Cassie Hamer writes funny, witty and relatable storylines that have you grinning and nodding, and wondering whether your house has been bugged! I had a great time between the pages of Cassie's first two novels - After the Party (2019) and The End of Cuthbert Close (2020) - with their warm characters, hilarious predicaments and domestic noir homage to parenting. My copy of The Truth About Faking It just arrived in the post, so although I haven't had a chance to dive into it yet, I'm so looking forward to it and know it will be another top read.
But don't take my word for it, here's what Better Reading had to say:
'Cassie Hamer is a merging of all that is wonderful about authors like Marian Keyes, Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth... She's here to stay.' Better Reading
Five fast minutes with Cassie Hamer
Do you have a good luck charm or a special token that sits on your desk/in your office?
My desk IS my good luck charm! It’s an Australian antique ladies Cedar writing desk with green leather and gold inlay that dates back to 1865. My parents bought it when I was 13 years old and it saw me all the way through high school and my final exams. The desk and I were parted during my twenties and thirties but when my parents downsized, the desk found its home again with me. It now sits in my bedroom and I write at it every day in front of a big picture window that looks out over our garden.
Favourite exercise to counteract all the hours sitting at the keyboard?
Does lifting a wine glass count? Ha! No, actually having kids killed my enjoyment of alcohol and my pelvic floor so I do a lot of exercise to compensate for both – pilates, barre, weights and lots of jogging around the park.
What’s your go-to weekday dinner dish?
I LOVE a tray bake – quick, easy and minimal washing up! My favourite involves throwing garlic, rosemary, chilli, lemon zest and thyme over chicken thighs and squishing in a tin of cannellini beans, plus red capsicum and cherry tomatoes. The whole thing cooks in wine and chicken stock for 40mins and tastes so bloody delicious. Even the kids don’t turn up the noses at it.
Which career would you choose if money wasn’t a factor and writing wasn’t an option?
Lead singer in a rock band. But only for a day. Being famous looks tiring.
Chocolate, potato chips or cheese?
All three. Maybe even at the same time.
Have you done anything special with any of your advances?
No. But you’re giving me ideas …
Spot where you seem to get the best bursts of inspiration?
The further I am away from a computer, a pen or any other form of note taking, the more likely inspiration is to strike. The muse is a bit nasty in that way. She likes to hit at the most inconvenient moments.
Agent or no agent?
No agent. They’re harder to get than a publisher!
Do you have a writing ‘uniform’ ?
I dress for comfort, usually in ‘active-wear’ – writing is so active, you know? Ha! No, I wear exercise gear because I’m lazy and writing occurs during bouts of exercise and dog walking. In covid, I developed a habit of wearing makeup every day, mostly because I got sick of looking at my unadorned face on zoom. I’m hooked. There are few problems that a tinted serum and mascara can’t solve. That’s my real ‘uniform.’
Aussie novel you’re most looking forward to in 2022?
Dinner with the Schnabels, by Toni Jordan. The woman’s a genius and if she wasn’t so nice, I’d hate her because she’s too talented.
Best one-line sentence from one of your book reviews?
The quote above from Better Reading makes me blush because it includes my name alongside my literary heroes. 'Cassie Hamer is a merging of all that is wonderful about authors like Marian Keyes, Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth... She's here to stay.'
Share a quirky habit or something readers might be surprised to discover about you.
I hate cucumbers and watermelon. I have to move away from my kids when they’re eating those foods. Yes, I know. It’s very weird given they are basically flavoured water.
Where can people find you online?
Website: https://www.cassiehamer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassiehamerwriter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassieHamerWriter
The Truth About Faking It
Lie to your friends. Lie to your family. Just don't lie to yourself...
Funny, smart, heartfelt fiction for readers of Holly Wainwright from a distinctive new voice.
The Trainor women have always been excellent at hiding their true feelings... until now. Ellen's estranged husband, David, has managed to interrupt her fabulous life of bridge and zumba by getting himself killed in a Thai boating accident. She's hardly surprised. It's simply the final in a long line of mistakes, the first was leaving her to go on a worldwide sailing trip with his mysterious, long-lost brother. Ah, well. At least she's now free to marry her rich but dull boyfriend, Kenneth.
Regrettably, her daughter, self-possessed TV news broadcaster Natasha and granddaughter, reality TV producer Georgie, seem to take the whole 'dead' thing very personally and they decide to dig deeper, though neither really has time. Natasha is on the nose at her network and a toxic secret from her past is about to set off a catastrophic personal crisis. Meanwhile, Georgie is furiously focused on denying her true feelings for a contestant on her show, The Single Gal.
Neither Ellen, Natasha, nor Georgie are agreed on quite how they should feel about David's death but they're certain about one thing - it isn't quite what it seems - and discovering the truth will unravel the tapestry of lies they've been spinning to themselves and each other.
One way or another, all three women are faking it and as matters come to a head, the truth wills out in the most unexpected of ways...
BUY IT NOW or ask your local bookshop to order it in.
About the author
Cassie Hamer has a professional background in journalism and PR, but now much prefers the world of fiction over fact.
Her debut novel, After the Party, was an Australian bestseller and her second book, The End of Cuthbert Close, was published in 2020.
Cassie lives in Sydney with her terrific husband, her three, mostly-terrific daughters, and a mini-labradoodle, Charlie, who is the newest and least demanding family member.
In between daydreaming and dog walking, Cassie is writing her next novel but always has time to connect with other passionate readers via her website – CassieHamer.com – or through social media.
WIN - WIN - WIN
Head to the WIN page for your chance to win a copy of The Truth About Faking It, thanks to Harper Collins. Contest closes May 8. Aussie addresses and newsletter subscribers only, please.
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