Wednesday 17 April 2013

Heroines and careers... and books

We're right in the middle of National Gardening Week - 15th to 21st April.

What has this got to do with a writer of romantic suspense? Well - one of the themes of this year's Gardening Week is careers in gardening, and it just so happens that Kaz, the heroine of my debut novel Never Coming Home, is a landscape gardener.
When I was choosing a career for her I wanted something that combined the artistic and the practical. If you've read the book you will know why - if not, I won't spoil it. Gardening seemed to fit, and it was something I know something about, and enjoy, although I am no expert. I wanted her to be independent and resourceful. Giving her her own business to run, very successfully, seemed to illustrate this.
Madison, the heroine from Out of Sight Out of Mind, is a research scientist. Neither career is in any way out of reach for a woman, but both are slightly unusual. It seemed to me that this feeling of being just a little different calls out qualities in both of them that are useful when they suddenly get plunged into mysterious and life threatening situations. As you do, when you run into a romantic suspense novelist in full plotting mode.

This week is also the London Book Fair. I'm planning to attend for the first time. I'm hoping to meet friends and learn things, always an interesting experience. I shall probably tell you all about it next week.


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