Today, I’m starting something new on the blog. It’s called The Thursday Three. Each Thursday, I’ll be asking an author three random questions, and I’m starting off with my Romance Bandits pal, Anna Campbell, whose newest book, Tempt the Devil, is in stores now!
Q. You live in Australia, which many Americans find fascinating and romantic. Do Australians feel the same way about the U.S.? What is your favorite spot you’ve visited in the U.S.?
A. We get a lot of American culture like TV shows and movies here in Oz so most current trends seem to be based on American things. I think for various reasons we’ve always had a close relationship with America (although not a relationship without the occasional hiccup which is true for most long relationships!). A lot of Australians still remember with gratitude the way America came to help us fight in World War II for example – we have a long memory for stuff like that! We were so close to being invaded – you only need to look at a map of where New Guinea is (which was invaded) to realize just HOW close. Darwin was bombed and Japanese submarines entered Sydney Harbour. Real skin of the teeth stuff! Sorry, I seem to have meandered off into a history lesson. It’s likely to happen when you ask someone who writes historical romance a question! So far, I’m seeing America courtesy of RWA conferences, LOL! I’d say my two favorite places so far are New York and San Francisco, both such exciting cities. I’m looking forward to seeing Washington in 2009, and I think Nashville in 2010 is going to be a hoot!
Q. Of all the characters you’ve written, which has been the hardest and why?
A. Hey, what a good question. In general, it takes me longer to get my heroines right than my heroes. Never been quite sure why! I found Olivia in TEMPT THE DEVIL took me a lot of work. I had to just keep digging and digging to get to her essence. The heroine in the next book (out in November but currently without an official title!) was difficult too for different reasons. She was the youngest girl I’ve written (only 20) and that threw up all sorts of issues for the story that I had to deal with. I wanted her to be spoilt and immature at the beginning and then to develop her strength of character gradually but of course, she still needed to be sympathetic and compelling even in the early stages of the story.
Q. I’m fascinated by writers’ writing processes. How would you describe yours, and what is an average page count for you in a day?
A. I’d describe my process as a mess! I start with an idea of hero and heroine, sometimes a villain. A problem or a conflict. An opening scene. And then after that, I fly by the seat of my pants. The characters nearly always change from that first conception. Generally my subconscious will guide me but there’s a lot of rewriting involved! I write a very long, very dirty first draft and then it’s a case of refining and cutting and layering until the story is in the shape I want. Because of this somewhat erratic way of working, my page count tends to vary. Depends what the subconscious is up to! I can steadily do about eight to ten pages a day if things are going well. Often though, it’s fewer pages than that. The most I can do in a day is about 25 pages but I can’t keep that up for long.
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Thanks for being with us today, Anna. Okay, now that I’ve asked Anna my questions, it’s time for you to ask yours. So ask away! And be sure to look for Anna’s Tempt the Devil at your nearest book-buying outlet.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Hello darlings! What marvy questions Trish. I have often wondered about how Aussies see the US too. I know a lot of countries view us with a certain amount of tolerant eye-rolling, much like sophisticated older siblings do of a bouncing younger sib. :> Of course when said sib has helped save your bacon…new view. Ha!
With Aus being a “young” nation too, though, perhaps y’all are more tolerant of our boisterous optimism since you have it too.
Interesting about your heroines and writing process Anna. I find the women more difficult sometimes too, the men, for some reason come more easily. (Prob. because I adore men! heehee) Interesting about your process too, I’ve heard other authors of complex books say much the same thing. Grins. No corraling the muse into one type, is there? Ha!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Hi Trish! Great questions! They were fun to answer! Jeanne, thanks for coming by to say hi! I think a lot of the ‘older’ nations view Aussies with rolls of ze eyes too. It always makes me laugh – when I visit England, the locals HATE my accent. When I visit the States, everybody acts like I speak music. LOL!
January 8th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Hi, Anna!! Yay on Tempt the Devil! BTW, I really enjoyed your short story (the one from the Woman’s Day or something like that–I remember clicking on the link from the Lair and now I can’t find it) Anyway, I’ve got to get to a bookstore! There’s nothing like picking up a new book in one’s hands!
January 8th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Hey, Fedora, lovely to see you! Hope you find TTD soon. I always love to pick up a new book too. Thanks for saying you enjoyed the short story. It’s currently on the Avon Australia site:
http://www.avonromance.com.au/the_return.cfm
January 8th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Jeanne, I see lots of parallels between Australia and the U.S., even down to the landscape. From what I understand, the majority of the population lives on the coasts, particularly the eastern one, and there’s a vast western landscape that’s more rugged and populated by more rugged people, cattlemen, cowboys and the like.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Anna, I love to hear you talk!
Fedora, thanks for mentioning that story and Anna for posting the link. Must go read. I missed it when it was out in the magazine.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Waving to Trish and Anna! Hellooooo and what an awesome interview. Trish, you come up with such clever questions. Anna, you rocked the answers quite nicely
I know so little about Australia except that I adore the accents, so this was a great peek of info.
I’m anxiously rushing through the completion of my latest book so I can go get TTD to read as my ‘turned the sucker in’ treat.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Actually, Trish, it’s really interesting to notice the differences as well as the similarities. I think there’s a respect for independence and courage in both countries that comes from that pioneering spirit. I think there’s the western mythology that we both have although ours is much grimmer than yours – Australia is a dry, difficult country over most of its area. We don’t have the wonderful river systems you have that have led to so much of the wealth in America. I think there’s a can do attitude in both countries – again, a heritage of the pioneers. But I think we’re less optimistic than most Americans (of course of all of this stuff is rank generalisation!), more cynical, certainly with a darker sense of humor. Like all things, that attitude has pluses and minuses! I think there’s also that fundamental difference that the U.S. was established through a war whereas we kept a much closer British connection and there was never really a huge break. There’s still a lot of British influence here that you don’t see in the States. Something I do see in the States that makes me think very much of home is how multicultural the country is. We’re both (for most people anyway!) nations of immigrants.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Tawny, waving wildly back. I think you’d love Australia. It’s a fairly casual, laidback place and I think that would appeal to you. We like our pleasures too – good food, good wine, and yeah, the other thing!
Hope you like TTD. I rather like the idea of being your reward book!
January 8th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Ooh, thanks, Anna! BTW, do you have a link to it on your website? I couldn’t find one, but your other fans might enjoy it too
And I’m sure you’ve answered this before, but what are you up to now? What new story/stories are in the works? 
January 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Hey, Fedora, interesting you should ask. I promised Avon here an exclusive for three months which is up in Feb so I’ll put the whole story up on the website then. There’s also an article on writing the black moment going up then. I love adding extras like this to the website. I know it’s something I always enjoy on other people’s sites.
And your timing on the next question is great too. I’ve just (as in the last hour) got final confirmation of a title for my November book. It’s going to be called CAPTIVE OF SIN and it’s about a runaway heiress who finds shelter with a man just returned from India with PTSD. It’s full of angst and drama! Like usual! I’ve just started my fifth book which at the moment is promising to be closer in feel to Tempt the Devil. I’d say Captive of Sin is closer to Untouched. The hero is another gorgeous knight in shining armor. Well, at least I think he’s gorgeous!
January 8th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Hi Anna,
Ooh, I love the new title. “Captive of Sin” has a virgin heroine. I can’t wait.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Jane, thanks for popping by to say hello! It IS a great title, isn’t it? And it does indeed have a virgin heroine – all my courtesans are up in arms about it!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Hmmm… laid back, good food, good wine, good… stuff? I’m so there, Anna.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Hi Trish! Hi Anna! Great Q&A! It seems like most Americans (moi aussi) are fascinated by Australians. I’ve always wondered how they view us.
Love that title for the next book! When will be hearing more about the story? Not that we’re anxious or anything. Nope, uh uh, not us.
I’m now signing off to go savor my very own copy of TTD, delivered just 30 minutes ago. (very, very big grin!)
January 8th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Tawny, if you want to read a wonderful book about Australia from an American’s point of view, I recommend Life in a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. I love his writing.
Anna, very interesting that you say Australians are not as optimistic and darker. That surprises me. I think the fact that the U.S. came into being through a war makes Americans (here’s my rank generalization) cocky, often to our detriment.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Oh, Captive of Sin. That definitely sounds like an Anna Campbell title.
LOL on your courtesans being up in arms over your virgin heroine!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Trish, I love BB. I haven’t read that one (although apparently it gives the completely erroneous impression that if you walk out your front door here, something will eat you!). But I’ve read a lot of the others. I think my favorite is Notes from a Small Island about Britain. If you’ve ever lived in the UK, it has SOOO many wonderful and hilarious observations about the place.
I think there’s a strong streak of irony in the Australian character – perhaps it’s because we have such a strongly Celtic background, lots of Scots and Irish immigrants here. I know they’re in the States too but perhaps not as such a strong element of the national character.
Hey, cool you love the title!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
LOL, Anna. Bryson did emphasize all the poisonous critters you have over there. I’ve read most of his books. I think there are just two I’ve not read yet. I also love his A Walk in the Woods about his hilarious effort to hike the Appalachian Trail, which is more than 2,000 rugged miles long.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Oh, Trish, that’s the other one I haven’t read. It’s definitely on the list. He did a great history of human discoveries whose title I can’t remember. But it’s SOOOO entertaining!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Hi, Trish and Anna, am I too late to the party? Sorry, I’ve been battling a migraine — or as my husband says the screaming meammies (don’t ask) — all day!
Wow, Anna, you can actually crank out 25 pages a day??!! Girl, give me some of your elixir!
How fun to read about your process. Writing by the seat of one’s pants certainly does call for lots and lots of revisions.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Anna, that’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. It’s one of the ones I haven’t read, along with The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and the one about Africa.
No, Jo, not too late at all. Sorry you’ve had a migraine. Hope you’re feeling better.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Jo, sorry to hear you’ve been crook! Hope you feel better soon! I must clarify on the 25 pages a day that I think I’ve done that about twice in my whole life!
Trish, that makes two more Bill Brysons I haven’t read. There’s a great one about travelling in Europe called something Here and There and I love his take on the English language. I can’t remember the title of that one either but it’s a history of the development of English and it’s great.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by today. Be sure to come back each Thursday for another installment of The Thursday Three. Up next week is Elizabeth Naughton.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Thanks, everyone, for popping by and for your interesting comments! Thanks, Trish, for hosting me! See you round the lair, Bandita!
January 9th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Hi Anna! Hi Trish! They were great questions and I agree with Anna about the gratitude the Aussies feel toward America. I think it’s difficult for us as Aussies to comprehend just how diverse the US is, as we tend to get a fairly one-dimensional view from sitcoms and cop shows. I had no idea until I started hanging out with the Banditas!
Anna, you certainly came out of the Olivia challenge with flying colours! I think she is a wonderfully complex and interesting heroine and I loved her journey and her triumph at the end. Congratulations on a fantastic new release!
January 9th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Christine, lovely to see you! Thanks for popping by. I know I’ve said it before, but it always gives me such a big smile when you tell me how much you enjoyed Tempt the Devil. I must say my conception of America has changed since I started travelling there for RWA conferences and also since I’ve got to know the Banditas and all my other American friends.