Five Quick Questions with Nicole Hurley-Moore

Welcome, romance aficionados, to our exclusive Peppercorn House Q&A session with Nicole Hurley-Moore!

With a knack for crafting tales that tug at the heartstrings and ignite the imagination, Nicole writes books that captivate readers with heartwarming narratives and unforgettable characters.

Challenge! Tell us about Peppercorn House in 100 words or less.

The owner of Peppercorn House, 84-year-old Winnifred Knightly, prides herself on being an excellent matchmaker. As her final project she wants to find Felix Carrington his perfect match. Even though they are not related, Winnifred dotes on Felix like the grandson she never had and is determined to bring him and Jasmine Clarke, her favourite aged-care worker, together. Both have had tragedy in their lives but with their love and the magic of Peppercorn House, Winnifred hopes that they will find a future together.

Did you need to do any special research to write this novel?

I did a little research into aged-care facilities and the history of earthquakes and tremors in Victoria. I also had fun looking at what plants would have been grown in an established Victorian-period garden. This is because Peppercorn House has an overgrown garden (my favourite type) that has been planted over several generations. 

Do you base your characters on anyone you know?

No, not really. Although in saying that, in Peppercorn House I’ve used my grandmother’s name - Winnifred. However, the rest of the character was born from my imagination, except for one tiny bit. My grandmother would often reminisce that one of her uncles would call her ‘Losey’ instead of Winnifred or, more to the point, her nickname ‘Winnie’. Apparently, he always thought it was hilarious (even if no one else did). So, I wove that small bit of family history into the story as a homage to my grandmother and to her uncle Bulla, who thought himself a wit.

Do characters from your other novels make any appearances in Peppercorn House?

Yes, I’ve had the rest of the Carrington family turn up in this story.  I love that family too much not to spend a little bit more time with them. And it’s nice to see how they are doing and how their stories have moved on from the last time we saw them.

Will we be seeing more of the Carrington family in upcoming books?

I’m working on the third Kangaroo Ridge novel now. It concerns itself with the eldest Carrington, Sebastian, and his prickly relationship with Gemma, his sister’s best friend. 

BONUS question: What is the best review you have ever received?

It wasn’t so much as a review, but I met a lady at one of my library talks. She carried around a small notebook and had written down sentences and paragraphs from my books that resonated with her. I was kind of blown away that she’d taken the time to write them down. She said that the words gave her comfort.

Peppercorn House is available at all good bookshops now.