JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Elizabeth Dunk, author of Arranged to Love
(Escape Publishing)
Madhuri ‘Maddie’ Singh has always believed in both her Indian heritage and her talents as a journalist. Australian-raised, she still sees an arranged marriage as her future.
But then her past rears it’s incredibly attractive head in the form of Jack Faulkner at the very moment her parents find her the perfect prospective husband. Maddie believes it a simple clash of culture versus passion, but there’s more to the story and it will threaten everything she holds dear.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Arranged to Love?
Elizabeth Dunk: I worked as a journalist, so I always wanted to write a story about two journalists. My first job was at the newspaper in Nowra, so it became the fictionalised setting of “Arranged to Love”.
But the idea wasn’t really popping until, in another career (this time working in a supermarket to support my writing) I met an Indian girl who had come to Australia in an arranged marriage. That idea exploded against my journalists-in-love story and became “Arranged to Love”.
JP: What sets Arranged to Love apart from other books in the same genre?
ED: The cross-cultural love affair, set in a small town in Australia, gives it a wonderful colour and the secondary characters are great fun.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Arranged to Love getting out to the public?
ED: Persistence – never giving up
Flexibility – being willing to try new genres and ideas (My first publication was in urban fantasy.)
Discipline – putting bum in seat and writing, even when I don’t want too
Love – love what you’re writing, believe in it and that will flow out onto the page
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Arranged to Love?
ED: I wrote “Arranged to Love” during the fabulous 2 years I had at home writing full time (thank you to my fabulous husband, boo to his stroke which ended it all and sent me back to work).
I did something with this book I’d never done before – I planned it out. Then I took part in the Romance Writers’ of Australia’s 50 k in 30 days challenge (held every June) and finished the entire first draft in four weeks. It only required a couple of short revisions to get “Arranged to Love” ready for publication. Since then, all my romances have been planned before writing.
JP: What’s next for Elizabeth Dunk?
ED: I’m currently revising a science fiction romance that I’m planning to submit later this year. I’m working on a series of paranormal erotica novellas that I’ve tentatively sold to a publisher, and I’m writing short stories as well, mainly straight science fiction/fantasy/horror under my other name, Nicole Murphy. So I’m keeping out of mischief. 🙂
http://facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Murphy-Author/192384784129593?ref=hl
http://twitter.com/elizabeth_dunk
http://twitter.com/nicole_r_murphy
“There’s a new Elizabeth Dunk contemporary romance coming out August 1, so if you like “Arranged to Love”, make sure you grab a copy of “The Lies We Tell!” ~ Elizabeth Dunk
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Hi Joey, I ‘know’ you from the IAI compilations. Great interview!
And Nicole, I haven’t read any of your novels (yet) but really enjoyed the In-fabula Divino anthology 😀
I write mostly Asian fiction, so am always excited to see books or stories by other indie authors with Asian/multicultural themes. I’ve had ‘Arranged to Love’ on my wishlist for ages….must go grab a copy while it’s fresh in my mind to read it! Will check out the new book too, of course 🙂
Hello, Kelly. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.
Hi Kelly
So glad you enjoyed the anthology – that was a real labour of love for me and I hope to do it again one day.
There’s a couple of books in the Escape Publishing range that deal with Asian/multicultural themes – well worth checking out.
Nicole
Thanks Nicole, will check out Escape too.
Good luck with the new release!