A Slice of Cake With... Renee Hollands

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Renee Hollands.

Renee is an Australian author who recently completed her debut novel. She likes pineapple on pizza, afternoon naps, and delving into history.

What kind of stories do you write?

I like twists, preferably something that punches the reader in the gut. My personal favourite twist was from a short story called Call Me Chloe, about the daughter of a serial killer who has carried on the tradition by murdering Tinder dates with deathcap mushroom pizzas.

Can you describe your writing why?

I write better than I speak. Writing is a way to express myself in ways speech can’t. Whenever I have something really important to say, I’ll write a letter instead of having a conversation.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

As I am a debut author, I’m going to choose my new novel, The Magpie’s Call.

Instead of a passage, my favourite scene is a dinner setting where the Mistress of the House is dining with two families after a tragedy at their workplace. Lots of historical research was incorporated into the scene, and every time I edited it, the tension was increased a notch or two.

Tell us about your latest project

The Magpie’s Call started as a love letter to my ancestors, who were brought out from England to work at the Macarthur dairy farms in New South Wales, Australia. The area of Camden is known as the Birthplace of Australian Agriculture. Turns out my ancestors are only interesting to my family, so I created a fictional family and did horrible things to them. This novel has been in production for the past two years; I started when my daughter was 3, now she’s 5 and at school.

What is your favourite cake?

Black Forest cake, with fresh cream and real cherries. It’s indulgent and a little bit naughty. OK, a lot naughty.

You can connect with Renee at the following places: 

www.facebook.com/ReneeHollandsAuthor
Twitter.com/Coal_Front
Www.reneehollands.com
And her book is available here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CTG5D8P

Join me next week when I look back at all the cake eaten in 2020 - what will be the most popular slice?

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round! 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.