Tuesday Book Club – Winning The Heiress’ Heart by Susanne Bellamy!

It’s a privilege for me to introduce you a very good friend of mine Susanne Bellamy to the purple couch! We worked together in the Christmas anthology A Season To Remember and she’s written another story as part of fun series called The Emerald Quest. What a busy lady!

1. Tell us how you became involved in The Emerald Quest

I suspect Lady Luck had a hand! My very first novel, White Ginger, is set in Hawaii and when one of the series authors had to pull out, I was invited to replace her. I jumped at the opportunity to set a second story on one of the Hawaiian Islands, and to challenge myself by a) writing part of a series, and b) coincidentally, my first romantic suspense novel. The combination seemed heaven-made!

 

2. Did you enjoy the process of participating in a round-robin project where some of the story elements were decided on ahead of the creative process?

While I wasn’t involved from the beginning, I loved this aspect. With only brief outlines, the challenge was to tie in threads linking back to the earlier stories, and to pave the way for the fourth and final story. There was more negotiation and discussion with the author who follows me as she needed me to set up certain aspects for her book, but I kept bugging Annie Seaton for specific details about the diary and the emerald and diamond necklace at the heart of the series.

I had the most wonderful experience and keenly look forward to the next series opportunity.

 3. What was it about the project you most enjoyed?

Two things in particular. The first was the opportunity to revisit Hawaii, but in the 1960 setting which I had chosen. Hawaii became the 50^th state of the USA in 1959 and there were new opportunities, which I saw as promising for my transplanted English heroine, Eva Abbott.

Interestingly, Elvis’ “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” includes this song about promoting Hawaii as the 50^th state of the USA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdwj8SPONEE

Research was frequent and completely absorbing; everything from pineapple production to condom use, and current musicals (ahem, I might have managed to slip in a reference to ‘South Pacific’ again!) I love research and pinned copious images on my Pinterest board! https://www.pinterest.com/susannebellamy/emerald-quest_winning-the-heiress-heart/

The second aspect was working with three wonderful writers and the challenge this opened up for me to extend myself. In particular, I would like to thank Annie Seaton for her encouragement and support in my first ‘joint venture’.

 4. This is the second time you’ve written about Hawaii. What is it about the islands that you love?

As a child, I fell in love with Hawaii the first time I saw “Blue Hawaii”! Romance, conflict, Elvis, and that wonderful wedding song with its vow of eternal love—what’s not to love!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1GPK4Mx_lg

As a teenager, I read “Tales from the South Pacific” by James Michener and was swept up again in the exotic, tropical beauty and sometimes, violent past.

The islands call to me, or maybe I’m channelling Bali Hai from “South Pacific”! In fact, that was the musical I chose for my debut as a director many years ago so I guess I’ve had a lifelong love affair with Hawaii.

 5. Tell us about your ‘Quest’.

Blurb:

Eva Abbott sells her inheritance in England, Bellerose Manor, to provide for the care of her nephew. She buys a pineapple plantation in Hawaii but discovers her neighbour, Luc Martineau, will do anything to take it from her.

When Eva discovers a diary, which may solve their financial problems, villains follow her to Hawaii and attempt to force her to reveal the whereabouts of the heirloom emerald necklace.

Is Luc an ally or an enemy? Is he after Eva or her land?

 6. What else do you have planned for 2015?

My current WIP (work in progress) is another romantic suspense. Set in Nepal, it is the first in my own individual series of ‘protectors’. I travelled in Nepal some years ago and my husband has been back five times since so he is my expert when memory fails me! Planning and preliminary writing on the second book are already underway and I’ve written about 10K of the third book.

Want to see who inspired special agent, Jake Harris, hero of book 1?

I’ve been invited to join another group of writers for a long-term Aussie small town romance series; more on that as planning progresses! And I sincerely hope the wonderful writers with whom I worked on my first Christmas-themed anthology want to do it all again! (hint, hint!)

Hint? Hint! No hints – it’s a dead set certain that we’ll be collaborating again! I can’t wait!

<— Here’s our joint project A Season To Remember

Buy link: http://amzn.to/1HQ8zk5

 Susanne Bellamy

Susanne is an Australian author of contemporary and suspense romances, and several novellas, set in exciting and often exotic locations. Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to the real life one she married. He saved her life then married her!

 

Contact links for Susanne:

1. Facebook         https://www.facebook.com/susanne.bellamy.7
2. Twitter                        https://twitter.com/SusanneBellamy
3. Website           http://www.susannebellamy.com/
4. Pinterest          http://www.pinterest.com/susannebellamy/
5. Goodreads       https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6869630.Susanne_Bellamy