Three Women – without whom The Last of the Apple Blossom book might never have existed.
My heartfelt thanks to these three women without whom The Last of the Apple Blossom might never have existed.
Naomie Clark-Port
Naomie Clark-Port is an orchardist in the Huon Valley, tending the orchard that has been in her family for many generations. I called her, out of the blue, with three pages of questions about apple growing. Even though I was a complete stranger, she responded with overwhelming warmth and generosity right from the start. Her helpfulness extended to a private tour of her orchard, cool room and old packing shed and a guided drive through the Huon Valley. Naomie also set up interviews with some of the orchardists from the area who lived through the times described in The Last of the Apple Blossom. And to top it all off, she agreed to read and fact check a draft of the manuscript. That's why I call her my Apple Angel.
If you’re in the Huon Valley make sure to drop into Frank’s Cider House and Cafe in Franklin and try some of Naomie’s award-winning cider. I’ll be there on Saturday the 28th of August with Naomie and the orchardists she introduced me to, for a special Huon Valley launch of The Last of the Apple Blossom. I’ll be bringing this novel home where it belongs.
Monica McInerney
The initial idea for The Last of the Apple Blossom came to me after I’d interviewed Monica McInerney for a literary event. After I’d written a few drafts I knew this was book was worth investing in. When I saw Monica’s name in the list of mentors available through the ASA’s Mentorship Program I got goosebumps. It was meant to be. I jumped in, paying for as many hours as I could afford, and the real work began. Monica was a hard taskmistress but an incredibly generous, wise and insightful one. I wrote another 30,000 words, deleted 15,000 and was at draft ten when she told me my novel was everything she’d hoped it could become and gave me her blessing. Working with Monica is an experience I’ll always remember with deep gratitude.
Fiona McIntosh
I attended Fiona’s Commercial Fiction Masterclass in 2015 and even though the first two novels I wrote afterwards didn’t find a home, Fiona never gave up on me or my writing. She has absolute belief in every one of her students. I’d finished writing and revising The Last of the Apple Blossom when one of Fiona’s newsletters popped into my inbox. I noted with interest it contained a couple of apple recipes so I emailed Fiona to let her know how much I liked the recipes, especially as I had written a novel set in the orchards of the Huon Valley. What followed was a flurry of emails. Fiona, too, was writing a novel set in the orchards of the Huon Valley – she’d pitched it to her publisher and had even decided on the title. My heart sank. If I was a publisher, which book set in the orchards of the Huon Valley would I prefer to publish? One by a mega bestselling author or one by an unknown novelist? Then an amazing thing happened. Fiona decided not to continue with her apple book. She stepped aside so that The Last of the Apple Blossom would have a better chance of finding a publisher. Her generosity astounded me. When I emailed her to ask if I could share this story and to thank her for this amazing gift she answered –
It was the only right thing to do. I wanted you so badly to succeed and you had a harder road to travel. So it seemed like a no brainer. I find something else…you power ahead and make us all so very proud. Which is how I feel – so thrilled for you and I hope this is the start of more books from you that bring joy.
Thank you, Fiona, for your generosity.
Naomie Clark-Port
Naomie Clark-Port is an orchardist in the Huon Valley, tending the orchard that has been in her family for many generations. I called her, out of the blue, with three pages of questions about apple growing. Even though I was a complete stranger, she responded with overwhelming warmth and generosity right from the start. Her helpfulness extended to a private tour of her orchard, cool room and old packing shed and a guided drive through the Huon Valley. Naomie also set up interviews with some of the orchardists from the area who lived through the times described in The Last of the Apple Blossom. And to top it all off, she agreed to read and fact check a draft of the manuscript. That's why I call her my Apple Angel.
If you’re in the Huon Valley make sure to drop into Frank’s Cider House and Cafe in Franklin and try some of Naomie’s award-winning cider. I’ll be there on Saturday the 28th of August with Naomie and the orchardists she introduced me to, for a special Huon Valley launch of The Last of the Apple Blossom. I’ll be bringing this novel home where it belongs.
Monica McInerney
The initial idea for The Last of the Apple Blossom came to me after I’d interviewed Monica McInerney for a literary event. After I’d written a few drafts I knew this was book was worth investing in. When I saw Monica’s name in the list of mentors available through the ASA’s Mentorship Program I got goosebumps. It was meant to be. I jumped in, paying for as many hours as I could afford, and the real work began. Monica was a hard taskmistress but an incredibly generous, wise and insightful one. I wrote another 30,000 words, deleted 15,000 and was at draft ten when she told me my novel was everything she’d hoped it could become and gave me her blessing. Working with Monica is an experience I’ll always remember with deep gratitude.
Fiona McIntosh
I attended Fiona’s Commercial Fiction Masterclass in 2015 and even though the first two novels I wrote afterwards didn’t find a home, Fiona never gave up on me or my writing. She has absolute belief in every one of her students. I’d finished writing and revising The Last of the Apple Blossom when one of Fiona’s newsletters popped into my inbox. I noted with interest it contained a couple of apple recipes so I emailed Fiona to let her know how much I liked the recipes, especially as I had written a novel set in the orchards of the Huon Valley. What followed was a flurry of emails. Fiona, too, was writing a novel set in the orchards of the Huon Valley – she’d pitched it to her publisher and had even decided on the title. My heart sank. If I was a publisher, which book set in the orchards of the Huon Valley would I prefer to publish? One by a mega bestselling author or one by an unknown novelist? Then an amazing thing happened. Fiona decided not to continue with her apple book. She stepped aside so that The Last of the Apple Blossom would have a better chance of finding a publisher. Her generosity astounded me. When I emailed her to ask if I could share this story and to thank her for this amazing gift she answered –
It was the only right thing to do. I wanted you so badly to succeed and you had a harder road to travel. So it seemed like a no brainer. I find something else…you power ahead and make us all so very proud. Which is how I feel – so thrilled for you and I hope this is the start of more books from you that bring joy.
Thank you, Fiona, for your generosity.
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