I am so pleased to have another Australian Author as a guest on my blog. Rachael Johns lives in rural Western Australia, is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7 and a supermarket owner by day.
And may I add, a very talented writer ;-)
I come from an overcrowded country and during my first visit to the outback I wondered for days how someone could live out there. So, that was an obvious question for me and I'm glad, Rachael took the time to satisfy my curiosity!
PS - And do take some time to drool over that cover!
1.
Tell us what makes the Australian Outback special to you?
I'm
what I call a converted country girl. I grew up in the city and moved as a
newly married woman and new mum to a small country town nine years ago. At
first it was terrifying. Everyone knew everyone and I knew no one but when we
left that town six years later I had more affinity with it than any place I'd
ever lived before. Country towns seep into your bones and become part of you.
The community spirit in these places are what I love the most - the committees
with dedicated people that work hard to achieve local goals, the social events
(Bingo, fundraising balls, kids concerts and of course the Christmas parties),
the sporting teams and the fact that everyone looks out for each other. If
there is a tragedy the whole town mourns, if there is joy everyone celebrates.
I also adore living in open spaces where you can step out of your front door
and get up close and personal with nature.
2.
People have the impression, the Outback is a harsh country, with spiders,
snakes, draught etc. Is that a tricky or difficult setting for Romance
Novels?
Rural
Australia can be harsh - I have to watch out for snakes when I go running in
the summer and many of my friends' livelihoods are depending on Mother Nature
providing enough rain. But I think these things actually can help a writer -
there is always plenty of external conflict you can throw at characters and
putting them in difficult situations shows their true nature and forces them to
grow and change. So, I think we're lucky in that regard.
3.
Celebrity crush is Grant Denyer (Really?). Tell us how that happened ? ;-)
LOL
- are any crushes completely explainable? I first ''met'' Grant on Sunrise
weather when I was at home with my first baby. At that time he was taking the
weather show right around Australia in a camper-bus and I loved his enthusiasm
for all the small towns he visited. He's also an action man, who likes extreme
sports and although that's the last thing you'll catch ME doing, I kinda like a
guy like that! And I think he's cute… so THERE!
(IB - now you can even watch him on two more programs ;-))
OUTBACK DREAMS
Faith and Monty are both looking for love...but
they're looking in the wrong direction.
Blurb:
Faith Forrester is at a crossroads. Single, thirty and
living on a farm in a small Western Australian town, she's sick of being
treated like a kitchen slave by her brother and father. Ten years ago, her
mother died of breast cancer, and Faith has been treading water ever since. She
wants to get her hands dirty on the family farm. She wants to prove to herself
that she's done something worthwhile with her life. And she wants to find a
man...??
For as long as he can remember, Daniel 'Monty'
Montgomery has been Faith's best friend. When he was ten, his parents sold the
family property and moved to Perth, and ever since, Monty's dreamed of having
his own farm. So for the last ten years, he's been back on the land, working
odd jobs and saving every dollar to put toward his dream. Now he finally has
the deposit. But there's still something missing...??
So when Faith embarks on a mission to raise money for
a charity close to her heart, and Monty's dream property comes on the market,
things seem like they are falling into place for them both. Until a drunken
night out ends with them sleeping together. Suddenly, the best friends are
faced with a new load of challenges...
Monty and
Faith are both ready to find a life partner and settle down, but have they both
been looking in all the wrong places?
Excerpt:
He
was holding Faith again.
They’d only spent one night apart
but that one night had felt like an eternity in hell. He’d missed her more than he’d miss a limb. Was he insane
letting his hang-ups about Will and parenthood come between them? He found
himself staring at her lips. The thought of never kissing them again hurt worse
than someone telling him he only had a few days to live.
‘Monty, don’t.’ Her voice was low and
threatening. She seemed to be holding her breath.
He
couldn’t help
himself. He dropped his head and pressed his lips against hers, taking what he
wanted. Not thinking about the consequences.
She
tasted so damn delicious and for a few moments she seemed to acquiesce, letting
him show her exactly what she meant to him, exactly what she did to him. But
those seconds didn’t
last long enough. Instead of kissing him back, he felt her hands palming his
chest as she pushed hard. His lips falling from hers, he stumbled backwards,
not expecting such force. When he caught his balance and looked up, she was
wiping her mouth, tears filling her eyes, and then she turned and he copped a
lovely view of her pert behind as she charged through the crowd.
About
to go after her, he felt an arm on his shoulder. ‘What’s wrong with Faith?’ Ryan asked.
Along
with half the town, he, Adam, Ruby and Simone had witnessed the whole fiasco.
Their faces wore identical expressions of confusion and concern. None of them
had a clue.
A
pain screwing into his forehead, Monty caught his head in his hands. ‘It’s all such a fucked up mess. I
better go after her.’
‘Let me,’ Ruby said. ‘From my vantage point, it didn’t look like she’d want you following.’
He
watched Ruby go –
torn between following them and staying the hell away. He’d already made such a mess of
his friendship with Faith. He didn’t
want to ruin her night any more.
Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachael_Johns_Outback_Dreams?id=5U4nAAAAQBAJ&hl=en
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