This is the book formerly known as Stranger's Revenge and Susannah's story. Although it is a spin-off from my 2005 trilogy Princes of the Outback, I have written it as a complete stand alone. 2005 is so long ago I'm sure you've forgotten all about the Carlisle brothers and their must-father-a-child dilemma. I hadn't forgotten about Susannah, however, and needed to tell her story. In the dear-reader letter at the front of the book, I tell how this came about.

    Dear Reader,

    If you've read my PRINCES OF THE OUTBACK trilogy then you may remember Susannah Horton. Although she didn't appear on the page, Susannah played a vital, indispensable role as Alex Carlisle's intended bride. In The Ruthless Groom, she was the catalyst that brought Alex and Zara together… and one of the obstacles that kept them apart.

    The possibility of creating a happily-ever-after for Susannah only struck after I'd finished writing The Ruthless Groom, and during the final edits I hurriedly added some hints of her future story. At that stage I had no idea what her story would be, only that she'd run away from her wedding because of "a mystery man." That man would have to be very special, I knew, and her reason for running high-stakes. And that was all I knew.

    To those readers who've been eagerly awaiting Susannah's story-here it is! I hope you enjoy her journey from a conveniently arranged engagement to a marriage based purely-and inconveniently-on love. I also hope you enjoy your reading journey to Tasmania, Australia's southernmost island state. Stranger's Bay and Charlotte Island are both fictitious but, I hope, reflective of the wild natural beauty and dramatic scenery for which Tasmania is known.

    Cheers from the Land Down Under,

    Bronwyn Jameson

Receiving the Emma Darcy Award from that wonderful woman (I love her; I love her books!)

The collage I used while writing this book.

The family tree.

From the series bible.

Sydney Harbour.

My inspiration for Ric.

I pictured Kimberley like this.

Collage for Vows.

Max Fortune.

Diana Fielding.

Diana's house.

The sun room in Diana's house.

Winter in Kentucky.

Sioux Falls frozen in winter.

How I pictured Vanessa.

My inspiration for Hotel Marabella.

A day at the polo.

Inspiration from Australian football.

I can't always find a picture to match the character in my mind's eye, but this is Cat, pretty much as I see her.

And finally, here is a map showing where the Australian scenes in The Rich Stranger take place.

Outside of Vegas, on the drive that inspired the scene in The Rich Stranger.

In each of my books I like to include something a little different to what I've done before, whether in setting or a character's occupation or maybe just a quirky trait or an interest or hobby that is their passion. In The Ruthless Groom I didn't set out to include a different urban location (Melbourne) or different interests (horse-racing, fly-fishing, the motor bike, the chocolate) or occupations (my medical student heroine) or even the Tim Tams. They all happened during the writing because they fit.

Take Alex Carlisle's passion for thoroughbred racing, which is known as the "Sport of Kings." How appropriate for the eldest of my "princes." And how perfect when I realized it fit:

Now, The Cup is (arguably) Australia's most iconic event and I loved the chance to include it in one of my books… even if Zara didn't get to don a hat and go to the big day! The big day, by the way, is ALWAYS the first Tuesday in November. It's known as "the race that stops a nation" because such a large percentage of Australians stop work (or take the day off!) to watch the telecast. Every workplace runs a sweepstakes and a staggering amount of money is bet on the race. Especially when you consider how darn difficult it is to pick the winner!

Those lucky people who do go to Flemington, go in party mode. Many frock up in gorgeous dresses (with hats, of course) and their men wear suits. Others treat it at a fancy-dress occasion. They enjoy boot parties in the car park and fashions-in-the-field judging. Very few of them actually see more than a fleeting glimpse of the race--a rush of motion and color, the roar of the crowd and the thundering of ninety-odd hoofbeats. The Melbourne Cup may be Australia's richest ($5.1 million) and one of the world's most famous and challenging horse races, but its enormous popularity transcends that. It is, indeed, an icon.

Two significant chunks of action in The Ruthless Groom take place outside Melbourne. I did take some liberties with this setting, using a combination of the Dandenongs and more isolated hilly areas further east of the city. In essence, I created my own location for the little cabin a couple of hours from Melbourne, but this picture of the Dandenongs gives an idea of the trees and the road I had in mind when writing those scenes. As for the fly-fishing: my apologies to any keen anglers if I didn't get that cast correct. It's straight from internet research.

A final note: this isn't the first book where I have attempted to include that other fabulous Aussie icon, the Tim Tam. Previously the editors have changed my Tim Tams to a more generic chocolate term, but this time they let it stand. This is my tenth book for Silhouette Desire, so I think that's fitting, don't you?

And finally, here is a map showing where the Australian scenes in The Ruthless Groom take place.

So, I have not exaggerated the scale of operations in The Rugged Loner. Station planes are used as a matter of course, to muster cattle, to check water, to visit neighbors and travel to picnic race meetings or campdrafts. The mail comes in by plane. Medical services are provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service  (yup, doctors in planes!) and the weekly grocery order is likely to arrive by pallet on the back on a semi-trailer that's driven eight hours from Mt Isa or Darwin or the Alice. Young mothers drive three and a half hours each way so their toddlers can play with children their own age.

As Terry Underwood suggested in her book title: it is the middle of nowhere ... although those who love this northern outback see that as an advantage, especially since the satellite dish brought them instant communication with the wider world!

This is a place of contrast typified by the two seasons: the wet and the dry. It's a land of dust and of flood, of treeless plains and sandstone cliffs, of billabongs and mirror-smooth waterholes, of tea-tree scrub and lush pandanus grass, of brolgas and black cockatoos and galahs, and a sky that stretches on and on in remarkable blue. I hope you enjoy your tiny glimpse through the pages of The Rugged Loner.

The first romances I recall reading were Lucy Walker's stories set in the Australian outback. I loved those books (A Man Called Masters was my favorite!) and whiled away many a summer's hour daydreaming about flying into that great, vast, unknown land and being swept off my feet by one of Walker's tall, dark, enigmatic boss-heroes.

I grew up, I moved on, but I never lost my fascination for the outback. From Mary Durack's Kings in Grass Castles to Terry Underwood's In the Middle of Nowhere, from We of the Never-Never to A Town Like Alice to Paperback Hero -- I loved them all. And when I rediscovered my love of romance novels, I immediately glommed every one of Emma Darcy's outback-set M&B's. My favorite? Hmm, To Tame A Wild Heart, I think.

Once I started writing my own romances, many years later, it was only a matter of time before I chose an outback setting. And what a perfect excuse for a research trip. Last August my husband and I joined an Outback Track Tour visiting cattle stations across the Northern Territory and from that trip I created the fictional Kameruka Downs station, home to the Carlisle family. (See map below for an approximate location.)

It's only fair to tell you that, despite the research trip, I have taken some liberties in writing The Rugged Loner, the first of my "Princes of the Outback" series. The biggest is in "granting" the Carlisles ownership of such a vast pastoral empire. That is stuff of the past, when pioneering risk-takers made speculative grabs of huge acreages of wilderness country and created dynasties.   Today the biggest cattle operations are company owned. AACo, Australia's biggest beef company, operates 24 cattle stations on 7.9 million hectares (about the same area as the state of South Carolina) and owns more than half a million cattle. Consolidated Pastoral owns 17 properties totaling 5 million hectares (that's Maryland plus Massachusetts.)

I have a few things to share about this book, the second of my Princes of The Outback series. The first is about the origins of my heroine, Catriona McConnell. Cat first appeared in my second attempt at a romance novel, the first that I call completed. That book, For Love or Money, won the Emma Darcy Award in 1996, which surprised the heck out of me. Let me backtrack a moment to tell you about the EDA…

I am feeling quite nostalgic writing about it, probably because the very last winner was announced last weekend and the contest is no more. What is/was the EDA? A contest run by Romance Writers of Australia, sponsored by the wonderful Emma Darcy, for a full romance manuscript written by an unpublished writer. The readers judged the entries as a whole book, as opposed to most contests for unpublished writers, which are judged on 50 pages or less. So you can imagine the boost winning this award gave me, a raw and insecure newcomer, even after the book was finally rejected by Mills and Boon.

Even though it was rejected I kept that manuscript on my computer. Some day, I thought, I would have the skills to work it into a publishable story. A year or two back I read For Love or Money again and knew it would never fly. The story of a gutsy gal battling to save her family farm from the enigmatic banker hero felt tired, old-fashioned, done to death. Plus, the hero really was a cold fish (what did Cat see in him???)

But, for all that, I liked Cat a lot. She deserved her own story; she deserved a happy ending (with a much nicer guy!) So, when I was brainstorming Rafe's story for PRINCES OF THE OUTBACK, when I was looking for the perfect, no-nonsense woman to test his failsafe charm, I thought of Cat. I had to change a few things, but she is essentially the same woman.

So, I had my lead characters - Rafe Carlisle, all sexy confidence and charm; and Cat McConnell, all practical bluff and bravado - meet at Cat's outback property when his plane is forced to land in a storm. I wanted to include a scene from For Love or Money with puppies and a wet shirt that had to come off. Unfortunately, the scene didn't fit although I did include the puppies.

Circumstances lead Rafe and Cat to Las Vegas, home of fabulous hotels, casinos and wedding chapels, all of which feature in the book. But the Vegas scene I loved including is away from the bright lights of The Strip. It's a crucial scene, a turning point, where Rafe shows a more caring side and a deeper understanding of Cat… even while he's plotting his next move.

In 2002 I visited Vegas, briefly, with fellow Australian author, Fiona McArthur. We hired a Mustang convertible (not a Jag like Rafe, because we had a budget) and drove out into the countryside with the top down and I had to include this Vegas experience in a book. The Rich Stranger is it!

The Bought-And-Paid-For Wife is part of an editor-conceived continuity series titled Secret Lives of Society Wives. This means that the editor(s) overseeing the series came up with the story idea, the setting, the characters, their conflict and shared history, and a short synopsis of how my story should play out. This may sound as though I had little input into the book, but that's not the entire picture. There was still scope to develop the characters' backstories and personalities, and to find the best scenes through which to tell their story.

The Secret Lives of Society Wives mini-series is set in a posh Connecticut community, and I must say it was a ton of fun researching my heroine's home and creating detail for the society wedding of Emma and Garrett (from Jennifer Greene's book, The Soon-To-Be-Disinherited Wife) celebrated at the exclusive Eastwick Country Club. I also needed a temporary home for my hero and invented the Hotel Marabella, setting for several key scenes, nestled close to the water of Long Island Sound. Then there's the charity benefit polo match, which I could easily have extended into a book of its own. Loved, loved, loved the research on that one!

But the tastiest ingredient I brought to this book was my hero. Although Tristan Thorpe was born in Connecticut, he lived his teenage and adult life in Australia. He has the accent, he has the attitude, and to top it all off nicely I gave him a background as a former professional footballer. We're talking Australian football, a sport populated by tall, well-built, rugged, athletic men in short shorts and sleeveless jumpers (see picture.) There is a lot to like about Australian football, including those biceps!

Aesthetics aside, I fell in love with the poignancy of an adolescent ripped from his homeland and transplanted into a strange country during his most vulnerable formative years. I saw Tristan not only striving to fit in, but determined to better the locals at their own game. He developed into a star player--I imagined headlines making much of his American upbringing, although Tristan sees himself as undeniably Aussie. His success transferred to the business world and in The Bought-And-Paid-For Wife he returns to his birthplace of Eastwick, Connecticut, as a self-made millionaire.

And there, in the home where he spent the first 12 years of his life, he meets his feisty adversary for the first time. Her name is Vanessa and she is his father's beautiful and much-younger widow. Let the fireworks begin!

The story behind the January-June 2008 continuity series from Silhouette Desire.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 Radley

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.

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.

Back in Fortune's Bed is the second book in the latest continuity series from Silhouette Desire, The Dakota Fortunes. This is another branch of the family featured in The Fortunes of Texas, a popular and long-running series which even spawned an Australian branch of the family. More on that later, as Max Fortune from Back in Fortune's Bed IS one of those Aussie cousins.

This series is set in South Dakota--Sioux Falls to be precise--where the grandfather of Nash Fortune struck oil and started the family fortune (if you'll excuse the pun!)  Nash is the patriarch of the Dakota Fortunes series, and the continuity thread that runs through all the books relates to his third wife, Patricia, and mysterious goings-on in their marriage.

The six-book series comprises:

#1   Jan 07   Merger of Fortunes - Peggy Moreland

#2   Feb 07   Back in Fortune's Bed - Bronwyn Jameson

#3   Mch 07  Fortune's Vengeful Groom - Charlene Sands

#4   Apr 07   Mistress of Fortune - Kathie DeNosky

#5   May 07  Expecting A Fortune - Jan Colley

#6   Jun 07   Fortune's Forbidden Woman - Heidi Betts

The Dakota Fortunes series focuses heavily on each couple's romance, so each story can be read independently.  Hopefully, though, you will want to read them all and follow what happens along Nash and Patricia's rocky matrimonial road.  Books 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 feature Nash's 5 children from 2 prior marriages.  My book is about Max Fortune, their Aussie cousin (several times removed), who is visiting for the first time and using their Sioux Falls estate as his base on an American business trip.

His business, in this instance, is horses.  Max and his good friend and business partner, Zack Manning (book #5), are starting up a thoroughbred stud farm and they've come to America to study the business and to buy stock. This allowed me some fun times in research, over and above what I needed to learn about South Dakota in winter.

As a February book, I also got to play with Valentine's Day and the concept of the perfect gift. Who is the lucky recipient of Max's gift-buying campaign? An old flame named Diana Fielding, who is booked to photograph his first purchase, a dazzling mare named Bootylicious.  Many moons ago I worked on a rural newspaper and spent some time pointing my camera at livestock, but with the advent of digital photography the world has turned.

Thanks to Laurie at Sunflower Photography, I updated my knowledge of equine photography and hope I have done her lessons justice.  I also spent many, many hours researching Sioux Falls and snow (thank you, Heather!) and stud farms around Lexington KY, where Max takes an overnight trip to seal a deal.  Diana goes along for the ride. Add a snowstorm, closed airports, delayed flights, and we get to the book's title. Back in Fortune's Bed.

If you've followed the Fortunes of Texas series, then you might be wondering how Max fits into the family tree. As mentioned earlier, he is one of the Aussie cousins and his siblings-- the children of Teddy Fortune - appeared in an earlier series.  You may have already read about some of them:

Before I began writing Vows & A Vengeful Groom, a series "bible" was put together containing all the background and shared information as well as detailed synopses of all six books. This opening to my synopsis includes character sketches and the backstory leading up to page one.

Premise: The disappearance of Howard Blackstone's chartered jet forces the return of his estranged daughter Kimberley to the family's billion-dollar business. Working with her ex-husband, Blackstone Diamonds' CEO, Ric Perrini, strikes powerful sparks of desire and conflict. Ric wants her back as his wife but can she trust his motives second time around? Does he want Kimberley...or does he want the boardroom benefits of a Blackstone bride?

Setting: Sydney, Australia

Timeframe: One month, January (mid-summer)

Character Summaries:

Kimberley (Kim) Blackstone, 32, elder of Ursula (d) and Howard's 2 surviving children. Green eyes, long dark hair. Her looks are strong and dramatic rather than classically beautiful. Divorced from Ric Perrini and estranged from her family, she is devoted to her career as a gem buyer and jewellery appraiser for House of Hammond in Auckland, NZ. Passionate and intense, unafraid to speak her mind, Kim appears confident because she is adept at hiding her vulnerabilities.

Ric Perrini, 38, 6'1", with a broad-shouldered, lean-hipped build. No family since his single mother's death. Blue eyes, thick black hair, could be a GQ cover model. Appreciates the luxuries he didn't have growing up but he's not all designer suits and smooth style. In business he is tough but fair and respected by colleagues and competitors alike. Earned his position as head of Blackstone Diamonds' mining division through hard work, ruthless ambition and a razor-sharp brain, not by marrying the boss's daughter.

Backstory:

Ric Perrini is close-mouthed about his background. Most people assume he doesn't have any family since his single mother (Allegra) died when he was a teenager. He supported them both for years without the help of the wealthy Italian family that cut Allegra off when she fell pregnant, finding innovative ways to make money while still excelling at school. He won a scholarship to an elite Perth private school and although he had to work harder for recognition above his smart AND rich AND connected classmates, those same boys gave him an insight into the world he vowed to conquer.

After working his way through a business degree, Ric was recruited by Blackstone Diamonds. Howard Blackstone took a keen interest in the ambitious young man; he liked his ruthless drive and aura of confidence, and earmarked him for executive advancement. Ric rewarded his mentor's faith in him by working even harder.

As a young child Kimberley Blackstone garnered more attention from her nanny and her aunt Sonya than either parent. Shattered by the abduction and disappearance of her first-born son, her mother sunk into a depression that ended in suicide; her father buried his grief in work. Kimberley learned that the only way to win Howard's favour was through his beloved business, and at an early age she set her sights on a future working beside him at Blackstone Diamonds.

After working with Europe's best cutters and jewellers, Kim returned to Australia with a plan to sell Blackstone diamond jewellery through their own chain of boutiques. Howard wasn't keen on the idea but she found an unexpected ally in Ric Perrini. Until then she had remained wary of the charismatic marketing executive who had forged a strong relationship with her father. Kim's mistrust of Perrini was shared by her brother Ryan. He believed Howard saw Ric as a surrogate for his abducted elder son, James.

Ric had wanted Kimberley from the first moment he saw her, but he didn't support her project to get her into bed. That was going to happen anyway. He believed in her passion and vision for Blackstone Jewellery and helped her put together a business plan that wowed Howard and the Board of Directors. After a celebratory dinner she finally asked to see his home and they became lovers.

When Howard learned of their affair, he hauled Ric into his office. "If you want to bed my daughter," he seethed, "you can damn-well marry her!" Ric called his bluff by marrying Kim in a spur-of-the-moment Vegas ceremony, and he returned from the honeymoon prepared to start job hunting. Instead of sacking his new son-in-law, Howard promoted him to head the new jewellery division. As well as a generous share and salary package, the contract included incentives on the birth of each grandchild.

Kimberley was appalled that Ric would accept such terms and incensed at losing the job she believed should have been hers. Ric disagreed. At 22, he argued, she lacked experience and the necessary management skills. Their quarrel escalated into dangerous territory when Kim accused him of marrying her to "become a Blackstone." Ric had worked hard to show he was as good as the Blackstones of the world. He'd done that and more; he deserved this position and all its perks and he didn't give an inch in their incendiary battle of words. He even made the mistake of admitting he wanted a wife who would bear him a stack of children and who would be at home as their primary care-giver. Kimberley said she couldn't be that wife; that their marriage was a mistake in all ways; before walking out on him.

Unable to reconcile herself with either Ric or her father's actions, Kim resigned from Blackstones. While overseas she had met her adoptive cousin Matt Hammond, who co-managed his family's Auckland (NZ) antique and fine jewellery business with his father Oliver. Knowing of the bad blood between Howard and Oliver didn't faze Kimberley. She needed a job that valued her skills and where she could prove her industry nous, and Matt was happy to offer her such a position at House of Hammond.

Ric gave his volatile wife time to cool down before pursuing her. Except she hadn't cooled down nearly enough and more heated words in the Hammond workroom caused Matt to intercede. Digging for reasons why she wouldn't return to him, Ric accused them of being more than work colleagues. Matt took offence and the men would have come to blows if Kimberley hadn't pulled them apart. When she sided with Matt, her hand on his arm as she told Ric where to take his dirty-minded insinuations -- "Matt is my cousin, for God's sake!" -- Ric left without another word. Pride would not allow him to chase her again and a year later their short marriage was officially dissolved.

Over the next 10 years Kimberley poured everything into her work and became Matt's "right-hand man" as well as a close friend. She hasn't spoken to Ric since their divorce or reconciled with her father, despite several attempts to lure her back to Blackstone's. The latest, delivered by Howard himself in November 07, ended with Kim telling Howard she would only return to Blackstone Diamonds "over your dead body." Howard retaliated by threatening to disinherit her. Fuming from the exchange, Howard almost bowled over Matt Hammond on his way out and flung a final "you will pay for this" vow at Matt.

That brings us to the point in Ric and Kimberley's life where the story begins. It's January 2, 2008. Kimberley is preparing to return to New Zealand from her annual escape-the-Christmas-festivities holiday. Ric has flown to the Blackstone diamond mine in outback Australia. And Howard Blackstone is about to leave Sydney in a charter jet, en route to Auckland and the opening of the latest in Blackstone's chain of high-end jewellery boutiques.

Vows & A Vengeful Groom begins the next day.