~~~ Bronwyn Jameson Spotlight Interview with Tracey West ~~~ March 2004 ~~~

Bronwyn Jameson, an Australian author writes sensual and heartwarming Silhouette Desire stories.  This author is known from her heart-stopping romances, Zane: The Wild One, Quade: The Irresistible One, In Bed with the Boss’s Daughter and also the addiction we all ended with after reading Addicted to Nick.  Thankfully in March 2004, we will be blessed with another of her romances, A Tempting Engagement.

It’s a great pleasure for me to interview Bronwyn, since I have been a fan of hers since her first book back in 2001 and to share with readers who the lady and the writer is.

Welcome to The Road to Romance Bronwyn!!

TW – Who is Bronwyn Jameson?  The mom, the writer and the wife?

Bronwyn - Australian, forties, wife to my farming and horse-training sweetheart, mother to three teenage boys (who can be sweethearts when they try), four Jack Russells, one whippet, one kelpie.  Love living “in the bush” (Aussie speak for the country life) close to most of my family.

TW – What made you decide to pick up a pen one day and create a delicious hero and romance?

Bronwyn –  I’ve always been a voracious reader, always favored romances, and I guess I was approaching one of those mid-life points where one starts thinking about what life goals still need attacking.  Back of my mind there’d always been this I-want-to-write-a-book-one-day goal lurking, but I’d never actually spoken it out loud. Or written it down. This particular year -- 1995 -- I decided to do something about it.  At first it was as simple as seeing whether I could write a book.  I thought about it a while, came up with a storyline (of sorts), and sat down on the morning of my birthday and started to write. Fell in love with the process in one day! 

TW – Your first release, In Bed with the Boss’s Daughter was released in 2001.  Was that the first book you had ever written?  Are there any manuscripts hiding in the closet, waiting for their time to shine?

Bronwyn – Well, there’s that first (ludicrous) attempt that was so much fun to write but which I don’t classify as a “book” or even as a manuscript.  It’s unfinished and never will be. I knew NOTHING!  My second attempt I call my first real book manuscript.  It won some contests and got as far as the senior editor at Harlequin Presents before being rejected.  Last year I thought I might resurrect the characters and some of the scenes and rewrite it, but have ended up with a completely different story.  Same heroine and maybe two scenes will remain! 

TW – Did you find it difficult to get your first book published?

Bronwyn – Funnily enough, not in the end.  While writing it I was going through a period of pretty intense self-doubt.  That ms I mentioned above had been rejected after 11 months.  I was having trouble motivating myself to finish the next one, between home life and my job and such. So I decided to enter a full manuscript contest run by RW New Zealand.  That gave me a deadline.  I made it -- just! -- and the ms ended up as a finalist on an editor’s desk at Silhouette.  And she surprised the heck out of me by buying it for Desire.  I’d submitted it to Presents -- my intended market -- but it was rejected during the time it sat at Silhouette. 

TW – All of your books have received many rave reviews and wonderful reader comments.  What do you think it is about Jack, Nick, Zane and Quade (I remember each and everyone! <g>) that readers gravitate to?  Why do you think we loved these men so much?

Bronwyn – Because they’re Aussie hunks? <g>   Um ... I don’t know.  I write the kind of heroes I like to read in romances -- men with the fantasy elements of the romance hero but also with some flaws or foibles or self-doubts that give them a human touch, a touch of realness, I guess. 

TW – You must tell us Bron, which hero did you fall in love with the most?  I promise, I won’t tell anyone!! <G>

Bronwyn – LOL.  So, okay, I have a weakness for Nick. And for Zane ... there’s something about the rough edges of a bad boy, isn’t there?  And the wounded hero I’m writing at the moment -- well, his pain is breaking my heart!

TW – What hero/story was the biggest challenge to write?  Were the heroes or the heroines more of a challenge? 

Bronwyn –   The one I’m tangling with at the moment is always the greatest challenge.  Once they’re done and they’re out there and readers let me know that they’re enjoying the books -- then it’s very easy to forget the troubles and problems those characters created.  But while I’m writing them ... it’s never easy, at least not for me!

TW – Your next release is in March 2004, with A Tempting Engagement.  What can you tell us about this hero…err, umm, story? <g> This is a return to Plenty isn’t it?

Bronwyn –   Yes, it is the third of my books set in the small Australian town of Plenty.  This is Mitch Goodwin’s story.  Mitch is the big brother of Julia and Chantal (from Zane: The Wild One and Quade: The Irresistible One, respectively.)  You may remember that Mitch’s wife left him and his young son, Joshua, and he’s having a hard time dealing with the marriage failure -- typical alpha male, not used to failure!   He’s also not dealt well with his nanny’s resignation.  He wants her back and he wants to know the truth about why she left.  Emily Warner is sick of being a victim and sick of her unrequited love for Mitch.  But just when she’s taken a grip on her life, just when she’s started to get strong, Mitch storms in to turn her world upside down again.  In this book you get teddy-bears and a cute kid, raspberries and cream, a makeover and ski lessons (with interesting results!)  

TW – Is A Tempting Engagement the last we will see of the Plenty series? <fingers crossed you say no>

Bronwyn - There’s one more book, Beyond Control, in July 04.  This is funky hairdresser and makeover expert Kree O’Sullivan’s book (Julia’s best friend and Zane’s sister.)

TW – When you wrote the first book set in the Plenty series, did you expect it to be a series? 

Bronwyn – Not when I started, but somewhere during the writing of that first book I knew I wanted the secondary characters to have their moment in the sun, too.

TW – What has life been like for you since you became an author?

Bronwyn - Not a lot different, actually.  Possibly more tense, tear-the-hair-out moments with deadlines, but otherwise I’m still the same person.  One positive is that my family takes my writing more seriously, but the best difference is having the wonderful feedback from readers, and that always turns a bad writing day around.

TW – What writing organizations do you belong to?

Bronwyn –   Romance Writers of America. Romance Writers of Australia.  Romance Writers of New Zealand.   These are all wonderful organizations whose combined resources allowed me to learn and grow my craft so my writing improved enough to reach my goal as a published author.

TW – What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t an author?

Bronwyn – Hmm...I know I’d still be an avid romance reader.  I hope I wouldn’t still be doing the job I was doing before I left to write full time, but it’s likely I would be.  I taught a financial management program (computerized) to farmers.  I loved the work but it was seriously stressful -- a lot of travel and time on the road and away from home, which wasn’t good for my home life. 

TW – How much time a day do you spend writing? What is your schedule like? Do you find it difficult to find time to write while balancing family, home and writing?

Bronwyn – It varies depending on where I’m at with a book and deadlines and such, but I guess I average from 4-6 hours actually writing, with several more hours spent on other writing-related tasks, such as research or business or promotion.  I guess I would average 8 hour days, all up.  I try not to work weekends.  Balancing my time is fine when everything is going smoothly -- I work while my special-needs son is at school.  When he comes home, I stop.  But it all goes pear-shaped at certain times e.g. family illness, when school holidays coincide with a deadline, or when line edits arrive the day before Christmas. 

TW – Do you ever have any moments of insecurity when writing?  If so, how do you overcome those moments?

Bronwyn – Sorry. I just had to pick myself up from the floor (rolling around, laughing, you know.)  Insecure, me?  Absolutely. Most of the time.  Except when I receive a wonderful review (as opposed to a sucky one) and especially when I receive mail from a reader who has loved my books.  Then I feel quite secure for, oh, about ten minutes!  <g>

TW – Is there any fear of rejection, now your books are published?

Bronwyn - Oh, yes.  Rejection DOES still happen to published authors.  Every idea we come up with for a book does not necessarily fire our editor with enthusiasm.  I never take this job for granted and never will -- there is SO much talent around, so many wonderful writers and so many great stories waiting to find a home. 

TW -- How do you feel at the end of each story?  Are you sad to see it end, do you feel exhilarated, ready to move on to the next book or do you need some ‘down-time’ between each book?

Bronwyn –   Never sad to get to the end -- I’m always past ready to get that baby out the door.   I do need “down-time” between books and take it whenever I can -- mostly because that last scramble to deadline sucks so much emotion out of me.  I just kind of need to decompress, and usually do so taking in a movie or three, and especially reading.  I don’t read while I’m writing a book, so I need to catch up between books.

TW – What would you say besides writing, is your passion in life?

Bronwyn – My family, my kids, and animals.  I love dogs and horses and the whole outdoor life.  I love food, too.  And good movies, good books, good conversations with friends. 

TW – What is it like living in Australia?  Have you lived there your entire life?  Could you see yourself living anywhere else?

Bronwyn – Yes, I have lived here all my life, most of it in the country, so I guess I am slightly biased in saying it’s the best place in the world! <g>  I love to travel and so far have been lucky enough to visit America, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Fiji, New Zealand and England, but I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere but my own special place of the world. 

TW – What do you think readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Bronwyn – Um ... does it surprise you that I’m a farm girl?  I’ve milked cows and crutched sheep; I’ve driven tractors and harness horses.  I studied agriculture at college and worked for rural/farming newspapers after graduating.  That does surprise some people I meet, and I don’t know why. I’m not exactly sophisticated!

TW – If we were to visit you at home, what would we find you doing on a beautiful sunny day in the Outback?

Bronwyn – Most days you’ll find me parked in front of a computer, working, and probably grousing because I’d love to be out enjoying that beautiful sunny day.  Disappointing, huh?  <g>   But you might find me walking along our creek with about six dogs at my heels, or sitting on the bank of a dam watching my husband working my horse.  You won’t find me doing housework.

TW – Who do you like to read when you are not writing?  Who are some of your favourite authors?

Bronwyn – Ah, an easy question!  Auto-buys for me include Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Suzanne Brockmann, Barbara Samuels, Susan Andersen, Jennifer Crusie, Linda Howard, Stephanie Bond, Candace Proctor, and Lisa Kleypas.  I also love to read new authors and Australians and my author friends -- I’m never short of a good book to read!

TW – Do you need total silence when writing?  Do you use props: candles, mood music or anything of the sort?

Bronwyn - I do need silence, strangely enough, considering I have three (noisy, disruptive) sons.  But I have a lovely writing space in the quietest corner of our house.  And this last Christmas my eldest son bought me all these wonderful scented candles and oils for my burner.  So, right at this moment I am very into those.  No music, though.  I tend to listen to it instead of listening to my characters!

TW – How did you and your husband meet?  Was it love at first sight?

Bronwyn – Eldest son just laughed uproariously at this.  Why is it, that children consider their parents to be totally unromantic?  We met through our mutual love of horses.  As for love at first sight ... probably not.  More like attraction at first sight.  Lots of those lovely tingly feelings.  But I think love’s a deeper emotion, it needs to grow through long conversations and respect and caring.  Lightning bolts are great, but love needs to endure.

TW – Besides A Tempting Engagement in March 04 and Beyond Control in July 04, what is next?  What else are you working on, or will be working on by the end of 2004?

Bronwyn –   I’m working on a book for a Desire continuity series in 2005 -- Dynasties: The Ashtons.  This is the first book I’ve written set outside Australia, so it’s a stretch but also a lot of fun.  I’m also working on some proposals which I refuse to talk about for fear of jinxing myself!

TW – What are your hopes and dreams for the future with respect to your writing?

Bronwyn – Y’know, I don’t have a whole lot of future dreams.  I’m living my dream, being paid to write books that I love, reaching readers all around the world.  I do suppose, with time, I may want to write some different books.  I love reading a whole stack of different styles and maybe one down you’ll find me writing romantic suspense or something. Who knows?

TW – Is there anything you would like to add Bron, in closing that we haven’t discussed?

Bronwyn – Nothing I can think of.  Thanks so much, Tracey, for the opportunity to visit with the readers at The Road to Romance.  It’s been fun chatting with you!

TW – Where can readers contact you?

Bronwyn –   www.BronwynJameson.com and say hello in my guestbook -- I LOVE to hear from readers and signing my guestbook also ensures that you’re entered in my website contest.

TW – Would it be possible to give the readers a little taste of A Tempting Engagement?  Maybe a short excerpt? (This is a FANTASTIC book!!!)

Short excerpt from A Tempting Engagement:

He did want to marry her, for all their sakes. For Joshua’s need of a mother, for Emily’s need of a family, for the guilty edges of his conscience.

This marriage was an arrangement where they all could have what they wanted, and he intended to make it so. Whatever it took.

“Have you made up your mind?” he asked, flicking on the headlights as they cleared the city limits and headed into the countryside.

“I’m...no.” Her exhalation sounded harried. “Please don’t push me right now.”

In the tricky twilight he couldn’t see her eyes, but he pictured them dark and uneasy and pleading. “Okay,” he said.

“You won’t push me for an answer?” she asked, suspicious.

“Not right now.” He could wait another twenty minutes, until they were home, and then all bets were off. He intended to push for as long as it took to get the answer he wanted.

“Should I be worried?” she asked with a nervous little laugh. “About later?”

Mitch smiled in the gathering darkness. “Very.”

From the book A TEMPTING ENGAGEMENT by Bronwyn Jameson
Silhouette Desire® March 2004, ISBN 0-373-76571-1, ©2003 Bronwyn Jameson.
® And ™ are trademarks of the publisher.
The excerpt published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For more romance information surf to: http://www.eHarlequin.com

To learn more about Bronwyn Jameson, visit her site, http://www.bronwynjameson.com/

Thank you Bronwyn for taking the time to visit with us here at The Road to Romance!