tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post2464486764933368367..comments2024-03-22T05:18:29.555-04:00Comments on Romance Bandits: Anna Campbell Interviews Bronwyn JamesonLoucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02217492654108300014noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-2715291977489519872008-01-12T00:14:00.000-05:002008-01-12T00:14:00.000-05:00Anna, the "male" comment was a poor attempt at sni...Anna, the "male" comment was a poor attempt at snidery, I'm afraid. Living in a house full of males, I am used to their predilection for attention. <BR/><BR/>Bron<BR/><BR/>(Oh, and I have refrained from using the popular synonym for rooster. You should be proud of me. :-))Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-80840088037798683722008-01-11T21:17:00.000-05:002008-01-11T21:17:00.000-05:00Bron, shame on you! Especially as you live on a fa...Bron, shame on you! Especially as you live on a farm. What sex do you expect a ROOSTER to be???!!!Anna Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06695579361323275316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-56586947569592505252008-01-11T20:38:00.000-05:002008-01-11T20:38:00.000-05:00Cassondra, thanks adding to the explanation about ...Cassondra, thanks adding to the explanation about poor old GR. I have a theory that he's loving every minute of attention (he is male, right?)<BR/><BR/>P226, glad it makes sense to someone other than myself. You must be a woman of exemplary intelligence. *g*<BR/><BR/>BronBronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-45737392796257095322008-01-11T19:18:00.000-05:002008-01-11T19:18:00.000-05:00Have to enter into the great Tim Tam debate. While...Have to enter into the great Tim Tam debate. While I agree with Amy that the classics are, well, classic, I have a fondness for the chewy caramel ones. The pink ones also have the slightly chewy centre (the pink part) which adds another textural dimension to the Tim Tam experience. IMHO. And pink Quik, Amy? Really?? Not sure I got the same taste experience, but then taste (in anything) is such an individual thing. Gotta love that!Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-41597273451406088752008-01-11T19:02:00.000-05:002008-01-11T19:02:00.000-05:00Bronwyn,Thank you very much for the response!Your ...Bronwyn,<BR/><BR/>Thank you very much for the response!<BR/><BR/>Your methodology makes sense to me.p226https://www.blogger.com/profile/05502193525250005347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-49691513339776553692008-01-11T18:29:00.000-05:002008-01-11T18:29:00.000-05:00Pam (doglady?), I don't think of my books as HOT-h...Pam (doglady?), I don't think of my books as HOT-hot, not with the explosion of more overtly hot erotic romance. Mine are more the slow burn with more focus on building the fire. Or to use another analogy: I recall the Desire senior editor saying once that the books are more about the chase than the catch.<BR/><BR/>Can I also ask...isn't it early for tornados?<BR/><BR/>Jo and Jeanne you aren't late. <B>I'm</B> late!!! And Jeanne, you're right. We Bronwyns are a nice lot. :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi Ann and Bec. I'm still a sponge -- do we ever stop learning? (I hope not!) -- so I'm happy to help the sponging process in any small way.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-27446405364914944502008-01-11T17:18:00.000-05:002008-01-11T17:18:00.000-05:00Eric, I would love to unearth some of that buried ...Eric, I would love to unearth some of that buried money and come see Anna Campbell in Maroochydore. The Sunshine Coast is such a beautiful part of the world. Unfortunately I've forgotten where that money is buried! :-)<BR/><BR/>Caren, thanks for the tip re clicking on the book cover for a direct link to Amazon. Just another of the services provided here in the lair, I gather.<BR/><BR/>Hi catslady and doglady. :-) <BR/><BR/><EM>I am fascinated by anyone who can plot out the entire book before writing. I wish I could. My problem is that my characters hijack me!</EM> <BR/><BR/>I should point out here that my stories DO take diversions. While I have the outline/rough draft, I'm always open to new and better and more interesting paths that occur as I'm writing. And the outline is a dynamic document; I'm always adding new ideas. I don't take any detour, however, just for the scenery. Has to be best for the story, especially when I'm writing to such a short word count.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-80829889791034796782008-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:002008-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:00Back again and even after looking at all my reply ...Back again and even after looking at all my reply comments one after another, I feel compelled to continue. :-)<BR/><BR/>Christine, hellooo. You beat me here, even on yr borrowed computer. I'm about to move onto your next post which caught my eye. One day, soon I hope, I will catch up here at Bandits...and maybe even make a grab for that poor rooster. Who I shall treat with all due respect.<BR/><BR/>I, too, am an Anglophile, BTW, and am now wondering why I took so long to set one of my own books there. I think I have already mentioned how much fun I'm having with this new series!Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-63352095960346495642008-01-11T16:39:00.000-05:002008-01-11T16:39:00.000-05:00Yeah, C, but usually at least one gladiator is on ...Yeah, C, but usually at least one gladiator is on other duties OUTSIDE the shed ;-)<BR/><BR/>Pam, Doglady, came up with the golden rooster! I think we therefore owe her a huge debt of gratitude. <BR/><BR/>And he only pretends to be afraid at my place! Come on! I'm a puddytat!Anna Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06695579361323275316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-6003357681945004032008-01-11T16:08:00.000-05:002008-01-11T16:08:00.000-05:00You know, after skimming ALL the comments, and see...You know, after skimming ALL the comments, and seeing poor Bronwyn's confusion about the GR--and Anna's answer--STILL no one person has pointed out the GR stands for Golden Rooster.<BR/><BR/>I honestly can't remember who got it started, or HOW exactly it took on such a life of its own, but after the first appearance, the next Bandita/honorary bandita to post first grabbed the poor bird and RAN with it, and it hasn't stopped since. Each of us adds our own touches of course--P226 wants to cook him, I gave him a bit of a goth look with the OPI Russian Navy blue-black toenail polish--and though Anna makes to care for him, I believe the GR is MOST AFRAID of our dear Anna Campbell--she locks him in a shed out back with Joanie T's gladiators. Talk about your trauma!Cassondrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07420982030156788059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-5484740894170387892008-01-11T14:26:00.000-05:002008-01-11T14:26:00.000-05:00Bron, the GR is a once-glittering but now slightly...Bron, the GR is a once-glittering but now slightly tarnished bird who goes to live for the day with whoever posts first. Unfortunately not everyone has treated him with the respect he deserves - are you listening, P226? He still screams if I mention combat boots to him! Although at least the combat boots covered up the flaking black nail polish Cassondra inflicted on the poor chicken. <BR/><BR/>Am really enjoying your answers! And to think about the Pink Tim Tams! I must seek them out for research purposes!Anna Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06695579361323275316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-24319223754209841932008-01-11T07:36:00.000-05:002008-01-11T07:36:00.000-05:00Hi, Nic. Yes!!! I love reading about other authors...Hi, Nic. Yes!!! I love reading about other authors' processes -- it's always fascinating to see how others approach their work.<BR/><BR/>Hey, tetewa, hope you enjoy Diamonds Down Under.<BR/><BR/>Joan, I don't know the song but the title has me intrigued. I am jotting it down as we speak. And a trip to Ireland? You lucky, lucky thing. I am quite green :-) with jealousy.<BR/><BR/>I'm for bed now but will be back tomorrow.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-47201563632585813162008-01-11T07:30:00.000-05:002008-01-11T07:30:00.000-05:00Maureen, Cherie, Jennifer, Laura, Lily, Nathalie -...Maureen, Cherie, Jennifer, Laura, Lily, Nathalie -- thank you for dropping in and saying such lovely things about my books. Do let me know what you think after you've read VOWS.<BR/><BR/><EM>I also tend to buy authors whose work I don't know if they're included with authors whose books I like.</EM> <BR/><BR/>Nancy, from an author's point of view this is one of the GREAT advantages of continuity series. I'm so grateful to have participated in series with some brilliant authors and this introduced their fans to my work. <BR/><BR/><EM>I'm a plotter with heavy pantser deviations.</EM><BR/><BR/>Love this, Nancy. I reckon the majority of authors are neither one end or other of the plotter-pantser continuum, but somewhere in between.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-33823703028697930082008-01-11T07:19:00.000-05:002008-01-11T07:19:00.000-05:00Thanks Anne, Petite, Brownone (which is like Bronw...Thanks Anne, Petite, Brownone (which is like Bronwyn :-)) Do check out the series. I know I'm (slightly!) biased but I think it's worth the checking out!<BR/><BR/>Hi, Terrio. Thanks for the compliment re the conflict in VOWS. If you read the book, I'd love to hear if the resolution worked for you.<BR/><BR/><EM>for me outlining just means grabbing a note book and writing the scenes out in order listing what I want each scene to accomplish</EM> <BR/><BR/>That is the basis of my outline, and I add to it as I go and it grows and grows and grows. As I said, I'm adding what are draft elements of the scenes into the document. Mostly so I can find all the pieces in the one place (instead of on a hundred scraps of paper where I initially jotted them down.)Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-35561052037901471092008-01-11T07:11:00.000-05:002008-01-11T07:11:00.000-05:00Hey, Gillian. You are SO right -- it is never too...Hey, Gillian. You are SO right -- it is never too late!<BR/><BR/>Amy, no Valentine's Ball for me this year (unfortunately) but will see you at conference, for sure, for sure.<BR/><BR/>Deb, ALL Tim Tams are divine. It is a proven fact of nature. Re the process: I wish I could just dive in and blaze away when an idea strikes me. I long to be a flimmer...but I'm not. Gotta respect that process.<BR/><BR/>Crystal, Beth, Gannon -- thank you. Gannon, can I ask where in the world you are? I only ask because Bronwyn, I believe, is an unusual name in America. So uncommon that I read a comment on a snarky blog wondering why I'd picked such a ridiculous pen-name. Had to laugh.<BR/><BR/>Hey, Sandii. Waving across the ocean.<BR/><BR/>Cassandra, there is quite a group of Anna's cool Aussie friends coming across to SF. You can part of a very cool crowd. *g* And there will, I'm sure, be Tim Tams.<BR/>Tinker with your process if it helps, try some different approaches is the old isn't working, do some bending and shaping, and you will come up with something that works best for you...or for THIS book. Because even for me, Ms Plotter, I have to adapt my approach when a storyline isn't working. "Back to the drawing board" is heard often in my writing office. All the best!<BR/><BR/>Oh, and you mentioned working with a series bible and with others' ideas -- yes, that can be something of a challenge. Takes another mental readjustment, but I've liked each one of these projects because they've stretched me to write stories and conflicts and situations I would never have chosen myself. The challenge is in making it work for you!Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-58099011439086823712008-01-11T06:54:00.000-05:002008-01-11T06:54:00.000-05:00Thanks Keziah and Helen. I agree on the pink Tim T...Thanks Keziah and Helen. I agree on the pink Tim Tams, BTW. Very yum!<BR/><BR/>Dianna, thank you!!! And I do recall hearing your name at that particular RITA ceremony!<BR/><BR/>A novel in 3 hrs? Eric, you are such a hoot! But thank you for the high praise; having readers seek out my backlist always makes me a very happy writer (see big smile in photo.)<BR/><BR/>Okay, and now I have to show my ignorance by asking who (or what?) is GR? Obviously I havcen't been paying attention. But thank you, Diana (the hardworking mom), for adding me to the TBR list.<BR/><BR/>And Caren, I am not cruel, honestly I am not. I am all about sharing the pink Tim Tams, one packet at a time. <BR/><BR/>Caren, I would so love to write a monstrously rakish duke. I agree that contemporary heroes cannot always get away with as much...except in some category romance where the alpha heroes are the contemporary equivalent (the corporate pirate, the entitled tycoon, the supremely arrogant European.)Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-21206022563521368242008-01-11T04:51:00.000-05:002008-01-11T04:51:00.000-05:00Pink Tim Tams have pink icing in the middle and it...Pink Tim Tams have pink icing in the middle and it tastes like Pink Quik. That probably doesn't help the majority of you. Not sure if you have them same thing in the US or what it's called. But it comes in a tin and is powdered and you add it to milk and sitr it in and you get strawberry milk (also can get choc, banana, caramel etc).<BR/><BR/>Not as good as the classic ones but very nice still. And the money goes towards Breast Cancer research so a good cause also ;-)Amy Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12690419732247281048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-957760044157852092008-01-11T03:02:00.000-05:002008-01-11T03:02:00.000-05:00Bron, lovely to see you! As you can see, your fans...Bron, lovely to see you! As you can see, your fans have been out in force! Thanks for sharing the RITA experience. The triple thing still blows my mind! Well deserved but what an amazing accolade.Anna Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06695579361323275316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-53567490706336390452008-01-11T02:16:00.000-05:002008-01-11T02:16:00.000-05:00Ah, Anna, the totally surreal RITA experience (did...Ah, Anna, the totally surreal RITA experience (did that really happen??? LOL) I received the phone call from the then-President of RWA, Gayle Wilson, and I'm pretty sure I remember her needing to stop me talking (aka interrupting, squealing, etc) to tell me I was a triple-finalist. <BR/><BR/>That was just icing; I was completely stoked to be a RITA finalist with one book -- any book!!! To have all 3 of my Princes of the Outback final was almost too much of a good thing. I only entered all 3 because I didn't want to (and couldn't) play favourites. Then I had to sit on the news until the release time when I was able to call my editor and writing mates and family. <BR/><BR/>The whole experience: surreal, wonderful, exciting. Everything I'd imagined in the mumble-mumble years of entering without going close to finalling. My advice to authors who get those horrid bottom-half scores (as I'd done several times): don't give up; keep believing in your books; keep entering. Your time, too, will come.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-17082267553557964982008-01-11T02:04:00.000-05:002008-01-11T02:04:00.000-05:00Hi Jane. No extension beyond six books at this sta...Hi Jane. No extension beyond six books at this stage, but if the series does well then there is the possibility of another series...maybe a spin-off. Although I'd hate to be trying to get us all coordinated to plan another series around current deadlines!Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-13118301329265209492008-01-11T02:01:00.000-05:002008-01-11T02:01:00.000-05:00Next question (and can I just say how much I'm lov...Next question (and can I just say how much I'm loving the questions already?)<BR/><BR/><EM>how do you handle temporal shifts. Flashes backwards and forwards in time. I ask because, to me, outlines are very linear.</EM><BR/><BR/>Absolutely, and my books are linear as well. That's the way I write, the kind of stories I write, usually over a tight timespan. BUT a lot of backstory precedes page one, chapter one and is important (nay, crucial) to character, conflict and motivation. Initially I write the backstory in a linear fashion as part of the detailed synopsis. In another file, I list the backstory points which will need revealing during the book. I don't plan when or where or how they'll be incorporated into the story. When I'm writing, when it feels right, in they go. I crosscheck the list, but usually they're all there. Part of the unplanned stuff!<BR/><BR/>And wow on those work hours -- sounds like an author on deadline! *g*Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-76362329657807646662008-01-11T01:52:00.000-05:002008-01-11T01:52:00.000-05:00Hi there, P226 (I feel funny typing that, but I ca...Hi there, P226 (I feel funny typing that, but I can't see yr name) my fellow outliner. <BR/><BR/><EM>how big are your outlines? Dozens of pages?</EM><BR/><BR/>Oh, yes. Depending how many of those dialogue exchanges and scene snippets I've prewritten, they can be 30-50 pages single spaced...or more. And it's an eternally active document, because I'm always thinking fo bits and pieces for "later" in the book. I jot them down on notepaper on on my alphie before I forget, then add them all into the outline in a batch every few days or so.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-44454786049600788302008-01-11T01:46:00.000-05:002008-01-11T01:46:00.000-05:00Hi Cindy. Yr comment re what's packed into short w...Hi Cindy. Yr comment re what's packed into short word counts is true -- and thank you! -- but in return I am in awe of authors who can weave their magic over plot, sub-plot (often more than one), fully fleshed and realised secondaries, a gorgeous central romance (and sometimes secondary one, to boot), theme, motif, timeline, etc, etc, etc, and keep it all together and cohesive in a single title.<BR/><BR/>Tips for packing the most punch: larger-than-life characters who jump off the page, vivid settings, intense and emotional conflict -- all the usual suspects. *g* In addition: jumping straight into the action, at the start of the book and in each scene. Getting out of scenes at the ideal time, leaving the reader hooked and drooling for more. Keep attention on the romance, the central couple, their conflict in every scene. Drama, emotion, tension. They're my three key words (aside from character and conflict, the givens.)Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-66897107228654207982008-01-11T01:39:00.000-05:002008-01-11T01:39:00.000-05:00Annie, hi and back at you with regards sensual ten...Annie, hi and back at you with regards sensual tension. Your books I love for that same reason. And the new series -- it is SO much fun to research and write. I'm loving it!<BR/><BR/>Hi Sandie, and thank you for popping in and saying hello.Bronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815530646091177574.post-35788430789220425512008-01-11T01:34:00.000-05:002008-01-11T01:34:00.000-05:00Fedora, hi there! I, too, love a series which is ...Fedora, hi there! I, too, love a series which is tightly bound together with a thread, or threads, that run from book to book in addition to the complete story which forms the basis of each book. That's what we aimed for with Diamonds Down Under; we think we did a grand job with the multiple threads, and just hope the readers agree.<BR/><BR/>Anna, thanks for the lovely intro and welcome. You are a gem!<BR/><BR/>BronBronwyn Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00720477786460767921noreply@blogger.com