Hi, I’m John Heffernan. I live on a farm at the end of a dirt road. The farm nestles in a beautiful little valley at the edge of the Great Dividing Range. From the top paddocks you really can see forever on a clear day, or absolutely nowhere when the fog swirls around you.
The farm is where I write my books.
I write for older readers and younger readers, on a range of subjects, with a range of styles and genre. Picture books, chapter books, YA novels, reality to fantasy, I like to dabble in them all.
Stories, that’s what I write, because life is full of stories.
I don’t think I’ll ever write down all the tales that are buzzing about inside my head, let alone the masses swarming out there in the big wide world. But it’s great fun trying. Writing is one of the most marvellous and rewarding of crafts.
If you’re not in too much of a hurry, take a moment to peep at some of my books.
Simply click on the book cover you wish to read more about
Hi John ,
For school we have to do an Author study on our favourite author and your mine , in the study we have to include a biography of the author and i was wondering if you could help me by telling me your date of birth and maybe where you grew and other information
Thanks Aurora
hi John,
for school we have to do an Author study on our favourite author and your mine , we have to include a biography and i was wondering if you could tell me your date of birth and maybe where you grew up and any other information.
Thanks Aurora
hi john
i love your books i liked reading the boot theif
it was fun.
from bridie
Hi Bridie
Yes I like the Boot Thtief too. It’s based on a true story, you know. We had a fox on our farm that really stole lots of boots!
Cheers
John
G’day John,
I have chosen you to do a report on, and i was just wondering what are your hobbies and what influences your writing?
Thanks a million
Andrew
Hi Andrew
I actually don’t have time for hobbies these day, because I’m writing furiously almost every day. I do have a couple of remote control helicopters which I enjoy flying, and might get a really humungous that I can put mice or guinea pigs in and give joy flights to. Dunno. Rockets would be more fun for them.
What influences my writing? (1) Other writers. So I like to read what other authorrs are doing. (2) Movies. I like transpose movie ideas to the written page, in my head that is. (3) The quest to grab my readers emotionally. That is one of the main influences, and it shapes much of what I write. (4) The quest to build suspense. I like to string readers along if i can, building suspense and tension. (5) Issues. I love to deal with issues: dysfunctional families, abuse, war, trust, friendship, loyalty, they’re all things that influence what i write.
Hope that help. Ask more if you need to.
Regards
John
Dear John,
‘Marty’s Shadow’ is truly inspiring and sensational. The story is written in such a way that seems to connect the reader with the characters and brings them alive. Towards the end of the book, I was in tears. Thank you, you are amazing.
Thank YOU! I t is always so good to recv positive comments. Marty’s Shadow is a book that is extremely close to my heart, so it’s even better to get such encouragement.
I don’t know your age, but you might also like Where There’s Smoke; it’s set around the Victorian bushfires of 2009, and was recently shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award for Literature. And in August I have a new book coming out called Harry’s War, similar age audience to Where There’s Smoke.
Anyway, thanks again, and happy reading
John
I’m a young adult – thanks for your suggestions, I would definitely check them out.
This aspect of your website (being able to write comments and actually receive replies) is great. It’s a wonderful feeling when you get the chance to converse with the author of a book that you are holding in your hand, especially if it is a book that has moved you so much.
Keep up the tremendously great work,
Thank you!
That’s great, Bridie. I’m glad you like The Boot Thief.
Happy reading
John Heffernan
Sorry Linh (?)
I may have left you a reply for another reader, a much younger one. I’ve been away on Book Week tours and am a little tired.
All the best, and thanks for your comments. And I would like to know what you think of Where There’s Smoke if you get a chance to read it.
Regards
John
hey John ,
Just wanting to say i love your book A Horse Called Elvis it’s great . Is it a true story ? like at the start you wrote Who is he, this horse called Elvis ? The simple answer is that he’s just a six year old liver chestnut that I’ve grown up with. So is he yours ?
Hi Aurora
I’m glad you liked Elvis; it was an important book for me to write. And yes it does have a lot of truth in it. I have been a farmer for many years, and I had a liver chestnut called Elvis that I brought up as a foal and who became the best horse ever, and a kind of mate. I rode him all the time. He was powerful and strong – sometimes too strong for me. But I knew he liked me.
He died when he was 18 years old, not really old for a horse like him. He had a heart attack when I was galloping on him up in the mountains at the back my property. He ploughed into the ground and was dead within a minute. It was a terrible loss, and although I had a couple other stock horses after him, none came even near. So I decided to use him as the basis for a story about a boy and a horse
There you go, almost from the horse’s mouth, eh?
I don’t know how old you are, but you might also like Spud. It’s about a farm work dog that is pushed too far by its cruel owner and runs away into the mountains. It’s been a very populr book. Or you might like Marty’s Shadow.
Anyway, thanks for the kind comment
All the best
John Heffernan
PS There’s a picture of Elvis (with me) in the Gallery on the website.
Yes he was my horse, and a great mate as well.
John
Dear John
I would like to know how long it took you to write Where There’s Smoke
and did you have much research?
Thank you for your time. Yours sincerely Robyn Goodwin
Hi Robyn
In one sense I had to research a fair bit, mainly about the Victorian bushfires because that was the background to my story. But in another sense I didn;t have to research because being a farmer who has been thru a sereious bushfire, I knew deep down what it was all about, the fear, the way you move and act etc. So I guess my answer is yes and no.
It took jme about four months to write the book from start (research, planning etc) to end, writing about 5 hrs each day.
I hope you liked the book. And if you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask
Regards
john
Hi I’m doing a book report on Marty’s shadow. I’m wondering if Marty’s shadow has received any critical reputation. Can you please email me letting me know. Thank you very much.
Yes, Marty’s Shadow received two national awards. It was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Award for Literature, Young Adult section, and it received Honour Book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards. (Honour Book means it was runner for Book of the Year). Several of my books have received this award (A Horse Called Elvis; The Island; My Dog); it is considered a very good award in the book industry.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them.
Regards
John Heffernan
Thanks Ashly
You bet I did.
John