1. Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre?
His Secret Promise
- Book 3 in the Honorable Men series - is
my tenth published novel, and my first brand new novel in some time. Unlike the
first two books in the series, this
story is set on the Sapphire Coast, south of Sydney, Australia.
2. Where did the idea
arise?
Too many years ago, I had the idea to write a story of
a soldier wishing to reconnect with his life in Australia following his tour of
Afghanistan. While including some of his personal battles and how he dealt with
them, I focused more on the romance rather than the trauma of his situation. My
heroine was also dealing with a personal trauma of her own.
3.
How
much research was involved? Did you stay on point or be distracted by wanting
to look at just one more thing?
I found some old
newspapers which contained heart-wrenching stories of incidents where soldiers
lost their mates. These gave me an insight into their emotions and what life
was like for them on their return to civilian life. I was browsing through a
bookshop and found a coffee table book with a range of photos taken in
Afghanistan, and these helped with the scenic settings.
4. How long did you take to
write the book?
Too long, unfortunately. It wasn’t an easy story to
write, especially as I wanted to find the right balance of emotions in the
telling. I had a good idea of the hero, but had to work at creating a suitable
heroine who didn’t come across as being too weak. Once I realized that, she
became a little easier to work with.
5. Now a bit about you. How
long have you been writing? What is your Sun Sign?
I began writing in the mid-1990s. My first book was e-published on a
floppy disc early in 1999, when e-publishing was a fledgling industry. Look how
far it’s come! I had more books published in the following years, but lost my
way with my writing career for about ten years, though never wanted to let it
go. Must have been my stubborn streak. I’d always anticipated I’d be back. In
August 2014, Books We Love published two of my previously published novels, No
Boundaries and December Heat Wave.
A Traditional
Affair and A Sense of Duty are the last of my earlier novels now published by BWL Publishing
Inc. These are the first two novels in my Honorable Men series,
and are set in Scotland.
My Sun Sign is
Cancer. My birthday is 22 July, so depending on which horoscope I read, I may
be a Leo. I usually read both horoscopes, out of curiosity. There are occasions
when one seems closer to what’s happening in my life than the other…or neither are at all relevant.
I did read my horoscope years ago after a major upheaval in my life. I couldn’t
believe how much it related to me.
6. Do you write in a number
of genres or stick to one?
Contemporary romance is my favorite genre to write.
I’ve written a few novellas/short stories in this genre as well as my novels,
plus one short story leaning towards science fiction. That was fun to write.
7.
Where
on the internet can you be found?
https://www.facebook.com/romanceauthorjoaniemacneil/
https://www.instagram.com/joanie_macneil_romance_author/
https://www.pinterest.com.au/joaniemacneil/romance-author-joanie-macneil/
https://twitter.com/JoanieMacneil
