Hailstone is about what happens when a thirty year old woman rebels after years of oppression. At thirty, Mags McAllister is a pill popping alcoholic lesbian – and she’s rebelling against her father, an evangelist preacher who thinks everything from alcohol to coffee to dancing is sinful.

Mags has a bucketload of blackmail material on him, a talent for breaking the rules and a gun. She’ll do whatever it takes to get away from Preacher and his church – even if that means she has to take the whole institution down.

We’re hooked already. What genre is it?
Thriller.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
This novel will appeal to anyone who is angry with their world – and wants to do something about it.

Tell us a little more about Mags, and why she’s so angry.
Mags grew up in the very closed world of her father’s church. She went to religious schools, was expected to obey all the rules and rarely allowed to associate with anyone outside the church. However despite Preacher’s best efforts, she realised at a young age her father was nowhere near the fount of all wisdom he made himself out to be. From that day she started experimenting with everything forbidden – from coffee to cigarettes to alcohol to valium. Later, despite a forced marriage to a church member, she came to terms with her sexuality.

Mags is an angry woman. She’s endured years of abuse at the hands of her father. And because violence breeds violence, she can only see one way out – and that way is hidden in the glovebox of her car, with a chamber full of bullets.

Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love my book.
If you like Thelma and Louise, you’ll love my book.

Why Hailstone?
I was driving in a hailstorm, thinking about the hailstones bouncing off my windscreen, when I began to think Hailstone would be a fantastic name for a city, and indeed a book. It was as simple as that!

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
Yes! But they are not yet published. I am currently working towards releasing Bloody Fairies!, the first in my Chronicles of Shadow series. This novel is about a vampire-fighting fairy with a big pet spider.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a gothic bellydancer, costume designer and writer living in Western Australia with my family, my cat and thirty chickens.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
http://ninasmithauthor.weebly.com.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
Twitter: @Kilili13
Facebook: Nina Smith Author

What’s next?
World domination through a fantasy series liberally sprinkled with deadly sparkles, soaked in blood and pickled with sarcastic one liners