Featured Interview With Joanie MacNeil
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an Australian romance author from Canberra, Australia's National Capital. I write short contemporary romance novels, ranging from sweet to sexy stories of new love and second chances. While most of my novels are set in Australia, I could not resist setting two of them in Scotland. I plan to self-publish those in 2020.
I love to travel with my own romantic hero and have visited parts of the world I never dreamed I’d see.
Home, family and friends are important to me. I have blended these elements into some of my stories.
When I am not travelling, or working on my latest novel, I enjoy reading romance as well as Icelandic Noir. Though I like watching movies, I never find the time to go to the cinema. I enjoy meeting friends for coffee, and am a regular participant in aqua aerobics. My special moments are those spent with my four young grandsons who keep me on my toes.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In primary school I wanted to write an adventure story set in Africa. That idea never developed into anything more. Many years later, when my children were young, I had the urge to write. I did a six week evening course on freelance writing, though decided that wasn't for me. When one of the lessons covered romance writing, I knew that was my calling. I was already an avid reader of historical romance. I decided to write contemporary romance and switched to reading contemporary romance.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Anything by medieval historian Barbara Erskine who has been a long time favorite. I visited Iceland at the end of 2017 and downloaded books by Ragnar Jonasson to read before I left and enjoy those. I like to watch some of the Scandi TV crime fiction. I don't read as much as I should though hope to remedy that in the near future.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Mandraki Magic – a novella – available from 11 November.
Is Jazzy’s first love the right man for her?
A sweet romance, set on the Greek Island of Rhodes, in the medieval Old Town. I wrote the story earlier this year as part of an anthology. When that project folded, I decided to self-publish.
None of the story elements were falling into place for me, until I decided, long after a visit to Rhodes, to set my story there. Everything seem to come to life after that. There is so much to see in the Old Town, my visit was too short to cover it all.
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