Today, I have fellow DarkSider and Google+ buddy, Jenny Schwartz. Jenny writes steampunk and paranormal romances. I've known Jenny sometime due to blogging and the DarkSide of course. I can't wait to finally meet her at next year's Freo conference...which brings us to
Location, Location, Location
With the internet, researching a setting is a cinch. You can even “drive” down many streets using Google Earth. So it’s funny that with all this information available, I’ve set a number of my stories in an environment familiar to me: Fremantle, Australia.
Fremantle is Australia’s main Indian Ocean port. For romance authors and readers, you’ll recognise it as the setting for next year’s Romance Writers of Australia conference. It’s also where I went to high school. And I’ve used it as the setting for my Bustlepunk Chronicles (during the 1890s Goldrush) as well as my most recent contemporary romance, Drawing Closer.
Although set over a hundred years apart, these stories share one of the huge advantages of using a familiar setting: details slide effortlessly into the story and bring it alive.
So yes, research is great. Research is fun! but there is a special joy in sharing a place you love with readers.
Drawing Closer is available from Harlequin’s new Australian digital imprint, Escape Publishing. It’s a short story (10,000 words), which is an interesting new development. I hope to see lots more short stories with the growth of digital publishing. Zoe Loyola has a secret. Just between her and her sketchbook, she loves sculptor Nick Gordon. Her drawings of him are hot and naked.
Nick has a secret, too. He’s being blackmailed. Protecting his family means ignoring his desire for Zoe.
But in the world of art, passion breaks every rule and secrets are made for sharing.
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Jenny Schwartz is a West Australian author. Her high school yearbook predicted she’d be a writer – something about always having her nose in a book. When not living up to others’ expectations, she enjoys lazy days in the suburbs and is working on a collection of life-saving recipes, “Simple Meals for Forgetful Cooks”.
You can catch up with Jenny at her website, on Twitter and Facebook .
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Thanks, Jenny.
14 comments:
Thanks, Eleni, for letting me guest post and making my post look beautiful.
I cannot wait to meet you and everyone at conference next year!
Hi, Jenny. I just love that name 'Bustlepunk'. Says it all really. Your short story sounds interesting - one for the iPad, I think. :)
Great post, Jenny.
I'm really looking forward to reading, Drawing Closer while I'm away on holidays. I can't think of anything better than laying on the beach with a good book.
Sandy, I think "Drawing Closer" would look perfect on your ipad ;) and thanks for liking "Bustlepunk". I really hope it captures the sense of a fun, lighthearted steampunk twist on history.
AP, your holiday sounds like heaven. Enjoy!
Jenny, do you have any recipes called "Simple Meals for Reluctant Cooks"?
Thanks Jenny and Eleni! Loved this post!
Congratulations on the release of your DRAWING CLOSER!
Oh, BTW, loved all these pictures!
Didn't Eleni make the post look great? :)
And Fremantle really is that beautiful. You'll have to come to the RWAus conference next year and see for yourself!
Coleen, I was thinking of putting together a collection on my blog at the time I was writing my bio for Escape Publishing. Then commonsense intervened. My sister (because sisters are always brutally honest) thinks my recipes stink ... too much healthy and not enough spice in her view. Still...I wonder if it's something Escape authors could do? We could even tag it something like "for the reading-addicted, absent-minded cook".
I would love to come to Perth RWA 2013. But imagine, from my home to Sydney- three hours only yet from Sydney to Perth is more than three hours! How many hours will I have to be in air?
*shudder*
I hate travelling. What we need is a translocator. :)
Hi Jenny and Eleni,
I'm also looking forward to Freo and to meeting you, Jenny. Good luck with all your releases, they sound great.
Cath xo
Jenny, so glad to have you in the Taverna, and you've got quite a party going on. Conference next year is going to be such fun....
Sandy, I agree, 'Bustlepunk' is such a great term.
AP, I've got that waiting on my iPhone too!
LOL, Coleen. While I like cooking, I don't like cooking AND doing the 101 things that happen in a day. So yes, Simple Meals is a great idea for me too.
Hi Nas! Aren't the covers and Fremantle looking really good.
Jenny, I just saw Tony Robinson's Time Walk on Fremantle. Very lovely.
HI Cath *waving* - drinks at Freo for sure. I'm not going to be as busy this year (I hope).
Cath, I can't wait to catch up with you at RWA13! We're going to have the best time :)
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