Featured Interview With Jo-Anne Duffett
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a naturalized Capetonian having lived here longer than anywhere else, but I grew up in Johannesburg and spent my early teens in the Amazon where my parents were medical missionaries. I am married for 18 years. We have a tank full of tropical fish and feed the wild birds but regularly have to chase the guineafowl out as they scratch up the garden. No lion’s do not roam the streets in Africa, but we are blessed with many national parks where you can find them and the elusive leopard. I love travel, running and photography. You will find photos of RSA and my travels on SmugMug.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a kid I mostly read non-fiction to satisfy my insatiable curiosity. It was only after I finished my masters degree that I discovered the joy of fiction and then I was hooked. I read copiously. I have published a number of scientific articles in the field of sports medicine, but Surf n Turf is my first fiction work.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love historical romances to escape. No cars, no phones and lots of horses is the best. Jane Austen is my all time favourite but I also enjoy Georgette Heyer, Barbara Cartland for a quick read, and Julia Quinn, Erica Ridley, Glynnis Campbell and Bree Wolf.
In other genres, I love James Herriot and Gerald Durrell; if you want to laugh till your sides hurt read “Rosy is a relative.” For mystery Ellis Peters and for classic Sci Fi cum Fantasy Edgar Rice Burroughs. There are so many amazing authors past and present.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Surf n Turf is set in South Africa between Cape Town (surf) and the Karoo (turf). London born Sarah’s mother was from the Karoo but she never visited it while her mom lived. She is feeling confused by a hasty marriage proposal from her boyfriend who works for her dad and is desperate for a friendly neutral viewpoint, but her best friend hates Blakes guts.
The girls holiday in Cape Town and Sarah sets off by bicycle to find her heritage and her heart. It’s 600km to the place she thinks her mom came from. As she peddles along she keeps thinking about a surfer she saw in Cape Town but did not even talk to. This frustrates her no end.
She is nearly at her destination when disaster strikes and Sarah loses her memory as well as identification documents. She is rescued by a handsome sheep farmer Luan (pronounced Loo-Ahn) who seems to be haunted with pain.
If you love sweet, clean romances with a HEA this is for you.
The karoo is a large arid region in South Africa’s interior and provides the tastiest mutton in the world! At the time of writing, my sister owned a sheep farm in the klein-karoo.
Working full time as a medical doctor means I get very little time to write, sometimes just a sentence or a paragraph at a time. That said my work is my inspiration.
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