Interview Heather Garside

by

Harley L. Sachs

1) The Cornstalk is an unusual title. What is its significance?

In the early days of white settlement in Australia, the Australian-born children of British settlers were called 'Cornstalks', especially if they were tall and slender. I believe they often grew taller than their parents, perhaps due to better nutrition. The heroine of this story is a ‘Cornstalk’.

2) The definition I’ve been told for romances is HEA, Happily Ever After. In a genre romance the heroine may go through all sorts of trauma, but in the end gets her man and they live happily ever after. How well does your book fall into that definition? Your book is a love story. Would you call it a romance?

I would definitely call The Cornstalk a romance, and yes, it does have a happy ending, but not of unmitigated happiness as one would find in a category romance. There are a few loose ends which lead to my next book, A Hidden Legacy, which takes up the story almost two decades later.

3) What was your motivation or inspiration to write The Cornstalk?

At the time I first began this story, many of the towns in my area were celebrating their centenaries and publishing books of their towns' histories. One such publication in particular, the history of a small town called Banana, really caught my imagination. Banana was a teamster's town, and was an apt setting for my hero, who is an ex-teamster.

4) They say you should write about what you know. How much of your own experience is woven into your book?

I grew up on a cattle station in Central Queensland and worked there prior to my marriage. My husband and I also run beef cattle. So my experience with cattle, horses, and the Australian bush is extensive. Of course, my experiences are a little more modern than those of my characters!

5) Is this part of a series? Do you plan a prequel or a sequel?

Yes, the sequel, A Hidden Legacy, is to be a November release with Wings.

6) One romance author told me she’s fallen in love with her leading man. What is your favorite character?

My leading man, Lloyd, is definitely my favourite character--and yes, I did fall a little in love with him!

7) Fill me in on your background as a writer.

I completed my first historical romance at the age of twenty-one and went on to self-publish it. I had a long break from writing when my children were small and didn't get back into it until 1998, when I finally completed The Cornstalk which I'd started many years before. Since Australian publishers don't publish romance, and US publishers mostly don't publish Australian settings, it took me some time to find a home for it! But meanwhile I joined various writing organizations, attended workshops and conferences, and generally honed my craft, so I'm pleased now that early version of The Cornstalk didn't see the light of day!

8) Australia’s Outback has been the setting for a number of fine films. What is the impact of setting on your book? Could the story have happened anywhere else?

The outback setting is integral to the story. Possibly it could be transplanted to the American West, but there are many differences in the two settings, so I think the story would differ substantially if that were the case.

9) Did you start writing without knowing the scenario? Or did you plot the book in detail using a storyboard technique?

In those days I pretty much 'flew into the mist', as I've heard it described. The story very much unfolded as I wrote it. These days I do forward plot much more, but I'm not sure if that technique has helped my writing, as I seem to struggle more with inspiration.

10) How do you plan to promote the sale of your book?

I already have a date booked for a book-launch. A contact at the local newspaper has promised to do an interview, and I will approach other newspapers for interviews as well. I will do the rounds of any local book stores and ask them to stock my book. Shortly I will be contacting review sites, asking for reviews, and I've started a Myspace site as well as my own website.

11) Wings Press is a mover and shaker in the electronic book business. Do you read electronic books yourself? If so, on what medium (e.g. your phone, computer, ebook reader, etc.)?

I must confess I haven't read ebooks myself. Ebook readers aren't available in stores where I live, and as I have eye problems which are aggravated by too much computer use, I would be very reluctant to read one from the computer.

12) How do you visualize the future of electronic books in Australia?

I think electronic books will become more popular, especially with the younger generation. Many people are still unaware of the technology. But these days so much is becoming available from mobile phones, that to read books from them and similar devices is the logical step.

13) What are your plans for your next book?

I am currently working on a contemporary novel with flashbacks to the past. It is also set in the Australian outback and is about two-thirds completed.

14) You write historical novels. I've always found that a challenge because the research takes so much work. How do you research them so you don't make some horrendous technical error, like having a 19th century character use 20th Century technology?

I've done a lot of research of my particular era. I've purchased general titles such as "Victorian High Society", costume books etc. and read numerous books about the history of Central Queensland. I've also done quite a bit of research on the internet, which has several websites specifically for writers of the Victorian era. I’ve even read a book about cattle droving, which wasn't something I'd had much personal experience of. A favourite resource of mine is a book called "The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang", and my dictionary lists the date of the first recorded use of every word, which I find invaluable. Part of the story is set in England, so that required further research, as I haven’t visited England.