Rachael Johns's Blog, page 15

Theory on Thursday with Emmie Dark

Today I have debut Superromance author Emmie Dark for Theory on Thursday and she's talking something very relevant to both aspiring and published authors – social media! I'm hanging out to read Emmie's debut (see blurb below) which sounds like a lot of fun. Over to you Emmie…

Social media secrets for new authors  

Hello Rachael and everyone! Thank you so much for inviting me on your blog. I thought, given that Rachael and I know and interact with each other mostly through social media (Twitter and Facebook primarily) that talking a bit about social media might be a useful topic for this Theory on Thursday post!

As a debut author (my first book, a SuperRomance titled Cassie's Grand Plan came out in March) I've taken a very sudden and deep dive into the publicity machine these past few weeks – which has involved a lot of social media stuff. I've (almost) come out the other side and I'm now a bit wiser, a bit more battered around the edges, and could quite easily sleep for a week.

But it all would have been a very different picture if I hadn't already been reasonably social media savvy and had already put significant time and effort into my online presence before I got "the call". I think probably I'd need to sleep for a month, instead. J

Here are the top three things I've learned that might be helpful to you.

1. Be prepared – long before you get "the call"

I was once given the advice as an unpublished author not to get too enthusiastic about being online because, "you don't open a shop if you have nothing to sell". I think there is some wisdom in that advice, especially if you are spending a disproportionate amount of time online. Making your "shop" all fancy and fabulous without any "product" in it is a waste of time.  Writing should always be your first priority!

But having made the transition from unpublished writer to published author, there were quite a few things I was glad I had already put in place. I had a Twitter account, a Facebook account and I'd already bought my domain names (although I didn't have a website or blog actually up and running).

The main reason that it was good to have all these things in place was that I was already familiar with how to use them, not just in a technical sense, but in terms of the norms and style of interactions. As a new author there is so much to learn and do, this is one additional burden you just don't need.

So get yourself set up, especially if being online is new to you or outside your comfort zone. You want to get as much practice in as you can because – as you know from writing – practicing is the only way to get good!

Not only that, but your editor will Google you before they offer you a contract. Seriously. Google yourself and see what comes up – is the search page filled with items you'd like your potential editor to see?

2. Be the talk show, not the ad break

Sure, once you're published, you need to use your online presence to advertise you have a book out – let's face it, that's what it's all about!

But if all you do is bang on about your book and your writing, people are going to stop listening very quickly. It's no secret that the key to successful social media presence is interaction. You have to listen to others, reply to them, participate in conversations.

I like to think of it as "social media karma" – the more interesting and interactive you are, the more people will follow you and (as a result) help build your profile. You also have to help others on their journey – re-tweet links to blog posts, share happy news of new contracts, etc, etc, because then others will do it for you when it's your turn.

When you're online, you don't have to limit your conversations only to writing and your genre – but do remember that you are online as YOU an author, not just everyday-friends-and-family YOU. If you want to analyze the plots of your favorite TV shows, that's fine, but if you want to analyze the campaign approach of your favorite politician maybe think twice. Don't say stuff that could be damaging or offensive.

Think of yourself as the CEO of YOU. You don't have to play it absolutely safe – being controversial can be a useful tactic, but remember you are (or want to be) in the business of selling books. Don't offend your customers!

3. Do what works for you

As I've said, practice is vital because by the time you've got a book on the shelves, you don't want to be fumbling about, posting accidentally, or getting important announcements wrong. But the other vital thing that emerges from practice is that you find what works for you.

Not everyone wants to dive head-first into every kind of social media and I totally understand that.

Do you need a website and blog? Yes, probably. These are pretty much inescapable these days, and you need to commit to keeping them up-to-date and looking spiffy. If design is beyond you, get some help. It's worth the investment in

Do you need to be on Twitter and Facebook? Well, that depends. You need to know if they're going to work for you – if you're going to have the time and, most importantly, the interest to keep them fresh and up-to-date. The only way to find this out is to have a go.

Personally, I find I'm much more drawn to Facebook than Twitter. I really like Twitter and it can be great fun to jump into conversations with other writers about all sorts of things (and it is seriously the fastest way to find out the news about pretty much anything in the world) but it's just not quite my cup of tea in the way Facebook is. Perhaps it's because I'm a visual person and I like the photos and visual aspects of Facebook compared to the interface I use for Twitter (Tweetdeck).

I've also recently joined Pinterest, but personally, I can see that as an exceptional way to waste time instead of getting on with things – but then we all need an occasional time-waster!

I wish you the very best of luck with your writing journeys and with finding your niche on whatever online media gets you going. Hope to see you on Twitter and/or Facebook soon!

You can find the delightful Emmie on the web at her website, blog, on Facebook and on Twitter!

Thanks Emmie – that was both fascinating and useful! I'd love to hear from readers and writers about their social media experiences! Do you have a favourite platform? What do you like to see on authors' Facebook pages, etc…?

Blurb: Cassie's Grand Plan

Four steps to a brand-new life

Cassie Hartman knows what she needs to do to get her life under control. First, she'll get herself promoted. Then she'll update her appearance. Steps three and four—marriage and family—well, those will have to wait.

Then Ronan McGuire shows up. The too-sexy, too-polished business consultant has the power to derail Cassie's plans before she's even really started. If he doesn't approve her promotion, she'll be back to square one—and that's not an option. Cassie needs to keep her focus on that first step, no matter how much Ronan tempts her to skip ahead to the third and fourth ones….

You can purchase Cassie's Grand Plan online at Amazon, Book Depository and Barnes and Noble.

Research for Man Drought…

Yesterday I took my three heroes-in-training (we left the big hero at home to man the shop) to our friend's farm in Dandaragen – a small town in the wheat belt of Western Australia and about two hours car drive from where we live. Oh, that's two hours car drive if you're not ME and get lost and go the VERY long way around.

My gorgeous friend Peta and her "hero" Chris invited us to their farm because I've been hassling her with farming questions as I write MAN DROUGHT. Peta is actually in the acknowledgments of JILTED (Mira Australia, June this year if I haven't rammed that into your head enough yet) because she generously read the draft of JILTED for me to check the farming stuff was accurate – so any mistakes, look to her, not me Nah, not really!! Any mistakes will definitely be MINE.

Anyway… I was asking her about stubble burning last week – Gibson the hero of MAN DROUGHT is currently doing this on his property – and Peta said they were doing that this week so would I like to bring the boys up for a night for "research." I said YES PLEASE!

(night time stubble burning)

The boys had an absolute blast playing in the sand (they're installing a swimming pool) with Peta and Chris's kids and I got the chance to pick brains about things my hero Gibson might be getting up to this time of year on his Wheat Belt property.

(Our feral kids ready to go out into the paddock and watch the burning at night – note, the eyes are due to my iPhone camera, not what the kids usually look like!)

MAN DROUGHT (like JILTED) is what I've coined semi-rural romance. The romance is definitely the key player as opposed to some of my other favourite rural authors, where the setting is almost like an extra character. But even though this is the case, I hope that my small town setting is authentic and I strive to make this part of the books as accurate as possible.

There's ALWAYS so much fun to be had on a farm and being out in the paddocks reminds me why I like living rural and why I'm glad my kids get to experience farming life sometimes, even if we're not a farming family

Here's a few more pics from our adventure:

(Daytime stubble burning)

 (Trouble throwing paddy melons into the fire!)

(His Lordship with two "Grugs" – character from one of his fave books)

The Lucky 7 Meme

Superauthor Nicola Marsh tagged me on her blog for The Lucky 7 Meme Game and I can never resist things like this, so here goes

The Lucky 7 Meme Rules

■Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP

■Go to line 7

■Copy down the next 7 lines–sentences or paragraphs–and post them as they're written. No cheating.

■Tag 7 authors

■Let them know

So here's mine from MAN DROUGHT  my current work-in-progress, which I hope to submit soon. Like JILTED it's semi-rural romance! I chose the seven para (short ones) option, because I didn't want to tease you with only seven lines Hope you enjoy…

'Are you sleeping with her?'

Charlie's direct question threw him and he almost lost control of the ute as he careened round the corner of a paddock. He stopped alongside a fence that really needed to be replaced and turned to his granddad. 'No.'

'Oh really?' Charlie raised his eyebrows and his forehead creased in the way it always had when he'd known Gibson was lying as a child. He'd never got away with fudging the truth to Charlie.

'It was just once,' he admitted, discomfort forming a ball in his gut at the fact he was talking sex with is granddad.

Charlie swore and slammed his hand on the dashboard. Gibson flinched.

'I expected more of you than that. We're not quick, wham-bam-thank-you-mam types of men. Us Blacks treat women right.'

'Granddad,' Gibson spoke loudly to interrupt Charlie's tirade. 'She doesn't want it again.' And he didn't blame her the way he'd acted. Although she'd been as hot for him as he'd been for her, he hadn't treated her right. He should have thought things through. Maybe if he'd taken the time to woo her, taken her to a bed at least, she would have had time to come to her senses.

TAG YOUR IT:

Becca J Heath

Jackie Ashenden

Leah Ashton

Cathryn Hein

Joanne Dannon

Maisey Yates

Robyn Thomas

Fiona Lowe

Scarlet Wilson

Coleen Kwan

Whoops – forgive me, that's WAY more than seven. I never was very good with numbers Cannot wait to see what you ladies come up with!

A … Original AND a contest!

Hi folks

Hope you're all having a nice relaxing Good Friday and celebrating in whichever way suits you. I like to remember the religious meaning of the Easter weekend as well as have an egg hunt with my boys on Sunday, which I'm very much looking forward to.

Today I'm blogging over at the Seven Sassy Sisters and here's a taste of my post titled "A … Original":

Warning: This is an HONEST post.

I've been having a few writing issues lately (could be cos I've got a lot of stressful things happening in my non-writing life but either way, it's been tough)! Even when I do find the time to sit down at the keyboard, the minute I do in fact, a MASSIVE doubt crow lands upon my shoulder and whispers horrid things into my ear. Mostly along the lines of "So and So Big-Name Author is funnier than you in her books, So and So Bestseller Author's book are MUCH-more rural than yours, So and So Your Friend The Writer has so much more emotional depth to her story…"  The list goes on and on about why I'm a fraud, why I'm not good enough, why the book I'm currently writing is so bad that my publisher will take one look at it and bar me from EVER emailing her a submission again.

You can read the rest of the post here!

Also if you missed out on Louisa George's very useful post on Theory on Thursday, be sure to check it out. Louisa only just found out she's sold her THIRD book to M&B Medical Romance and has generously offered to give a copy of her debut book to any commenter on her post. So don't forget to check it out and leave a comment or question

That's about it for me this post. Enjoy Easter and keep safe if you're on the roads.

x

Rach!

Theory on Thursday with Louisa George

 First Theory on Thursday guest for my new-look blog is debut M&B Medical author Louisa George. I met the lovely Louisa at the cocktail party (I think) at the last RWAus conference and she was as lovely in person as she is in her glamorous author pic But even more exciting than author glamour is author wisdom, and Louisa has some very insightful info to share with us today… Thanks for coming Louisa and WELCOME!  

What do You Want from Me?

Ten things I've learnt from working with an editor

Hi Rachael! Thanks for inviting me here!

Back in the dark ages when I began writing and amassing rejection letters saying my

category manuscript was not what they wanted I began to ask the question, well what

the heck do they want? No-one could tell me for certain. After a year working with

the best editor in the world and doing a heap of revisions on three manuscripts, I can

tell you what they want. Or at least what I think they want from a category writer.

1. Settings

Wherever you choose to set your story the place should be aspirational- the reader

wants to step inside the heroine's world. There isn't a lot of space in a short book to

describe the scenery, so make your words count. My second book, Waking Up with

His Runaway Bride (release July 2012) was originally set in the midst of a raging

bush fire, my heroine's medical practice was failing, she had no money and was

reeling from her mother's death. Not a lot there for anyone to want to emulate!

2. Dialogue

Men speak and think differently to women and this should shine through dialogue. I

was asked for flirty and sexy conversation to counterbalance deeper emotional scenes.

We have to see why the heroine is attracted to the hero- and how they fall in love.

Playing and flirting is always a good way of getting the sizzle level higher!

3. Emotional conflict

This is the real doozy and where I kept going wrong. Emotional conflict is NOT

a tragic backstory. Emotional conflict is how the tragic backstory has influenced

a character's life/thoughts etc. What emotional armour do they use to protect

themselves from hurt? And how is that armour chipped away?

4. Highs as wells as lows

This is a romance, a love affair…there has to be moments of positivity. The reader

doesn't want to be thrown into a deep depression. If there are fast-paced emotionally

charged scenes, we need slower paced scenes too.

5. Character driven NOT plot driven

My second partial was turned down because the plot was too complicated. There was

a disputed will, an intruder, a fraud, a dead grandmother, the loss of reputation and

cricket match fixing – all in the first four chapters of a medical romance! The plot

needs to be simple but effective, and deeply emotional.

6. A hero we all want to love

Alpha, for sure- but sensitive to a point, capable of love despite the tragedy he's been

through. A modern day man with flaws- not downright rude or an angry victim. He

can be (emotionally or physically) scarred, yes, but healed…or on the way to being

healed.

7. Obvious signs of fighting attraction

Lots of sizzle and chemistry and lots of internal struggle to not act on the attraction!

8. Obvious signs of an emotional journey

We can't have the hero/heroine suddenly have their internal conflicts resolved on the

last page- we have to see them changing as the story unfolds.

9. Fresh twists

This always has me in a panic! But, in a nutshell, there are no new plots – just new

characters. Your hero and heroine bring their own fresh viewpoints to old storylines.

If you draw your characters in a unique way rather than relying on stereotypes you

breathe new life into an often repeated trope.

10. Politeness and Professionalism

From you! This is a business and you need to show your willingness to learn and

grow as an author. Sometimes it's frustrating having to wait for long turnaround

times, or deal with more revisions, but bitching about it in a public forum is not

professional.

Obviously, there's heaps more to this so if you have any questions about the

publication journey or revisions, or…anything…then please don't hesitate to ask!

WOW – that was very useful stuff Louisa. Thanks so much for being so honest. And all you wonderful aspiring writers out there, Louisa has generally offered to answer questions, so… ASK AWAY!!

You can find Louise at her website and on Twitter . Louisa's debut novel is ONE MONTH TO BECOME A MUM. Check out the fabulous blurb (and to-buy links) below.

Some things in life are worth waiting for…

Jessie Price has lost her only chance at motherhood – it's a constant

hurt, until she meets sinfully sexy single dad Dr Luke McKenzie

and his gorgeous little girl. Luke's intoxicating kisses and his

daughter's adoring hugs have Jessie longing for the impossible. But

she's a temporary locum, the clock's ticking – and there's only a

month to make all her wishes come true…

Available on Amazon and at Mills & Boon.

My Secret Life with… FIONA PALMER

New blog, new segment. Today I launch my new blog segment – MY SECRET LIFE! At the moment, I haven't decided to schedule these on a specific day, but rather when they crop up. Secret and surprising!

The idea is that some of your favourite authors will share an insight into their non-writing life. The things they get up to when they're not hunched over keyboard creating characters, worlds and problems.

First up is Fiona Palmer – her latest book is The Road Home. I love her writing and her first two books, and this one is the top of my TBR pile (my Mum nabbed it first). I think you'll see Fiona has a very full life and it's no wonder she can create such rich worlds…

Welcome Fiona!

 What I do when I'm not writing….

I run around after my children, making sure they do their homework, checking they have cleaned their rooms and done their chores. Cart them around to what ever sports they are doing or we have their mates sleepover.  On the weekend I spent much of Sunday pumping up buggy tyres and then pushing it when the motor gave out. (Hence my sore legs today) Then the kids resarected my old go-kart called the Flying Flea, which doesn't even work. (Hey, it's as old as me…I'm not surprised, I don't want to go most days either.)

So after pushing that around for a while they ended up towing it behind the neighbours 4wheel motorbike, which was much more fun. So while they were doing this I was trying to catch up on housework!! During summer, while it was hot I tried to take the kids out to the lake on the weekends so they could have some fun. It's here that I got to see some spectacular sunsets worth writing about!

 

Then there is the day job, working at the shop two days a week. We are coming up to seeding soon, so the chemicals will be on the move soon. Time to fire up the trusty old forklift. She's a funny little forklift, need to know how to start her as she's tricky. Once I was taking a load off the back of a truck and as I was going towards the load, I tapped the brakes and found I had none! Whack into the side of the tray. Lucky I moved the forks so they didn't damage anything but still a freaky feeling.  But the shop is good fun, I get to catch up with the locals and it's my time away from the house. (I have to actually get out of my house clothes for once lol) Also when the farmers get busy it can mean road trips out to their farms to deliver supplies. And sometimes I do the mail run for my mum when she is away. But I love driving around the country side, checking out the sights. 

I have a few community commitments, so that means a few meetings here and there, looking for grants, typing up letters or notices. But they don't take up too much of my time. I love my job on the Christmas Tree. It is a long running event in our community and is the biggest event of the year. My friend and I organise it all, and buy all the presents for the kids. Every year we love bringing something new for the kids and have an absolute ball buying the biggest and best presents. I can remember when my mum used to do it. J 

Because our town is so small, we don't have any sports. But we have an awesome Golf Club. Our cricket club is joined with a small nearby town, but we have no footy, hockey or netball teams. So I drive 60km north to play hockey with the Karlgarin/Hyden team. So when hockey starts up my Saturdays are gone, especially when you add travelling to the far away towns we play against. But I love catching up with the girls and going for a run. (my only source of exercise lol). I also play a bit of golf on Sundays. Not as much as I used to since I got back into hockey. (my whole weekend disappears with sport then :/ ) But I am the secretary for the club so I do my bit and even if I don't play I go up for the dinners. Of course, with most things in the bush, everyone brings in a casserole and you stuff yourself silly with all sorts of yummy dishes.

 But when I finally get a moment to myself, with no writing, Facebook, Twitter, kids, husband, shop work, gardening, chooks….well then I like to spend my time reading or watching a movie. That's my down time. Oh, that and sleep!!

WOSWERS Fiona – I honestly don't know how you manage to find the time to write your fabulous books but I'm very glad you can. 

Fiona can be found online at her website, on Facebook and Twitter. You can read the blurb of her latest book below – available in all good bookstores (downunder) and online.

Blurb – The Road Home 

When your life is at a crossroads, how do you find the road home?

Lara Turner has a boyfriend, a nice house in the city and a chance at a big promotion. So when her brother calls asking her to come home, she hesitates. Can she face the memories that inhabit the beloved place of her childhood? And how does she feel with the news it's to be sold? Is she the answer to saving the family farm?

Jack Morgan has memories of his own to contend with. A falling-out with his family and a bitter end to a past relationship have left a big chip on his shoulder. When his best mate's beautiful sister arrives on the scene, he finds himself deeply conflicted.

Lara and Jack have a powerful attraction but are constantly at odds. Will their love of the same land keep them apart, or grow into a love of a different kind?

From the bestselling author of The Family Farm and Heart of Gold comes a heartwarming novel about finding your true place in the world, and the healing power of the land.

One Year On…

Happy April Fools Day everyone (is that what you say?) and welcome to the first blog on my new blog site. I hope you've come on over from the old one and changed any links you had to this one.

Or maybe you've clicked the 'blog'  link on my brand new website, created by the amazing Paula Roe (who also writes terrific romance for Harlequin Desire). I'm so happy with the image Paula has designed for me. I wanted to a look that combined the two types of books I write – small-town Aussie romance for Harlequin Australia and also shorter, more urban romances for Carina Press – and I think the look is just perfect!

There's exactly TWO months until the release of my BIG book – JILTED (Mira, Harlequin Australia) and there's an extract here to whet your appetite until then. I'd love for you to check it out. And also, if you're on GoodReads, it would be fab if you could add Jilted as to-read – consider it a new blog present to me

Now… as the title of this blog suggests, a year ago today, I received 'The Email' from Angela James at Carina Press offering to buy ONE PERFECT NIGHT. After fourteen years of pursuing the dream of publication, in 2011 it finally came true. Not long after THAT email I got another one from Haylee Kerans at Harlequin Australia offering to buy JILTED. And only last month, I sold my third novel, which will be released early 2013.

It's been a SERIOUSLY amazing journey so far.

I've had a number of first – first edits, first blurb, first cover, first book on Amazon, first conference with the "published author" colour on my badge – and in a few weeks, I should be able to add holding my first book in my hands (I cannot wait)! But it hasn't always been an easy year. There've been tears when I've been asked to do what seemed like an impossible rewrite, there've been not so glowing reviews, there've been a LOT of doubts and feelings about being a fraud, but I think it's ALL worth the thrill of a good review and the thrill of seeing a cover the first time.

So please, if you're still pursuing this writing gig, dreaming of the day you receive a call or email saying your dream publisher wants to buy your book, then keep dreaming big and KEEP WRITING – that really IS the key!

PS. The fabulous Paula has imported all the articles over from my own blog, but some of them still need a bit of formatting, so please excuse any mistakes if you happen to go trawling. I'll get to them soon

Theory on Thursday with Fiona McCallum

Today, I'm very excited to have BEST-SELLING rural author Fiona McCallum on Theory on Thursday (especially because Fiona's books are also published by Harlequin Australia, so we're stable-mates). And she's answering the question EVERYONE wants to know of authors - WHERE DO WE GET OUR IDEAS?! 



Over to you Fiona...





I thought today I'd address one of the mostcommon questions an author is asked: "Where do your ideas come from?" The shortanswer is "Everywhere and anywhere". But that wouldn't make much of a Blogentry, now would it?
I tend to write about what I know. So farmy books have been set around a framework of two main themes:
Theme 1: rural setting
I was raised on a cereal and wool farm nearthe small town of Cleve on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. I loved farm lifeso much that when I was in my final years of school my dream was to work thefarm with Dad. But as I had a brother, it wasn't even worth mentioning.
I stayed in the area and did what I thoughtwas the next best thing; marry a farmer. I had grand notions of working as atrue partnership. But the man I married turned out to be very threatened by astrong woman with ideas and get-up-and-go. I was to shut up and drive mytractor and stop and get meals when appropriate. We split after three and ahalf years.
They say "You can take the girl out of thecountry but not the country out of the girl". It's certainly true for me. Iwrite about rural and farm life because that's what I know and that's what Ihave a passion for. Also, by writing about it, in some way I'm probably still processingmy thwarted ambition at a psychological level. Beats paying for years and yearsof therapy! 
Theme 2: journey of self-discoverystoryline
It's a bit of a long story, but afterleaving the farm I ended up in Melbourne with an ambitious fellow who was inexecutive sales and marketing. Inner-city life in Melbourne and then Sydney andbeing embroiled in the corporate world was a huge eye-opener for this down-to-earthcountry girl with humble values and relatively simple needs.
I was stunned at the huge amounts of moneyfloating around, the excesses being displayed, the worshipping of materialpossessions, generally, and the adoration of companies by staff despite watchingfriends being retrenched. It seemed to me that people were offering moreloyalty to the company than their own family by working ridiculous hours anddoing lots of travelling away from home.
I felt like an outsider looking in. And thewhole time I was thinking, "Can't you see what you're doing?" Fascinatingstuff! I watched my new partner climb the corporate ladder. The higher hissalary went, the less I saw him and the more arrogant he became.
Gradually it became clear that all thatmattered to this person was money and looking wealthy to his peers - not justkeeping up with the Joneses, but passing them. When I complained that he wasn'tspending enough time at home, I was told to "Take the credit card for a spin".After seven years together, clearly this person didn't know me at all.
It was whilst standing in the cemetery atthe funeral of a very dear friend, having travelled alone halfway across thecountry, that I realised I may as well be single. What was the point of havinga life-partner if I didn't have his emotional support? We had all this money tobuy heaps of stuff, but all the stuff in the world can't give you a shoulder tocry on or a hug when you need it.
I had worked towards being a novelist for afew years and written a couple of well-rejected manuscripts. It was then Idecided that I would rather be financially poor and chasing my dream thanselling my soul, which is what I realised I was doing staying with this man inthis environment. So I left and came to Adelaide and started all over again.There's a whole other long story in here, but you'll have to wait for mybiography in about thirty years for that one!
Apologies, but I'm no good at telling ashort story! The point is, I've been on the journey of self-discovery that Itend to send my characters on. Sure, I use different settings and characterswith different jobs and different dreams, but the emotion behind it is thesame. It's learning to have the courage to have a dream and then chase it, nomatter how hard it might get. Because ultimately being rich isn't actuallyabout financial gains; I believe it's about how comfortable you are at a soullevel. If in your heart of hearts you believe you're living a truly fulfillinglife. If not, do something about it. I think modern society with all its adsand marketing has too many shackled to lives they don't like in order toconform. Oops, sorry, now I'm on my soapbox! I'm meant to be telling you whereI get my ideas from.
Filling in the gaps around the themes
So, with the basic platform of my stories sorted(the rural and journey of self-discovery themes), the gaps then need to be filledin. This I do with ideas that come from all sorts of places. Gems of ideas seemto pop up in the strangest places, at the strangest times; whilst readingbooks, standing in the shower, sitting on the loo, when out walking, staring atthe TV - really whenever my mind is relaxed enough. They often start as thetiniest seed and then just grow, gathering more detail as they go.
For instance, the idea of using horseracingfor Paycheque came from watching theCaulfield Cup in 2005. The runner-up, Mummify, had won the year before. He wasa great horse that had made the connections millions. Anyway, he pulled up lameafter the race and was put down that night. It really upset me because, whileI'm not involved with horseracing and I wasn't there, I felt that they had justtreated him like a money-making machine and not a wonderful creature thatdeserved every chance. So I decided to write Paycheque as a bit of a tribute, and give Mummify, and every otherhorse that hadn't had it, their second chance.
I'm a huge animal lover, so there willusually be a creature of some sort feature in my stories. I had horses for mostof my life until leaving the land; so again, with Paycheque, I was able todraw on the knowledge I had even though it was in a slightly differentrealm. 
The origins for Nowhere Else were a little different. I lost two friends in a planecrash in South Australia in May 2000. I was living in Melbourne at the time andhadn't seen them for a few years when they died. I knew that one day I wantedto somehow incorporate a bit of a tribute to them in one of my books. Somehow,somewhere I realised that having a character who was a journalist tell thestory and have a personal connection would do the trick. And of course she hadto go on her own journey of self-discovery, and it had to include the bush.
These are just two examples. I could go onforever, but I'd better stop here and let Rachael have her blog back!
So, you see, I tend to write about whatI've lived, what I've experienced, and what I've observed. Ideas just pop intomy head - and often at the most ridiculous, inopportune times. Many arebanished as not worth pursuing at that point. But those that hang around longenough get used. I don't write a journal so the ideas just float around upthere or disappear to come back better formed at a later date.
Thanks so much Rachael for having me onyour Thursday Theory segment. I hope I haven't bored everyone with my long,convoluted explanation of where I get my ideas from. But, as I'm sure you canall appreciate, it's not a question with a simple, quick answer.
Cheers,Fiona
Fiona's latest novel WATTLE CREEK is available in-stores now and online at www.harlequinbooks.com You can find Fiona online at her website and also on Facebook.




Blurb for Wattle Creek:

Damien McAllister is a man on the brink. Spending long, hard days on a farm he has no affection for, and nights ignoring the criticisms of his mother, Damien can no longer remember what he's living for. But in a small town like Wattle Creek, there are few people to turn to - and Damien learned long ago to keep his problems to himself.

Until Jacqueline Havelock, a young psychologist escaping her own issues, arrives fresh from the city and makes Damien question everything he has known about himself…also igniting a spark in his lonely heart.

Soon Damien is daring to ask for more than an ordinary life, and can glimpse the possibility of happiness. Will this accidental farmer dare to fulfil the long-forgotten legacy of his father and find peace in the arms of the doctor?

Or will the ghosts of their pasts threaten the fragile new lives they've just begun to build?

HUGE congrats!!

My very good friend Fiona Lowe (Medical romance author for Harlequin Mills and Boon and RITA-AWARD winning author for Carina Press) has just been nominated for a RITA AWARD, which you probably got from my description of her.

I had the VERY HUGE honour of reading this book BEFORE it was published and I just fell in love with it. I was not at all surprised when the clever Charlotte Herscher (who also happens to be my Carina Press editor - see, did I not tell you she was clever?) snapped Fiona's BOOMERANG BRIDE up. Since it was published by Carina Press last August, this book has gone Direct-to-consumer in the US and now this... the first CARINA book to be nominated for the prestigious RITA Awards.

I am just so thrilled for Fiona, Charlotte and Carina and I hope if you haven't yet read this book, you do so soon. It's such a gorgeous story!!! I WISH you the best with the final round Fiona. xo


BLURB:
Matilda Geoffrey risked it all for love. She left Australia to be with Barry—the man who had swept her off her virtual feet. Now, wearing a wedding dress, she's alone on Main Street in small-town Wisconsin, and things aren't working out exactly as planned...
In town for his annual family visit, Marc Olsen had never seen a bride quite like Matilda—staring into a storefront window, holding a tottering wedding cake, and looking desperately in need of a groom. He may not have any warm feelings for his hometown,but meeting Matilda just as she discovers she's been scammed by her online "fiancé" stirs something in him.
Matilda is not the kind of woman Marc imagined himself with, and Marc is anything but the romantic hero that Matilda has always dreamed of. But as unlikely circumstances throw them together, can they let go of their misconceptions and risk their hearts for love?
To buy links:
Amazon - Carina Press 

Bits and Bobs!

It's my turn over at the Sassy Sisters today! I'm talking about how my muse surprises with me and I run with it. Fascinating stuff - or at least I think so :) Please pop over here and say Hi!!

I'm sure you've all seen my new cover as I've been flashing around the beautiful JILTED (Mira Australia, June) cover on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads, but just in case you've some how missed out, I thought I'd share it again here. This time the whole book jacket - blurb and all. I'm guessing my next AMAZING moment will be getting my author copies and I can't wait!

Since that blurb is a little small to read, I'll post it again below:


She left him at thealtar, but her heart was always his...
After more than ten years away, Australian soap star EllieHughes returns to the small country town of Hope Junction, determined to remainanonymous while caring for her injured godmother, Matilda.But word spreads fast in the tight-knit community. It isn'tlong before the people of Hope's are gossiping about the real reason forEllie's visit and why she broke the heart of golden boy Flynn Quartermaine allthose years ago.
Soon Ellie and Flynn are thrown back together again, forcedto deal with the unresolved emotions between them. For Ellie is not the onlyone with secrets. Flynn has his own demons to battle, and Matilda is hidingsomething from her much-loved goddaughter.
When all is uncovered, can the ill-fated lovers overcome thewounds of their past? Or is Flynn destined to be jilted again?
And in other news... my new website will launch a week today on April 1st!! I'm looking forward to showing off this gorgeous site made by the awesome and truly fabulous Paula Roe. Just a service announcement that this blog will also be moving next weekend and my current website will be down all of Saturday while Paula does the technical swap :)