Briefly tell us about your book.
Mystic Ridge is the story of tarot reader and sole parent Claire, who is forced to fight to save her rainforest home from development into a mega wellness centre for international jetsetters. Claire has her ups and downs with Leo, a local journalist with a tragic past, who insists that there are two sides to every story, although when it comes to protecting her rainforest, including the endangered Golden Quandong, Claire can only see one. It’s a romance, so of course it’s about romantic love, but there are many other kinds of love in Claire’s life. There’s the love of friends, and family, and community, and a great love for the land. And there’s a touch of mystical mayhem thrown in, which accounts for the book’s name. It’s also a comedy, so I hope it makes readers laugh, or at least smile.
What are you hoping the reader will take away from reading your book?
I’d love to think that the book might take some of the weight from the reader’s shoulders, as writing it did from mine. It’s a book that hopefully inspires a reconnection to the natural world.
Tell us about your background and what led you to writing this book.
I was working as a social worker when I wrote the first drafts of Mystic Ridge. I wanted to write a book that was fun and light, and inspired hope, especially once the pandemic hit. It began as a short story for a Romance Writers of Australia competition, and although it didn’t place, I loved writing about a quirky tarot reader whose life was very different to my own, and I stuck with her to find out where the story would take her. I was spending lots of time on the NSW north coast visiting my family, and many funny things happened while I was there that found their way into the book, as did the incredible landscape, and something of the old-time counter-culture. Although it’s a romance, I like to think that some of the insights I’ve gained from a long-term social work career have found their way into the book.
How does it feel to hold your book in your hands?
Absolutely magic. Although Mystic Ridge is the first book I’ve ever finished, I’ve been experimenting with writing for years. It wasn’t until I began writing this book that I really found my voice. It hadn’t ever occurred to me before that writing could be fun. I thought good writing had to be weighted with misery. Now I realise what a mistake that was, for me at least.
What’s some great advice you’ve received that has helped you as a writer?
The advice to use bits and pieces of time to keep up my word count. I had a long bicycle commute to work with a ferry trip in the middle, and some days, the only writing I’d do would be on the ferry trip on the way to work, as I’d often be too brain dead on the journey home. I’m lucky enough to be able to devote myself to writing these days, but perhaps it was easier to focus when I was working nearly full-time.
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