Blog Archives
A Novella With Heart – Guest Interview with Tahlia Newland
On the blog today I have author Tahlia Newland to talk about her new young adult novella, You Can’t Shatter Me, Tahlia writes magical realism and contemporary fantasy for young adults & adults. She has a short story available free on kindle for a limited period – A Hole in the Pavement from 3rd to 7th July.
Welcome Tahlia, what is the novella about?
It’s about Carly, a sixteen year old girl who wants to write her own life and cast herself as a superhero, but when she stands up to a bully, the story gets out of her control. Dylan, a karate-trained nerd who supports her stand, turns out to be a secret admirer, and Justin, the bully, makes Carly his next victim. While romance blossoms, Dylan faces attacking words, an unreliable movie director, a concrete habit that requires smashing, and an unruly Neanderthal. Meanwhile, the bully’s increasing harassment forces Carly to deal with flying hooks, unflushable cowpats, and deadly dragons. An old hippie shows her an inner magic that’s supposed to make her invincible, but will Carly learn to use it before the bully strikes again and Dylan resorts to violence?
Why should people read it?
It’s a heart-warming story that will inspire and empower teens and adults alike with its solutions for the bullying issue. It’s also written in a unique magical realism style that provides an exciting and unusual fantasy element in the form of extended metaphors for the characters’ inner experiences.
Like attacking words and flying hooks?
Yes. The words are Dylan’s thoughts, and the fishing rod and bait is the bully trying to annoy Carly. She has to try not to end up a fish struggling on the end of his hook.
Where do the dragons fit in?
Carly asks her Auntie exactly this. This is her reply.
“The dragons are inside you, and you have to slay them before you can deal with anything outside.”
“So I’m living with an infestation of dragons,” Carly said. The conversation got weirder and weirder.
Aunt Anne chuckled, “I see a doubt dragon, right now. You need to get rid of that one, quick smart, or it’ll sabotage everything.”
Even though Aunt Anne says the dragons are inside, Carly’s battle with the Doubt Dragon is written as if it appears outside.
A huge purple dragon raced out of the bush towards me, snorting fire. I dived out of the way, but the flames licked my arms, searing off layers of skin, leaving it red raw like a lump of meat.
What’s the inner magic?
Light conjured up from arousing love and compassion. It’s very powerful but Carly doesn’t trust it.
Is that bit magical or real?
It’s reality written as if it were magic.
A karate-trained nerd sounds like a contradiction. What’s Dylan like?
He’s gorgeous, of course, and full of contradictions, which is what makes him so interesting. He’s very intelligent and preferred math and computers to girls until very recently, but now his naturally protective feelings for Carly threaten to turn him into a Neanderthal. He never wanted to do karate but his mother insisted, hoping it would stop him being bullied as a child. It worked too. A lot of the book is written from his point of view, so we get to know him quite well.
What about Carly?
She’s a very ordinary girl in many ways except that she wants to make a difference in the world. She wants to right what’s wrong, but she struggles to find the courage she needs to do that. She loves dancing, art, movies, chips (fries to the Americans), her cat and by the end of the book (after a few kisses) is entertaining the idea that she just might fall in love with Dylan too.
What kind of solutions for bullying does the book offer?
I use analogies for helpful ways of thinking. For example, when you stir a cowpat it stinks, whereas if you leave it alone, it crusts over and stops stinking. I draw a parallel between this and anger. If you stir up your anger, it’s going to hang around like a bad smell until you stop repeatedly thinking about what caused it. As well as being entertaining, the analogies make the points easy to remember.
Also, the main character, Carly learns to meditate, which helps her to handle the situation more calmly and clearly, and she comes to see her harasser in a compassionate light. This increases her self-esteem and eventually disarms him. Of course, she has a lot of resistance to learning to meditate. My teenage daughter made sure that the characters actions were very realistic.
Do these solutions work?
Yes. I’ve used the analogies and the viewpoints they represent to help my daughter negotiate the trials of the school ground and also various teens at the high schools I’ve worked in as a teacher. I’m constantly amazed by the immediate positive effect they have.
>>One of Tahlia’s short stories, A Hole in the Pavement , is free on Kindle until 7th July.
>>You can purchase ‘You Can’t Shatter Me’ on Kindle, or in files for all devices via Smashwords. The paperback will be available via all major book retailers worldwide. If you would like to be notified when it’s released please fill in the form here.
Thanks Tahlia for visiting the blog today!
Tahlia is an avid reader, an extremely casual high school teacher, an occasional mask-maker and has studied philosophy & meditation for many years. After scripting and performing in Visual Theatre shows for 20 years, she is now a bone-fide expatriate of the performing arts. She lives in an Australian rainforest, is married with a teenage daughter and loves cats, but she doesn’t have one because they eat native birds. Connect with Tahlia at her website/blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
Rachael Johns Answers Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions!
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Today I’d like to welcome Rachael Johns, who has a new book out called JILTED! She is also giving away a copy of this book to one lucky commentor (Australia/NZ only).
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
JILTED without a doubt. I love ONE PERFECT NIGHT but JILTED is a bigger book and was my fairy dust book in many ways. I can honestly say it almost wrote itself. Wish another one would do that.
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Cheerful! Definitely. I’ve even been told I smile TOO much 🙂
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Oh dear… I think I’m gonna have to go with SLOB! Not because I want to be this way but between kids, writing and the shop, my house and housework severely suffer.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
I LOVE a tortured hero and I think all my heroes have a little bit of torture in them. So, I have to be really naff and say I love them all. I’m jealous of the heroines and hopefully that comes across on the page!
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Nope – which is bizarre, cos I’m an English teacher with a minor in DRAMA. I am very guilty of talking to myself though and have been known to talk through scenes or at least the dialogue.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Whoops – I think I just answered that above. YES!!!
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Renee Zellweger but possibly only her character from Bridget Jones 🙂
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I’d be Hermione from Harry Potter because a) I’d really impress my sons and b) I could do magic spells!
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
An unlimited supply of Diet Coke (runs for cover from Juliet)!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Live life like there’s no tomorrow and also like you’ve still got forever. Take the time to listen and always smile 🙂
Thanks for participating, Rachael. You have been awarded ‘Ultra Brave Author’ status on the Braveometer!
You can visit Rachael online at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter.
>>To WIN a copy of JILTED, leave a comment below (Australia/NZ only)!
*Winner will be drawn Tues 12th June and has one week to respond to the email notification or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!
Sunday Lunch with Jenn J McLeod…
Please give a warm welcome to author Jenn J McLeod as she joins me for Sunday Lunch…
1. Can you tell us about a happy memory from your life that revolved around food?
At 22, travelling around Australia in a Ford F100, my girlfriend and I were ‘rescued’ by four Sth Aust. farmers (on their annual pilgrimage). We dropped our exhaust on the (then corrugated dirt) Stuart highway, miles from anywhere. We met up with them again at Coober Pedy pub and they suggested we camp out of town. We did! (Had not heard of Wolf Creek then obviously.) What an experience. In the middle of nowhere – 100 clicks from Coober Pedy – they cooked us kangaroo tail soup, kangaroo steak, damper and baked vegies – all from a campfire (see picture below!). My love of a life in the country was born.
2. Do you have any food-related rituals or routines in your household, such as a specific meal for certain days of the week?
Very regimented at breakkie time – need it to wake up. After that, who knows! As long as I get my two soy lattes every day I’m a happy girl.
3. What is your favourite
Drink: alcohol – full stop. Only don’t stop. Pls don’t stop. Barman! Another one pls…and one for my friends. (I shout cyber drinks these days since deciding too much of the real thing is bad for my health and my waistline. Although I will be lashing out come Conference. Try and stop me!)
Indulgence: brie cheese & crackers with homemade persimmon paste, pretzels and red wine under a setting summer sun.
Meal: Home made pasta or pizza with home grown spices and herbs.
4. What’s the most revolting thing you’ve ever eaten?
Oysters or smoked cod in white sauce. Brrrrrrrrr!!!!!
5. If you have children, have you discovered any ingenious ways to hide vegetables in meals?
I hide the dogs’ tick prevention pills in yoghurt (a dollop in each bowl of biccies). Does that count?
6. Is eating out at cafes and restaurants a regular part of your life? Do you have any favourite places you’d like to mention?
Eating out was my all-time fav thing to do…until I bought a café. If you want to stop eating out (save money and lose weight) buy a food business and see what some chefs do in the kitchen, learn what the 10 second rule is, or discover how cheap and easy that $30 masterpiece is to make! I promise you will never eat out again.
7. Do you eat while you write? Are there any particular foods or drinks you always have on hand while writing?
Who can eat and write at the same time? I need every finger to hunt and peck my way around the keyboard. Besides, I can’t afford slippery food fingers if I want to keep the letters from fading away.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Kylie Minogue or Tina Arena. Two different and very successful women who found success their own way. I admire their tenacity and the ability to reinvent themselves to broaden their audience and grow with the changing music scene. I’m not sure writers can ever do this. Both these ladies have endured set backs (in different ways) and stayed focused and positive.
9. Which one of the following types of cooks are you?
- Cooking? What’s that?
- I cook only when I absolutely have to
- I’m an average cook, and stick to my regular meals
- I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own
- Next season of MasterChef – lookout!
None of the above. I now use my new status of soon-to-be-published-author, milking it wherever possible (usually at dinner and dishes time), except when I can’t because my B&B – purpose built for pups and people – visit us on facebook here. (shameless plug) — offers evening meals. Typically:
Char-grilled Atlantic salmon fillet on Moroccan cous cous, with homemade mango chutney, cucumber yoghurt and salad with preserved lemon dressing
Our Mediterranean Table – Spaghetti Bolognaise with hand-made fettuccini, Mediterranean salad, olives, shaved parmesan & crusty sourdough bruschetta
Hungry yet?
10. Do you have a favourite recipe you’d like to share?
The Calingarry Crossing CWA ladies (from my first novel) have THE best / easiest no peeling required pumpkin soup. They posted it on my blog a while back! Here it is.
Thank you, Juliet, for my very first invitation to blog as a ridgy-didge author, having signed up with Simon & Schuster for my two contemporary Australian novels earlier this year.
House For All Seasons (due May next year)
The Simmering Season (due May 2014)
In the meantime, come on over…
Come home to the country…
www.jennjmcleod.com
Jenn J McLeod
Small town stories. Discover them. Love them.
Thanks for visiting, Jenn, and I can’t wait for your books. Consider them pre-ordered!
Leave a comment for Jenn below, and you will go in the draw for prizes at the end of the month (Just make sure you also subscribe to the blog posts ;))
Special Guest Author Interview: Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan visits today for a special interview…
1. Welcome Jenny! Can you tell us a little about your latest book, ROSIE HOPKINS’ SWEETSHOP OF DREAMS?
It’s about Rosie, a nurse. She has to go and look after her elderly great-aunt in the countryside, and wind up her affairs, which is when she realises that her aunt’s old sweetshop could be brought back to life.
2. You also have a book called MEET ME AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE. What do you love about writing stories with a food theme?
Oh I’m just greedy, really. It’s a nice way to incorporate two things I love to do; baking and books!
3. Did you always dream of becoming an author? When you were little was there anything else you wanted to be when you grew up?
Ha, I wanted to be a nun. Or a writer, yes. But I never really thought it would come true, I still pinch myself sometimes.
4. Is food a big part of your family’s life, and what do you love cooking the most?
I never used to cook at all, I was absolutely awful, until my first child was born and then I thought, no, I must cook for him, I don’t want him having too much processed food. So I have learned, but it’s been very touch and go. Some things are better than others! I make a great lemon chicken and my stews are good but the less said about my bernaise sauce the better 🙂 I am not a natural chef, that’s for sure, I have to work at it.
5. If you could name three essential ingredients that make up a great novel, what would they be?
Characters you care about is sometimes the only thing I think is important. If you like/ care about the people, it almost doesn’t matter what they get up to after that, you’ll follow them anywhere. If you don’t care about them, the cleverest plot in the world won’t help you.
6. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Ooh does it matter if they’re alive? I would have LOVED to have met Douglas Adams, he was such an inspiration. Richard Feynman too. Alive, I suppose the Obamas would be SO interesting, if they could actually tell you anything. Ha, and Stephen Moffatt, because I want him to give me a job 🙂 .
7. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
YES! But no-one ever listens to me! The only thing that ever works is typing every day. Not research, not editing, not playing about on the internet. There’s no such thing as the muse and there’s no such thing as writer’s block. Bum, seat, words- 1000 is a good starting point- every single day. That’s the job. Doesn’t matter if you think it’s rubbish, fix it in the edit, that’s what editing is for. But until the words are on the page, you have nothing to work with, and you can’t get started. I always say this and no- one ever wants to believe me, but it’s a universal truth I’m afraid.
8. Are you working on another book, what’s next for you?
Yup, I am working on a book about lovers in Paris who work in a chocolate shop, and I have a book coming out in July for Doctor Who, called Dark Horizons. Then Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe comes out in October, and I’d like to write a sequel to Sweetshop, so we’re very busy!
Thanks for being on the blog, Jenny!
Jenny Colgan’s books have been described as ‘sharp and witty’ (Observer), ‘funny, magical, and moving’ (Time Out), and ‘hugely entertaining and very funny’ (Cosmopolitan).Visit Jenny’s website and check out her books here .
…Remember, as part of the Mouthwatering May special event, you could win prizes simply by commenting below and on any of the posts during May. Be sure to subscribe to the blog too, to be eligible for prizes 🙂
Sunday Lunch with Tanya Contois
Today I’d like to welcome writer, Tanya Contois, to Sunday Lunch on the blog…
1. Can you tell us about a happy memory from your life that revolved around food?
A happy memory that revolves around food is the last time we went out for dinner while on vacation for my mom’s birthday, the year before my father died.
2. Do you have any food-related rituals or routines in your household, such as a specific meal for certain days of the week?
I don’t really have any rituals or routines but if I have bananas or greek yogurt in my fridge and pantry that’s what I eat for breakfast.
3. What is your favourite…
Drink: Coffee, powerade, and red wine.
Indulgence: Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
Meal: Fried Chicken and homemade mac and cheese.
4. What’s the most revolting thing you’ve ever eaten?
I would exactly say it’s revolting, but the one food I have tried that I don’t plan on eating again is escargot. The garlic, butter, and cheese part was good but the snails were too chewy for my liking.
5. If you have children, have you discovered any ingenious ways to hide vegetables in meals?
I don’t have children but I have been making it a point to eat more fruits and veggies.
6. Is eating out at cafes and restaurants a regular part of your life? Do you have any favourite places you’d like to mention?
I don’t eat out very often but when I do one of my favorite places to eat is The Flying Rhino. They have really good food and they aren’t too expensive.
7. Do you eat while you write? Are there any particular foods or drinks you always have on hand while writing?
I don’t really eat while I’m writing but I almost always have a cup of coffee nearby when I’m writing.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
I would choose my father because the last time I saw him alive was my 13th birthday and I never had the chance to tell him I loved him.
9. Which one of the following types of cooks are you?
- Cooking? What’s that?
- I cook only when I absolutely have to
- I’m an average cook, and stick to my regular meals
- I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own
- Next season of MasterChef – lookout!
I like to experiment with new recipes occasionally, or create my own.
Thanks for visitng the blog, Tanya!
You can visit Tanya on Facebook and Twitter, and remember, all comments left on the blog during may go into a prize draw at the end of the month!
Special Guest Author Interview: Dianne Blacklock
I’d like to welcome accomplished Australian author of women’s fiction novels, Dianne Blacklock to the blog!
1. Welcome Dianne, can you tell us a little about your book, THE SECRET INGREDIENT?
Thanks for having me! THE SECRET INGREDIENT centres on Andie, who gave up her dreams of being a chef when she married Ross. He left a wife and three kids for her, so Andie feels she must put their relationship first – but in reality that translates to putting Ross first. After ten years she’s feeling restless and dissatisfied, Ross seems distant, and not a little secretive … After her marriage implodes, Andie sets about to take back her life, and fulfil her original dream, whatever the obstacles – one very large one being Dominic Gerou, the head chef in the restaurant where she finds work.
2. What do you think attracts readers to stories with a food theme?
Perhaps it’s because it’s something we can all relate to – we all have to eat! Our lives revolve around food to a greater or lesser extent, we celebrate with food, families come together around food, people romance each other over food.
3. How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a novel?
Probably about 5-6 months of ‘real’ writing – now that I don’t have young children. But there can be anything up to 3 months of faffing about.
4. Do you think there is a ‘secret ingredient’ to having a successful career as an author?
If there is, can you share it with me? Basically I think it’s a mixture of talent, discipline, and just plain luck!
5. What do you enjoy most about being an author?
I love most when I’m totally in the zone, writing as fast as I can to keep up with my characters. Oh, and being able to wear tracksuit pants to work!
6. Is food a big part of your family life? Do you have a signature meal or recipe that’s a favourite in your household?
With four boys, food was certainly a big part of family life, but it was generally about quantity not quality! Fortunately as they grew older they began to appreciate more variety, though on birthdays and special occasions they still always ask for a regular baked dinner. But I reckon I cook a mean baked dinner, exactly like my mum’s. My ‘signature dish’ would have to be the plum pudding icecream I have been making in vast quantities for extended family and friends every Christmas for more than twenty years.
7. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Gosh, only one? I had to go through a whole list in my head first: George Clooney or Brad Pitt, so that I could ask them all about their humanitarian work (translation: so I could stare at them); Meryl Streep because I adore her; Barack Obama would make an interesting dinner companion, I would imagine, and Jon Stewart (U.S commentator & comedian) would be fascinating and hilarious … Too many interesting, intelligent, stunning people to choose from! But if I must narrow it down to one, I think it would have to be Aaron Sorkin, who is my favourite living writer. No, he doesn’t write novels, he writes for film and television (most notably The West Wing). I would love to hear all about his process, gather any tips, and just hope some of the magic rubbed off!
8. Do you find it difficult to keep coming up with new ideas for books?
It does get more difficult – there are plenty of ideas floating around my head, but executing them in an original way is the challenge. I am wary of writing the same characters, treading the same ground, repeating myself.
9. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
Read and write. Read as much as you can, then think about what worked in the book, and also what didn’t work. Try to establish a writing routine. Timetable it like anything else – paid work, exercise, housework, whatever you spend time doing on a regular basis. If you can’t find the time to write regularly, you’re not really serious about it.
10. Are you working on another book, what’s next for you?
Speaking of establishing a routine, I’m settling into one after an extended break spent selling up and moving house. I’ll be doing little else for the next few months. For several years now I have had a book out in the second half of the year, but the move made that schedule impossible. So I’m working towards a March 2013 release, all going well.
~ Dianne Blacklock has been a teacher, trainer, counsellor, check-out chick, and even one of those annoying market researchers you avoid in shopping centres. Nowadays she tries not to annoy anyone by staying home and writing. She is the author of Call Waiting, Wife for Hire, Almost Perfect, False Advertising, Crossing Paths, Three’s a Crowd, The Right Time, and most recently, The Secret Ingredient. Visit Dianne and check out her fantastic books on her website here.
Thanks for visiting the blog, Dianne!
…Remember, as part of the Mouthwatering May special event, you could win prizes simply by commenting below and on any of the posts during May. Be sure to subscribe to the blog too, to be eligible for prizes 
Sunday Lunch with… Margareta Osborn
Today I’d like to welcome Margareta Osborn to Sunday Lunch. Margareta writes Australian rural fiction, and her debut novel, BELLA’S RUN, was released this year.
1. Can you tell us about a happy memory from your life that revolved around food?
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, mum would serve a roast lunch every Sunday and you were expected to be there. As kids (there are three of us and I’m the middle ‘problem’ child) we’d go to Mass either the previous night or Sunday morning. Come 10.30am, Mum would crank up the oven, the vegies would be organised and then boiled to within an inch of their wilted lives. The roast was invariably beef, seeing my parents were dairy farmers and ran a few head of beef cattle as well. Lunch would be ready by 1pm, the boxing would be on the telly (have no idea why because none of us had the slightest interest in it), Dad would make us all a lime spider; he’d have a shandy. (It was the only time, as a child, I ever saw him drink alcohol.) We’d all sit around the table and eat, talk, argue, laugh, yell (that was me – ‘Mum, it’s MY turn to talk!’) and generally be rowdy. Now I look back, I realise just how special that was.
Another time, I was relief station cook for the weekend on a property in outback-western Queensland. I decided I’d give the stockmen a treat and make a pavlova. If you’ve read my book BELLA’S RUN, a snippet of this experience was included in the first chapter. Beating sixteen egg whites to froth in one mix master bowl can cause all sorts of problems. Let’s just say the clean up afterwards ensured a mate and I needed to drive the hour to town to find a drink (and to pickup two bottles of fresh cream and some punnets of strawberries to decorate the pav). The pavlova was sublime albeit a tad weird looking. My mate and I, well, we kind-of rolled home.
2. Do you have any food-related rituals or routines in your household, such as a specific meal for certain days of the week?
We sit down to tea together as a family. It is a given and not negotiable. There is a spare chair at our table at all times for anyone who happens to call in. (It’s got the honorary name of ‘Graeme’s Chair’ after our uncle who is a regular.) Visitors are served up a plate of tea too, as I usually cook enough to feed multitudes. (And do you notice I say tea? Should I say ‘dinner’? Dinner when I was a child was lunch. It’s a bit confusing, isn’t it!)
We rarely have take-away. An easy meal tea (eg. on a weekend) is usually something like a spaghetti casserole (refer BELLA’S RUN again), homemade hamburgers, quiche or a sausage in bread (with salad or creamy potato bake).
I also have a food ritual with one of my best friends. When both of us are having a difficult few weeks we catch up for lunch at either’s home. Menu: Heinz tomato soup made with hot milk (not water), crusty fresh bread, a can of cola and chocolate.
Dreadful on the waist. Fabulous for the spirit.
3. What is your favourite…
Drink: Bailey’s Irish Cream and Butterscotch Snaps…ice-cold glass of sparkling Moscato … Lemon Squash made with lemon cordial and freezing lemonade… shall I go on?
Indulgence: Arnotts chocolate mint biscuits.
Meal: Roast with rich gravy, crispy potatoes & vegies, apple pie with cream or my grandmother’s steamed jam pudding.
4. What’s the most revolting thing you’ve ever eaten?
Peas. Even the thought makes me turn ‘green’. Mum used to make me eat them and if I didn’t I’d be locked in the bathroom until I did. I learnt very quickly peas fit down the bath plughole if you push, until the day I was caught. I was hauled out of the bathroom and Mum stood over me with the threat of a spanking to make me eat them. I vomited everywhere. From then on I was never made to eat another pea. Mission accomplished 🙂
5. If you have children, have you discovered any ingenious ways to hide vegetables in meals?
The bamix. A wonderful invention. ‘Vegies? You’ve got to be kidding me. Does it look like there are vegies in that beautiful pie/casserole?!’. Although, in saying this, my nine year old can pick the slightest hint of yellow (sweet corn), red (capsicum) or white/clear (onion) discrepancy in any food placed before him from three feet away, regardless of the food processor. *Sigh*
P.S. I NEVER serve peas to my kids.
6. Is eating out at cafes and restaurants a regular part of your life? Do you have any favourite places you’d like to mention?
Eat out? What’s that? So rare an occurrence around here it’s nearly extinct.
The closest thing to a café/restaurant we usually get is my husband cooking us a camp oven roast over a fire. And I’ll have to say it would rival any five star restaurant meal. He’s an extremely good camp cook. Which is why, if there is a camp oven roast on offer, you will usually find me tramping around the bush a w-ayyyyy over some hill looking for brumbies and my husband, a beer in one hand, a shovel in the other (for moving around the hot coals) cooking tea. I love that man 🙂
Building up the fire to get hot coals for the camp oven:
7. Do you eat while you write? Are there any particular foods or drinks you always have on hand while writing?
M & M’s. My downfall. I started with the chocolate ones and then moved onto the crispy ones. They help me out when the muse goes to lunch.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
My mum.
We lost her fourteen years ago and damn it all I am crying as I write this.
When she died I was still in that young ‘it’s all about me’ phase of my life. I just wish I could have known her as a person – a friend – as well as a mother. I look around at girlfriends and women at the school where my children go, and how their mother’s are a huge part of their and their kid’s lives. How I wish we had that. But life goes on and you can’t change what God decrees.
9. Which one of the following types of cooks are you?
- Cooking? What’s that?
- I cook only when I absolutely have to
- I’m an average cook, and stick to my regular meals
- I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own
- Next season of MasterChef – lookout!
I LOVE to cook, but I am none of the above. I do what my grandmother fostered in me, that old fashioned thing called ‘baking’. My children think their throats are cut, if they haven’t got homemade biscuits, cakes or slices in the cupboard/fridge for smoko/lunch/or ‘afters’. And then there are the friends at school whom I have to send a piece of jelly slice or ANZAC bickie coated in milk chocolate for as well. My oldest son reckoned he could have made a fortune selling his play lunch everyday.
I do like to experiment with meal cooking but only so much. If you want a good, old fashioned, hearty country meal visit my place. If you want a newfangled ooh la la dish that people like me can’t pronounce, I suggest you visit someone else.
10. Do you have a favourite recipe you’d like to share?
Oh golly. Which one is the question?!
Raspberry Jelly Slice (a yummy one)
Base
1 pkt Arnotts Milk Arrowroot biscuits (they tend to crush finer than the traditional Marie Biscuits)
250 gms butter (melted)
Middle
1 can Condensed Milk
4 teaspoons of gelatine dissolved in ½ cup of boiling water
Juice of two lemons
Topping
Raspberry Jelly made with 1 cup boiling water and ½ cup cool water. Note: Add 1 dessertspoon of gelatine to the jelly crystals BEFORE adding water. This makes the jelly firmer and stops it from sliding off the slice when you serve.
Method:
Make up jelly as described above and place in fridge to cool but not set. (ie. Don’t forget the jelly like I do sometimes!)
Crush biscuits using a bamix, food processor or put into plastic bag and smash with rolling pin. (Or you could do what one of my best mates does and bag up biscuits really well and run over with your four-wheel-drive 🙂 ) Tip crushed biscuits into a bowl.
Pour melted butter into biscuits. Mix until combined. Pour into slice tray and press down firmly. Place in fridge for five minutes or so to set.
Pour condensed milk into bowl. Add boiling water (with dissolved gelatine as described above) and stir. Add lemon juice. Stir some more until mixture thickens. Take biscuit base from fridge and pour milk mixture into tray. Spread until milk mixture is level. Place back in fridge to set.
Once milk mixture is set, pour jelly onto top of slice. I find it easier to leave slice tray in fridge as I pour the jelly on. This means a lot less mess if you happen to spill it 😉 Leave slice in fridge until jelly is set.
Enjoy!
Thanks for being on the blog, Margareta, it was an absolute pleasure! Oh, and happy Mother’s day to you and all the mothers out there!
Find out more about Margareta at her website.
Remember, you could win prizes by leaving a comment below! Just make sure you also subscribe to the blog to be eligible 🙂
Special Guest Author Interview: Trisha Ashley
I’m thrilled to welcome author Trisha Ashley to the blog today as part of my Mouthwatering May special event.
1) Welcome Trisha! Can you tell us a little about your new book, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues?
It’s set in rural West Lancashire, like several of my recent books. I didn’t start out to write a series – they’re all stand-alone novels – but there’s some overlapping of places and characters. The village in Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is Sticklepond, where A Winter’s Tale and Chocolate Wishes also took place.
My heroine, Tansy, inherits a run-down shoe shop from her great-aunt and, when her life goes all Cinderella without a happy ending, she throws herself into recreating it as a bridal shoe emporium.
It is a huge success, which is a bit unfortunate for reclusive Shakespearian actor Ivo Hawksley, who has moved next door in search of some peace and quiet. Like Tansy, he has a few demons from his past to deal with – it’s all about coming to terms with what has happened in the past and how it has shaped you, so you can move on.
I suppose I’d describe my books as romantic comedy, though the humour arises from the characters themselves – I don’t try and write in a funny way, I just write.
2) You also have a book called Chocolate Wishes. What do you love about writing stories with a food theme?
The research, of course! The idea for the Chocolate Wishes of the title came about when I remembered making chocolate Easter eggs for my son when he was small and putting in a message from the Easter Bunny: I thought suddenly that fortune cookies would be so much nicer if they were made of chocolate…
Food is often a strong theme in my books because it can be comforting, exciting, reassuring, celebratory or simply an expression of love. I have no cookery training, it’s all just recipes I picked up along the way, or learned from my mother.
Other strong themes in my novels are gardening, especially roses and knot gardens, family (even if sometimes a little dysfunctional) and friendship, from which can grow all kinds of love.
3) How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a novel?
On average, I suppose about four months, though the ideas for the next book will have been fermenting gently on the backburner while I was finishing off the last one. I have twice written a first draft in a fortnight in an unstoppable outpouring, which was exhilarating even if a trifle exhausting.
4) You share recipes in your books. Do you have an all time favourite recipe?
The rich dark fruit cake recipe in Wedding Tiers: I use it for birthdays, book launches, Christmas… It’s easy and always works. The very worst that can happen is that the edges catch a little, or the fruit sinks to the bottom, but it will taste wonderful anyway.
5) If you could name three essential ingredients that make up a great novel, what would they be?
The obvious answer would be: a beginning, middle and an end. By that I mean that a book should immediately transport you to a different place and then take you on a journey through it, with stop-offs to see the sights and have a few adventures. If a reader writes and says that I have provided them with that escape hatch, that Alice-through-the-looking-glass experience, then there can be no finer compliment.
6) What do you love most about being an author?
I usually write in first person and I adore becoming someone else and slipping off into a different world. But when all the characters have taken on a life of their own and start having conversations in your head when you’re trying to go to sleep at night, that can be annoying. I know if I don’t put the light on and write it all down, I’ll have forgotten it by morning.
I also enjoy taking two very different people, building the chemistry between them and then finding a way to bring them together. There have often been traumas in their past lives that make this outcome difficult to achieve, but I find that challenge exciting.
But the bottom line is, to quote Stephen King (I do love his book called On Writing!), writing is the most fun you can have on your own!
7) Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
This may sound very obvious, but it has to be said: writers write, it’s in the nature of the job description. You write every day and feel guilty and bereft if you have finished a novel and not started on the next. So, don’t just think about it, do it. Get in the writing habit, if only for ten or fifteen minutes a day and then build on that. However busy you are, if you really want to write, you will find the time.
1) If you can’t get started at all, read Natalie Goldberg’s book, ‘Writing Down the Bones’.
2) Once you’ve got into the daily writing habit, then do read Stephen King’s book, ‘On Writing ‘ – he really tells it like it is.
3) Read my novel Happy Endings – the heroine, Tina Devino, is a novelist who also runs a manuscript critique service and there are letters to and from aspiring novelists throughout the book. You will learn a lot about what – and what not – to do!
4) Read a lot of recently published novels in the genre you are aiming at. Consider what length they are and what the readers of that kind of book expect from a novel.
5) You will know your main characters are three dimensional when they start having conversations with each other in your head.
But if you never get beyond chapter three don’t despair and give up, but try short stories instead: some of us are built to be sprinters and others for the marathon, you just have to find the writing form that suits you best.
*
Thank you so much Trisha for taking the time to visit the blog, you’ve given some valuable advice for aspiring authors, and your book cover is beautiful!
~ Trisha Ashley was born in St. Helens, Lancashire, and now lives in the beautiful surroundings of North Wales. She has written twelve romantic comedies and her last novel, The Magic of Christmas, was a Sunday Times bestseller. A Winter’s Tale and Wedding Tiers have been previously shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for romantic comedy. Every Woman for Herself was voted one of the top three romantic novels of the last fifty years.Visit Trisha’s website here, and twitter here.
…Remember, as part of the Mouthwatering May special event, you could win prizes simply by commenting below and on any of the posts during May. Be sure to subscribe to the blog too, to be eligible for prizes 🙂
Sunday Lunch with… Rebecca Raisin
Today I’d like to welcome writer Rebecca Raisin to the new blog segment, Sunday Lunch!
1. Hi Rebecca, can you tell us about a happy memory from your life that revolved around food?
We’re serious foodies. A couple of years ago we decided to hold our own family Master chef. We picked a cuisine from a country of the host’s choice each month. Each couple had to prepare two dishes which were scored on taste, complexity and presentation. The competition was fierce as everyone vied for the coveted ‘Plat de jour’ perpetual trophy (see photo below). We decorated the tables, and even dressed in theme. There was a sea of colours at the Mexican Master chef, with everyone wearing sombreros, ponchos and fake moustaches. These long languid lunches began to seep slowly into the night, as we watched the kids play, only stopping occasionally to try the next dish. Word filtered down to friends about these all day feasts, and they’d call asking to be included in the next cook-off. It was an enjoyable summer of great food and trying something new, whether you were the one cooking it or tasting it for the first time. We really should start the culinary competition again…
2. Do you have any food-related rituals or routines in your household, such as a specific meal for certain days of the week?
I don’t plan any meals. We usually have an idea for a special dish on the weekend, something complicated or time consuming that we’ll try, but during the week anything goes. I’m a big fan of slow cooking. I like to prepare the meal early, put it in the oven and forget about it! I love winter for this very reason, and enjoy making Coq a vin and Beef bourguignon. Possibly I was French in a past life!
3. What is your favourite…
Drink: White wine, preferably from the Marlborough wine region
Indulgence: Dark chocolate
Meal: Peking duck
4. What’s the most revolting thing you’ve ever eaten?
We cooked a whole pink snapper, stuffed with herbs and butter on Christmas day, and somehow the conversation turned to the eye being a delicacy. I’m usually not adventurous with bizarre food, but I thought I’d try the eye, just in case I was missing out on something truly wonderful. It wasn’t wonderful, and in the end, I couldn’t do it, I had to spit it out in disgust! That was the first and last time I’ll try something ‘exotic’ no matter how many people rave about it!
5. Have you discovered any ingenious ways to hide vegetables in meals for children?
My twins are notoriously bad with vegetables. When they were younger I made frozen yoghurt ice creams and swirled pureed sweet potato and carrot through. Now we bake together and I try and make it a game; when we bake cupcakes I’ll grate carrot into the mix so we can have ‘orange’ cupcakes. Still….they seem to be on to me, and I have to think of other ways to hide them.
6. Is eating out at cafes and restaurants a regular part of your life? Do you have any favourite places you’d like to mention?
We don’t go out as much as we did pre-children, so when we do now we really look forward to it, and appreciate it more. We live in the Swan Valley in Western Australia and are spoilt for choice with all the wineries and restaurants here. My favourite is Sandalford wines. Their menu changes with the season and the food is magnificent, and the wine is great.
7. Do you eat while you write? Are there any particular foods or drinks you always have on hand while writing?
It depends what stage I’m up to in the story I’m writing. I was fumbling around with an outline last week, and found it tedious; I figured maybe a visit to patisserie would help. I hope this doesn’t become a habit!
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
Joanne Harris, author of Chocolate. I love her magical style of writing. I’ve read all of her books and think she is wonderful. The way she entwines food and cooking into her stories, each so different, but beautifully written, inspires me. I like writing about cooking and everything it entails. You can explore so many paths with evocative scents, and memories that food brings into all of our lives, even if you don’t realise it. The comfort of it, the taste of it, what it reminds you of, the list is endless.
9. Which one of the following types of cooks are you?
- Cooking? What’s that?
- I cook only when I absolutely have to
- I’m an average cook, and stick to my regular meals
- I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own
- Next season of MasterChef – lookout!
I like to experiment with new recipes regularly, or create my own.
10. Do you have a favourite recipe you’d like to share?
Baked Chicken and chorizo. A Donna Hay recipe. I’ve used her exact ingredients, but I cook it a little differently.
I love this as an easy tasty meal if you’re having friends over and want to mingle instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Again, it’s my idea of a perfect meal, throw it all together and put it in the oven.
1.6 kg chicken pieces
2 chorizo cut into thick chunks
¾ cup of green olives
250 gram cherry tomatoes
8 sprigs oregano
1 lemon cut into wedges
12 garlic cloves whole, skin on
Paprika
Salt and Pepper
Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees. (The Donna Hay recipe is 220 degrees for 30-35 minutes, but I cook it on a lower temperature for longer)
Place the chicken, chorizo, olives, tomatoes, lemon wedges, garlic cloves, into a tray. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, add oregano, and shake paprika over the chicken. Place into the oven. Turn the chicken after 30 minutes. Leave for thirty minutes, then turn so the skin side is up, turn the oven up to 220 and wait for another 15 minutes to crisp up.
I find by cooking it on a lower temperature for longer the chicken falls of the bone, and is just so tasty for something so simple. Serve with salad.
~ About Rebecca:
I’m a mum of twin boys, who are nearly four. I’ve been writing for two years now, and am working on editing and rewriting my first novel, Mexican Kimono. I love writing short stories and have been published in various anthologies around Australia. Like any mum, I’m juggling finding time to write amidst everything else in my life, but the beauty is you can still think of your writing when you’re busy with other things. I have post it notes all over the place, with ideas, and hope one day to be a little more organised!
Find out more about Rebecca online here.
Thanks for being on the blog, Rebecca. It was a pleasure! 🙂
…Remember, leave a comment below & subscribe to go in the draw to win one of the Mouthwatering May prizes!
Mouthwatering Moment… by Karly Lane
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from MORGAN’S LAW, by Karly Lane, published by Allen & Unwin.
He wasn’t making any sense and Sarah realised this was the first time she’d seen the cool, calm and collected Adam Buchanan flustered. “What’s your pride got to do with anything?”
“I’m beginning to wonder that myself,” he muttered.
“Do you want to just tell me what you’re talking about?” she suggested.
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“Well, if you’d just be quiet and let me finish.”
“Fine. Finish already.”
“Geeze woman do you have to get the last word in every single conversation?”
“Considering I’m the only one who’s having a conversation while you keep talking in riddles –” she’d barely gotten the words out when he let out a low growl and leant closer, his mouth effectively putting a stop to her argument.
He’d kissed her before and it shouldn’t have come as any surprise, but the same electricity that had stolen her breath away the first time had doubled and she was certain something was very wrong with her. Her heart was racing and as she tried to force her brain to work, she was fairly certain she could no longer feel her toes. Maybe it was a stroke?
When he eventually pulled away from her and stared down into her startled gaze, she saw that he was also not unaffected.
“That’s why I’ve been staying away from you. I didn’t want to complicate things more than they already were.”
“Oh.” Oh? She worked with words for a living and had a degree for Gods sake, and that was the extent of her vocabulary?
~*~
Karly’s favourite meal: With the cold weather creeping in, I’ve been having cravings for Lamb shanks! They would have to be my favourite ‘comfort food’ in winter.
Karly’s favourite drink: A Margareta! The best ones I’ve ever had are served at a restaurant we go to in a fish bowl sized cocktail glass!
Karly’s favourite treat: Sara Lee icecream….Oh. My. God.
A BIG thank you to Karly for sharing her excerpt!
You can visit Karly’s website and find more about the book, here. And remember to leave a comment below and subscribe to the blog to be in the running for the Mouthwatering May prize draw at the end of the month! (You can see the prizes & rules here)
JULIET MADISON 