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Tara Moss is one of Australia’s top selling crime writers and is also known for her work as a model and in television. Tara Moss is full of energy and leads a very hectic lifestyle.

This month we went behind the scenes with this extremely talented lady and you can read more about her in our interview:

B&L: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Tara: When I was 10 I was already writing Stephen King-style novelettes for my classmates at school.  I have always loved writing and consuming as much as I can read.  It is as much a compulsion as a career.  I simply have to write.

B&L: What fascinates you so much about the crime genre?

Tara: The crime genre has a wonderful tradition that allows us as readers to explore the dark side of human nature from the safety of our armchairs.  

I love the psychology, the puzzle, the investigation, the science.  I think the crime genre has a lot to offer, and it gives me a great excuse to do some pretty interesting and hair-raising research!

B&L: How does it feel being one of Australia’s top crime writers?

Tara: Like every published author, I am just grateful to have a readership for my work, and be able to afford to do what I love for a living.   There are a lot of talented writers out there who have not yet been discovered.  

I hope to use my current popularity to draw more of the public to reading, and to promote the joys of the written word to a broader audience, many of whom have forgotten literature in favor of louder and more big-budget forms of entertainment like blockbuster movies, television and video games. There really is no better entertainment than a great read.

B&L: You have been involved in writing, television and modelling, what was the most interesting experience you have had?

Tara: My hands on research at the FBI Academy at Quantico goes down as my favorite research coup; meeting the FBI agents and spending time in the town of Hogan, where they train agents to track suspects and handle hostage situations.  It was unforgettable stuff.

B&L: We hear you have some interesting hobbies, can you name a few?

Tara: I enjoy my motorcycling, car racing and all things involving great speeds and a helmet.  I also enjoy spending time with large reptiles.  I suppose these are slightly unusual hobbies...  

B&L: What is something we wouldn’t know about you?

Tara: I just graduated from the Australian Security Academy and will become a licensed PI.  
I sign my novels with a skull.

B&L: You always look glamorous, what are your must have fashion pieces?

Tara: I have an interest in style and beautiful clothes, and I avoid fashion trends.  I like to buy beautiful pieces and keep them for decades.  Some of my favorite shoes are 15 years old, and still in great condition.  

Because I am over six feet tall, I like tall riding boots and clothes with long, sweeping hemlines.  The designers that interest me the most are Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, classic Chanel, and locally, Alex Perry, Scanlan and Theodore and Sass and Bide.    

B&L: What are you currently working on?

Tara: I am currently hard at work on my fifth crime novel, to be titled Siren, launching my novels in more European countries and in more languages - the Croatian version of Fetish came out today - and I am also creating a couple of TV shows in Hollywood which I hope will make it to the screen, and to our shores.

B&L: What advice would you give to other women with the dream of becoming a writer?

Get writing.  Research the local writers groups and book clubs in your area and get involved in the writing community.  Writing a novel takes a great deal of time and discipline, but it is more than worth it.  There is no time like the present to get your words on the page.    

B&L: Is it true you have pet snakes?

Tara: I have owned three snakes; a 7ft diamond python, Gomez, an 8ft carpet python Fester and a baby black headed python, Thing.  

I name them all after Addams Family characters.  I adore my pythons.  Snakes are hugely misunderstood creatures, and make wonderful pets.

B&L: You like your writing to be authentic, what kinds of things have you done to make sure of this?

Tara: I take my responsibility to research quite seriously, and I throw myself into new subjects for each novel, whether it be police work, forensics, arson, ballistics, contortion or magic.  I will do anything I can for a story, short of murdering someone myself, of course. 

B&L: What’s next for Tara Moss?

Tara: I am writing my fifth novel, Siren, as well as working on freelance writing projects, and television projects in Los Angeles.  On Sept 11 I will speak at the Crime Time event at the Police and Justice Museum in Sydney, and on Sept 19 I will be inducted into the Walk of Fame in Queensland for services to Literature.

On October 4 I host a charity flight to Alice Springs for the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (check out www.charityflight.com.au for info) and I am also heading to Nicaragua soon in my capacity as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.  It is a busy time!

B&L: What does being a woman mean to you?

Tara: Being a woman means challenging stereotypes about what 'being a woman' is or should mean.  I want my life to be full and varied.  I embrace the femininity, the strength, the sexuality, the choices and the intellectual potential of what it is to be a woman today.

We are lucky to live in this time, and in a free country.  Life is too short to live the same day twice.  Carpe Diem!