Ric McDonald

 

Today’s Author Sit-Down is with Ric McDonald, author of The Story of Job.

I asked Ric five questions about his book.

 

1.    1. Please give us a high concept (in 25 or fewer words) for what your book is about.

 

The Story of Job is a historical fiction about the life of Job Symonds from London streets to Australia covering 1868 to 1956

 2.     What inspired you to write Job's story?

 I have always been fascinated by this larger-than-life character, my great-grandfather Job Augustus Symonds whom I never met. He was born in Hanover London 1868 and died 1956 in Cairns QLD.

I did meet his wife my great-grandmother Alice who at the time frightened me as a four-year-old as she sat in a rocking chair murmuring continually and dribbling, and she passed by the time I was five at 92.

Later, stories my grandmother Eva told me of the amazing life they led from Breaksea Island in Albany to Rottnest, Bunbury and Darkan left me wanting more but by the time I realised that my grandmother had passed.

My father however was a prolific writer. He had documented the facts of the life of Job but most of my knowledge of the Symonds family came from word of mouth, from my grandmother Eva and my father Ean.

So over the years I would remember such stories and jot down the summary of each from time to time and when computers became part of my life I began to fully document the known facts of the life of Job and Alice.

Eventually I had filled in as much as I could in a document of 30 odd pages of mostly facts that I had put together by 2017. As I had retired from full time work in 2015 I had more time to devote to this task.

My initial title of this document was For the Love of Job and a lot of my thoughts went into understanding how he could walk away from a marriage of 20 odd years and start afresh with another woman.

This document was initially just meant as a family record for my family.

But this changed when my wife and I went to see a play put on in Kalamunda by the Albany theatrical group Theatre 189 performance of The Lighthouse Girl written by Albany author Dianne Wolfer.

We loved the performance and as my great-grandparents Job and Alice had been keepers of that lighthouse ten years earlier , I wrote to the producer and gave her the segment of my story from the time Job and Alice were on Breaksea with the thought it might help the actors understand more about what life was like on Breaksea.

Next I received a message from Dianne Wolfer saying the segment had been passed on to her and she wanted to talk to me about it. So we arranged a call.

In October 24 Dianne again wrote to say she had written a radio play for the Albany Bicentenary based on my story of Job welcoming his bride to Albany by lighting a bonfire as Alice’s ship passed Breaksea Island. She had called it “A Bonfire for Alice” and she sent me a copy of it. Well, I loved the story and as I read it to my wife I cried, which a 76 year old bloke does not often do, because all of a sudden these two relatives whom I had known about all my life came to life as real people in the way Dianne had told their story from that time.

A while later in early 2025 Dianne presented at the Kalamunda Library a presentation on writing historical fiction and I was hooked. I began “The Story of Job” with the support of Sally Odgers as my editor and supporter.

What I have loved about the historical fiction version is the ability to use my imagination to fill in the gaps bring the characters to life and also find ways to make the story believable as in so many lives life is stranger than fiction, Sally has been a great help in understanding this process.

 3. How did you go about researching the background for the book?

 Much of the factual backbone of The Story of Job came from stories passed down through my family—particularly from my grandmother Eva and my father, Ean McDonald. Over the years, I’d taken the time to document these family memories and cross-reference them with records, creating a foundation of known facts about Job's life, movements, and key events. I had been gathering this information long before the idea of writing a novel had taken hold.

Once I made the decision to shift from a family record to a historical fiction narrative, everything changed. The framework of Job’s life was already there, but now I began to immerse myself in the broader historical context surrounding him. I researched the periods in which he lived—the maritime world of the late 1800s, the development of ports like Albany and Fremantle, the settlement of inland WA towns like Darkan, the social expectations of the era, and the changes brought by Federation and war.

Wherever I lacked specific details, I allowed myself to make plausible assumptions based on what I knew of Job’s character—his stubbornness, his sense of duty, his love of the sea, and the emotional complexity of the choices he made. Historical fiction gave me the freedom to explore not only what happened, but what Job might have thought or felt about what happened.

One example was his experience sailing through the Suez Canal. I discovered that while the canal had officially opened in 1869, it wasn’t widely used by commercial traffic for several years. By the time Job sailed through it on his journey to Australia, it had become a well-travelled route that significantly shortened the voyage from England to the colonies. Knowing this helped me place Job within the flow of changing global trade routes and maritime history—details that might seem small, but they gave me confidence in shaping scenes with a strong sense of authenticity.

I also delved into period newspapers, shipping records, and historical accounts of lighthouses, rail lines, mine disasters, and colonial townships. Every fact I uncovered offered a new thread to weave into the tapestry of Job’s life, and every gap gave me room to imagine.

Writing historical fiction is a dance between what we know and what we believe might have been true—and it was in that space that Job truly came to life for me.

 4. How did you treat the inevitable gaps in the research?

 One of the greatest freedoms—and responsibilities—of writing historical fiction is navigating the unknowns. While I had gathered many facts about Job's life from family stories and historical records, there were still inevitable gaps: missing years, unclear motivations, undocumented relationships. To bring the story to life, I had to fill these spaces in a way that felt true to the character and respectful to those involved.

Creating the fictional characters of William and Eleanor was one way I bridged those gaps. Through them, I was able to incorporate broader elements of history—such as the end of convict transportation to Australia—while giving Job a companion and confidant who could reflect and question along with him. These characters became crucial to deepening the story’s emotional core and to grounding Job in the era’s social and political changes.

I also wove in real historical events to give structure and meaning to the timeline. For instance, when Alice makes her journey to Australia, I tied it to the real-life appointment of C.Y. O’Connor as Engineer-in-Chief of Western Australia. That led to the fictional but plausible scenario of Alice travelling as a governess to a prominent family connected to O'Connor’s vision for the colony. These narrative choices helped anchor the fiction in real-world developments.

Some gaps were more personal and delicate. The love story between Job and Alice, who was nine years his senior, posed a unique challenge. It was unusual for the time, yet the available evidence—letters, family stories, and their enduring connection—suggested a bond that was genuine and deep. I had to imagine how that relationship might have formed, and what inner struggles and social pressures they might have faced.

Even more difficult was writing about Job’s later relationship with Angie. The facts show that she left her husband and four young sons to be with Job—a decision that, through today’s lens, seems almost unfathomable. To protect her descendants’ privacy, I changed her name in the novel. But more importantly, I took great care in creating a believable emotional journey that could explain such a heartbreaking choice. I didn’t want to excuse it, but I did want to understand it. What circumstances, griefs, or longings could lead a mother to leave her family behind? Fiction allowed me to explore those questions with empathy.

In the end, wherever there were gaps, I used imagination tempered by logic and heart. I always asked: What choice feels true to this character, in this time, under these conditions? If the answer felt honest, I followed it.

 5. Are you planning a website for your book? If so, give us the url. If not, where will your book be available?

 At this stage, I don’t have a dedicated website for The Story of Job, but given the unexpected level of interest and demand in just the first few weeks since I self-published, I may need to seriously consider creating one soon.

For now, printed copies of the book are available directly through me for $20 each. The Story of Job was self-published via IngramSpark, and in time it may also become available through their wider distribution channels, including major online booksellers.

The ISBN for the book is 978-0-646-72145-3 for those wishing to locate it or request it through libraries or retailers.

Thanks, Ric!

Authors and readers—if you’d like an Author Sit-Down interview, either ask in the comments or send me an email at sallybyname(A)gmail.com with AUTHOR SIT-DOWN in the header.

Helen Walker

 

Today’s author sit-down is with author Helen Walker, who answers five curious questions about her picture book, How Benny Gets His Buzz Back.

1.      Give us a high concept (25 words or fewer) that describes your book

 How Benny Gets His Buzz Back is a children’s book. Benny the bee is not his usual self but with help from his friend he recovers from the blues.   

2. How did you choose a bee to be your protagonist?

 I chose a bee for my protagonist because I believe that a bee losing its buzz aligns with a person who is experiencing depression. I believe my story encourages children and adults to have a conversation about mental health.

3. What inspired you to write How Benny Gets his Buzz Back?

 My childcare, teaching and lived experience has led me to write Benny. Back in my teenage years I came to the realisation that I wanted to use the arts to communicate social issues to the wider community. I also was concerned when I saw a two-year-old playing with a mobile phone. I was then determined to have less technology in my book and more human connection.

4. What audience do you envisage for Benny?

 My audience is varied. I believe Benny can be an educative tool for children and adults. Children that have a parent with mental health issues could benefit because Benny is a father experiencing the blues. I am aware that a psychologist is currently using my book in her therapeutic setting. Adults may read this story and realise that at the back of the book, there is help available.  

5. If Benny could give a drop of advice to young readers, what would it be?

I would like children to know that it’s okay to ask for help, from getting their shoelaces done up to asking for help when they are sad. Parents can demonstrate that it’s okay to seek professional help when needed. 

Thanks, Helen!

Check out Benny HERE   and HERE or visit Helen's website Here

If you are a writer and/or reader, and would like an author sit-down interview about your writing or reading, drop me a note in the comments or send an email to sallybyname(AT)gmail.com

Jayne McIntyre

 

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Today's Author Sit-Down is with Jayne McIntyre, the author of The Feathers of Farwood.

I asked Jayne five inquisitive questions about her debut novel.

1. Please give us a high concept (25 words or fewer) that encapsulates your book, The Feathers of Farwood.

This magical, middle-grade adventure follows Eva Feather’s search for a cure after her father is turned into an owl by the mysterious Gripps.

2. Tell us about your experience with real life owls.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to participate in a ‘wildlife experience’ with owls in Beerwah, on the Sunshine Coast. Run through a local rehabilitation and education centre, the activity allowed me to have these magnificent birds of prey fly and land on my arm.

It was the perfect opportunity to get up close with Aussie owls, including the Eastern Barn Owl with its heart-shaped face, aptly-named Barking Owl (yes – they really do make a barking sound!), Masked Owl, and Boobook Owl.

While my writing incorporates magic and folklore, it was important for me to capture the realistic features and behaviours of owls: from the way they turn their heads (270 degrees, to be exact), to snatching food mid-flight, and the placement of their sharp talons. I wanted all this to feel authentic on the page.

3. Why owls? When did you become interested in these feathery little folk?

I loved reading about witches, wizards, and magical lands in storybooks when growing up. And there would always be ‘the owl’ – wise, mysterious, delivering secret letters, and normally found perched on the edge of a bubbling cauldron.

Owls pop up again and again in children’s literature, and I think they bring something special to every story.

When I wrote The Feathers of Farwood (which started as a single manuscript but quickly grew into a planned trilogy), I had a vivid image/idea in mind: what if a person turned into an owl? Then, what if they had an owlish family too? What if it had to be kept a secret? It was the perfect starting point – and the story and plot bloomed from there.

Why Australian owls specifically? I think it’s nice for readers, especially kids, to see familiar landscapes and wildlife in the stories they read. At the same time, I believe my story will appeal to broader audiences beyond Australia. 

Plus, owls are very interesting and remarkable creatures. I learned this during my wildlife experience, where they had their own, varied personalities.

Just don’t call a Tawny Frogmouth an owl, it might get offended! Contrary to popular belief, they belong to the frogmouth family, Podargidae. You’ll find quite a few owlish facts (some surprising, some gross) in my books.

4. How do you incorporate writing into your everyday life?

By day, I’m a marketing manager and a busy mum of two. Writing doesn’t just happen when inspiration strikes. I like (and need) to have a schedule. This might mean writing a bit each night, even if it’s just editing something from the day prior.

To balance the (many, many) hours at my desk, I run and spend time in nature (like hiking or walking the dogs). It’s all part of the creative process. Jogging helps me clear my thoughts and untangle plot holes, and the sights and sounds of the beautiful Sunshine Coast often spark new ideas.

5. Thinking about your next book... who (or what) will be the main character?

Eastern Barn Owls feature in the first instalment of The Feathers of Farwood trilogy. In the second and third books, I will highlight other types of owls (and animals).

As Eva digs deeper into her father’s feathery predicament, the tangled past of those ‘cursed’ by the Gripps begins to unravel.

Farwood’s a bit of a whimsical town, with Round the Twist vibes. There are lots of colourful characters with their own motivations and secrets.

The Feathers of Farwood, Book One, takes flight in March 2026. But the world of Farwood is just the beginning. I have plenty of other ideas in store to (hopefully) entertain and inspire middle-grade readers.

Thanks, Jayne! I should think your story will appeal to older readers too... in fact, you and I would probably get along. I'm also the mother of two, though mine are grown up, and I also love walking, especially with dogs. I also plot while out and about and keep a schedule!

One of my favourite owls from fiction is Glimfeather from the Narnia series.

 hope my readers have enjoyed hearing about Jayne's writing. If you are a reader and/or writer, and would like to chat about your books or someone else's, drop me a note as sallybyname(at)gmail.com with Author Sit-Down in the subject line. 

Brenton Cullen

 

Today I've having an author sit-down with Australian author Brenton Cullen to talk about his upcoming (as of July 2025) book The Prime Minister Problem.

I asked Brenton five curly questions and here they are with his responses.

1. So - The Prime Minister Problem! Give us a high concept in 25 words or fewer.

It is a middle-grade novel about a quiet boy who goes viral for his efforts to stop loneliness after his grandma is sent to a faraway nursing home.

2. How did you choose the name for your protagonist? Did you give it a lot of thought, or did it just pop into your mind?

The main character is a ten year old boy named Wren - I purposely wanted to give him a 'unique' name. This highlights his feeling of being on the outside, as though he views his family and schoolmates through a glass screen. Wren's feeling of being an outlier prompted me to give him a name that immediately stood out as 'different' - just as Wren in the book feels different. I was also inspired by superb fairy-wrens, a little twittering bird I have always loved for their pretty colours. The birds are a motif throughout the book - Wren goes birdwatching, and sees the same fairy-wren multiple times. Though in real life, fairy wrens often are in pairs or packs, the fairy-wren that Wren sees is always alone. Just like Wren (the boy!) often is. I like the special meaning Wren's name holds, in this regard. 

3. Did the story turn out the way you thought it would? If not, what surprised you?

Originally, this story began with the title 'The Prime Minister Problem' and one single thought: What if a kid tried to become Prime Minister? It was inspired by my partner who is a political enthusiast. But quickly, the story naturally evolved and moved away from the initial spark of inspiration. I was surprised to find that themes of rural living, cost of living, loneliness, and intergenerational relationships were much bigger themes lurking below the surface of the story and begging to come out. 

4. Did your fascination with golden age literature influence your writing of this book?

In the golden age books I read and loved as a kid (and I still read them now!), I always gravitated to stories that featured special connections between grandparents and grandchildren. My book is a 'quiet' story, about people, so I feel I was influenced by all the books I had read over my whole life - all those 'quiet books' - to put this sensitivity, alongside the special grandparent-and-child relationship, into my story. Many books are extroverted with confident sassy quirky kid protagonists - nothing wrong with that! - but I want shy, quiet, sensitive, brooding kids (like the ones in many of my favourite Golden Age books) to see themselves be the star of a story in a modern age.

5. What, if anything, do you have in common with your main character?

In a way, The Prime Minister Problem is the story I have written that is closest to my heart. In saying that, it isn't autobiographical - none of the things in the book actually happened to me! But the feelings and emotion and inner dialogue of my main character Wren is definitely very similar to what I felt and thought as a ten-year-old. Like Wren, I have always been a big reader;. Like Wren, I hold a lot of worries and curiosities about the world. And like Wren, my grandmother was a very special influence on my love of stories. 

The Prime Minister Problem is my debut middle-grade novel to be published in 2026 by Riveted Press. 

Thanks, Brenton.

Brenton has been a big supporter of Australian literature for years. 

To the reader - if you would like to talk books (yours or someone else's) send me an email at sallybyname(AT)gmail.com with AUTHOR SIT-DOWN in the subject line. Tell me your focus and I'll shoot you five questions.

Dr Bob Rich

  

Today's Author Sit-Down is with Dr Bob Rich, an old friend I've never met. Dr Bob and I have been writing friends for decades, so when he told me about his new book, THE HOLE IN YOUR LIFE: Grief and Bereavement, I sent him five peculiar questions on which to ponder and pontificate (if he was so moved to do...)

Here they are! The Hole in Your Life is now available, but before you buy, read on for a small sample of Dr Bob's trademark mix of gentle humour and wisdom. 

1. The Hole in Your Life: Grief and Bereavement. The title is pretty conclusive, but please give us the high concept for your book in 25 words or under.

 

In this little book, Bob Rich leads you from grief to growth.

 

2. How did you decide on the exact title? Punctuation in titles is always a difficult decision. One of mine has an exclamation mark...

 

The original working title was If You Have Lost a Loved One: How to cope with grief, but as I worked on what needed to be included, I found two problems with it.

First, you can grieve after losing a hated one. I think one of the most powerful chapters covers this topic. It reports on a real client. I only changed her name. She was referred to me as a victim of domestic violence. Then the guy got killed in a drunken fight, and... And while cheering at his departure, she also deeply missed him.

Good theme for a novel?

The second problem was that other serious losses are processed in the same way as the death of someone. Examples are failing an exam so you are barred from the profession you’ve dreamed of for years, and the bankruptcy of your employer eliminating your job.

Just today, I heard about a man who had a medium-sized business. He formed a partnership with two others. They ganged up on him and basically stole the business, though in a legal way. He lost his major interest in life, much of his income, and his self-perception as a businessman.

No loss of a loved person, no, but a BIG hole in his life. My book is essential reading in this situation.

The subtitle is from my publisher, Victor Volkman. The purpose of a subtitle is to precisely put the book in the right box. To do that, it should predict the search terms a potential buyer might use. “Grief and bereavement” does that.

 

 

3. What was the inspiration to write this book at this time?

 

My eighteenth book was From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide. It is my most successful psychology book, and has won two awards. https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/bobs-booklist/#depression The original I sent to my publisher was twice as long, but he said modern readers won’t buy a self-help book above 50,000 words. So, I took a sword to it and cut it in two. The second half is Lifting the Gloom: Antidepressant writing https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/bobs-booklist/#lifting It contains essays and stories I took from the original, then I wrote specific stories to illustrate all the points in From Depression to Contentment. As I say in the introduction, “If you like a clearly laid out map to contentment, regardless of your circumstances, it’s in From Depression to Contentment. If a ramble with surprising twists and turns is more your thing, that’s Lifting the Gloom. And actually, the two go together like main course and dessert.”

In between having fun with fiction, I started the next logical project: grief, but I struck a difficulty. I wanted to quote extensively from another book and asked the author’s permission. To my surprise, she was an echidna/hedgehog on steroids and refused in a rude way. So, with the book over three quarters completed, I put it away into a dusty drawer within my computer and wrote other stuff.

Then my darling daughter was diagnosed with inoperable terminal cancer.

Before you buy the book, you can read the first chapter, which is about her. http://grief.lhpress.com

I know a surprisingly large number of people who had cured their cancer (“spontaneous remission”) and kept hoping she would, too. But also, I immediately put into practice all the techniques I used to teach to my clients, including the ones I have learned from them. This meant re-reading my grief manuscript, and trawling through my case notes to refresh my memory.

My daughter will live in my heart as long as I pester this planet with my presence, but the immense agony of grief is not there.

The more you give, the more you get, and also the more you give, the more you grow. I want to do the tiny bit one person can do to reduce suffering by passing on my tools to as many other people as possible. So, this book is dedicated to my daughter’s memory.

 

4. Do you believe we process grief differently at different times of our lives?

 

Sally, I have the handicap of a scientific training. That means I don’t believe anything but go with the evidence.

A child’s grief is very different from an adult’s, so I have a chapter dedicated to how to help them. Teenagers may be mature enough to do adult grief, but many react with disrupted and disruptive behaviour.

And actually, a different kind of maturity is more relevant than chronological age. This is spiritual age.

An infant spirit won’t bother grieving. You can only grieve if you can love, and love depends on empathy. To an infant soul, other people are either tools or obstacles. It’s annoying to lose a tool, but “hey, I’ll grab another one.”

As we rise in spiritual development, grief hurts more and more. As I get pummelled by the news, I often wish I was a psychopath who is not affected by the suffering of other people (including but not limited to humans). Not that I claim to be enlightened. I need to work off all too much debit on my karma for that.

All sentient beings are apprentice Jesuses; apprentice Buddhas. An apprentice learns by copying a master. That’s what I do.

 

 

5. What are three key pieces of wisdom/advice/comfort from your book?

 

1. We survive anything, even death. Before my daughter died, she told us she’d turn our washing water purple. We save the output of the washing machine for the garden, and indeed the water from the first wash after her death was a bright iridescent pink, you know, like highly diluted beetroot juice. There were no red items in the wash, and a white tablecloth stayed pristine white.

So, I know she is in a far better place, and still has her sense of humour, and is loved.

The scientific evidence for what happens after death is set out at my blog because a grieving person won’t want to wade through it. https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3oq

 

2. A major reason for my ability to process my grief so fast is the Buddhist concept of equanimity.

Suffering has two parts. My toe (or my heart) hurts, and I want the pain to stop. If I can simply accept the toe damage sensation or the broken heart, I am not suffering.

This is also central to the other great religions and philosophies: inshallah (as Allah wills), God’s will be done, Job’s story...

There is more to it than I can summarise here, and I am not saying it’s easy, but it is immensely effective.

 

3. Grief needs to be felt. If you hide from it behind antidepressants, or worse, addictive substances, if you try to drown it out with busyness or deny it, it will fester on and on.

But this does not need to be 24 hours a day. By scheduling it to set times, and faithfully keeping the appointment with your grief, you can live the rest of your life as if it was normal.

And the two most important thing you need to return to your life are creativity and fun. And yes, it is possible to have fun while grieving. If you don’t believe me, ask my daughter.