The vivacious & talented Nicola Moriarty
I clearly remember the first time I met Nicola Moriarty. It was at the 2019 BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival event, at the Stanton Library in North Sydney, an author event I attended with my writing buddies Claudine Tinellis https://www.claudinetinellis.com/ and Cassie Hamer https://cassiehamer.com/
What stood out most about Nic was her endearing candour, as she laughed and said that she wasn't exactly sure what she was doing amidst a panel of crime writers of the calibre of Anna Snoekstra https://www.annasnoekstra.com/
& Sarah Barrie http://www.sarahbarrieauthor.com/
With five novels, a novella and two anthologies under her belt, it was Nicola's 2019 novel The Ex https://nicolamoriarty.com.au/the-ex/ that catapulted her into the world of crime/thriller and domestic noir. I absolutely LOVED this novel. It had me riveted to my seat, with so many twists and turns I didn't see coming. I couldn't put it down and was excited to see what Nic had in store for us next.
And now the wait is over. You Need to Know https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460710531/you-need-to-know/ hit Australian shelves in early April 2021 and it has cemented her firmly within the thriller/crime genre. The characters were complex, the story multi-layered and had a premise that was like nothing I had ever read. Nic Moriarty is a name to watch.
Writing is most definitely in Nicola's genes. Coming from a family of six kids, she is the younger sister of writing supremos Liane Moriarty https://lianemoriarty.com.au/ and Jaclyn Moriarty https://jaclynmoriarty.com/books/
With genest like that, Nicola seemed destined to writing success. But she says on her website that she 'lives in constant fear of being directly compared to her two wildly successful and extraordinarily talented author sisters...unless of course, the comparison is something kind, perhaps along the lines of, “Liane, Jaci and Nicola are all wonderful writers. I love all of their books equally.”'
I love how down to earth she is. In her 'About Me' section on her website, she admits to lacking fine motor skills 'demonstrated by her inability to thread keys onto key-rings, tie balloons, braid hair and apply eyeliner' and having a penchant for Freddo Frogs!
So without further ado, I hand you over to the lovely Nic.xx
Q1: What piece of advice do you wish you'd been given when working on your very first manuscript?
A: I was going to say, ‘DON’T READ THE REVIEWS!’ but the truth is, as much as critical reviews can be so very hard to take, if I avoided all reviews, then I wouldn’t get to see the positive as well. And the other problem is, as much as a the really harsh reviews brought me to tears, they also pushed me and motivated me and made me want to do better, to prove them wrong. So while that piece of advice might have saved me some heartache initially, perhaps I also wouldn’t be where I am today without reading the reviews.
Q2: If you could have written ANY book besides your own, what would it be? A: Well, the first one that comes to mind is Fifty Shades of Grey because who doesn’t want to sell 15 million books! But no, I should take this much more seriously and not make it about money and say I would LOVE to have written The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by the extraordinary Roald Dahl. Every single short story in that book is a beautiful piece of art and they’ve stayed with me for years and years. In fact, now I’d really like to track down a copy and read it again.
'This is a photo of my working space, which you'll see is actually
a table at a cafe!! That's because I do most of my best writing out
and about and especially at a place called The Mini Espresso Bar,
which is where the photo is from.'
Q3: What is the first book that made you cry?
A: I think it probably would have been Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. I took it off my sister’s bookshelf when I was probably too young to read something so confronting. Reading that book was an emotional roller coaster!
Q4: What is your favourite drink?
A: Coffee, tea, wine or… A cappuccino in the morning, a glass of white wine on a summer’s evening, a glass of red in the middle of winter, a gin and tonic with fresh lime by the pool, a peppermint tea before bed… I think I’d better stop as you may have noticed I ignored the brief and did not actually choose one favourite.
Q5: What is the next book on your TBR (to be read) pile?
A: B.M. Carroll’s You Had it Coming https://bercarroll.com/ I absolutely love her books. Who We Were was so clever and engaging and I can’t wait to get stuck into this next one.
(I adore Ber's books too and her new one is actually released today so rush out and grab it. Shelley.xx)
Meeting Nic at Stanton Library North Sydney during the 2019 BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival (July 2019)
Back Row L - R: Shelley, Cassie Hamer, Claudine Tinellis
Front Row L - R: Wendy James, Sarah Barrie, Nicola & Anna Snoekstra
Q6: Choose one male & one female character from your novel. In a film adaptation, who would you love to see play them?
A: I’d love to see Tessa Thompson as Mimi and Jai Courtney as Pete. They’re both phenomenal actors and I think they’d make a great on-screen couple!
Q7: Name one thing you couldn't live without?
A: I’m going to have to say chocolate. It’s definitely my Achilles heel, especially Whittaker’s creamy milk chocolate.
'We have 2 cats (Scout and Jude), 1 bird (Stripe) and a dog (Zebby). Of course I love all of our pets, but Zebby is feeling especially important to me at the moment because he's been unwell so I feel like he needs the extra love right now! Here he is wearing a bow that he'd probably rather not have on!'
(I hope darling Zebby is on the mend soon. Sending healing thoughts his way. Shelley.xx)
Q8: What is your dream holiday destination?
A: I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans so that’s up pretty high on my list of dream destinations, along with the Maldives and Rio de Janeiro.
Q9: If you had to choose a career besides writer, what would it be?
A: I think I’d be a high school English teacher. I started studying a degree at uni to become a high school teacher, but half way through I scored my first publishing deal, so I switched to a writing major and focused on books!
Q10: Name one debut author/novel you would recommend?
A: I really enjoyed the book Grace Under Pressure by Tori Haschka https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Grace-Under-Pressure/Tori-Haschka/9781760857318 It was clever and funny and sweet. While Tori has published cookbooks previously, I’m pretty sure this is her first foray into fiction and I hope it won’t be her last!
'From the best-selling author of The Ex and Those Other Women comes a thrilling family drama about the secrets we keep, the lies we tell, and the truths that won't stay hidden.
Everybody's hiding something....
Jill, her three sons, their wives, and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something sinister is simmering behind their happy smiles.
Mimi is struggling with her new twins, but at least a glass of wine smooths out life's jagged edges. Andrea's starting to wonder if her marriage is as happy as she'd thought. Darren is reeling from a surprise request, and teenager Callie has become increasingly withdrawn.
On the way to their holiday house, a terrifying car accident devastates them all. But someone unexpected was in one of the cars. No one is searching for them. And their time is running out.
You Need to Know is a dark domestic drama about family secrets and lies, fractured relationships, tragic mistakes, and the ultimate betrayal.'
Thank you Nic for being my June 1st Author Stalker victim. xx
You Need to Know is available through all leading bookstores and online.
If you would like to find out more about Nicola, you can find her here:
Website: https://nicolamoriarty.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicmoriarty/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiM3
Loved this interview, Shell!