Take a roll in the hay – Australian style

Bore da, good morning, and g’day.

I’m a Welsh girl born and bred, now living in Australia and writing Rural Romance. The latter piece of information is due in no small way to The Romantic Novelists’ Association and their New Writers Scheme, so I’m doubly thrilled to have the opportunity to speak on their blog as a published author and tell you about Rural Romance and how I came to write it.

It was a fluke.

My debut novel, The House on Burra Burra Lane is set in the Australian Snowy Mountains and I was recently asked what makes a rural or country, small-town romance.

I had to think about this.

You see, I hadn’t intended to write a Rural Romance (an Australian term for a popular and growing genre of romance stories set on the land – not a story about one of the many dating sites with the same title) but I’d created a handsome, home grown country vet full of reservations about his dubious bad boy past, and a fresh, wholesome (although somewhat put upon) city girl looking for a tree change. Writers know that the setting is the third character in any novel, and it’s what the setting does for the story and how the setting envelops the characters that is important. So my heroine and hero were born, as was the rural and remote town of Swallow’s Fall with all its stalwart and meddlesome inhabitants.

After a journey that included a number of finalist placements in competitions within the US and the UK, The House on Burra Burra Lane found a home with Harlequin (Australia) digital first imprint, Escape Publishing and was released as an eBook in June this year. That was thrilling beyond belief, given the hard work I willingly undertook to learn how to write fiction (it wasn’t easy and still isn’t. I doubt it ever will be).

But it hasn’t ended there!

The House on Burra Burra Lane will now be sent to trade paperback and released in print format in January 2014 with Harlequin (Australia) MIRA which makes me one lucky and proud Welsh-Australian author of Rural Romance.

Book two in my newfound series is on its way to completion and book three is exciting me as odd scenes and characterisations begin to take shape almost before I’m ready for them.

I hope you’ll give Australian Rural Romance a whirl. We have some fantastic authors, some of whom are British!

I’ve known two countries for an almost equal amount of time, and have gained an understanding and love of each. In my perfect garden, I’d plant a gum tree and surround it at the base with daffodils. Then I’d draw up a wicker chair with plump cushions and sit and read a book.

Diolch yn fawr for reading, thank you so much for listening, and hooroo – bye for now.

All links of where to buy:
http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990532

Amazon.co.uk:

Thank you for sparing the time to talk to us today Jennie. We wish you every success with your new career. Best wishes, Freda

Find out more:

Website: http://www.jenniejonesromance.com
Jennie’s Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennie-Jones-Romance-Author/290261037740578?ref=hl