Community & Business
26 November, 2024
Local author debuts novel at Library
Goombungee author Sheryl M has launched her first novel, a romantic page-turner set in the town of ‘River Flats.’
The book titled “When Fate Returns: A River Flats Series - Book 1”, focuses on the relationship between main characters Drake Harrison and Kathryn.
The novel is set in the town of ‘River Flats’, a fictionalised version of
the archetypical Australian country town.
“River Flats is a typical small town with a large gossip mill,” Sheryl said.
“It’s a town with characters you will love to hate and hate to love.”
The author told an assembled crowd that she turned to writing to heal her heart and reconnect with her roots.
“I lost myself... and finding myself is the reason I’m here today,” Ms M said.
“A lot of the inspiration for the book has come from my experiences growing up in country Queensland.”
She said the journey to publishing “When Fate Returns” was a battle against herself and the industry.
“I had a lot of doubt in my mind from my school teachers who, thinking back on it, were actually just criticising my spelling and grammar,” she said.
Sheryl said getting platformed by a publishing house in the industry requires contacts and money.
“To get published, you need a literary agent who you pay money to every two months and I just don’t have that money.”
Sheryl M lives in Goombungee as a single mother with four children.
The author’s parents have now moved to Goombungee and were in attendance, with her mother chiming in with comments at points in during the Q&A session.
The emerging author paid tribute to the book’s editor, who has now died.
“She actually cut 25,000 words, including a scene which was one of the most fun for me to write,” she said.
“I was the last book she ever edited.”
One interesting feature of the book is its sound track - accessible through a back page QR Code.
“The music is laid out so that it tells you the story,” Sheryl M said.
“There’s a lot of modern country - the Wolfe Brothers, Cody Johnson from America as well as some older ones.
Goombungee’s newest author, a former cosmetic formulator, has also designed real-life versions of products in the book including “Kathryn’s Kissable Lips”, a lip balm mentioned in the novel, as well as her famous hot chocolate recipe. Readers can also pick up cowboy hat earrings, modelled on Drake Harrison’s headwear.
Depending on the success of her first novel, Sheryl says there are more books to come.
“Hopefully Book 2 will come out sometime next year, and after that, hopefully in four years, we’ll have eight out,” she said.
With interest coming from interstate and overseas, it looks like the district will be reading more of Sheryl M and the town of River Flats in the years to come.
When Fate Returns: A River Flats Series is at Crows Nest newsagency and in Highfields at One Stop Stationery Supplies, or can be ordered online at Sheryl M’s blog www.sherylm-author.com
