Tricia Stringer researched her new book Table For Eight by booking herself on a cruise
WHEN Tricia Stringer decided to set her new novel on board a luxury ship on the high seas, she took her research seriously by booking herself on a cruise - and ordering cocktails.
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TRICIA Stringer is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author of 10 novels — and her new release, Table For Eight, is our new Book of the Month.
Former school teacher, librarian and up until recently a part time bookseller, Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities.
However the mother-of-three’s latest release, published by HarperCollins, is set far from the bush. In fact, much of it takes place at sea ... on a cruise ship. Why? Read on:
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Were you always a reader and writer?
I grew up on a mixed farming property on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. The much youngest of three children, I often played alone — with plenty of opportunities to develop my imaginative skills. My mother was an avid reader and my earliest recollections are of stories. I liked to write stories too but never thought of actually writing for a readership until I was forty when I wanted to create some local history stories for the children I was teaching. That’s when I caught the writing bug.
2. What books influenced you as a writer?
I have always been a reader and I read across most genres so I imagine I’ve absorbed an assortment of styles that have morphed into the way I write. However, I do remember reading Monica McInerny’s first book, A Taste for It, and thinking I wanted to write like that.
3. You set the novel on a cruise ship? Why? Do you like cruising?
I love cruising. I took my first cruise a couple of years ago to celebrate a friend’s special birthday. The first night at dinner I was seated at the wrong table where a charming woman of senior years welcomed us as if we were in her private dining room. We were all strangers but somehow, she managed to put us at ease and we were soon chatting like old friends. Next night I joined my friends and I never spoke to the woman again but I saw her in the distance over the course of the next eleven days and there was so much I wondered about her as I realised she’d divulged little about herself. I named her Ketty and began to make up a back story for her.
4. What came first — the setting or the characters?
In this book, they came together. The characters who started to come alive in my head were very much connected to the cruise setting.
5. Your latest novel can be described as an “uplift” novel. What do you think the appeal of uplifting fiction is for readers?
I think readers are entertained by the story and, at the end, are left with a pleasant sense of hope.
6. Who was your favourite character to create and why?
Ketty because the story revolves around her interaction with all the other characters. She’s a couture dressmaker so she’s creative and she’s also charming with a knack of discreetly delving into other peoples’ lives and dishing out small doses of Ketty wisdom.
7. Did you draw on your own experience in creating any characters or aspects of the plot?
My own cruise experiences certainly helped. I might be on holiday but my writer’s brain is always processing. A ship is like a small town, full of interesting characters; a melting pot of human interaction against the backdrop of a floating resort transporting people to exotic destinations and the perfect setting for a story.
8. Which aspect of Table For Eight did you find the most interesting to research?
The cocktails! That was fun because cocktails do feature in the story. I also enjoyed a short cruise my husband and I took from Sydney to Brisbane purely for research. In my story the cruise leaves from Sydney, something I hadn’t experienced. I wanted to know firsthand what it was like to sail under the Harbour Bridge and out through the Heads. I also got the chance to talk to some of the cruise staff and ask a few questions, some of which caused raised eyebrows but when I assured them I was a writer doing research they were very helpful.
9. What do you hope readers take away from Table For Eight?
I hope they feel enjoyment as if they’ve been on a holiday with my characters. That’s my main wish for readers of my books, that they relax and escape for a while.
10. What do you plan on writing next?
The next book is nearly done and another begun. I’m always writing.
GET A SEAT AT TRICIA’S TABLE — FOR SHIPMATES’ RATES
A WITTY, warm and wise story of how embracing the new with an open heart can transform your life.
That’s how publishers at HarperCollins describe Tricia Stringer’s Table For Eight; and The Sunday Book Club readers can get all that goodness for a 30 per cent discount.
Just go to Booktopia and use the code BCBT18.
And don’t forget to come share your book recommendations, questions and more at The Sunday Book Club on Facebook — see you there.
THREE FAVOURITE READS: SARAH JONES
THIS week’s Three Favourite Reads come from Fox Footyon-air host Sarah Jones, whose passion for sport is only rivalled by her passion for books. Here, Sarah shares some of her favourite reads:
The Lavender Keeper - Fiona McIntosh
An enchanting French backdrop transports you from Provence to Paris making this a beautiful story of love and loyalty. Set during the Second World War it’s brimming with heroism and adventure. The story centres around Luc, who grew up on a Lavender Farm at the bottom of the French Alps. When his family home is overtaken by soldiers he flees and joins the Resistance. His path collides with Lisette, who has her own plans of Resistance - aiming to infiltrate the Germans by winning the affections of a senior officer. Both are on high stakes’ missions where any mistake could mean death. I fell in love with Luc and Lisette and didn’t want to say goodbye to them when I finished reading. The extraordinary bravery of Lisette makes her an impressive heroine. If ever friends ask for a recommendation, The Lavender Keeper is always my first suggestion. Anyone who loved Kristin Hannah’s bestseller The Nightingale would also enjoy this.
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Steigg Larsson
Lisbeth Salander is one of fiction’s most intriguing characters. Feisty, fearsome and thoroughly modern we learn so much more about her back story in the Millennium Series’ second book. The ultimate page turner - the pace of this is electric. While the first of Steigg Larsson’s best-selling trilogy has plenty of work to do in setting up the complex storyline, The Girl who played with Fire is able to really delve into the mystery behind Lisbeth and her connections to “Zala”. As a journalist I love the characters of Mikhael Blomkvist and Erika Berger and the narrative around investigative journalism. There’s no way you can read the first two books and not be racing to the bookstore to pick up the third instalment.
Almost Home - Pam Jenoff
Pam Jenoff writes sensational historical fiction and I love all of her books. Almost Home is a brilliant spy novel. Jordan travels the world working as a State Department Intelligence Officer but avoids returning to the scene of a life changing event. A decade earlier her boyfriend died in a tragic river accident in England - but nothing is as it seems. Jordan must use her espionage skills to piece together what happened while struggling with her emotional scars. This is a book to be consumed quickly and is full of twists and turns. Jenoff herself has worked at the Pentagon and her writing is flavoured by strong characters and amazing attention to detail. Special mention to her other gem, The Kommandant’s Girl. Highly recommend anything she’s written.
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