I grew up with Tamara McKinley’s books on my shelves. I love her complex plots, the way she weaves a web, so interwoven, and the end is breath taking. She completely transports me to another time and place.
When I approached her about doing a guest blog, I really didn’t expect to hear back from such a successful and critically acclaimed, international author, but was so wonderfully surprised when I received her email – now that’s a story in it’s self!
There is something about modern technology – I was sitting in the middle of a 250ha paddock, in a tractor, as the sun was going down waiting for Anthony to call me over so I could take a load of grain to the silo… and my phone beeps. ‘You’ve got an email’! So, dutifully, I checked my emails… and it was from Tamara McKinley!
Tamara is the author of thirteen books – the latest three, a stunning trilogy, tracing families history over three generations. She also has another book due out next year. http://tamaramckinley.com/ or http://tamaramckinley.blogspot.com/
Tamara McKinley:
‘As for me, my inspiration is Australia and all that vast, amazing country has to offer. There are thousands of books written about America, the wild west, the Indians, the white settlements and the thirst for gold – but Australia’s history has all that and more, and I simply love exploring it and learn so much with each book.
I began my career twenty years ago, and have been published for fifteen years, with thirteen books under my belt and a fourteenth due out next year. Matilda’s Last Waltz was my first Australian historical family saga, and it was the book that began my successful career.
My other inspiration is my family’s history. I was raised by my grandmother, and her three very English sisters. So I could read, write, do small crosswords and put together poetry before I went to school – sounds fantastic, doesn’t it – but they gave me my love for words and books and let my imagination free. I will always be grateful to them.
I live in England now, but visit my son in Buderim, Queensland very often, and also go down to Tassy where I was born and raised. I’m lucky, my writing has given me so much, not least of all the pleasure of knowing that for the length of one of my books, I can take the reader into a very different world.’
