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Her Galahad is your first published novel. Can you tell us how you came to
write it?
That’s a long story. It was actually the first attempt at writing
anything, my first completed book - but then, it was aimed at Silhouette
Romance. But it was AWFUL. I knew that. I didn’t even bother sending a
query. Then I rewrote it a year later, and it ended up 600 pages, a full,
dark mainstream. Nobody was interested. So I left it, wrote a few more
mainstreams, then returned to romance in 1997. In 1999, I was doing a
university history course, and read that the Australian government had, in
the past, given fake death certificates to members of the Stolen
Generation, telling them their parents were dead, so they wouldn’t
return to their homes…and they’d “blend” into white society. They
also told girls that their babies had died, then would adopt them out to
white families, in the old assimilation policy. And so Her Galahad as it
is now, was born.
Can you describe the tortuous path from typing "The End" to
publication?
Some of it’s recounted above. But this final draft? It started in
April-May 1999, on a camping trip, when I took my reader along with me. I
went home, dug out my old file, and immediately chucked it out. I started
a new one, with a vision that was eventually tossed, as well. But it
served its purpose. I wrote 14 chapters, and ended up tossing 8 of them,
and starting again. I sent a query to IM, which was rejected; I sent a
partial which was rejected with a polite request to not send it again, as
she didn’t think it would ever be published. But I kept going - I was
compelled to tell their story. I finished in November 99, and with two
days to edit, printed it and entered it in the Emma Darcy Award, where it
came fourth. Then I polished it, edited and re-edited, as my real aim was
for the Clendon Award. I kept thinking, if only Leslie Wainger reads this,
she’ll buy it. And the rest is well-known history! Aside, of course,
from working with three editors on it, revising for all of them, line
edits, copy edits, Author Alterations…I’m learning so much on the way
with this!
Her Galahad is not a conventional romance, it hits hard from the first
page and does not spare the punches right up until the end. The story
centres on the use of deceit, manipulation of power and the emotional and
physical abuse of the central characters. How do you feel it will be
received by readers, used to a softer touch?
I always knew that this book would not please a lot of readers -
especially fans who like a comfort read, and have auto-buys because they
know what they’ll get. It’s a polar book - most love it or hate it,
but don’t think, “blah blah” about it. So far, reviewers have mostly
hated it, but the reader feedback I’m getting is terrific. I’m very
happy. Fiona Brand told me once that our job is to evoke emotion, for good
or bad, and if you’ve done that, you’ve done your job. I guess I have
done that!
It is also a very Australian-centric story. For readers not familiar with
the treatment of our indigenous people both historically and right up to the
present day, do you think US readers might find the concepts difficult to
grasp?
Some already have. “Implausible” was one reviewer’s comment. But
that’s why there’s the saying “truth is stranger than fiction”. A
lot of people in Australia will hate it, wanting to think this kind of
treatment belongs in the dark past. Sadly, it doesn’t. It’s here and
now. But I wanted to write a hero who overcame those odds, not giving in
to despair, drink and drugs, and falling into Aboriginal stereotypes. So
romance was the best milieu for that. I wanted Jirrah to be an
ordinary-guy hero, a man who rose above the odds. I knew mainstream wouldn’t
let me do that without the stereotypes woven in. But US readers so far
have loved it (those who’ve let me know, anyway!), and asked for a
sequel with Tessa’s brother Duncan as the hero, so I’m happy.
What was it that attracted Leslie Wainger to it? How does it sit within
the SIM guidelines?
Surprisingly, it sits well in the guidelines. Leslie says to start your
book “with a bang”, and I did - literally. Leslie said she liked the
fact that I walk the mainstream edge while keeping the romance centrally
focused. Leslie loved Jirrah - he sold the book. She liked the way I wove
in a unique plotline with “believable, compelling romance” (her
words).
How many novels have you had accepted now? Will the next one have a
similar theme to it?
Two books still, though my editor has another full ms, and one revised
proposal, with another I’m working on now. Two for the “Nighthawks”
series I’ve started (Who Do You Trust?, my March book, is the first of
this series). I’ve had a bit of a slow start, I think, but I’m happy
with my work. Who Do You Trust? Isn’t like Her Galahad at all. It’s a
love story among spies, war zones and refugees, set in Australia and “Tumah-ra”,
an island in the Pacific. It’s about taking chances with everything,
even your heart, and learning courage in unexpected places.
In how much detail do you plan your novels before starting work on them?
At first, not much - Her Galahad had little to no planning outside my
head! But for the Nighthawks I have to - it’s a series of five, and to
keep them clear and strong, each one distinct, I have to outline pretty
thoroughly. So now I do 10-20 page outlines, 10 page synopses and a
character sketch after writing one chapter, to get the feel of the story.
I’m also writing a series for Silhouette Romance - “The Capriati Curse”,
and to keep them straight I have to plan and outline each book separately,
otherwise they get too similar.
Do you have a regular writing routine?
As regular as my family and friends will let me! So often I have to put
on my answering machine to tell people I’m working. Everyone says “but
you can write later, can’t you?” (like three am? Like after bills are
paid, house cleaned, kids taken on driving lessons or to sport?) I try to
keep Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 9-3, as writing days. Flat. But I walk or
go to the gym as well, especially when I can’t think - it’s great for
getting things cemented in my head. But sometimes nights are essential,
especially like now, in school holidays! My house is the local kid magnet
(pool, DVD player) and everyone thinks I just play on this computer! Ah,
well, one day someone will take me seriously!
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