The sleepy Sydney suburb that inspires best-selling erotic writer
John Purcell is a best-selling writer of erotica in the vein of Fifty Shades of Grey. He lives in a sleepy Sydney suburb but gets some of his inspiration from the shoppers at the local supermarket.
John Purcell is a best-selling writer of erotic fiction and he gets some of his inspiration from a shopping centre in — wait for it — Belrose.
“When I shop at Woolworths at Glenrose I’m always observing people. The way they interact, the way they speak. I’m a terrible busybody,” he said.
In his latest book, The Girl on the Page, a couple of the scenes were inspired by his weekly shop in Belrose.
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That book, with lashings of sex, humour and bad behaviour, was written under his own name. But his first books, a trilogy called The Secret Lives of Emma, appeared under his pseudonym Natasha Walker. At first his friends didn’t realise the former bookshop owner was writing fantasy for women but having been outed by the Australian Women’s Weekly he now embraces the label of being the author of racy, fast-paced novels.
He has also taken a huge leap of faith, chucked in his job as director of books for Australia’s biggest online bookshop Booktopia to write full-time.
He and his wife Tamsin are selling their Davidson home to downsize and allow Mr Purcell to follow his dream.
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“I had a bit of a health scare recently. I was rushed to the brand new hospital in the middle of the night. Having the hospital so close was a blessing. The whole episode really helped me decide to make these big life changes,” he said.
His first three books were full of romantic fantasies. His latest volume still has the bedhopping and humour but it is also an ode to great literature as two generations clash in the world of book publishing.
“The lives of women have always interested me. And I am fortunate to have many strong (and opinionated) women in my life. I read a lot of women writers. To write as a woman for a female audience I stopped trying to write for all women. I focused on one particular woman, Emma, the heroine of my Secrets Lives of Emma series. And that seemed to work,” he said.
Mr Purcell turned one of the bedrooms of his Hoddle Cres home into a library.
“A tiny bit of me worries that if I leave this inspiring house the words will dry up. If there are any aspiring writers out house hunting, this is definitely the place for you,” he said.
Davidson is an unpretentious suburb on Sydney’s northern beaches on the edge of national parkland. It has the highest proportion of freestanding houses on the northern beaches with 94 per cent of homes being stand alone family houses. And 47 per cent of residential property in Davidson is owned outright.
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How about this for a first home
The four-bedroom renovated house at 28 Hoddle Cres, Davidson is on 721sqm of land and guest to auction on June 22 through Raine and Horne with a guide of $1.5 million to $1.65 million.
The family home has valley views, bright open-plan interiors, hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings and a vast outdoor deck.
The main bathroom is quite romantic with a freestanding bath looking out to the courtyard. And while it is not especially romantic but very practical the house also has new Colorbond roofing, guttering and downpipes.
Mimosa Public primary school and Davidson High School are both nearby.
And did we mention the house is blissfully private?
Originally published as The sleepy Sydney suburb that inspires best-selling erotic writer