day 7, when we were well and truly in the highlands and the only way to (ultimately) rest was to keep on walking to our destination, my shin began to hurt A LOT. And as it was my horse leg, that had implications for my horse leg issue too. While we had generally been able to cover 4 km an hour, we were lucky to be making 3km an hour (I know this because, when Mr Darcy wasn’t looking sympathetically at me, he was looking at his Garmin and wincing). To sum things up, we left our excellent B & B at 8.15am this morning and, with only three brief breaks, we arrived at the next B & B after 6pm… . Not an easy day, but some nice things happened (and they were strangely linked).

Firstly, we were walking along a ridge with a mountain one side of us, a mountain on the other and a river down in the valley below, when we heard the unmistakable roar (now I know what it was, it was ‘an unmistakeable roar’) of a jet engine. There was no time to take out the camera (and I don’t think we even wanted to because it would have spoiled the moment) but a sleek black jet flew through the valley, seemingly only metres from the water. And then another one. And another and another. Four jets! It was amazing and VERY Tom Cruise in Top Gun! I even forgot the pain in my shin! I have tried to find an image of said jet, though this one is a different colour. Do jets come in different colours?

Secondly, other hikers obviously noticed my limp, because as we were overtaken on the track (there were more people hiking on this stretch, which is popular for day trips), hiker looked back very sympathetically at me (and Mr Darcy for being burdened with me). But then, one woman stopped, held out her hand and offered to pray for me. Wasn’t that kind? She wore a fetching headscarf and looked extremely pious and concerned, so of course I said yes. There was a little confusion (her English wasn’t great, and my Romanian is totally non-existent) because I had to put down my pole (that was propping me up) to take her hand while she said a few words. We waved her off (I didn’t like to attempt to walk and risk seeing her disappointed face that her praying hadn’t worked), but as she disappeared over the rise, holding bravely to Mr Darcy’s arm (which I alternated with the pole) we took off again. And then….

The third miracle! Tom arrived in person! To be honest, he wasn’t actually Tom Cruise, but his name was certainly Tom, and he was an American paramedic. Was the woman who prayed for me in fact a Scientologist? It didn’t matter, because Tom had backpack full of stuff. We weren’t sure what the problem was, but he provided a knee brace and a stretch bandage, with the following advice (in so many words):

Give this a go, and I hope the next 12km are easier than the 13km you’ve already done, but I can’t see how they will be.

Tom’s medical supplies (we tracked him down and returned them that night) didn’t really help, but it was thoughtful of him to offer them, and for other hikers to express condolences (many with understandable ‘I’m glad I’m not you’ expressions).

To pass the time, Mr Darcy and I spent a few kilometres thinking about how we would help each other if one of us collapsed. I’ve always joked that if Mr Darcy twisted an ankle or couldn’t walk for some reason, I would simply roll him down the hills. He’s never liked the idea of this, insisting he’d be more injured by the rolling than the initial injury. And he’s also been concerned that with my woeful sense of direction, if I left him in search of help, I’d get lost and have no chance of finding it. Also, while someone would eventually find him on the track, they wouldn’t be able to find me. But I digress. That was my plan for him. but it was me who couldn’t walk very well. This is our exchange about me:

Mr Darcy: If I could carry you I would, but you’re a bit heavy.

Me: You carry both our cases (around 20kg each) and a 5kg back pack down the stairs to the baggage transport people every morning, and I’m not that much heavier than all those things.

Mr Darcy: My back pack is strapped to my back, and our cases have handles. These items aren’t ‘flailing around’ or ‘out of balance’ like you would be.

Me: What about a piggy back?

Mr Darcy: My back pack would have to be on my front, and as we’re on uneven rocky paths, I might overbalance and fall. Anyway, even if I were able to to carry you and everything else, I don’t think I could walk much more than 50 metres.

Me: That’s something.

Mr Darcy: We have 11,500 metres to go. And if I collapsed, who would look after you?

Me: Point taken.

This was not a terribly heroic state of affairs, admittedly, but Mr Darcy was already carrying a loaded day pack to relieve me of carrying anything myself, and it was also a matter of strength and agility. He’s 82 kg and fit (most especially on a bicycle) and I’m 51kg. The path was rough. The day was long. The hills were high. The valleys were deep. It was NOT going to work. So we went through other options…

Mr Darcy: If I see anyone strong enough to carry you, I’ll pay them whatever they ask to do it.

Me: Thank you, darling.

Not seeing anyone with appropriate potential, we fantasised. What if an army troop went past, and the sergeant offered the services of his strapping soldiers (I could be hoist between them like Cleopatra on a chariot!) Sadly, this army troupe didn’t eventuate, and I kept hobbling all the way to Fort William. Which is why the final 1.5km (which was NOT in the guide book) was particularly unhelpful. Our B & B was also up a hill, and the room was on the first floor (also unhelpful, but Darcy, true to his word, carried our 20kg bags, and the back pack, up the stairs with nary a complaint).

To conclude, a nice cup of coffee and shortbreads later (plus a long shower), and I was able to hobble the short distance into town for dinner and an obligatory celebratory glass of wine (or two). 'It’s not about the destination, but the journey.’ I said happily as we walked back to our room. That might have been the wine talking, as it was quite a shitty day, but on the whole we enjoyed ourselves, and we did finish the walk of 170km in 7 days.

The good:

Undisputedly, more magnificent scenery! And much as the jets were out of place, we enjoyed them too. Particularly as my dad, who was in the airforce in the 1950s, told me just before we left home that he hadn’t walked in the highlands, but had flown over them many times while based in Scotland!

The even more good:

In an earlier post, I wrote about a young couple we’d seen on our hike. They talked, held hands, and picnicked together. No head phones or ear pods, laptops or phones. They wore sensible clothes and had sweat-soaked hair. And we’ve seen many young couples (and older couples and families) since then. Long distance walks - even day trips of six or seven hours - means that you spend a lot of time together chatting and laughing (and, granted, complaining) but you do it together, and it’s such a great opportunity to get to know each others’ strengths and weaknesses.

The bad:

I’m sure peri-menopausal, menopausal and post menopausal woman feel the heat more than any man. Sure, I start the day in as many layers as the next man, but within thirty minutes (or within 5 minutes if it’s a steep climb), I’m shedding layers like a cicada in the early months of summer. I don’t mind my feet and legs being hot, but anything above the breast line I find extremely uncomfortable (like a permanent hot flush).

Also, peeing is difficult for women, particularly on a barren moor with midges about (see earlier post).

The ‘I didn’t know that:’

Nothing tastes better than a cup of tea and a McVities chocolate wheaten biscuit when hiking.

Tomorrow, a final round up! 💙

Day 6: Kingshouse to Kinlochleven 14km

The weather was far better today (though yesterday’s squalls, sideways rain, mists, winds and flooded paths - as well as the 31km hike - made for a memorable day) . We enjoyed the views from the isolated and historic Kingshouse Hotel (which has been beautifully modernised) and we also used the drying room for my boots and our bags. Mr Darcy made the most of the bath , and I was happy to take a shower with good water pressure.

Today’s hike was 14km, much of it weaving through mountainous passes and hills (to the left, right, straight ahead and behind us!) on cobbled mountain paths. There was also a significant elevation, known as the Devil’s Staircase, which offered spectacular views. To quote Robbie Burns’s Yon Wild Mossy Mountains:

Not Gowrie's rich valley, nor Forth's sunny shores,
To me hae the charms o'yon wild, mossy moors;
For there, by a lanely, sequestered stream,
Besides a sweet lassie, my thought and my dream.

If Mr Darcy was a fan of Robbie Burns, I’m sure he would have recited this poem (I quoted a lot of Burns when I wrote Up on Horseshoe Hill, as Finn Blackwood was Scottish!.) But back to Mr Darcy’s song…

We were at the end of our hike and I was hobbling down a particularly steep (and prolonged) stretch of path, when Mr Darcy quoted an ode that his mother used to sing - The Happy Wanderer:

I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
"Come! Join my happy song!"

Much as I’m sure this is an excellent song (there was a lot of enthusiasm in a yodelling sense with the Val-derai Val-dera), I’m not sure I needed so much joy at the end of the hike. But… Mr Darcy has all my gear in his backpack (including items I might need ‘just in case’ like clean socks and chocolate), so I tolerated his song. Most importantly I loved his unintentional prompt - two young and enthusiastic singing hikers from Romania who passed us on the track.

And this brings me to my next point. Fellow hikers have been uniformly friendly and helpful. There aren’t so many of us that complete the whole 160km hike in a limited amount of time, so we tend to come across each other occasionally. We started our relationships with a cheery wave and, much as many of us aren’t now as sprightly on our feet as we were at the beginning of the trek, we continue to smile and ask each other how things are going. Mr Darcy and I are on the high end of the age demographic, but the lovely thing about challenging climbs is that there is an equalising factor irrespective of age (and my readers over 50 will appreciate the importance of this!) Darcy and I can offer a blister band aid, or midge cream, or an apricot or biscuit (because we are always prepared!) to a young hiker. And they are likely to offer a sympathetic ear, weather advice or a tip on the next town (and where to go for a coffee or beer). We met a group of Italian cyclists in a large drain (literally) and they very enthusiastically offered us a shot of coffee. Many hikers spend their nights in tents, while we are ensconced in B & B’s and small hotels, but we all meet up in the local pub every night and exchange a word or two on the day’s adventures. I really love this aspect of the hike!

And tonight’s accomodation at the Alt Na Leven? Excellent! Mr Darcy thinks it’s more Mr Collins’s taste than his own, but I think it charming. So many towels and such interesting wallpaper. The rooms we stay in vary every night. Sometimes the memories are excellent, sometimes less so. The brioche bun? Choosing between midges and a small room with no ventilation? The grumpy host who insisted I had to have the ‘full Scottish breakfast’ (including the black pudding, haggis, mushrooms and buttered toast, even though I wanted plain toast, bacon and an egg? But on the whole, the hosts are generous, the showers are hot and the beds are comfortable. Tonight’s accomodation is pictured!

The good:

Beautiful scenery (yet again) and it stopped raining. Also, a delicious meal at the local hotel.

The bad:

Mr Darcy’s leaking boots have gone to boot heaven (which is actually kind of nice, because they have joined my boots on the deceased boots boot rack). Both sets of boots had been brilliant for two earlier long distance walks, but they self-destructed a few days into this walk. Personally, I blame Covid.

The I didn’t know that:

Tonight when we walked into Kinlochleven’s pub, the bartender said there were no tables left in the cosy bar area overlooking the street, but (he added apologetically), would we mind very much sitting upstairs? We expected a soulless little space, but the views were spectacular. And that’s what we’ve found so often. Beauty is everywhere - including where you least expect to find it 💕

Day 5: Tyndrum to Kingshouse 31km

Setting the scene:

Our long hike over the moors!

Last night (using my faithful Omega analogue as opposed to Mr Darcy’s fancy-pants Garmin GPS system) I calculated that, at our average walking pace of 4km an hour, we’d need 8 walking hours to get to our destination, and another hour or more for stops along the way. Yikes! Following a 6.30am breakfast (a Goldilocks-style father bear bowl of porridge), we were on the road this morning at 7.15 am and walked two hours to a very pretty hotel at Bridge of Orchy, where (partly to get out of the driving rain) very large cups of coffee were consumed (it being a little too early for whiskey). I was spot on with my calculations, and we arrived at our hotel in time to have a cup of tea and two shortbread biscuits, before relaxing (Mr Darcy watched the Tour de France, possibly in relief that his work was done for the day).

What is best? My old watch or the GPS fancy one? I am reliably informed that Mr Darcy completed 42,450 steps today. He assumes I did more as I am shorter and I was limping. My leg is still dodgy (mostly when going downhill, often when uphill, and sometimes on the flat ) and many of the paths on the West Highland Way are old drover and military roads, some going back to Roman times. They are solid but extremely bumpy like cobbled roads (without the smooth edges) making them hard, rugged and uneven underfoot. Nevertheless, the final 16km of our walk, notwithstanding the rain and tricky terrain, was breathtaking for the magnificent scenery - hills, rivers, streams and misty moors.

Another two hour walk was supposed to end with an early lunch in Inveronan, but the hotel was closed, so we opened the faithful back pack and consumed tea (a thermos is heavy, but worth the weight), cheese, apricots (thank you for your foresight Uncle Sandy) and McVities chocolate wheaten biscuits. By now, we were 16km down!

The good:

Without a doubt, the scenery, and the sheep and birds and the amazing amount of water flowing down from the hills that created puddles the sizes of dams, gushing waterfalls and galloping rivers.

The bad:

Thank you for all your thoughtful enquiries regarding my boots. The latest news is - I did have a spare pair of boots, but 20km into our hike today (in very wet conditions - we were basically walking through shallow streams for kilometres) they started to leak. Weirdly enough, so did Mr Darcy’s boots, so we were squishing and squelching up and down the hills like a couple of sponges at a pool party. I’m not sure that this was terribly good for my big toe (the toenail was already destined to fall off) but on the bright side, my leg was sorer than my toe, so I hardly felt a thing! My toe is all taped up now, and I hope it won’t trouble me too much tomorrow. Mind you, it just goes to show that even though we were quite well prepared with two dedicated sets of worn-in hiking boots, things can go wrong.

The ‘I didn’t know that’:

Many sheep have black spotted legs. And many of the sweet little birds on the moor are very friendly. And, no surprises here, dogs love to hike too, and the UK is very welcoming to well behaved dogs. We were on the lookout for deer, but didn’t spot any. Worryingly, Mr Darcy had venison pie for dinner, which I am determined not to overthink.

Finally, we are staying at the BEST accomodation tonight - the King’s House Hotel. It is the only hotel for miles around, and very happily situated. It also has a dedicated drying room, so our boots will be toasty warm tomorrow morning, and hopefully stay that way as the forecast is brighter. Even though it’s 9.30pm, it’s still night outside, and I have a lovely view of hills from my window. Mr Darcy, exhausted from carrying a double pack (in the hope of saving my leg) is fast asleep, and I’m drying our clothes on the excellent drying rack in the bathroom.

Another update tomorrow - on our penultimate hike!

Day 4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum 21km

Setting the scene:

After a 21km walk today, we have arrived at a lovely B & B known as Clifton Cottage. Our room is small in size but our charming host, Carmen, has crammed everything one could possibly want into it (including four chests of drawers, three side tables, a wardrobe, a fridge, soft drinks, six chocolate bars, two wagon wheels and a coffee machine). Unfortunately there isn’t quite enough room for our cases (which are delivered to our room by a luggage company, so we only have to carry day packs).

The walking was easier today than yesterday (or maybe that was simply because my leg was, while slightly unreliable, more operational - thank you, Voltarin). We walked along ex military paths (some dating back to Roman times), through forests, farms and pine plantations.

The good:

Pine plantations are a common sight in the Scottish countryside, but in the past twenty years or so, there has been a push to plant many more native trees (that aren’t going to be harvested!), particularly on routes such as the Highland Way. Birches, oaks, elms and many other species are now a much more common part of the landscape than they were, which is so crucial for diversity in not only tree life, but wildlife generally. Mr Darcy took quite a few photos of big black slugs today (I am not sure why) but they are certainly thriving!

The bad:

Just like midge denial, many guide books seem to minimise the distances walked each day. Today, for example, was supposed to be on an 18km walk, but it was definitely 21km. Sometimes the difference is attributable to elements like travelling to our accomodation, or a slight detour, but more often than not, the distances are simply longer than flagged (and this is often made clear by local signposts).

Not that we actually need local sign posts, or guide books, according to Mr Darcy. He has a Garman that records distance (accurate due to a satellite I am assured), together with his heart rate, average travelled per hour, and elevations and destinations and (likely) hallucinations. Me and my watch are less accurate, but not by much: as we walk approximately 4km an hour, for an eight hour day, with lunch and a tea break taken out, we will walk twenty-eight km. I think this works quite well, but it doesn’t show my heart rate…

The I didn’t expect that:

So… My dear boots are seven years old, and have taken me on many day and weekend trips in our Australian national parks, but also from the west to the east coast of England (320km) and around Mt Blanc (240km). But today…

The sole of one of my boots came away! And then, within an hour, the sole of my other boot came away! Is the glue only made for a limited number of kilometres which, clearly, both boots have completed?

Blake Sinclair’s grandfather’s house

I am constantly daydreaming and… today I saw Blake Sinclair (the character from my 2024 novel) grandfather’s house. The book is set in Australia, but the house and the important role Blake’s grandfather played in his life is crucial - so I am delighted that now I have a visual representation of the cottage. The location and situation and lighting and everything else was perfect! And here it is!

Day 3: Rowardennan to Inverarnan 24km

Today was a day of walking the (remaining) 20 kilometres of the 39km length of Loch Lomond, and another four kilometres beyond it. There was wonderful scenery, and birdsong, and we saw feral goats with rather magnificent horns. I apologise for the ‘squatting’ photo, and the dead wood and lichen photo, but Mr Darcy insisted I include them as they have ‘artistic merit'.’

Now to jump straight into the good, the bad and the I didn’t know that.

First, the bad:

My horse leg is sore!

I was bravely hobbling downhill when Mr Darcy asked: ‘Is it your horse leg again?’ My horse leg has nothing to do with fetlocks and pasterns, but everything to do with my horse (a thoroughbred called Cascade) who fell on my leg when I was fourteen. We were cantering around an abandoned race track in the mud when he slipped over (onto his side) and landed on my leg. It was one of those moments one doesn’t forget. Me, lying in the ground and thinking, ‘Cascade is on my leg and I wish he’d get off.’ Luckily for both of us, he finally stood on his four legs, and then looked down curiously at me while I struggled to one of mine. I hopped to a fence and managed to get back into the saddle (no mobile phones in those days – and I had to ride 5km home before dark!).

 But I digress. No bones broken, but my leg swelled up to twice its normal size, and ever since, I’ve had a numb and sensitive patch on the outside of my right knee. Which might (to any medical professionals reading) have NOTHING whatsoever to do with my ‘horse leg’ but when it cramps and is sore, I always think ‘that’s the one Cascade fell on.’ Hence Mr Darcy (long being appraised of the occasional shortcomings of said leg) said today: ‘Is it your horse leg again?’

My leg stiffened up within an hour of our walk. It actually worked reasonably well on the flat, but as 85% of our 24km walk today involved scrambling downhill and uphill, it was a difficult day. Mr Darcy was good about it – holding out his arm at relevant points (as one would expect when assisting a woman from a carriage in the late 18th Century) to assist me, and hauling me aside when other walkers (few and far between as a walk on the shoreline over boulders and hundreds of year old tree roots wasn’t a walk for the faint hearted) wanted to pass.

We did bring poles and I used one of them to assist me (as I prefer one pole to two). Mr Darcy, encouraging me to take the second pole, held it aloft like a cross between Gene Kelly’s cane and Harry Potter’s wand (on that, if I could have apparited to our night’s accommodation, I would have).

And now for the good.

Lovely scenery. Beautiful people. A very nice room tonight, which was happily adjacent to a pub. Also, we’ve seen a lovely young couple a number of times and like to make up stories about them (not in a creepy way), and quote Andrew Lang’s The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lamond (which is actually as song about Jacobites and sad in a Waltzing Matilda way, but that’s another story…

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

The ‘I didn’t know that?’

In Scotland there are thistles (easily avoided), nettles (avoid or else) and midges. The latter are ghastly creatures (see picture - midge posing with bottle cap while faking own death and plotting blood curdling annihilation). Midges are small but terrifying insects (like miniature mosquitos) that rise from the ground in formation and surround the vulnerable). Many Scotsmen deny they are a problem (so long as one walks at faster than 5kmh in dry conditions (ha!), smothers oneself in disgusting smelling insect repellent and wears a ‘midge shield’ (basically a mosquito net you wrap around your face until you are blinded).

We have heard, ‘watch out for midges’ so many times. And when we ask follow up questions, everyone has a different answer. June is worst. You should be fine by July. August is the month to avoid. Do alternative activities when they are about - like go-karting, indoor pursuits, whiskey consumption.

These little beasties are endemic in the highlands and simply LOVE to suck blood (particularly in damp and warm conditions). We haven’t been troubled by them in the past few days, but today they were out in force. Not a problem when moving along (and we have repellent) but if it is necessary to stop (because you only have one working leg, for example, and you are hobbling on a 24km trek with no rest points, shops or shelters) they are, like Scotsmen of a bygone era baring swords and shields, a little problematic.

A modicum of rain and a gushing stream…

But back to my knee… I have Voltarin (which spell corrects to Voltaire) and Nurofen on board. And much to Mr Darcy’s horror, we have twin beds. So I am hopeful that my horse leg will be feeling much better for our 18km hike tomorrow and thereafter.

On an environmental note, many of the forests we’re walking through were once cleared for stock, or pine plantations, but are being ‘re-wilded’ which is a wonderful initiative fully supported by Scotland’s insects, birds and other wildlife.

Day 2: Dryman to Rowardennan 26km

Setting the scene:

It was a difficult hike today, but the scenery around Loch Lomond (we will walk all 37km of its length by midday tomorrow) was stunning. After our 26km walk from Dryman (Mr Darcy has the impressive elevation statistics if required), I would very much like to plunge my feet into the 197m depth of the loch to cool them off.

We’re staying at Rowardennan Hotel tonight, and our room has a lovely view of the loch. I seemed to annoy the kitchen for requesting a replacement for the brioche bun on my hamburger. Seriously? Who likes a sweet yellow bun on a burger? Thankfully, the kitchen found me something from tomorrow’s breakfast to replace the bun, and I will be eternally grateful for that. My large glass of wine, if you were wondering, was excellent. As was Mr Darcy’s ice cream (I refrained from desert, so ate his).

Our contemporaries… and climbing Conic Hill for views of Lake Lomond:

We’re getting to know a few of our fellow independent hikers. One Norwegian couple have THE most adorable 15 month old son (only strong Norwegian people could possibly backpack with a toddler up the craggy mountain paths). The little boy is already waving with great animation whenever he sees us (naturally, we wave with equal abandon back). While we are raising the age demographic of the other hikers quite considerably, they are all very nice about it. And much as our feet were sore tonight, we noted that many others were adopting a similar change in walking styles. Sore feet. Calves. Thighs. Like a cowboy who has spent a hard day on a horse (or has fallen off a bull and been thoroughly trampled). But hopefully a good night’s sleep will have us all striding out (if not dancing a jig) tomorrow.

The good:

Spectacular views of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond (the steep climb was totally worthwhile). The weather was excellent!

The ‘I didn’t know that.’

The Scottish Government has initiated a program where, in all state administered public toilets such as those in tourist centres, libraries and other facilities, sanitary items are provided for free to anyone who requires them. Private enterprise are catching on too, taking similar steps to provide these essential items. What a worthwhile initiative!

The bad:

It’s difficult to walk around the shoreline of Scotland’s largest loch, but climbing up and up and up to pass through the forest again and again and again before returning to the shoreline is difficult too. On the bright side, the forest walks were magical, as was the birdsong.

Research:

Penultimately, here is a picture of a highland sheep and his mother. The ewe was drinking from a stream and refused to look up, but junior was more accomodating. Highland sheep are hardy and independent - they have to be due to the inaccessibility of many areas for many months of the year. Cue Scottish vet Blake Sinclair in the book I’m writing now…

The loch has barely any public or private buildings around it, but camping is encouraged, and there is more sand around the loch than appears on most Scottish beaches. The water is great for kayaking but we saw very few swimmers today.

A final thought…

Todays walk was rated ‘moderate’ by (clearly) an Olympic marathon runner, a world champion hurdler, and Superman . Given they have rated tomorrow’s walk ‘moderate to strenuous.’ I’d better get to sleep!

Day 1: Milngavie to Dryman: 22km

Setting the Scene:

After a warm and restless evening (our room stayed at a rather too balmy 30 degrees, confirming that Scottish hotels are built with the aim of keeping heat in, not letting it out), we walked 22 km today. The temperature was a balmy 23 degrees and, much as I have become pathologically afraid of being bitten my midges (pretty much the equivalent of funnel web spiders - except they don’t kill you), we only saw them at a distance. Mr Darcy and I enjoyed spectacular highland views, contended cows and black and white sheep, and our boots experienced quite a lot of country lane walking.

An environmental initiative:

The flower photo is evidence that a local innovation, On the Verge, where community groups plant native flowers to encourage food sources for bees, is working well. And what a wonderful idea! 🌸🌸🌸 Not only that, the colourful flowers at the sides of the roads as we walked into our evening’s destination, Dryman, were a welcome diversion from the afternoon uphill climb.

Walking in tandem:

Mr Darcy’s legs stiffened in the final few kilometres (the words ‘my body is shutting down’ were groaned more than once), and he took to complaining about the route, and how he thought walking around a grassy rise would have been much more efficient in a physical and psychological sense than walking over the top of it), but we are reasonably healthy, and anticipating dinner and a well earned rest this evening.

Our accomodation is the Ashbank B & B, which is not only picturesque with a lovely host, Robbie, but very well appointed (providing a hot shower, tea and shortbread!) and right in the centre of a lovely little town. Dinner will be at the Clachan. which claims to be ‘the oldest public house in Scotland’ or, if Mr Darcy can’t walk that far, in the closest pub we hobble into.

The good, the bad, and the I didn’t expect that…

Good: Every walker that overtook us (or that we, occasionally, overtook), not only said hello, but was very happy to exchange a ‘where are you from?’ and ‘where are you headed tonight?’ There is no competition on these walks, and we all want the other walkers to simply enjoy their day and feel a sense of achievement at the end of it.

Bad: When it comes to having a pee, men (in my experience) simply face a tree, a thistle, a bump in the road, and point and shoot. Women have to pull down their hiking trousers or leggings, squat (as difficult as Olympic wresters make it look) and maintain a crouch for a not insignificant period of time. When Darcy and I hiked across England, and around Mt Blanc, we’d trek miles with barely seeing a soul. And even when we did, there were hills and boulders and stately trees to hide behind. On day one of our walk in Scotland, we were on picturesque (but not at all private) paths, country lanes, and hillside trails with very little privacy. By the end of the day, the pelvic floor exercises were more taxing than the walking!

Different: Black pudding for breakfast? I think not.

Four reasons to see The Lost City

How good is it when, with middling expectations, you buy tickets to a big screen movie and then be delighted by how much you enjoy it?  The Lost City, released mid-April and currently on screens world-wide, was just such a movie. A talented cast, laugh out loud moments, and a message we can all relate to—don’t judge a book by its cover.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Sandra Bullock is Loretta Sage, a successful but reclusive writer of romance novels, and Channing Tatum is Alan Caprison, a cover model (famous for his enthusiastic portrayal of Dash McMahon, the heroic fictional action-adventure character in Loretta’s books). Alan is (not so) secretly in love with Loretta, but Loretta, still pining the loss of her husband and a career as an archaeologist, wishes Alan would simply disappear. Throw in a kidnapping by a villainous Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), and the antics of Loretta’s delightful publicist Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and a few hilarious scenes featuring ex-Navy SEAL and CIA operative Jack Trainer (the still remarkably handsome Brad Pitt) and you have a movie that not only lovers of romance but plenty of others (just ask my husband!) are bound to enjoy.

So why does it work so well? There are a number of reasons, and these are my top four!

Firstly, Loretta and Alan might be polar opposites, but they’re both nice people with nice people frailties. Alan might be ‘certified CPR’ and ‘certified Cross Fit’ and have a host of other certificates in mountain climbing and lifting weights, but neither he nor Loretta have any experience of real-life adventure. Their ineptitude is not only amusing, it is endearing—they are relatable characters, and we can love them for not only their strengths but their failings.

Secondly, the chemistry between Loretta and Alan, and their growing understanding of each other’s motivations, builds slowly but surely throughout the movie. And the romance is more complex than it might appear at first. The movie is about falling in love again, about Loretta starting a whole new chapter in her life. And it also relates to how we judge others (the twist here is that Alan, the cover model, respects Loretta’s readers and what they get out of her romance novels, far more than she does). In fact, it’s only when Loretta faces losing Alan, that she truly appreciates the importance, and possibilities, of romance in her own life.  

Thirdly, I love the fact that Loretta is a romance writer, and the movie examines what romance means in both our reading and personal lives. I explore similar themes in my enemies to lovers’ novel On the Same Page, where the novelist character, a contemporary Miles Franklin, starts writing characters that bear a striking resemblance to her nemesis publisher, Lars Amundsen.

Fourthly, just like its predecessors, movies like Romancing the Stone and the Indiana Jones movies, The Lost City provides almost two hours of escapist enjoyment. Just like curling up and reading a romantic comedy novel, you’ll find relatable characters, happily ever after endings, and a lot of fun!

Romance, writing and reading 💕

I was recently on Jodi Gibson’s ‘Just Published’ blog. There have been a number of fascinating interviews with writers lately, which you can read here: Just Published. In the interview, I talk not only about On the Same Page, but the genre of romance generally.

Can you tell us a little about On the Same Page?

The main characters in On the Same Page are lawyer and historical romance novelist Miles Franklin, and a publisher, Lars Amundsen. Miles writes under a pseudonym and wants to preserve her privacy, but when she wins a major literary award, Lars is determined to find out who she is. In the process of doing that, he not only gains an appreciation for the genre of romance but falls in love with Miles.

On the Same Page explores many of the prejudices that exist towards readers and writers of romance. Lars is compelled to read Miles’s novels and give meaningful feedback. Miles takes on pole dancing in order to ‘write what she knows’ when her heroine climbs a drainpipe to a second story window. By the end of the novel, Miles also learns that some conflicts, including those with her snobbish and literary parents, need to be met head on.

The main character, aptly named Miles Franklin, is a lawyer by day and author by night. Did you draw from personal experience while developing Miles’ character?

I was a lawyer for many years (decades!) before I started writing creatively. Now I write full time, but like many writers, it was imperative to keep my day job in the early years of my writing. The only way I could find time to write creatively was to get up in the very early hours of the morning when my household was sleeping, write for two or three hours, and then begin ‘the day job’ of ferrying six children around and working full time. Like Miles, I did a lot of juggling! Two positive aspects of working like this was that I did complete my novel, and I also set up a routine I still use today. I find that once I’ve written solidly for two or three hours, I can come back to those words later in the day (in much shorter snippets of time) and, having pondered what I’ve written in the morning, I can edit and add to my words. 

Miles is in a difficult legal situation in On the Same Page because she’s being forced by Lars (her publisher) to honour a contract. Making Miles a lawyer gave me the opportunity to let her fight her own battles on the legal front (while also providing her with many opportunities to make Lars’s life extremely difficult!) 

You’ve carved a name for yourself in both the rom-com and rural fiction genres. Did you always plan to write across different genres? And do you maybe have another genre hidden up your sleeve?

Romance drives my stories, whether romantic comedy or rural fiction, and I can’t imagine writing in any other genre. As a lawyer, I know quite a lot about crime and criminal procedure, but I can’t imagine I’d ever write in that genre. I waited a long time to write creatively, and while it’s hard work, I love that it brings me joy. Writing romance does that, as reading romance did after long days of being a lawyer!

On the Same Page gave me an opportunity to have a lot of fun with the romance side of things, while in my rural fiction titles, the natural environment plays a much more important role. My first published novel, In at the Deep End, was positioned as a romantic comedy, but it’s essentially a rural (or coastal!) fiction novel. In dialogue, I think there are similarities between my romantic comedy and rural fiction titles—I love to tie the male love interests into knots.

What’s your favourite part of writing a book, and least favourite (just to keep it balanced)?

My favourite part of writing is when, usually at about 30,000 words into a 100,000 word novel, I am totally invested in the characters and have to keep their story going to resolve their conflict—irrespective of whether the novel might be published or not. At this stage, I have characters I care about, and a story I think needs to be told, so the next 70,000 words, while often a struggle (because as you know, Jodie, writing is hard!) are far easier to write. The least favourite part? The first 30,000 words!

You began your career after a successful career as a lawyer and legal academic, and after raising your family. What advice do you have for those perhaps thinking they’re ‘too old’ or they’ve ‘left things to late’ to become a published author?

Publishers and most importantly readers look for a voice and a premise and a story that keeps them invested in the characters, and anxious to turn the pages. The writer disappears in the writing, and that’s a very good thing because it gives writers of all ages the opportunity to be published. Also… life experience! I think I can write romance, children, teenagers, adults, grandchildren, love, tragedy and trauma, joy, sex, drugs (and rock and roll) with quite a bit of authority. And that’s because I’m sixty.

What are some of your all-time favourite books and/or authors?

What a difficult question! I don’t think it will surprise many of my readers to learn that I am a die-hard Jane Austen fan. In On the Same Page, where Miles makes many literary references to her favourite writers, Austen is certainly important. When I was growing up, my parents had all the classics, Dickens, DH Lawrence and the Brontë sisters, and I read my way through them. For contemporary romantic comedies, I probably started with Sophie Kinsella (particularly her early books) and Helen Fielding, and now I enjoy Mhairi McFarlane’s novels and many others. I’m also a fan of historical fiction—I’d read Julie Quinn’s Bridgerton books way before the television series came out! In relation to my rural fiction titles, I read a lot of non-fiction books as part of my research.

What can we find Penelope Janu doing in her spare time these days?

We’ve recently acquired a new puppy and a new kitten, so often I’m running after them! I’m also increasingly busy now my children are having babies, and that is a busyness I totally embrace. I ride horses, go for long walks (I’m hiking over 250km in the Scottish Highlands for two weeks in July), I love my garden, and I love to read. Also, I’ve been married to my Mr Darcy for thirty-seven years (we’ve been together for forty-one years) and he still exhausts me because while I am fundamentally lazy, he is exhaustingly active. ‘C’mon, Pen. Let’s do something.’

I also spend regular time with fabulous writing friends. The photo above was taken at Centennial Park, the setting for quite a few scenes of On the Same Page, with writing friends Cassie Hamer (her newest book is The Truth About Faking It which I HIGHLY recommend), and Claudine Tinellis a writer, friend, and host of the fabulous podcast Talking Aussie Books

And finally, why should readers pick up a copy of On the Same Page?

It’s hard to review your own work, but On the Same Page has been a book that has resonated with many different people for many different reasons. It’s a romance and a comedy, and it has laugh-out-loud moments, but it also has serious undercurrents about anxiety and family expectations, and also literary snobbery, misconceptions and prejudice. Also… it has pole dancing (which, incidentally, requires a lot of upper body strength).

On the Same Page

I’m delighted that a new edition of On the Same Page was released by my publisher HarperCollins on 1 April 2022. As part of the promotion, I wrote a blog post for ARRA, the Australian Romance Readers Association.

On the Same Page is a romantic comedy that explores what it means to be a reader (and writer) of romance, and the judgments people make about the genre that we in the ARRA community love. When HarperCollins, the publisher of my rural romance titles, said they’d like to republish a sparkling new edition of On the Same Page, I was delighted. And when a talented designer put not only a woman with a book but a man on a horse on the cover, I was doubly delighted!

The main characters in On the Same Page are Miles Franklin, a romance writer, and Lars Kristensen, a publisher of literary fiction. This is very much an enemies to lovers story, which isn’t so unusual, but there is another layer to the story as well, because as Miles writes her best-selling novels, and the characters in them fall in love, she also falls in love with Lars.

On first appearance, Lars is grumpy and strait-laced, but as he gets to know Miles, this challenges what he understands about romance, and also what he understood about love. On the Same Page is set in Sydney, and as I know the city well, it was a lot of fun to write about places I’m familiar with. I regularly go to the theatre and ballet at the Opera House, spend lazy afternoons walking through the gardens and watching equestrian activities at Centennial Park, and I enjoy sitting at footpath tables in cafés, so the research for this novel was no trouble to do at all! And, as Miles writes historical romance novels, On the Same Page also gave me the opportunity to think about the many things I enjoy when reading one of my beloved romance genres. Novels such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South pop up in On the Same Page, as do quite a few other favourites.

As dedicated readers of romance novels, and all they mean in our lives, I hope ARRA members enjoy reading On the Same Page as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Clouds on the Horizon release

Clouds on the Horizon was another January release (which seems to be a tricky release time of year … ). But there have been some wonderful highlights as well. I’ve been ‘On the Convo couch’ with Pamela Cook of the Writes4Women podcast already (this is the LINK if you’d like to see the interview) and I have other exciting on line events planned. In the meantime, Clouds on the Horizon is in all the shops and libraries (if not, please order it in💕) and the book is getting great reviews on Goodreads and other reader platforms. Below is a snippet of what ‘release week’ looks like in NSW in a pandemic. My flowers, my gardens, some four legged friends (and a bottle of bubbly).

Most importantly, I hope my readers (existing and new) stay safe and well, and enjoy Clouds on the Horizon. If you do, there is quite a backlist to discover!

Book shop visits!

One of the lovely things about being a writer is the opportunity to visit bookshops and take part in book events. And I must say, the longer I’ve been writing the more I enjoy this part of the process. I meet new readers, but I also meet readers who I might only have have had contact with via social media or email. While these events often coincide with a new book coming out, some readers arrive with copies of earlier books to sign, and it’s always a pleasure to see dog eared books you have written - it shows they’ve been read!

Bookshop visits are also an opportunity to catch up with lovely local author friends. In this photo, Cassie Hamer (After the Party and The End of Cuthbert Close), Claudia Tennelis (a writer of contemporary fiction and host of the entertaining and informative podcast, Talking Aussie Books - if you haven’t listened to this podcast of author interviews, I highly recommend it!), Anna and I are showing off our frocks!

Talking to readers and answering their questions makes me feel extremely grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity to share my characters with others who have enjoyed reading their stories as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them ❤️❤️❤️

At this recent event, we were at the fabulous Anna’s Around the Corner, a glorious cafe and bookshop in Cronulla, a seaside suburb on the outskirts of Sydney. Anna loves books, pure and simple, and it is a delight to share this love of books at one of her (highly celebrated!) book events. And can you believe Anna actually crocheted the beautiful poppies to celebrate the release of Starting From Scratch? What a wonderful memento I have of this visit (in addition to listening to David and his bagpipes!)

The Writing Life

I was recently interviewed by fabulous fellow author (Wildflower Ridge and Bottlebrush Creek) and friend Maya Linnell, for the Romance Writers of Australia blog. We chatted about my latest book, and quite a few other things too!

Short and sweet questions

Current book on your bedside table:

A (multiple) re-read of Jane Austen’s Persuasion for my current WIP, and David Howarth’s We Die Alone (a non-fiction book about Nazi occupied Norway).

Where do you do most of your writing?

As a floating writer, I write at the kitchen bench, dining table, desk in the study, sitting on my bed with my feet up, in cafés and in the car. My son calls my laptop ‘My Precious’ (after Frodo and Gollum’s ring in The Lord of the Rings) because I need to have it close.

Favourite Australian holiday destination:

My best holiday memories have been at the beach with my family, and since we tend to go to different destinations every year, I’ll simply say blue oceans, white waves, golden sands and bright Australian skies.

What’s your preferred drop?

Immediately after our babies were born, my husband knew to take the little bundles from the midwife so I could have a cup of tea. I’d have to say tea.

Guilty pleasure?

Reading until four in the morning to finish a romance novel. Holding onto a happy ending in the solitude of dawn is well worth the price of a few hours sleep.

Pet peeve:

Leaf blowers! Sweeping is far more efficient and much more environmentally friendly!

Favourite fictional couple and why?

John Thornton and Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. There were so many reasons this couple shouldn’t have been right for each other (the class divide, social upheaval, misunderstandings, his brusqueness, her distrust...) but love triumphs in the end.

If you could pack two non-essential items for a deserted tropical island, what would they be?

A deckchair (to set up in the shade so I can read a book).

My husband. Non essential but curiously essential.

Book you’re most looking forward to reading in 2021?

My daughter Tamsin is a children’s author (middle grade fiction published by Scholastic).  I’ve read her latest manuscript and LOVED it, but she just says, ‘Oh Mum, you love everything. The publisher might hate it!’ I would like to see this book on the shelves in 2021 so I can say, ‘I told you it was good!’

Best thing about being a writer?

Receiving beautiful messages and emails from readers telling me my books were important to them at stressful or difficult times in their lives.

Worst thing about being a writer?

Author angst. I should worry less about how to write, what to write and how it will be received, but I doubt I ever will. I’m a worrier by nature, my marketing skills are woeful, and I find writing (and criticism of what I’ve written) a very personal thing. All these elements make writing hard. On the bright side, the highs are really high!

Do you prefer music, podcasts or silence when writing? What song/channel/podcast do you have on high rotation?

 I can listen to music when writing, but not when editing (I’m not sure why there is a distinction—maybe my cries of distress while editing don’t want to compete with background noise). I listen to soft rock or hard pop on Spotify (my kids can’t see the distinction) because I love the mix of seventies and eighties classics, and more recent music too.

Favourite perfume/cologne: Christian Dior’s Miss Dior. I don’t wear a lot of perfume when I go out, but I do wear it at home.

TV/film crush:

David Tennant. He’s unconventionally attractive but when he’s on the screen—in so many different roles and guises—I find him compelling.

The best non-writing related prize I won was (meat raffle/free holiday/bingo game)…

I once won a copy of James Herriot’s book All Creatures Great and Small in a competition held in David Jones. I was horrifically embarrassed that I’d answered all the questions correctly, because I would have been twelve and the announcer made such a fuss about it. When I won the book I’d correctly answered the questions about, I remember thinking how ridiculous it was. I’d obviously read the book already, so why give me the book again as a prize?

Top three tips for aspiring authors?

A writer’s voice is unique—as is the story and the way the writer tells the story.

I think it’s useful for a writer to write about characters or situations they find inherently interesting. I am a very slow writer so it takes me ages to write a paragraph let alone a page, and I edit as I go so that slows things down more. I spend a lot of time with my characters and situations—if I didn’t care about them or wasn’t interested in what they were up to, I’d find it impossible to keep going.

If possible, a writer should set aside time to write, and write even when they don’t feel like it. Words are never wasted—even if they aren’t words that will stay in the book, they have led us to where we need to go to finish our story.

Can I slip in one more? Writing friends and colleagues are essential!

What theme do you hope shines through in your writing?

 Coastal or rural, I set my stories in locations that I (and my characters!) care about, so the environment plays an important role in my novels. Because my heroines have often suffered trauma or hardship, I do my best to create respectful, loving and kind heroes who will ultimately be worthy of them.  

 Proudest author moment?

Without a doubt, winning the Romance Writers of Australia’s RuBY award for On the Right Track. I was absolutely delighted. I am still delighted. I will always be delighted!

My favourite thing about writing romance is ….

Getting to spend time with the characters I will typically fall in love with by the end of the novel, and enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of my friends in the writing community.

If anyone gives me flack about writing romance, I tell them…

Romance novels are about the important things in life—characters and relationships and place and hope and grief and loss and laughter and falling in love. I make no apology for them.

 Three fun facts about the author:

I know the ‘correct’ way to iron a shirt: shoulders, back, fronts (button panel then button hole panel) sleeves, cuffs, collar. I am an excellent ironer, which might be why I enjoy ironing. Or maybe it’s because I talk on the phone or listen to podcasts or plot when I iron, and I like doing these things too!

Three years ago, I walked from England’s west to east coast (320km in 14 days), and two years ago I walked 230km around Mt Blanc (Switzerland, Italy and France). I have mountain goat tendencies.

When I was at university, I worked in a chicken shop. A very handsome northern beaches actor (the helicopter pilot from Skippy) used to come into the shop every Saturday and innocently ask for ‘two whole breasts’ (as opposed to ‘two half breasts’ which were also very popular). Three of us worked in the shop (and the boss didn’t work on Saturdays)—the work was messy and hard but we always had Tony Bonner to look forward to and chatted and laughed all day.

A new release... celebrations, and getting back to work

A new release means writing a lot about the book (instead of actually writing the book!) for the press and bloggers, and also doing the odd radio interview and live event. This release day was a little different to others, in view of us all staying safe and well, but I had a lovely time visiting a local landmark with my family, captured in these shots! Here is a sample of the questions I’m often asked - and my replies!

What originally inspired the idea of Starting From Scratch?

The setting was always going to be Horseshoe Hill, a small country town in the Hunter Valley region of NSW, which was the perfect place for Sapphie, who’d had a difficult adolescence, to find a sense of belonging and community. Matts, as a (very attractive!) Finnish environmental engineer, had to have a reason to find Sapphie in Horseshoe Hill, and that is where the second thread of this story came in—the rivers and waterways of regional Australia, and the environmental challenges they face.

What did you learn about yourself whilst writing Starting From Scratch?

I worked as a legal academic for many years and always enjoyed teaching. My students were primarily young women and men in their twenties and early thirties, the age group many of my main characters share. I love the fact that this group is passionate about issues, flexible about change, and open to different ways to find happiness. Every time I write a book, my character’s tenacity, resilience through hardship and preparedness to make change happen, reminds me to bring more of these elements into my own life.

 Are the characters based on anyone you know in real life?

The characters are all fictional, but they are, in many ways, reflected in many people I’ve known in my life. I do like writing older people as secondary characters, and also children. Having had six children of my own, I spent many years surrounded by them and their friends! One of the characters in this book, the ornithologist Ray, is based on a very dear friend of mine (we were at Law School together). My friend and Ray have different passions, but a similar way of expressing them.

How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

As I’m a romance writer, I am forever looking for ‘happily ever after’ stories because they really do exist. Relationships based on mutual respect, friendship, trust and ultimately love are always inspirational. The environment is a really important element in Starting From Scratch, and that inspires me every day. We are so fortunate to have wonderful fauna and flora and a unique natural environment in this country. It’s a privilege to be able to write about them.

What’s the main message you hope readers take from Starting from Scratch?

In terms of the relationship between Sapphie and Matts, that it’s never too late to find the person that is perfect for you. In terms of the environment, that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to not only preserve and protect our natural environment, but to take responsibility for the damage we have done and restore and rehabilitate it where we can.

What is the best thing about creating a character like Sapphie?

As a writer who spends the best part of 18 months writing and editing a book, you get to know your characters very well, and to care for them a lot. Sapphie has a very warm heart and, notwithstanding the difficult challenges she’s had, she tends to give second chances to everyone. It takes her quite a while to give a second chance to Matts, so I was very glad (and relieved!) when she did.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

To write about what they love, value and care about, because they will be spending a lot of time creating the world their characters inhabit, and the characters themselves. I enjoy writing rural fiction because the settings inspire me, and so do many of the characters who live in country areas.

What or who inspired you love of reading/ writing?

I always had access to books as a child, and my parents were readers. We didn’t have a great deal of money and rarely went on holiday, but my parents gave me wonderful opportunities to find alternative worlds and experiences through reading. Reading other people’s stories fired my imagination and sparked dreams of creating my own.

What’s next for you?’

I’ve recently submitted my 2022 book to my publisher, so I hope to be doing edits on that in the next few months, while writing the next book. I’ll also enjoy sending Sapphie and Matts from Starting From Scratch out into the world and into reader’s hands. This is an exciting time for any author and I really enjoy it! On the personal front, my extended family has been told to expect a lot of very tight hugs!

Legal Beagle: Tell me about trespass...

I write a legal column for the fabulous organisation, Romance Writers of Australia. Since it’s Christmas and we’re thinking all things festive, I thought this reflection on trespass might be instructive…

Bella and Daphne

On the night before Christmas, Amy hears a tapping noise on her roof. Five minutes later, a man, elderly, rotund and bearded, appears on her hearth. When she asks him what he’s doing there, he takes Amy into his arms and whirls her around until she’s giddy, then reaches into his sack and pulls out a brightly wrapped present. After rearranging a few ornaments on her tree, he places the present beneath one of the branches.  

‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ echoes from the chimney as Santa ascends.

Amy runs to the window just in time to see a sleigh, Rudolf leading and Blitzen riding shotgun, disappearing into the night.

How many times has Santa acted illegally? Quite a few!

In other Legal Beagle columns, I’ve looked at the differences between criminal offences (where the government or State brings an action against the accused), and civil offences (where one individual, the plaintiff, brings an action against another individual, the defendant). While Santa’s conduct would involve criminal behaviour, I’ll focus on civil claims in trespass, which come under the legal category of ‘tort.’ Whether you’re writing a romantic comedy or a romantic suspense or anything in between, and one of your characters acts without the consent of another, the principles set out below would be relevant.

Trespass is ‘actionable per se,’ which means Amy can bring an action even though she hasn’t suffered damage to her property, physical injury or economic loss as a result of Santa’s actions. All that has to be shown to succeed in trespass is ‘direct interference with person or property.’ And as trespass is relevant to an infringement to enjoyment of land, possession of goods, and freedom of movement, Amy could have at least three actions arising from these facts. Let’s look at them one by one.

Trespass to the person involves assault (the apprehension of harm, with no damage required), battery (the direct and intentional application of force, again without the necessity of physical harm being caused) and false imprisonment (where a person is deprived of their freedom of movement). Santa’s actions in surprising Amy would be assault, touching her constitutes battery, and holding her could be false imprisonment.

Trespass to land requires possession of land (it doesn’t matter whether Amy owns or rents the property, so long as she’s entitled to occupy it) and unlawful entry (entry without permission). And there could be more than one breach here, because ‘land’ includes the surface of the land, the subsoil below it, and any airspace above it that is necessary for the enjoyment of the land. So even if Santa hadn’t come down the chimney, hovering immediately above the roof could have constituted trespass to land.

Trespass to property occurs where there is a direct or intentional interference with the personal property of the plaintiff, where they are entitled to exclusive ownership of personal goods. As Santa handled Amy’s ornaments, there would be trespass to property.

Here’s hoping your Christmas is free of any behaviour that leads to a court case, and is most importantly a safe and happy one. And that 2021 brings a lot of joy to everyone (particularly after the hard year so many have experienced due to You Know What.

Where did that idea come from?

Mr Fudge (and me)

In the past few weeks, my writing group, the Inkwells, have been doing a 'November Instagram Challenge’ in which we shared writing news, tips, inspirations and a number of other insights into our writing lives. And that made all of us think - what types of things do inspire our writing? I think we all shared a story that made us appreciate how particular life events become so important to us. They might end up being a prompt for a story, or merely something that we want to share in our books. I’ve found that to be the case in quite a few of my novels, where I’ve written about re-homed racehorses. What happens to a horse (that might be purchased for a fortune because he or she has the potential to earn a lot of money on the track) if it turns out the horse, through injury or lack of speed, is retired from racing and becomes, to some owners, more or less worthless?

Oval Office the racehorse

Some owners, privately or through excellent organisations that work with the racing industry, find very happy homes for ex-racehorses. My childhood friend’s horse, Oval Office, a very successful racehorse, is one example of this. Rina re-schooled this wonderful horse, who became very successful (and much loved!) as a dressage horse. Other horses, sadly, end up in the knackers yard because they haven’t got the right look or temperament to be sold, and the original owner isn’t willing to pay for the re-training required.

My personal story of a horse I owned for many years, being given a second chance, was discussed in one of my Instagram posts:

Oval Office the dressage horse

Every picture paints a story.... the picture above is me on my pony Mr Fudge, who had quite a story of his own. My first pony was a young mare called Susie. I was around nine when she bit my cheek (I still have a tooth mark scar) and my parents thought another pony might be more suitable… At that time, the (now) legendary horse trainer Heath Harris (involved with films such as The Man From Snowy River, Gallipoli, Phar Lap and many others) was on the look out for mares - and we did a direct swap. Heath had rescued Fudge, who was destined for the knackery. Fudge had been a riding school horse, Prince, for about 15 years and had been pretty well ridden to death, but Heath believed he deserved another chance. It was winter when Fudge came to us, and his coat was so shaggy and white that I called him Snowball. But within weeks his golden palomino colour emerged and we changed his name. Over the next few years, Fudge competed in pony club (including State level) and horse shows. He was such a character and we became quite adept at hiding his bad habits in the show ring! Fudge had arthritis by the time my family moved to Victoria but we took him with us and he lived for many more years in his retirement. I never really grew out of him though, and in warmer weather I’d leave my big horses at home, saddle him up and we’d relive our glory days (or so we thought!) together. I’ve known quite a few rescue horses - and tend to re-home quite a few of them in my novels. Fudge was a testament to what can happen when horses are given a second chance, and that, in fact, is one of the themes in Starting From Scratch.