Get to know Fiona Palmer

You were born and raised in Pingaring in WA. Do you still live there?
Yes. Our house is one of five in town. We’ve got a big block with fruit trees and sheds. Grapes, plumbs, peaches, mulberries, oranges, nectarines and chooks.

What is it you love about country life?
Some people find it hot, dusty and barren. I see that but I also see the beauty. There’s something magical about it. We’ve got this big granite rock out the back and we climb up there and look out across the country. There’s something about being on the land, having no one around you, you feel like a little speck in the universe. And I like living in a small community. It’s very safe, very free. The kids get on their little buggies and drive around, go off running through the bush. They can go out and explore and we don’t have to be there every step of the way.

What do you think makes a good romantic read?
Hmm, I like a lot of simmering passion. Sometimes you have those glances and a feeling of things building up.

What is it about cowboys that makes them so sexy?
Maybe because they’re soo fit – they’ve got great arms and abs. For me, it’s a bit of stubble, getting dirty and fixing things. A man’s man.

Who are the main fans of outback romances?
Well, going by my books, country people, city people and all sorts. A lot of male farmers read my books because I put a lot of realism into them – it’s not like, say, a McLeod’s Daughters TV version of a country life.

Your lead characters aren’t typical rural romance heroines.
My main characters are strong, determined women. I guess I grew up that way, doing what all the boys did, so I guess a bit of me is reflected in the characters. And I’m drawn to stories with a strong female lead.

Are there many women in the country like you, or are you unusual?
There’s quite a few. Some women get very involved in the farm. My aunty’s very hands-on, always on the tractor, feeding sheep, driving the truck, doing whatever she can. Some of the farmers around here hire girls as workers. They say girls are a lot gentler on the machinery.

So it’s not all scone and bread-making at the CWA?
No, that’s changed a bit – I can’t cook much to begin with (laughing).

Outback Australia sounds like a tough place.
I love it, but it is tough. We’re having a drought in our area, which has inspired one of my books. And you’re a long way from anywhere. I’ve just driven 55kms to do a zumba class!

As well as being very romantic, depression is another strand in country stories.
In a small community it’s probably not talked about much, but depression is so common now. We have a counsellor who comes to town and you’d be amazed how many people talk to her.

Are happy endings important?
The way the world is, I won’t read anything unless I know it has a happy ending. I don’t see the point of spending a day or two reading a book for it only to have a disastrous ending. I’d feel like I’d wasted all that time. I want to come away from it feeling better, happy. I watch a lot of rom-coms, some more than once because I know it’s going to make me feel happy.

Are you romantic in real life?
On the surface no, but underneath I am. Writing brings it out.

Was your first book published via an agent or via the ‘slush pile'?
I was a ‘slush’ girl. Wrote a letter and sent three chapters off and tried my luck. And when I received the news that they were publishing my book, I was shocked. I carried the email in my pocket for about a week, kept re-reading it. Couldn’t believe it.

Did you ever imagine you’d have such success as an author?
No because I was really bad at English at school. This came completely out of left field, it was more the wanting to create a story, tell a yarn which got me started writing. 

Where do you write?
We have a decent-sized office. I try to write when the kids are at school, usually after lunch for a couple of hours when I’ve got everything else done.

Fiona Palmer likes…?
Reading, racing and movies.

Fiona Palmer dislikes…?
Brussels sprouts, unfriendly people, cooking. If I won Lotto I’d hire a chef.

Three adjectives to describe yourself?
Life-loving, optimistic and adventurous.