Blog Tour: Australian author, Clancy Tucker

If you follow my blog, you’ll know I have a special place in my heart for our wide, brown land and for its many stories. This blog tour celebrates the launch of  Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker. It’s his first novel and it’s set in the Australian outback. 

The story won the ’Highly Commended’ in the FAW Jim Hamilton Award – 2007 National Literary Awards. Now in print form, Clancy and his Gunnedah Hero have embarked on a cross-country blog tour.

Clancy Tucker has lived in four countries, and speaks three languages. He is now a full time writer, but has been a speechwriter, public servant, farmer, and small business operator. He has taught students in the U3A, worked with street kids and draws on life’s experiences to write entertaining stories for kids.

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Fourteen-year-old Gunnedah Gunnie Danson is despondent because he has an assignment on the drought. As a Townie he knows nothing about the effects of this blight on the rural industry; but that is about to change. When he returns home from school, he receives a surprise gift that will change his life forever.

His late grandfather has left him a box containing a manuscript. It was written by Gunnie’s great-great-grandfather, Smokey Gun Danson after his journey up the long paddock as a fourteen-year-old drover - during a harsh drought in 1910. At the back of the manuscript is an envelope. It’s NOT to be opened until Gunnie has read the entire story. 

Gunnie spends the weekend at Wiralee Station, a cattle station that’s been in the family since 1848. There, he reads the awesome manuscript and learns of Smokey’s adventurous journey. But, while he is at Wiralee, he learns more than he bargained for. The family cattle station is again under threat, but this time for a different reason. Will the contents of the mysterious envelope save it?

 Welcome to my blog, Clancy! You’ve described Gunnedah Hero as a combination of modern and historical fiction. Tell us how the ideas for the story came about.

Having a great appreciation for Australian history, I wanted to write a story that would not only be adventurous and factual, but also one that described the harshness of the Australian bush, and the spirit of our pioneers.

Why did you choose to write about life in the outback?

As a former farmer, I have a great, personal appreciation and respect for those on the land. Farmers often do it tough, and I wanted to highlight exactly how tough it is for them to produce what many city folks take for granted. In short, meat, milk, and vegetables do not come from a factory or supermarket. Sadly, not enough is taught or learnt about our past; short as it is.

Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives, does the life of your main character parallel with yours in any way?

Good question. Answer: Yes! Life is a collection of grand finals. Do you roll over when you are a goal down, with minutes to go? No way! You stand up, dust yourself off, and push on regardless. If you win, you grin.  If you lose, you suck it in and fight another day. That’s life, and that was how my character, Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson lived his.

 

Did you have to do much research for this book?

No! Ninety-eight percent of this book came from my head; based on real life experiences. The two percent of research related to ‘fractured wrists’ and ‘red-bellied black snakes’. I’m convinced that we all have a hard drive that collects heaps of information as we go through life. Writing is the catalyst that lets it free.

I know you’ve got lots of other blogs to visit, Clancy. Thank you for visiting my blog, and all the very best for your book.

*****

Praise for the book:
Doctor Judith O’Malley-Ford, MBBS (Qld), MPH, JP (Qual), FRACGP, Author of  The Australian Medical Dictionary.
‘Clancy, what a great book. So typically Australian, a great bush story, of mateship, overcoming hardship, courage, love, and triumph. Never a dull moment, and makes you want to read on with every chapter. Full of compassion, and warm hearted moments, the reader is not infrequently in tears filled with real emotion.’

*****

Molly Jane

 Where to buy the Book:

Paperback Price Slashed: From 14th to 31st January, the price of Gunnedah Hero paperback will be slashed to $25. Go to Morris Publishing Australia  and choose the Buy Now button under Discount copy text. The usual postage charge will apply.   Available as a paperback from Clancy Tucker.

eBook available from Smashwords and Google Books

GIVE-AWAY: As a part of this blog tour, Morris Publishing Australia and Clancy Tucker are giving three eBooks to readers of the blogs. You and your children will love this heart-warming story. Go to Morris Publishing Aust and use the form on the Contact Page. Fill in your first and last name, email address, and put Blog Competition and your preferred eBook format in the message. (Choose from ePub, PDF, Kindle) Please don’t worry if the message doesn’t disappear after you have sent it. It will disappear when you leave the page. The winners will be drawn on January 31st, 2012. All winners will be notified by email and their eBook will be attached. 

 Blog Tour:
January 14th http://www.kids-bookreview.com - Author Interview
January 15th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com - Book Review
January 16th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Article – Writing Historical Fiction
January 17th: http://carolwarner.wordpress.com/ - Author Interview
January 18th: http://elaineoustonauthor.com/ - Review
January 19th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Review
January 20th: https://www.facebook.com/aussiebookreviews - Review
January 23rd: http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog.html
January 24th: www.sherfordbear.co.uk - Review
January 25th: http://misshelenwrites.wordpress.com - Author Interview
January 25th: http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/ - Author interview
January 26th: Grand finale - http://www.blogbud.com/clancytucker - What’s next for Clancy

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