Fruit grower, Mandy Magro has a new novel out. She drops by to talk about life as a fruit grower, weather connundrums and writing.

1. As a fruit grower what is a typical work day comprised of? A typical day on the fruit farm starts at 6am when the temperatures are a little more forgiving. Our busy season is from November through to April when we are running picking crews out on the 400 acre property from daybreak until sunset. In our quiet part of the season, May until October, it’s my hubby that tends to do the fertilising, watering and meticulous care of the tress whilst I settle back in my office and write. Amongst farm duties there is also 4 dogs to be fed, cattle to be tended to, eggs to be collected, my darling delightful daughter to be cared for and then last but not least all the home fires to be kept burning. As they say, a woman’s work is never done.

2. Many growers have been at the vagaries of the weather over the last eighteen months has your business experienced any difficulties? We have been very blessed here in Dimbulah. We don’t really get flooded in our area as we are 400 meters above sea level. We are also protected from cyclones by the surrounding mountains.  It is the fires that we have to contend with. We had an extremely bad one this year that came only meters from our home. It burnt some of the nets that keep the fruit out of the reaches of bats, birds and pigs. It was very scary but I was once again reminded how close a small community is when so many people turned up to help fight the fire. 

3. How much of your writing is influenced by what has happened or is happening in your life? My writing is influenced greatly by what has happened and is happening in my life. Everything from the amazing country people I have been blessed to meet, my everyday life in the country, my experiences out on a cattle station in the middle of Australia and being a fruit farmer have contributed in some way to my stories. I am passionate about Australian country life and also about this glorious country of ours and I am honoured to be able to write about what I love most.  

4. You’re noted for a raunchy sex scene in your debut novel. How important a part do you think sex plays in romance titles? I whole- heartedly believe that sex scenes play a major part in romance novels. What woman could honestly say that she doesn’t beg for the two main characters to eventually retreat to the bedroom and make mad passionate love that leaves them breathless? Or retreat to anywhere for that matter! I feel this is what helps builds the tension throughout the storyline, amongst other things of course. It’s one of the main threads that makes the pages turn as the reader waits for the erotic moment to explode onto the page. I adore writing about this magical part of falling in love and I promise it will be in each and every novel I am blessed to write.

Visit Mandy’s website to learn more about her latest work.