Writing historical romance stories set in rural townships of North Queensland, Australia, spanning the struggles settlers experienced between 1860 and 1898 is unfortunately not as easy as one would first think.
 
Writing journey
 
When first I embarked on my venture to write stories set in Australia there was never any doubt that I wanted my backdrop to be in and around where I grew up.  I didn’t want to delve into the modern settings, with my characters using all the technology we’ve been graced with in this day and age.  What I wanted to write was the stories of my ancestors who travelled from England to this grand island of ours and embarked on one of the greatest journeys of all time – civilising the north.
 
So when I sat down for the very first time and tried to put pen to paper I realised what I was wanting to bring to the world was a history few people knew anything about.  I mean who has ever heard of The Burdekin, or Rockhampton, or any of the other significant towns in Northern Australian history?  But these towns have grand histories and were established by people who loved each other enough to try and survive the hardships of starting a new beginning in a new country.  These were the romantic stories I want to give readers and show that Australian history is so much more than cork hats, pet kangaroo’s, or the stereotypical convicts my country has become known for.
 
Writing about Australia
 
When I first started submitting my work to publishers over fifteen years ago, many of them refused me on the grounds of the settings of my stories.  Most of them suggested that I move the backdrops to a more popular district in England or America and resubmit.  I was being told that my writing was superb but that no one wanted to read a story set in Australia.  It made no sense.  If my writing was so good, why could they not publish it?  Why should I have to change my settings when they already had so much history and romantic possibilities?  As I was told many times, Readers wanted to read stories set in England or America, not Australia.  So then why was I reading that people were searching for books set somewhere different?  And what about me?  I was a reader too, and though I love English romances, and am thrilled by American westerns, I wanted to read something set in my own country.
 
First publishing contract
 
So I started the very bumpy ride of writing what I wanted to read.  I submitted every script I wrote and read every rejection email that came in, my heart sinking a little more each time.  Then one day the most amazing thing happened.  I got an acceptance email offering me a contract for a book.  Thirteen books later, and several publishers too, and I’m still writing romances set in historical Australia.  But my books are more than just love stories.  My characters also travel through scandal and mystery, discovering cattle stations and opium dens, and uncovering stolen ruby necklaces and black opals.  A lot of research has had to go into each story, making certain I have the correct weapons for the time period, and slaves that were being traded out of Australia.  The list goes on – there are poisons, there are valuables, there are even mail order brides.  Romance aside, if these facts are not correct, then the story will falter and not be believable.
 
Researching for a novel
 
The internet, though limited for the areas I research, is a great tool to authors of today, but not everything can be found there.  I have had to rely on a lot of my own family history to be able to obtain the historical facts I have needed to create a picture in my reader’s mind of a place many people overseas and in Australia are not even aware existed. I have had to talk and listen to many old locals from my home town and rely on their photographs to be able to let me see the life I want my readers to see.  Australia is a passionate country, with an extremely passionate history, one so many people are dying to read about and escape to. 
 
Submitting to international publishers
 
Luckily for me and other upcoming Australian authors, many publishing houses are now more welcoming to manuscripts set outside of England, Europe and America.  For myself, having an American publisher still presents the odd barrier.  Language.  Most are simple changes I’ve had to get used to - learnt and learned; colour and color.  There have been other issues though too.  Australian slang.  Something that is hard enough to understand for most Australians, I’ve found is even harder for someone international to try to make sense of.  But as an author it is our job to breech this international language gap and bring a piece of Australia to our readers.
 
I’m not sure I’ll get the best seller I so crave, but I’ve managed to bring romantic Australian history to my readers and for now, that makes me very happy.
 
 
 
 
 
 

​Tell us a bit about yourself: b. 1940. Resident in the UK. Writer of poetry, literary criticism, speculative fiction and romance. Main poetry collection Prickling Counterpoints (1998); poems published in online International Times. Eco poetry collection, An Ever River, published by The Palewell Press, 2018. Main speculative works High Wired On (2002); Rock Bottom (2005). Translation of Spanish epic La Araucana, Amazon 2013. Romances: Dreamtime Sensuality I & II: Explorations; Further Explorations; Pearlman, Self’s Blossom – all available on Amazon. Self-published collection of erotic poetry and artwork, Sensual Rhapsody, 2015. Singer-songwriter/guitarist. Main CD albums Bacteria Shrapnel and Kaleidoscope Concentrate. Many tracks on You Tube, under ‘Dave Russell’. Editor of online magazine Poetry Express Newsletter, produced by Survivors Poetry and Music.


How do you find time to write? I must use slots of time available between various part-time jobs. It's a bit of a juggling act
 
What’s your publishing tips? Do a thorough trawl on the internet, and try out any outfit that seems to be on your wavelength
 
Any promotional and marketing tips? Circulate all the review sites. Also approach online journals where you might place excerpts from your work. Also look up other writers and propose review exchanges with anyone who seems to be your type.
 
Tell us about your recent book: “Pearlman,” by David Russell, is a novella of unparalleled breadth and a first-rate work of speculative fiction. It also draws on scientific accounts as it considers various issues, including synchronicities between nature and history. The writing is lush, and it pulls the reader into the story.. Myth, history, the earth, and science meet, mate, collide and get compressed and then decompressed into a panorama of the past, present and future possibilities for humanity.


Anything else you would like to add:  My other titles are: my translation of the Spanish epic La Araucana, which helped to inspire Pearlman; my romantic stories: Dreamtime Sensuality I & II; Explorations; Further Explorations; Self's Blossom; my poetry collections: Sensual Rhapsody and An Ever River.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live with my husband on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in the US. I love walking on the beach, riding our bike and laying in the sun. I enjoy travelling - one of my favorite places is England. I’m an avid reader, my favorites being paranormal, historical  and contemporary romance, time travel, mysteries, and Christmas stories.

I have a disease of the retina called Retinitis Pigmentosa.  This causes gradual vision loss. I lost the ability to read in my early twenties, but even when I had sight, seeing the printed word was always difficult for me. Reading a book would take me twice as long as a person with normal sight. I became frustrated with this and  began to make up my own stories. It wasn’t until the invention of computers and wonderful screen reading software that I was able to put my stories into words. Everything I type is read back to me aloud. This enables me to do my research and to  post on social media. This has truly opened a nw window of opportunity for me.

How do you find time to write?

I like to write early in the morning. If the words are flowing, I’ve been known to write all day. I do have problems sometimes with everyday distractions. The phone is constantly ringing, the laundry needs doing, or the house cleaned. But mostly I manage to write every day.

What are your publishing tips?

I suppose my tip would be persistence. I’ve had my share of rejections and had two small publishers close their doors just as my book was about to be released. It’s easy to feel discouraged, but if writing is your passion, follow the dream.

But before you submit your MS, make sure it’s as perfect as it can be. Have someone else read through looking for any editing and grammar mistakes you may have missed. I’ve judged a few writing contest and my number one advice for new writers is take online writing classes. These are usually inexpensive and are extremely helpful. You may have a great story, but if it’s full of mistakes, a publisher will reject it in a minute.

Any promotional and marketing tips?

I’m going to be honest and say marketing is my least favorite aspect of writing. I’ve been known to say I’d rather have hot pokers stuck in me than work on marketing. But this is part of selling your book, so it must be endured. I’ve found author interviews, blog tours, and reviews work for me.

Tell us about your recent book.

His Magic Touch is a paranormal romance set in New Orleans. Jared Dupre and Kendra O’Connell are wiccan witches who are about to get married. As Jared enjoys his bachelor party, a spirit appears telling him the demonic witch Adam Montief has kidnapped his brother vowing to kill him over a centuries-old vendetta Jared knows nothing about. Unaware Adam wants Kendra for his own,  Jared must rescue his brother and destroy Adam before Kendra is drawn into Adam’s world of dark magic and sadistic evil.

Anything else you would like to add?

I’d like to thank Liv for hosting me today and giving me an opportunity to tell readers a little about myself and my new release.
 
Debby Grahl
Author of Mystery, Magic, and Romance
Available from Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble: 
His Magic Touch, from Wild Rose Press;
Rue Toulouse,
The Silver Crescent, 
Decorated to Death (a Christmas cozy mystery),
The Haunted West, a paranormal western romance anthology,
Ebb and Flow, an Island Writers' Network anthology. 
Website:www.debbygrahl.com
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/debbygrahlauthor?ref=br_rs
Amazon Author Page -- https://www.amazon.com/Debby-Grahl/e/B00B34HM26
https://twitter.com/DebbyGrahl
https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=debby%20grahl

Thank you so much for having me on your wonderful site, Liv. I’m happy to answer your questions and tell you about my December 27 release from I Heart Publishing, For the Love of a Spy: the Scrivener and the Handyman.
 
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Although I’ve lived or travelled in five of the seven continents, the last thirty years were spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, U. S. Senate committee staff assistant, speechwriter, birdwatcher, non-profit director, and parent. I hold a BA from Vassar College, a diploma in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and Masters in Anthropology and in Library Science from the University of Chicago.  All of this tends to insinuate itself into my work--twelve romantic suspense or murder mystery novels.
I have two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter, and divide my between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
 
How do you find time to write? 
I’m very lucky that I’m retired and able to write full-time. That said, I do spend a few hours a day staring out the window, sweeping, going to the beach, and thinking.

What are your publishing tips? 
There’s been some debate among authors about whether to go with an independent publisher or self-publish. In 2015 my indie publisher had to close, and I was faced with that choice—if I were to re-publish second editions, should I go with a traditional publisher or do it myself. I chose an independent publisher for some of my books (the Wild Rose Press) and a hybrid publisher (I Heart Publishing) for some others. I love Wild Rose Press for their active support and personal approach to authors. I Heart takes care of the business end and leaves the editing and cover art to me, but offers a much larger royalty. I would suggest that new authors look into all the different types of publishers before choosing which will suit their needs and desires best.

Any promotional and marketing tips? 
Recently I’ve been spending more on advertising, but generally stick to free media sharing—Facebook, Yahoo groups, exchanging blogs. It actually may have a greater reach than a paid cover on a single issue of a magazine. But I am certainly no expert. One bit of advice—keep your website/blog up to date, informative, and colorful.
​
Tell us about your recent book.
I have two new novels, one cozy mystery romance:  Flotsam and Jetsam: the Amelia Island Affair from The Wild Rose Press, released December 17, and a romantic suspense thriller,  For the Love of a Spy: the Scrivener and the Handyman, released December 27.
 
Let me focus on the latest:. 
 
I admit it: For the Love of a Spy was born out of a delicious dream I woke slowly, savoring the romance, and latching onto the last line. It is in fact, the last line of the story. But you have to read the whole book to get to it. Thankfully, there’s quite a lot of good stuff—adventure, action, and romance—to help you through.
For the Love of a Spy: the Scrivener and the Handyman
I Heart Publishing, December 27, 2018
222 pp.; ebook 74,000 words
Spicy (PG-13)
 
Blurb:
When Maris Graystone, author of the political column The Scrivener, and the mysterious Michael Kinder, meet, sparks fly. Their love affair intensifies against the backdrop of the dramatic world events of 1991. Michael appears and disappears at unpredictable moments, leaving Maris limp and lovelorn. Looking for safe harbor for her emotions and her body, she accepts the advances of a dashing French diplomat.
 
Torn between the luxury and comfort of Émile and his chateau, and the romance of international intrigue with Michael, she must choose…but who?
 
 
Buy Links:
I Heart Publishing:  https://www.iheartbookpublishing.com/for-the-love-of-a-spy-the-scrivener-and-the-handyman.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KWW84WQ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/909525
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-the-love-of-a-spy-the-scrivener-and-the-handyman
B&N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129945788
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/for-the-love-of-a/9780463300268-item.html

Anything else you would like to add?
I hope readers will contact me at any of the following links. All reviews and thoughts are welcome!
Contacts:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencerromance
Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MSSpencerauthor
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/m-s-spencer
 
My calendar of events can be found here:
Romance Books 4 Us: http://www.romancebooks4us.com/M.S._Spencer.html
 
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/
 
I Heart Author Page:
http://www.iheartbookpublishing.com/m-s-spencer.html