Up and In
by Deborah Disney
Deborah will be awarding an eCopy of UP AND IN to 3 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour, and choice of 5 digital books from the Impulse line to a randomly drawn host.
Deborah Disney graciously consented to an interview to share with readers.
Caroline: Where did you grow
up?
Deborah:
I grew up in Toowoomba, which like many towns in Queensland has an aboriginal
name – this one means ‘swamp’ – and I never really understood this as it is
located on the top of an extinct volcano and there was nothing swampy about it.
I have one older sister who still tries to boss me around. I was a bit of a
bookworm as a kid. I am married and have two daughters who are thirteen and
nine.
Caroline: My husband and I
have always wanted to tour Australia. Who are your favorite authors and
favorite genres?
Deborah:
Women’s Commercial Fiction (whatever that means) and Thrillers are my
favourites, and I am a fan of many, many authors. Liane Moriarty is one whose
writing I find particularly engaging.
Caroline: What’s your
favorite way to relax and recharge?
Deborah: Wine. Drinking wine.
Caroline: Do you have a
favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?
Deborah:
My dad used to always say ‘To thine own self be true’ and as I am getting
older, I am realising more about what that really means, and how important it
is. So I wrote a book about it …
Caroline: Being true to one’s
self is important. How long have you been writing?
Deborah:
Forever … but with the idea of actually publishing, only a couple of years.
Caroline: Where do you
prefer to write?
Deborah:
Definitely laptop, and often on my bed. A comfy couch does just as well. I
generally prefer it to be quiet.
Caroline: Are you a plotter
or a pantser?
Deborah:
At the start of the process a plotter. As I actually sit down to write, totally
a pantser. One thing that is hard to explain to people who don’t write is that
there are times during the novel-writing experience when the story just seems
to write itself.
Caroline: And those are
wonderful times, aren’t they? Do you use real events or persons in your stories
or as an inspiration for stories?
Deborah: I don’t use real people as
characters, but I definitely take inspiration from real people. I think all
authors – other than Fantasy authors – do. There will always be some gesture,
or facial expression, a turn of phrase, or tone of voice, that comes from
something you have seen or heard.
Caroline: I agree—we are the
sum of our experiences and we subconsciously draw on them. Do you set daily
writing goals? Word count? Number of chapters? Do you get a chance to write
every day?
Deborah: No to all of those. I write when
inspiration hits and when I feel the creative energy burning. Sometimes I don’t
write for weeks on end, and sometimes I will write for hours and hours at a
stretch. Sometimes in the middle of the night. I can’t ever see myself being a
9-5 writer.
Caroline: What do you hope your writing brings to readers?
Deborah: Laughter. Recognition. Reflection. A
resolution to be less bothered by other people’s bad behaviour.
Caroline: All good results. What
long-term plans do you have for your career?
Deborah:
I have several books that I need to get out of me, but I am kind of pantsing my
way around that too :-/
Caroline: Would you like to
tell us what you’re working on now?
Deborah:
I am working on another book that is about friction in female relationships.
Caroline: What advice would
you give to unpublished authors?
Deborah: It isn’t a job. It’s a labour of
love. If you see it that way, then any success that flows from publication is a
huge bonus. If you view it as a job, you will quickly start looking for better
paying jobs.
Caroline: Share a fun fact
readers wouldn’t know about you.
I
have trouble spelling manoevre … manouevre …manoeuvre.
Caroline: Me, too. Share something about you that would surprise or shock readers.
Deborah:
Even though I was a bookworm in childhood, as an adult I don’t read very much.
These days, only four or five books a year :-/
Caroline: That is shocking.
I read several times that in a month. But, I know
that as we write, we have less time to read. Is your book a series?
Deborah:
No. I have been tempted to write a sequel, but it won’t be until after a couple
of other books are out of the way.
Caroline: Where can readers
find your books?
Deborah:
Most of the e-tailers have it. Here’s a link to Amazon:
Caroline: How can readers
learn more about you?
Deborah:
I mainly use Facebook:
Caroline: Is there anything
else you’d like readers to know about you?
Deborah: I love it, like LOVE it, when readers
contact me. So if anyone wants to know anything else, they are very free to
send me a message on Facebook and I would be truly delighted to respond.
Caroline: Thanks so much,
Deborah, for sharing with readers. I identify with what I’ve read about your
book and look forward to reading UP AND IN. And now please continue reading the information about Deborah's book:
Up and In
by Deborah Disney
GENRE: Women’s Fiction
UP AND IN Blurb:
Distinctly middle-class parents, Maria and Joe have committed every bit of available income to giving their daughters Kate and Sarah the best education possible, which to them means attending the most exclusive girls school in the state. But when Kate befriends the spoilt and moody Mirabella, Maria finds herself thrust into a high society of champagne-swilling mother-istas she hasn't budgeted for. Saturday morning netball is no longer a fun mother-daughter outing, but a minefield of social politics.
While the increasingly neurotic Maria struggles to negotiate the school mum hierarchy, Joe quietly battles a midlife crisis and Kate attempts to grow up as gracefully as possible (without having her life ruined by embarrassing parents).
For every woman who has ever felt she may be wearing the wrong shoes, this is a book that will remind you - you're not alone.
Fans of Liane Moriarty and Fiona Higgins are sure to enjoy this debut offering from new Australian author, Deborah Disney.
UP AND IN Excerpt:
I first encountered the phenomenon that is Bea when Kate and Mirabella started kindergarten together. Kate was coming home every afternoon with stories about Mirabella. Her rushed delivery of the events of the day was interrupted only by peals of laughter as she enthusiastically recalled Mirabella’s crazy antics. I was so happy that Kate appeared to have made a friend so quickly and I was keen to meet this little dynamo.
One morning I decided to stay in the kindy room for a while with the other mothers, instead of doing my usual drop off with a quick cuddle at the backpack rack so that I could get Sarah home for her morning nap. As we walked into the room, Kate immediately flung away my hand – which she had been holding all the way from the car – and excitedly squealed out 'Mi-ra-bel-la' as she raced off towards a tall, blonde girl dressed in Ralph Lauren from top to toe. As I glanced around the room, I noticed that Kate’s kindy clothes signaled a mother more practical than à la mode, and that although her pre-paint-stained shorts and dark-colored top may not cause me any stress when I picked her up covered in Play-Doh in the afternoon – or as I unloaded them from the washing machine – they were certainly causing me a lot of stress right now. Every child in the room looked ready for a game of croquet. Except Kate. All of a sudden she looked like a little street urchin. Why on earth did I agree to let her do her own hair today?
‘Okay, boys and girls, let’s all say goodbye to our mummies, and let’s put our special art smocks on so we can do some finger-painting!’ announced Miss Collins. Righto then, I guess there was no need for pre-paint-stained shorts. The next day she would be mixing it with the best in her latest outfit … the latest outfit which I planned to go and buy for her as soon as I left the kindy. Sarah’s sleep could wait.
As I was leaving, I noticed a crowd of children around Mirabella – Kate was just one of many vying for her attention. And then I noticed the tall, tanned blonde who bent down to kiss the smaller version of herself, and how she too attracted a crowd of mothers as she made her way out the door.
‘Hi there,’ I ventured a little too loudly as I tried to steal her attention. ‘I’m Maria, Kate’s mum.’
The woman looked at me quizzically. Then she looked to the group of women around her. ‘Kate? Which one is Kate?’ They looked back at her, equally puzzled. Then one announced, ‘Kate is the one who wears the runners.’
‘Ohhh,’ it dawned on them all at once. Add designer kids-size-nine shoes to this morning’s shopping list.
‘Kate just can’t stop talking about Mirabella,’ I continued. ‘I was wondering if she would like to come for a play one afternoon?’
The tall, tanned blonde had still not offered her own name. ‘Yes, perhaps,’ she replied through a forced, yet dazzling, smile. ‘Mirabella does have a lot of activities in the afternoons, though.’
Hmmm, ‘perhaps’? This was going to be harder than I thought. ‘Oh, well, Kate only has swimming which is on Wednesday afternoons, so any other afternoon would be fine with us.’
‘What a shame. That is really Mirabella’s only free afternoon.’ And that was that. If it had not been for two other women chiming ‘Bye Bea’ as they climbed into their four-wheel drives, I still wouldn’t have known her name that day.
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| Deborah Disney, Author |
Australian author, Deborah Disney, grew up in the regional city of Toowoomba and now lives in Brisbane with her husband and two school-aged daughters. Deborah has a BA/LLB from the University of Queensland and practiced as a solicitor for a number of years prior to having children. She chose to specialize in litigation law as that seemed like the best preparation for what is now her looming battle – mothering her daughters through the teenage years. Deborah's first novel, UP AND IN, is a satirical look at the interactions of school and sporting mums.
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER
Deborah will be awarding an eCopy of UP AND IN to 3 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour, and choice of 5 digital books from the Impulse line to a randomly drawn host.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
2 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for sharing with us, Deborah.
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