Interview Featuring David Rawlings With a Giveaway

Hi, David, thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. I’m honored to have you here.

David: It’s an honour to join you Andi. Thanks for having me.

RL: What is your favorite part about living in Australia?

David: All of it. Australia is a land of contrasts and beauty. From where I live in South Australia, it’s five minutes to the Australian bush, five minutes to long stretches of sandy beaches and ten minutes to a world-class wine area.  Each of them is beautiful in its own way.

And we have room. We are a massive country where you can get away from cities and you are likely to be the only person within shouting distance. Sometimes it’s nice to hear the world breathing rather than the rush of progress.

RL: Australia sounds heavenly. It's definitely on my bucket list to visit. 

Where would we catch you reading?

David: In the hammock, or unwinding at the end of the day.

RL:  A hammock sounds like a great place to be read.

Here on my blog I say that it’s a radiant light and a source of encouragement for both readers and authors. 

What do you hope radiates from your daily life?

David: It seems that my ability lies in asking the right question to get people to think or reflect, so I would say that.

I’ve taken this approach into my writing, and the messages I get back from people who’ve read The Baggage Handler and The Camera Never Lies suggest that it’s working. 

I regularly hear from readers who are examining the baggage they’re carrying or thinking about the secrets in their lives.

RL: That is really awesome! I know author's love hearing from their readers so that must make your work fulfilling.

Who is your favorite book character from childhood?

David: Will, the main character from a trilogy called The White Mountains by John Christopher. It just spoke to me at a time when I was the same age as the character. That story has stayed with me.

RL: I have not heard of that book and I'm always looking for books for my grand-kids who love reading. 

We all have reading and writing spaces that are unique to all of us. Where is your favorite place to write?

David: On the train. When I’ve got client meetings or lectures to deliver in the city of Adelaide, I catch public transport. It’s a 45-minute trip into the city, and I’ve found it’s a focused time with an immovable deadline … I have to get off! I’ve written the bulk of two novels on the train.

RL: That sounds like a perfect writing space. You have a timeline and your writing desk never gets cluttered. HaHa!

Which of the main characters in The Camera Never Lies is most like you?

David: All of them. I think the best writing comes from deep within, so the experiences of the characters do reflect something of me. 

Daniel, the marriage counselor, is keen to keep secrets thinking it’s safer. I’ve done that. 

Kelly, his wife, is working in a job that challenges her ethics and approach to honesty. I’ve been challenged by that as well. 

And their daughter, Milly, looks at those around her and wonders why they just can’t be honest with each other and themselves. I wonder that every day.

RL: WOW! I really enjoy when authors insert some of who they are into their stories it gives readers an insight into the author as a person. 

Would you say you’re more of a plotter or pantser?

David: I’m a pantser trapped in a plotter’s body.

RL: I wish I could be a plotter, but I'm definitely a pantser as well. 

And if you are a plotter how much of the story did you know?

If a pantser did you have any plan at all?

David: I plot the entire story, and then almost put it to one side as I fill in the blanks. I know where I’m starting and where I’m ending, but the journey between those points is quite free-flowing. It’s an approach I learned from Robert Ludlum (my literary hero) and I find it gives me enough creative freedom while still weaving an intricate plot.

RL: That sounds like a perfect combination of plotter and pantser.

What did you hope readers would take away from The Camera Never Lies?

David: The simple message that the truth will set you free.

RL: That message is definitely woven throughout the book.

Thanks for taking time to chat with me. Before we say good-bye for today, tell us what’s coming up next for you?

David: I’m launching Where the Road Bends – my third novel – in June 2020. It’s another modern-day parable, but this one’s set in outback Australia, which I’m terribly proud of. It’s another thematic story which asks the question: “How did you get where you are in life, and where are you going from here?”

Here’s the blurb:

Fifteen years after college graduation, four friends reconnect to keep a long-ago promise and go on a trip of a lifetime in the Australian Outback. 

Dropped at a campsite in the middle of nowhere, the friends quickly discover they aren’t the same people they once were, and they begin to confront hard truths about one another—and themselves. Then a bizarre storm sweeps across their camp, scattering them across the desert. Wondering if they are part of some strange escape game, each of the friends meets a guide to help them find exactly what they need: purpose, healing, courage, and redemption. 

It’s available for pre-order now.

And I’m writing novel #4, which has the working title of The Eighth Guest.

I am giving away a copy of David Rawling's latest book The Camera Never Lies. You can read my full review HERE. This giveaway is open to US residents only. You must be a follower of my blog and leave a comment, details in giveaway, for your entry to count. 

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