Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Adelaide in South Australia. I have just released my fourth book, which I never would have foreseen. My high school teachers would have suspected that I’d never read four books in my adult life, let alone write that many. I never had an interest in reading or writing. I was in my forties when I developed a love for travel, and the experiences of life on the road put so many stories in my head that I needed an outlet for them.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hurdles in Hobart. The story combines a travellers experience in Australian southern most city with the story of a fictional local legend, Lucky O’Shaughnessy. Lucky was known as the worlds worst jockey, a man with an overwhelming record of failure.
The book was inspired following a couple of trips to Hobart, a city often overlooked by tourists, but one I fell madly in love with. I consider the city the most underappreciated tourist destination I have ever visited. The same characteristic applies to Lucky O’Shaughnessy; ridiculed for his lack of success, what was ignored throughout his career were the courage, perseverance and determination to keep getting up and fighting on. We all face hurdles in life. The test of character isn’t how many hurdles we clear, but how we respond when we fall.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The foundation of my books originates in emails I send home when I am travelling. Every night when I’m on the road I spend half an hour going into as much detail of my day as possible. Where I went, what I saw, did, ate, who I met. Everything. Often this goes nowhere else, but every now and again this becomes the starting point for a new novel, new plots and new characters.
What are you working on now?
Survival in Saint Petersburg. Russia and travel don’t really work in the same sentence at this stage, but the situation there at this stage makes the book even more relevant in my mind. I was there just before COVID hit the world, and the story hit me in the most obscure of places: a doughnut shop! It covers all the beautiful sights of the city, the turbulence of its history, and the life story of its central character Ekaterina connects all of this.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love. If a story resonates strongly enough with you, it will impact others as well.
What is your favorite book of all time?
To Kill A Mockingbird. I loved it too much, for nothing I read after it had anywhere near the same impact.
Author Websites and Profiles
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