Five things you don't know about Maya Linnell!
Maya Linnell's novels have captured the hearts of readers with their authentic stories, complex characters and memorable plots set against the backdrop of rural Australia. Growing up in a small country town, Maya spent her childhood climbing towering gum trees and devouring every book she could find, which sparked her love for storytelling. Her passion blossomed into a successful career as an author, where she brings rural issues and romance to life through her evocative writing. Here are five things you might not know about this talented writer.
1. My name is pronounced May-ah, and my family and friends also call me May, Mays and Maysie. On the school bus, one of the boys used to call me ‘Mayonnaise’. As a kid, the nickname drove me nuts, but now as an adult, it’s helpful as I often use ‘mayonnaise’ as a way of helping people remember how to pronounce my name (you wouldn’t believe how many people automatically pronounce it Mia or Myer!).
2. I wasn’t sure what to do when I finished high school so I applied to do a nursing degree. I hadn’t even set foot on the uni campus when itchy feet and wanderlust intervened, so I deferred studies to go travelling, first in Australia and then overseas, before realising I wanted a career working with words.
3. When I was in primary school, I regularly wrote fan mail to celebrities, asking for their autograph. At one stage, I decided to streamline the process and created a template letter. We unearthed photocopies of this handwritten template a few years ago when my parents moved house, and boy, it made me laugh. There was a blank space for the celebrity’s name, my wholehearted gushing about how much I loved their acting and my address so they could post me their autograph. I’m embarrassed to think how much pocket money I spent sending these letters to 80s TV celebrities like Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue!
4. My many, many pets over the years include a one-eyed Jack Russell called Meg, a galah who used to chase the school bus, a kitten called Louie who nearly drowned in the toilet and a border collie cross called Maggie, who we recently lost to snake bite. She was a beautiful dog for my children to grow up with and I’ve chosen a photo with her go to on the inside back cover of Wallaby Lane.
5. I preferred tea over coffee for most of my adult life and didn’t understand why people made such a fuss over lattes and flat whites, until we bought a coffee machine a few years ago. Now coffee is a lovely part of my morning routine before I head to my office and start writing.