Tara Marlow – 10 Questions (2023) – Tasmanian Indie Author Group

Genre: Women’s fiction and suspense

Let’s find out a little more about Tara:

Why did you initially decide to write a book?
A lot of my writing is inspired by my dreams (which is whacky, I know, but my website is
called The Crackpot Writer for a reason…). Even as a teenager, my dad would ask me every morning at the breakfast table about my dreams, as they have always been vivid. In 2016, I woke from a dream thinking it would make a great scene in a book, so I grabbed some coffee and sat down at my laptop and started writing it out. Eighteen hours later, I was still writing.
That scene was the start of BENEATH THE SURFACE, which was the first book I wrote, but the second novel I published. Ironically, that scene never made it into the book. But, since that day of manically writing, I’ve listened to my dreams, and I find in those moments between sleep and awake, it’s how my characters share their story with me.
What genres do you enjoy reading?
I love a great suspense with interesting twists, or a juicy women’s fiction where the
characters bounce off the pages. I enjoy a good memoir, especially when it’s about someone who has overcome unsurmountable odds, as well as a light rom-com or ‘beach fiction’ to escape into for an afternoon. I’m a sucker for anything Colleen Hoover writes – she’s got a great unique style – and I’m also a die-hard J.D. Robb fan.
What do you love most about being an author?
Being able to discover new characters, by weaving real life experiences in interesting ways, to discover the character’s storylines. It’s better than therapy! I also love the self-publishing process, from imagining the first line of the story to seeing the book on a bookshop shelf. It’s such an evolving process, especially with the marketing side of things. I’ve discovered so much by weeding through the pile of information online.
What is currently on your TO BE READ pile?
I’ve been reading a lot of up-and-coming Australian women’s fiction lately, but my current TBR pile is a mix with some known international authors as well:
“The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See
“The Girl in the Library” by Sulari Gentill
“Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance” by Kate Solly
“The Pilgrim’s Stone” by Heather Gauthier
“The One and Only Dolly Jamieson” by Lisa Ireland.
What drew you to the subject of your latest novel?
I’m writing two books at the moment.
One is the third and final book in my LIFE UPENDED series, called FINDING THE WAY. It’s a novel set on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I am huge advocate for walking this 800km pilgrimage trail. In fact, I plan to head back to Spain next year to do more research for this book.
The other is a suspense novel, titled THE HOUSESITTER and is about a women rediscovering who she is through slow travel, and when she takes a housesitting assignment in southern Tasmania, things don’t smoothly. I was inspired to write this novel due to my own housesitting experiences and, after discovering a ‘pit’ at one housesit, an idea for this storyhas been mulling ever since. THE HOUSESITTER is due to be released late 2023.
Where is your novel set? (If you write fantasy, how would you best describe the world of
your latest novel)?
THE HOUSESITTER is set in a fictional place in the Huon Valley of Tasmania. The last novel I published (THE DECISIONS WE MAKE) was set in a fictional place near Orford, Tasmania (as well as in Orford itself).
What’s the most interesting book you’ve read in the last year – and why.
LANDLINES, by Raynor Winn. This is the author of THE SALT PATH which was a book that stayed with me for a long time. I’m a long-distance walker myself and the benefits walking has on our mental state is not to be ignored. Raynor Winn talks about how it’s helped her husband in both books, but in LANDLINES, it wasn’t the scenery that was compelling, but the challenges they faced and how they dealt with them. I’d still recommend THE SALT PATH over LANDLINES, but both were interesting when it comes to conversing with nature.
What authors do you love to follow?
J.D. Robb, Colleen Hoover, Lisa See, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Carley Fortune, Robyn Mundy.
Do you prefer paperbacks, hardbacks or ebooks, as a reader – and why?
Hardbacks are too bulky and, at times, just too heavy. I spend enough time on electronics, so paperbacks are my favourite escapism. Besides, there’s nothing like a good paperback to dig into.
What else would you like your readers to know about you or your books?
I publish one book a year because I love to take my time and get to know my characters and their storylines. I share my writing journey through blog posts on my website and a more raw, detailed look via my Patreon site. I’m a huge advocate for self-publishing and a proud member of the Tasmanian Indie Author group, where we offer support to those on this publishing path.
My mantra in life: She believed she could, so she did (and she continues to do so).