What were some of your favourite books when you were growing up?
My favourite author as a young child was Enid Blyton. I enjoyed her ‘Noddy’ series, ‘Famous Five’ series, and ‘Secret Seven’ series.

What can you tell us about your book, Reluctant Hero?
Reluctant Hero is a true story about my dad, Bill’s involvement in the Second World War. Bill grows up in the slums of Notting Hill, London and leaves school at fourteen. He is a working-class boy who, despite his insecurities, becomes a pilot of Lancaster bombers in his late teens. He wants to belong to the establishment but rebels against the powers-that-be when he realises they think he is expendable. Loss of life and planes is horrendous and to Bill’s mind largely unnecessary. His attitude towards death in combat changes after he meets and marries the author’s mother to be, Alice.
     After the raid over Dresden in February 1945, Bill becomes angry at the cover-ups, corruption and myriad of lies. Authorities dispute that British planes carried out machine-gun attacks on the civilian population but Bill knows otherwise! Against all odds he survives the war but is dreadfully scarred emotionally. After serving his King and country he is penalised, dismissed without a commission or job. Even told he is unfit to fly!

Why did you decide to write about your father’s story?
Because there was no-one else. I believed the story should be told, I still do, but unless I wrote it, who else? I am Bill’s only son. I have a sister ten years my junior who had little interest or knowledge about Dad’s war history. There was no-one else alive to tell the story.

What do you think was the best part about writing Reluctant Hero?
Finishing it!  I also enjoyed reminiscing; being able to re-live Dad’s early life and his involvement in the war, which enabled me to relive our times together.

And the worst?
Re-living those occasions when Dad could have easily been lost were distressing. A problem with true stories is authors are unable to lose themselves in fiction. The myriads of red tape associated with government departments was frustrating; provision of certified copies of my father’s death certificate, proof I was his only son before authorities would accept communications, and all by way of overseas mail as they won’t accept emails; i.e., Air Historical Branch (UK), RAF (UK), Ministry of Defence (UK), National Archives (UK), Veterans (UK), RAF Disclosures (UK), Service Personnel & Veterans Agency (UK), Ministry of Defence Medal Office (UK), RAF Cranwell (UK). Finding the right editor became a project in itself, followed by negativity from traditional publishers and literary agents.

Considering the personal nature of your book, did you find it challenging to write at times?
Yes. The book was emotionally challenging for me to write. We’re told to write from the heart but a downside of that is the high degree of passion involved. 

What do you think was the best piece of wisdom you received from your father?
Nil bastardi carberandum! (Don’t let the bastards grind you down!)

What are you hoping that readers will take away from Reluctant Hero?
The controversy of war. That war is a construct for profit by a privileged few, only to be suffered by the majority. A few readers have commented that Reluctant Hero is the best anti-war book they’ve ever read. I’m happy with that, and I think Dad would have been happy, too.

Can we expect another book in the future?
Yes. I am working on the sequel; Tripping Over and Sex, Lies & Crazy People is intended to follow that.

Do you have any advice that you would like to offer aspiring writers?
Yes. Never give up! Persistency is the key to success – and nil bastardi carberandum!

Annie Hauxwell was born in London and emigrated with her family to Australia when she was a teenager. She abandoned the law to work as an investigator for a private firm, and after working as a screenwriter she turned her hand to novels. She now lives in Castlemaine, Victoria, and travels to London frequently.

What were some of your favourite books when you were growing up?
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton was my first book. It took me to other worlds, like the Land of Topsy Turvy and the Land of Do-as-you-please (which I still long to visit!). Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations had an enormous impact on me, and is still one of my favourites. I loved Lorna Doone by RD Blackmore, too. An early taste for the tragic, I think!

Which authors do you believe have been the most influential on your writing style?
This is tough. Those I wish I could claim as an influence include Dickens, Graham Greene, Anna Kavan and Peter Ackroyd.

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a writer so far?
Receiving an email from Ben Ball, Publishing Director of Penguin Books Australia, saying they would like to publish my book. Being told by a professional with many years of experience working in the substance abuse field that In Her Blood made her think again about approaches to addiction.

Do you have any quirky writing habits that surface when you write?
Apart from drinking? No, hang on, that isn’t really quirky and it surfaces all the time, not just when I’m writing.

What can you tell us about your new book, A Bitter Taste?
London is in the grip of a stifling heatwave. The city’s junkies are in the grip of a drought of a different kind. Investigator Catherine Berlin’s past turns up on her doorstep in the form of Sonja Kvist, and an unpaid debt leaves Berlin with no choice but to look for Sonja’s missing ten-year-old daughter. Corrupt detectives are on Berlin’s tail chasing drugs she doesn’t have, a young girl is murdered and the matrimonial case she’s been working on unravels. The temperature keeps rising.

Considering the success of the first novel in the ‘Catherine Berlin’ series, did you feel under pressure at any time while writing A Bitter Taste?
Yes. Now I had a contract, with my publisher and my reader, and they had certain expectations. It changed my relationship with the writing. It’s different – but in a good way!

How much has your time spent as an investigator influenced the character of Catherine and the plots of your books?
I don’t think it influenced Berlin’s character at all, but it has had a substantial influence on the plots.

What are you hoping that readers will take away from A Bitter Taste?
The satisfaction that comes from a good read, and an insight into an unfamiliar world.

Can we expect another book in the ‘Catherine Berline’ series in the near future?
Ask Ben Ball!

Do you have any advice that you would like to offer aspiring writers?
Stick with it. You never know your luck in the big city.

Catriona Rowntree earned the title 'Australia's most travelled woman' after more than 18 years at the helm of Australia's favourite travel show, Getaway. In addition to her media roles, Catriona is always involved in community work. She is a passionate advocate for Australian wool, Landcare and children's charities. When not in an aeroplane, Catriona lives with her husband and two children on their farm in rural Victoria.

What were some of your favourite books when you were growing up?
Both my Nan and Mum instilled a love and value for reading in my brother, sisters and I. Weekend mornings would be bundled up in Nan’s big bed with a pile of books for her to read to us. Each night, Mum would read us a story then Dad would follow this up with ‘an imaginary (ie crazy, funny, bananas) story. My point is, we all just love to read whatever we can get our hands on. But I will admit, that at around the age of 9 I became obsessed with Ghost Stories. My favourite being a book The Phantom Cyclist that I was awarded as a ‘Good Progress’ prize one Speech Day (Mum gave them a tip off about my interest). I still have it, I still get chills and I love that!

What’s your favourite kind of travel/holiday read?
So much depends on the company and the location. Recently on a Getaway trip to South America, I needed a break from the heavy history I was devouring and dipped into the fantasy world of the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho’s ‘Brida’. Just adored it’s message. But if I’m on holiday with my family, I kinda love a good memoir or biography, to learn from another’s life can be wonderful.

What can you tell us about your new book, A Grandmother’s Wisdom?
‘Cheat notes on life’, that’s what I believe you can attain when you are willing to listen and learn from our elders. Why not make the navigation of your journey easier, by picking up some tips from someone who’s already sampled it. My Nan was like the oracle of Delphi to me, offering guidance, advice and support, but in a completely non-judgemental way…so I thought maybe I’d share her story to you.

What inspired you to write A Grandmother’s Wisdom?
Don’t look at me. I thought I’d be writing a travel tips, or Lovely Lobbies of The World kinda book. But I had a publisher contact me and say she’d loved how over the years, I’d often refer to the advice my Nan would give me. I didn’t even know I talked about her so much, but we had such a symbiotic relationship…anyway, the publisher wondered if the two of us would consider writing a tips style book, sharing the advice, my Nan had given to me. We just thought we’d jot some stories down for my teenage nieces, I hoped the challenge would be a distraction from her ailing health, I prayed it wouldn’t end up being a memoir.

Considering the personal nature of your book, did you find it challenging to write at times?
Near impossible. Not only did my co-author and subject matter pass away half way through writing, but I gave birth to my second child soon after, I went back to work, my Father became ill. It was just too much. Everytime I tried to go to my room to write my babies would want to be magnetised to my thighs! It was an emotional and phyiscial challenge…but Praise the Lord I finished it! Allelulia.

What was your best experience while writing A Grandmother’s Wisdom?
Finishing it! Is that too honest? I just couldn’t bear to feel these strong emotions for another day, but I knew I had to honour my Nan, I had to document for my Mum and my own children the story of this remarkable woman.

Of all the wisdom you received from your Nan, which do you think has been the most valuable during your adult life?
In hindsight, her daily example of being so kind to others, her patience and dignity was so inspiring.  

What are you hoping that readers will take away from A Grandmother’s Wisdom?
That being loved by one person can be so empowering, love can make you bold. It doesn’t have to be a Grandparent; it can be the faith of a good friend, a wonderful colleague, but knowing you have that one person in your corner, being that one person is sometimes all you need.

Do you have any plans for another book in the near future?
That’s up to you, the reader. I’m keen if you are.

Honey Brown lives in country Victoria with her husband and two children. Her book, Red Queen, was published to critical acclaim in 2009 and won an Aurealis Award, and The Good Daughter was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and shortlisted for the Barbara Jefferis Award in 2011.

What were some of your favourite books when you were growing up?
As a teen I enjoyed trashy romance novels. Although I do remember reading Rich Man Poor Man and wishing it would never end. It swept me away and felt like my first grown-up novel.

After you suffered through a horrific accident that left you a paraplegic, what was it that drew you to writing?
Because it was such a dark period in my life I don’t remember my exact thoughts or making a firm decision to write. It was natural perhaps to use creativity as an escape and also as a way to connect again with myself.  

Which authors do you believe have been the most influential on your writing style?
JM Coetzee, EB White, Tim Winton, Hemingway.

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a writer so far?
Winning the Aurealis Award, attending the Miles Franklin Literary Awards dinner, and answering the call that started it all – from the ABC, telling me that my story (Red Queen) was runner up in their unpublished manuscript competition.

Do you have any quirky writing habits that surface when you write?
If I’m writing dialogue I often mutter the conversation, or make the same gesture as the character. I imagine that would look pretty weird to anyone watching me work. I wish I wrote more light-hearted stories because I’m giving myself some serious frown lines.

What can you tell us about your new book, Dark Horse?
It’s about a woman and her horse trapped on a mountain with a dangerous stranger. I wanted to explore the idea of having to survive alongside a person you are afraid of. If fleeing or fighting isn’t an option, what sort of games would you play, and what lies would you tell, to stop the dangerous person knowing that you are afraid?

What inspired you to write Dark Horse?
I’m always inspired by lots of things – visiting local wilderness, reading about real life crimes in the paper, conversations, images, small things and events that come together to form an idea.

What are you hoping that readers will take away from Dark Horse?
I hope they’re entertained, and the characters seem real to them, the story feels true, and that my writing creates strong visuals that linger in their mind.

Do you have any plans for another book in the near future?
I’m writing my next book at the moment. While I’m in the creative mode I don’t like to talk about the story, I find that if I tell too much it takes the heat out of it and I lose the burning desire to get it down on the page.

Do you have any advice that you would like to offer aspiring writers?
Respect your reader. Write a ripping yarn.

View the book trailer for Dark Horse here:  http://youtu.be/sbkGjjary8g

Maurilia Meehan lives in a country town in south-eastern Australia, where she feeds red rosellas in the mornings and chases away huge white cockatoos at dusk. She is the award-winning author of five novels and many short stories, and her work has been translated into French and German. Her first novel was a finalist in The Australian Vogel Award and her second novel was a finalist in the prestigious Miles Franklin Award.

Why did you decide to become an author? Is writing something that you have always been passionate about?
I read so much that writing seemed a natural overflow, a way of continuing conversations with the authors. Then one day I clearly pictured a non-existent book I’d like to read, and so I started writing it myself. Writing was the best way I found to lose myself in another world.

What were some of your favourite books when you were growing up?
Alice in Wonderland, The Famous Five, What Katie Did (I named my daughter after the heroine) and from the age of eight The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. I kept reading it over and over until I got to the part where a character says that you shouldn’t hit children. That was the climax for me. It was accepted back then to hit children, but here was someone who said it was wrong and I loved him for it. Perhaps unconsciously I learnt from that to give voice to ‘minority reports,’ the points of view of sidelined voices either from the past or the present-- usually women.

Do you have any quirky writing habits that surface when you write?
The smell of fresh ink in a bottle makes me want to sit down to write. I love to write first drafts with a thick-nibbed fountain pen, not the cartridge type. Then I use a retro orange type-writer for more drafts so I don’t get headaches from the screen. And I have a very small writing table otherwise I fill it with too many distractions.

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a writer so far?
The joyful opportunity to follow up any type of research I feel like, with no restrictions. And then the conversations with so many interesting readers, book enthusiasts and other writers. Such conversations as this one!

What can you tell us about your new book, Madame Bovary’s Haberdashery?
We meet best friends, Odette and Cicely, who share everything, from being fans of Madame Bovary, the first sex and shopping novel, to sharing the same boyfriend in a ménage a trois. The two women live far from the Great World of brilliant marriages, career success, and getting and spending, in a world where everyday reality may be illusion. Cicely is an obsessive knitter and erotic novelist with no knack for relationships with men, Odette is a potter whose romantic adventurism puts her life in danger. Odette goes missing, and Cicely, who has read far too many Miss Marple stories, sets out to find her. It is not a straight detective novel, be warned, but rather for those readers who enjoy a joke about detective novels…and other things literary.

What was your most enjoyable experience while writing Madame Bovary’s Haberdashery?
My research. For my other titles this was more academic. Fury involved women in the French Revolution and The Sea People an early settlement at Sorrento, Victoria. But research for MBH was a dream. It involved rereading and thinking about Madame Bovary, and researching the life of Agatha Christie. Also, in the name of research of course I had to read all Christie’s novels. Before that I had never read any mysteries and it was a real pleasure for me to discover them.

And the worst?
About halfway through I was always tired in the day because of waking up at night with ideas that I had to write down. I have a special pen with a built-in light by my bed, but I always forget to put paper there. And then all the scraps of paper with illegible notes from the night before that I have to sort out!

What are you hoping that readers will take away from Madame Bovary’s Haberdashery?
That sounds a bit as if a novel is a class or a self-help weekend doesn’t it? It will differ according to what each reader brings to the novel, and that, hopefully, will include a suspension of disbelief and a sense of humour. Reading is a two-way process.

Do you have any plans for another book in the near future?
Oh yes, quite a prolific period for me-- for a change! I have Princess Diana and the Poison Pen on the go, and after that Mary Magdalene and the Bridal Chamber. I would also like to see Adultery reprinted under its original title, A Woman’s Guide to Married Men.

Do you have any advice that you would like to offer aspiring writers?
Chain read both fiction and non-fiction. Read books mentioned in the book you have just enjoyed, or books by the same author. There are plenty of Lists online too, other people’s favourites, to work through. And while you are actually writing, disconnect your computer from the internet, especially from pop-up messages! Even go retro and try using a typewriter—it will slow you down so much that your writing will necessarily become more concise and thoughtful.