DIAMONDS DOWN UNDER
The story behind the upcoming, January-June 2008, continuity series from Silhouette Desire.
Is this another one of the Dynasties series, like the Garrisons and Ashtons?
Although it is a Dynasty-style series featuring members of a powerful family, Diamonds Down Under isn't one of the editor-led Dynasty continuities. The series premise, the characters, the storylines were devised by the authors involved.
How did that come about?
After Desire senior editor, Melissa Jeglinski, signed Tessa Radley and Maxine Sullivan in 2006, the number of "down under" Desire authors had reached six. Melissa suggested that we might like to look at our own continuity series. We put together some ideas and she loved our Diamonds premise, which goes something like this:
DIAMONDS DOWN UNDER is a six-book series set in Australia and New Zealand against the billion-dollar backdrop of the glamorous, but ruthless, gem trade. The series focuses on a family split asunder thirty years ago over ownership of a fabulous diamond known as the Heart of the Outback. The old feud is reignited when a new generation is forced to deal with secrets and scandals – and deception and desire – in the aftermath of a tragic plane crash.
Why diamonds?
We loved all the facets (pun intended.) On the surface there's the glamour, the sophistication, the sparkle, the bling. A perfect match for the Desire backdrop of wealth and privilege. But beneath the dazzle--or before the dazzle--there's the rough stone and the mining in the harsh outback environment. I love that paradox!
So diamonds are mined in the Australian outback?
Absolutely. From the Argyle Diamonds website:
"Argyle Diamonds is the world's largest supplier of diamonds, producing approximately 30 million carats each year from its operations in the East Kimberley region, in the remote north of Western Australia. The company's production accounts for approximately one-quarter of the world's natural diamond production."
We decided to feature pink diamonds because they are Argyle's signature stone. The world of coloured diamonds was a new one for me, I have to say.
The research must have been fun.
Oh, yes. Fun and very distracting. We all know FAR more about diamonds--from the mining and production angle, through valuation, cutting, jewellery making, retail--than we ever needed to know. We still swap links to news articles whenever there's a new find or an auction of a rare stone or anything else to do with the industry.
We? Who are the authors involved?
The series was quite a while in the making, and during that time we had several changes in the lineup due to the authors' other commitments. We all worked together over that time coming up with the characters, the backstory, and the continuity threads which connect all the stories. The books are all done now and in production with this schedule:
Jan 08: VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Bronwyn Jameson
Feb 08: PRIDE & A PREGNANCY SECRET, Tessa Rallis
Mch 08: MISTRESS & A MILLION DOLLARS, Maxine Sullivan
Apr 08: SATIN & A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR, Jan Colley
May 08: BOARDROOMS & A BILLIONAIRE HEIR, Paula Roe
June 08: JEALOUSY & A JEWELED PROPOSITION, Yvonne Lindsay.
Jewellery/jeweled--what's with the spelling?
Both are correct. The difference is between the Australian spelling (jewellery) and the American (jewelry). Which is used in the books depends on the copy editor -- I'm hoping mine retained the Australian spelling, which is how I submitted the manuscript, because the book is set in Australia and features Australian characters. To me it just felt more authentic that way.
I'll be back next month with the lowdown on Kimberley Blackstone and Ric Perrini from VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM.
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