Q&A: Cathryn Hein, Author of The Grazier’s Son

Briefly tell us about your book.

The Grazier’s Son is a contemporary rural romance in which an injured helicopter pilot travels to far western Victoria to claim an inheritance from the father he never knew, only to discover a town that apparently hates him, a heritage filled with secrets and lies, and a gorgeous vintage clothing designer who makes him long for a life he feels he doesn’t deserve.

What inspired the idea behind this book?

The Grazier’s Son was loosely inspired by a true story that I came across several years ago while on a road-trip through New South Wales.

We’d called into a country town to grab fuel. Inside the petrol station was a stand of those free magazines you often see about, full of local news and events and advertising. As we still had plenty of road-tripping to do, I grabbed one to read.

In it was an article about a highly respected farmer and stock agent who’d misappropriated almost a million dollars from his agency’s trust account after becoming tangled in a Nigerian Loan Scam.

The breach of trust hurt the community enormously. He was hugely liked and respected. That he could do this had everyone flummoxed.

I found it fascinating that a man of his standing and intelligence would fall for such a scam. That he could risk not only his reputation and business, but the livelihoods of those who trusted him, many of them friends.

It got me wondering about when good men go bad, and if there could be a reason behind it.

I spent the rest of that trip pondering this extraordinary case and just knew that I’d one day write about it. It was too interesting not to.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Just after I started The Grazier’s Son, I became quite ill and spent several months in and out of hospital. Then followed another few years of treatment and relapses. It killed my creativity. There were days when I couldn’t produce a single word and despaired I never would again.

But even a few words a day can eventually result in a novel. And that’s what I did. Wrote a little whenever I could. It took nearly two and a half years, but in the end I had a book. A good one.

The other challenge was writing the mystery aspect. That was out of my comfort zone and took quite a bit of brainstorming. Fortunately, I have thriller and crime writing author friends to bounce ideas off and get advice from.

Do you write about people you know? Or yourself?

Not really. I do my best to create characters that are their own unique selves, but sometimes I pick up things from people. Quirky sayings, for example. Or perhaps mannerism and dress.

As far as putting myself into the books, that occasionally happens. There are two such scenes in The Grazier’s Son. The first is one where Darcy explains to Stirling how her grandmother introduced her to sewing by helping Darcy make purple tartan pants for her teddy bear. My grandmother did exactly that for me.

The second is the discovery of an ancient bottle of malathion and DDT in one of Westwind’s sheds. We made the same discovery in my parents’ pantry when they moved house many years ago. Yikes!

Who are some of your favourite authors? Or favourite books?

Ugh… so hard to choose. I read across many genres, from romance to horror and fantasy, and everything in between.

Stephen King is auto-buy for me, along with Kate Morton, Katherine Arden, Lainey Taylor, Leigh Bardugo, Chris Hammer, CJ Tudor, Amy Harmon, Ashley Poston, Laura Purcell, Jane Harper, Beth Moran, Mimi Matthews, Karen Swan, and many, many others.

And, along with what seems like half the reading world’s population, I’m obsessed with Rebecca Yarros’ First Wing series.

I also read cookbooks. I’m addicted to them (and cooking magazines), and usually have one open on my lap at night when I’m watching telly.

What’s your daily writing routine like and what are you working on at the moment?

I’m usually at the computer by eight am, after a head-clearing morning walk. First, I sort through any emails that need to be dealt with, then briefly check social media and reply to any comments. I try to have my work-in-progress open by 8-30 am. Occasionally, I’ll work on something else, like an interview or blog post. Then I write until lunchtime, with a few breaks to stretch, grab coffee or just face the sun.

Afternoons can vary, depending on what business stuff I need to take care of. I might only do another hour of writing—mornings are my creative period. I’m usually over it by 3pm and need to do something active, or creative in another way.

Buy a copy of The Grazier’s Son here.

Publisher details

Publisher: HQ Fiction
Genre: Fiction
Released: 03 April, 2024
ISBN: 9781867299363

Buy now

Synopsis

When taking up an unexpected inheritance with an unhappy past, newcomer Stirling is daunted to find a town set against him. Except, perhaps, for one sassy, big-hearted woman, who is willing to give him a chance to prove he belongs. Pitch-perfect rural romance from popular Australian author Cathryn Hein.

When helicopter pilot Stirling Hawley travels to Grassmoor in Victoria's lush Western District to claim an inheritance, he doesn't expect to face a town that hates him.

Nor does he anticipate being saved from near-death by glamorous vintage clothing designer Darcy Sloane. Or that she'll take a personal interest in his recovery. But Grassmoor and Westwind, the historic mansion Stirling inherited from the father he never knew, prove full of surprises.

The more Stirling digs into his father's life, the more uneasy he becomes. Behind Dougal Kildare's respectable stock agent and farmer veneer was a man of secrets. While the fraud that devastated the community and led to Dougal's tragic death is one, there are others. And such things never stay buried forever...

As Stirling's suspicions about Dougal's death grow, danger creeps ever closer. Until it's not only Stirling's life in peril but the woman he's come to love.

About the author

Cathryn Hein

Cathryn Hein is a popular author of rural romance and romantic adventure novels, a Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year finalist, and a regular Australian Romance Reader Awards finalist. Originally from country South Australia, she now lives in Newcastle, Australia. Her latest release is The Grazier’s Son, available in paperback, ebook and audio from your favourite book retailer. Discover more at cathrynhein.com