Bron Jameson and her Magnate!

by Anna Campbell

It's with great pleasure that I introduce one of my favorite writers and a woman who's a credit to the Australian romance industry, the fabulous Bronwyn Jameson.

Isnt' that a great shot of Bron with all her output? And not a dud amongst them!

Bron writes for Silhouette Desire. To find out more about Bron and her books, please visit her website: www.bronwynjameson.com

Welcome back, Bron! Lovely to see you returning to the lair. The cabana boys have been pining for your reappearance since last time! Your latest Silhouette Desire MAGNATE’S MAKE-BELIEVE MISTRESS has been getting a huge amount of buzz. Can you tell us about this story?


Thanks so much for having me back. It’s always a pleasure to visit with the Banditas (and not only because of those cabana boys!). MAGNATE’S MAKE-BELIEVE MISTRESS is the first of several books I’ve written and am writing, linked but stand-alone, set in England. I’m calling them my British Billionaires even though there’s no such tag on the covers. I’m a big Anglophile, you see. My introduction to romance reading was via M and B and Georgette Heyer and Jilly Cooper, so I had to write at least one book with a London townhouse and a country estate and polo ponies and Aston Martons and a debonair hero with a James Bond accent.

Wow, you've got me! What’s next for Bronwyn Jameson?

BILLIONAIRE’S INCONVENIENT BRIDE is the second of my England Desires. This is Chessie’s story – she’s the sister of Isabelle from MAGNATE. The sisters have both worked as housekeepers and so their stories have more than a touch of Cinderella to them….although these modern gals aren’t fans of wealth and privilege. They’re not looking for a fairytale rescue. I guess you might say they’re reluctant Cinderellas.

Do you ever have the urge to write something other than category romance?

I have urges, oh yes, but that’s all they are. The shorter format suits me very well at the moment.

Bron, you’re one of the best writers I know for getting emotional intensity into a compact space. I’m in awe of your skills for creating a compelling, heart-stopping read within 50,000 words. I mean, I’ve got 100,000 words to play around with! Have you got any hints for our aspiring writer Banditas on achieving that effect?

Thank you for the flattering compliment, Anna, although I reckon I do many things better than emotional intensity. Hints? Hmm. I work hard at creating characters who, despite the fantasy aspects of the storylines, are real and likeable. They’re not perfect but their goals and motivation and understandable and driven by values the reader can relate to. Need for security, for love, for family, for acceptance…whether known and acknowledged or something they arrive at due to the story arc. I think emotional connection is rooted in these universal needs and also in characters who act consistently, whose motivation comes from within and isn’t contrived to provide a plot twist or “cute” situation. That’s what disconnects me, as a reader, from more books/characters than anything else – that sense of Why did she do that? It is SO out of character!
There’s been a lot of comment lately about the contemporary needing saving. Your own book was used as an example of how good contemporary romance can be and why it’s worth rescuing. What’s your feeling about this subject?

Honestly, I was unaware of the Save The Contemporary initiative before MAGNATE’S MAKE-BELIEVE MISTRESS featured in the Celebrate the Category Romance campaign. And can I say how chuffed I was to see my book alongside the fabulous Kathleen O’Reilly?

Does the contemporary need saving? I suspect this campaign isn’t so much a response to sales/market issues as to the popularity of other genres – paranormals, urban fantasy, historical romance, romantic suspense – amongst on-line reviewers and book bloggers. The perception: straight contemporary romance was the forgotten (plain? less flashy? middle?) child. Since I’m a middle child as well as a contemp. writer and reader, I became an instant fan. I’ve picked up several new-to-me authors (Erin McCarthy, Victoria Dahl, Robyn Carr) through STC recommendations and I hope many other readers have as well.

Are there any books or movies that you think have influenced your writing?

I suspect that everything I’ve ever watched or read has influenced me in some way, be it positive or negative, consciously or subconsciously, teaching craft and technique, as motivation/inspiration. “I want to make readers feel like I do, reading this book.” “Ooh, that scene, SO evocative: how can I bring that to a book?” “I hate this twist; must never let my plot overshadow characterisation.” That kind of thing. More specifically: before writing my England-set books, I immersed myself in English lifestyle and “reality” television and became obsessed with Tatler magazine. Just so I could hear the English rhythm of speech, the idiosyncrasies, the word choices.

You live on a property in country New South Wales. I’m sure our international Bandita Buddies would find it fascinating if you could tell us a little about your home base. I’m sure our Aussie visitors would be keen to hear too!

Home is a farm in the south-west of New South Wales, a few hours drive from Canberra (our national capital) and halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. We grow wheat and oats and run Merino sheep for wool – sitting at my desk right now I can hear the cries of newborn lambs and their mums’ throaty "I’m-right-here" replies. Spring is my favourite season, because of the new arrivals and the colour palette. It’s very Aussie – the rich green with splashes of gold from flowering canola and wattle trees.

Bron, thanks for a great interview. Bandita Buddies, Bron has very generously offered us not one, but TWO prizes today. The first is a copy of MAGNATE'S MISTRESS and the second, in keeping with the theme, is the three-in-one from Mills and Boon titled HOUSEKEEPER IN HIS BED.

Bron's question for you is:

Do we have any other Anglophiles in the house? Which books, movies, TV shows and/or characters have fed your love affair with England?