If Lina were around today, what would she do on Saturday mornings?
She’d probably lie in bed til midday and read!
When you sat down to start the OAG books, what was the first sentence you wrote?
Before I began writing the first book, I planned out what was going to happen in the four books in a detailed synopsis. The first paragraph was: ‘Carmelina (Lina) was born in Melbourne of an Italian migrant family. She has two bossy older brothers and one younger brother who she complains about having to look after but secretly adores. The only advantage of being the only daughter in the family is that she doesn’t have to share a room with her brothers, but she does have to share a room with Nonna who is hardy and fierce and doesn’t think twice about giving a wayward child a slap to keep them in line.’
The first line I wrote for Book One made it into the final version: “Lina woke to the sound of the rooster crowing in the back yard.”
What’s one thing you wish you could do really well but have always been too timid to try?
Sing on stage with a band. In another life I would have loved to be a musician.
Do you have one piece of advice for OAGs everywhere?
I love this Oscar Wilde quote: ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’. I think it’s a perfect piece of advice for an OAG.
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First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2013
Text copyright © Penny Matthews, 2013
Illustrations copyright © Lucia Masciullo, 2013
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ISBN: 978-1-74253-687-3
Ruby and the Country Cousins Page 10