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Author Harvest ‘bales up’ Rachael Johns (with giveaway!)

Author Harvest

photoRachael, both Jilted and Man Drought have such intriguing first chapters, making them impossible to put down. So intrigue me now. Describe the special treat you’ve whipped up for me today.

If I knew you were going to come round, I would TRY to whip you up something fabulous but alas, I seem to have lost my ability to cook, so you’d probably end up with a plate of Choc Mint Slice biccies (Arnotts) – they are my fave!
(Truth is, you could do a fictional spread and I’d be happy, because what you’d make up, just like your books, would be more than satisfying. Awww!)

At home with …

My mum says garden gnomes make a house a home! Are you loud and proud in your love of garden gnomes at home – or a closet gnomer?

I am a HUGE fan of garden gnomes. My granny always had some in her garden and so when I got my own garden (I use the term loosely), I of course bought a few gnomes of my own. All these gnomes were having a perfectly fine life until my son came along a few years later and at about two became obsessed with them. The collection grew quickly because we bought him a cheap gnome whenever we saw one. Unfortunately he insisted on carrying at least one (sometimes two) gnomes around with him wherever he went, which often resulted in serious accidents. We had a gnome hospital and graveyard in our life for quite a few years. Sadly, not many gnomes made it past my son’s early years and our garden today is sadly lacking.

(My fave garden gnome is Jamie Drury! Am I allowed to say that?)

What vegetable (or fruit) have you always wanted to grow at home?

Snow peas. We have done so quite a few years and it is so great to be able to pick a few and enjoy whilst in the garden.

(Agreed. I love slicing them very fine-on an angle-and using them as a garnish and in salads.)

If I came to your home and looked in the refrigerator, what would I find?

Too many things past their use-by date and lots of Diet Coke!

You are such a ‘Stand Out Star’ (hehe, couldn’t resist that one!) If you sorted your wardrobe by colour, what colour would stand out?

(Oh wait, let me guess! Umm…pink?)

Pink would be the predominant colour but sadly, I don’t sort ANYTHING!!!

What are you wearing now? (Be honest!)

Comfy black yoga pants and a stripey Bonds tee. Not planning on going out again today, not that I’d necessarily dress up more if I was – lol

If you were to housesit someone else’s home, whose home would it be and why?

My Aunty and Uncle’s holiday house in Queenstown NZ. It’s halfway up a mountain, overlooking the lake and quaint tourist town- I love it!

(That would be ‘One Perfect Night’ then, eh?)

Country curiosities…

We love a sunburnt country (slip, slop, slap and all that). What’s your ideal hat? Or are you a boots person?

I actually really love wearing caps!!! Have done since I was a wee lass. In year seven one of the boys and I had this thing going – both of us always wore caps and we’d always say to each other, “You’re not so good without your cap!”

If you were a tree (or animal) what kind of tree (animal) would you be?

I would like to be a cat! In a good house. I reckon those cat’s have it good. Mine is in bed (mine) like twenty-three hours a day!

Now for the big question… Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because the grass is greener on the other side!?

About you…

Your turning point: when was that point in your life that you realized that being an
author was no longer going to be just a dream but a reality and a career?

When I signed my first contract!!! And then when I got my first REAL deadline – writing a book my publisher had already bought. EEK!! It’s scary on this side of the fence!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The last third of the book. It seems to flow until then and I’m quite happy with what I’ve written but when I hit this point, I always start doubting my ability AND the book’s excitability!

If someone was to write your biography, what do you think the title should be?

The Night Woman – cos I have night terrors and this freaks me out a lot. It freaks out my husband too! But at night, I feel almost like I have no control over myself. This sounds scary and it is, but it would make an interesting book.

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Can’t think of anything. See I’m really very boring!

Fun stuff …

What does your protagonist think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you, the author, his/her creator.

My protagonists love me cos I give them life!!! Although sometimes they want
to throttle me because of the things I throw at them, but they are all very
forgiving.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

Kate Middleton – hehehe, have always had a thing for Prince Will!

(Well, right now you’d have to have a thing for morning sickness! Poor girl.)

If I said to you, “Just entertain me for five minutes, I’m not going to talk,” what would you do?

Log you onto Facebook!

(Well, at least you won’t leave me ‘Jilted’!)

What food would you be?

Red velvet chocolate cake with cream cheese icing!

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Books

How weird are you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very).

5

(You are so NOT average, Rach.)

Find out more about Rachael and her books below.

And, in case I haven’t plugged Rachael’s books enough, we are giving away a copy of Man Drought!
Leave a comment, telling us what you do that freaks out your partner/kids/parents/etc.

And… If you enjoyed this interview, there are loads to come over the summer, autumn and winter harvests. While you’re here, why not do as Rach does and subscribe to my blog so I can deliver blog excerpts straight to your INbox.
(See SUBSCRIBE option – top right of this page)

The winning comment will be announced here one week following this blog post.
Until then, post away.

Giveaway closed: The winner of Man Drought is Lily Malone. (Winner chosen by independent reader (aka house guest) and decision based on … and  I quote… “how desperately she sounds like she want the book.”  I had to agree!

Thank you everyone for dropping by.

Blog – www.rachaeljohns.wordpress.com

Website – www.rachaeljohns.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/RachaelJohns

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Johns/260103224001776

 

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It’s here!

IMG_0595It’s here! 2013. Where did the last year go? At last my countdown to March has made it to ‘weeks’. (No more, ‘next year’. My book is out THIS year.)

That’s right.

In about six weeks from now House for all Seasons will have been printed, packaged and posted off to bookshops** all over Australia and New Zealand. (**bookshop: (noun) – a place where books are sold.)

In eight weeks from now (the official release date of March 1) I will be sitting where I am right now – at my computer, hitting the F5 refresh button and waiting for… I don’t know what I will be waiting for actually. It’s all a bit weird still.

March 1 for me will also will be an early one. I intend celebrating the same way I celebrated the New Year today – at Sawtell Headland, watching the sun rise on a new phase in my life (my life as a ridgey didge published author. My ultimate, never-thought-it-would-ever-happen dream).

Which leads me to my New Years resolution – keep dreaming – and to my plan to inspire others, as part of the Writing Novels in Australia program. Each month during 2013 I will be a guest blogger, sharing my thoughts and experiences as an emerging author.

I’m especially keen to inspire those who think they’ve left it too late to dream. My advice:

Dare to dream.

It’s never too late.

Extraordinary things do happen to ordinary people.

I hope you’ll join me. http://writingnovelsinaustralia.com/

(** Of course I jest. We all know what bookshops are. But I fear we need to treat them like we treat all endangered species so they don’t disappear and become a thing of the past. Perhaps make your new year’s resolution to support yourlocal bookshop a little more than you do already (as well as embracing technology.) In other words… Share the lurve a little.

 

 

 

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I’m The Next Big Thing apparently!

TNBTBanana
Okay, I know this Next Big Thing thing is BIG, and even though I’m fond of my town emblem, the banana is probably NQR. (Oh, anyone familiar with edits will know those letters stand for ‘Not Quite Right’. And I should know as I am mid-edits for the very first time. NQR is now tattooed on my brain!)
So what is Next Big Thing?
It’s a kind of online chain letter (and who am I to break the chain, given we are two days out from the next Apocalypse).
Sara Foster (who took part in my Author Harvest blog – delightful woman) tagged me as part of The Next Big Thing. I get to tell you about my current book (see Q&A below) and then I drag tag four unsuspecting, gullible, naive, lovely, supportive, generous writer friends: Allison Tait, Cate Ellink, Kerrie Paterson and Lily Malone to do the same. Then we promote each other to billy-o. (That’s okay as I am particularly keen for you to get to know these ladies. All three have debut novels due out next year, like me. 🙂
So, without further excuses (or desperate measures to avoid this “Amway of the author network”) here goes…
1) What is the working title of your current/next book?
House for all Seasons – my debut novel – will be available March 1, 2013. The Simmering Season will follow 12 months later. (Both perfectly timed for Mother’s Day).
2) Where did the idea come from?
See inspiration answer – Q9
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary Australian fiction (and I love the tag line on my gorgeous cover “Small towns can keep big secrets”)
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Oooh, what an exciting thought! Four strong females. Too easy…
Cute as a button Abbey Cornish (Sara), Tall, lanky kick-arse Cate Blanchett (Poppy), fiery, feminine and fabulous Nicole Kidman (Amber), all-around good egg, Toni Collette (Caitlin).
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Four women, four unravelled lives. The truth will bind them forever. (Okay, so that’s two sentences. (Yes, I am author. I recognise that! But it’s my blog.)
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The delightful Clare Foster (Curtis brown Literary Agency) sold my two books to the amazing Larissa Edwards, who heads up publishing at Simon & Schuster, Australia.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft?
The first draft (50,000) words was courtesy of NaNoWriMo 2010.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I am influenced and encouraged by different books for the authors specific styles/strengths: Lisa Heidke’s witty dialogue; Posie Graeme-Evans’ stunning scene-setting, Sara Foster’s wicked weaving of plots and characters; Monica McInerney’s eclectic cast and clever characterisation; the mischievous Marian Keyes for the giggle factor, and Jodi Picoult’s tackling of real-life issues.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I remember it was early spring. I was sitting outside relishing the warmth on my face after a cold, cold winter and appreciating the different seasons we get to experience here in Australia.

The changing seasons inspire me. I love the contrast – and contrast makes for great characters and conflict. So I wanted to create four female characters as different as the seasons.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Why, the blurb – of course!

Bequeathed a century-old house, four estranged friends return to their New South Wales hometown, Calingarry Crossing, where each must stay a season at the Dandelion House to fulfil the wishes of their benefactor, Gypsy.

But coming home to the country stirs shameful memories of the past, including the tragic end-of-school muck up day accident twenty years earlier.

Poppy, a tough, ambitions journo still craving her father’s approval;

Sara, a breast cancer survivor afraid to fall in love;

Amber, a spoilt socialite addicted to painkillers and cosmetic procedures;

Caitlin, a third generation doctor frustrated by a controlling family and her flat-lining life.

At the Dandelion House, the women will discover something about themselves and a secret that ties all four to each other and to the house – forever.

So here we are. The Next Big Thing is done and dusted. Quite painless (although maybe I haven’t got it quite right as I think I’ve been double tagged with Pamela Cook in the new year. But that’s okay. Looking forward to it.)
Over to you fellow DIGRITS: Lily, Kerrie and Cate.