MAREEBA GIRL
going the country mile
by Rebecca Wallis
S
he has a natural talent for weaving the beauty and feel of
Far North Queensland into her ripper reads and Mandy
Magro's latest novel is no exception. Mareeba-born Mandy
has just released her 14th book – A Country Mile, and just like
all the others, it is hard to put down.
Mandy has perfected the art of writing rural romance - a gift
she only realised she had a few short years ago. "I’ve always
loved English and excelled at it in school" said Mandy who
now lives in Cairns and has a nine-year-old daughter. "When
Chloe was born and I found myself more or less confined to
the house, I needed to do something creative so I sat down
one day and began writing a fictional book based on some of
my life experiences. This was when my very first book, which
is set in Mareeba, was born." Rosalee Station was a best-seller
and paved the way for an exciting career as a writer.
It's a job many could only ever dream of and one that Mandy
loves. "I am contracted for two books a year with Harlequin,
so it takes me six months to actually write a book, then it’s
another nine months or so until it hits the shelves. There are
a few rounds of edits in this time and the finessing of the
cover. I am quite structured in my writing. I drop my daughter
to school and head off to gym, and then straight back home
to get cracking at the keyboard. I write until school pick up
and once I am back home and have dinner on and Chloe is
settled I do a little more. I try not to work weekends as I like
to have me time and time with Chloe, my extended family
and friends."
Mandy's father owns a fruit farm in Mareeba and she often
comes home to the Tablelands. Along with visiting family,
it also provides her an opportunity to find inspiration for
her next big hit. "I like to set the majority of my books up
here as this is my home, and is where I am familiar with and
have an endless passion for," she said. "There’s just so much
natural beauty here – the outback, the reef, and the beautiful
Tablelands. In my books, my setting is also a character within
it’s own right, and FNQ is such a pleasure to breathe to life on
the page."
Along with her daughter, Mandy also lives with her
'hyperactive' two-year-old toy poodle, Sophie. A self-
confessed foodie, in her down time she can often be found
sampling some of the Far North's edible delights.
So what is the secret to writing a best-selling novel? "I don’t
think there are any real secrets" says Mandy. "For me, I write
from the heart and I write what inspires and makes me feel a
myriad of emotions while I am tapping away at the keyboard.
I always have a box of tissues nearby, as it can sometimes be
quite hard writing heartbreaking scenes. I connect so deeply
with my characters, so what happens to them I feel."
A Country Mile is out now and in Mandy's usual style, it is
as gripping as it is emotional. Based in a fictional Far North
town, the story is all about homecoming and forgiveness. It
takes readers on a journey with Sophie Copinni who decides
to take stock of her future after her love life turns sour.
Returning home to the Far North she finds a bucket list from
Photo: S ilvia Rath
her teenage years. Most of the challenges are fun, although
one thing on the list scares the hell out of her: she is to reveal
a long-held family secret – the very reason she ran away
eight years prior.
Of course it wouldn't be a Mandy Magro novel without a
large helping of romance and it's not long before fireworks
begin to ignite between Sophie Copinni and local guy Dylan
Stone. "Dylan and Sophie try to keep their distance but they
can't deny the intense chemistry between them" says Mandy.
"This book is all about the secrets we keep and why, and the
need to eventually tell the truth – no matter the cost."
Mandy says she still has to pinch herself as a reminder that
her career as a novelist is not just a dream. "I still remember
the day I got 'the call' from the publishing house" she says,
looking back to the time when she submitted her first
manuscript to a publisher. "I was so shocked. I still have to
pinch myself as it’s all so surreal."
"I feel extremely blessed to be on the way to having 14
published books out in the wilds by the end of this year. I am
in the process of writing my 15th – due out in June of next
year."
Also in the works is a sequel to Rosalee Station her first and
most popular novel. It's also her favourite. "It was my very
first one and very close to my heart" says Mandy. "I came up
with the title by combining mine and Chloe’s middle names
– Lee and Rose. Runner up would have to be the sequel to it.
It’s a real tearjerker."
Mandy says she is 'super excited' about Return to Rosalee
Station which will be out on October 26. Her 15th novel is
likely to be un-put-downable and being
set in Mareeba makes it all the more
exciting to read.
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June 2018 What’s On & Where To Go 7