Caught

“What is of greatest importance is to hold a moment, to record it so completely that those who see it will relive an equivalent of what has been expressed.” Alfred Stieglitz, 1922. "Winter-Fifth Avenue" - Legend has it that in 1893, Alfred stood on the sidewalk for hours taking photos and then for years after he created a lot of different variations using different developing techniques.

I loved the shapes, textures and colours in the rocks. Sydney sandstone is a fantastic medium for wind sculpture!

Cover done by Mara McKenna for Dreamspinner Press

Almost immediately he dropped my hand and headed off, grunting something that sounded a bit like “Tailor.” Even after he let go, my skin still tingled. “What did you say?” I called out. Then I had to run to catch up, as he was already way ahead of me again. He didn’t stop until he stepped up onto the foot-high rim of a circular concrete structure.

The day I visited the Gap a busload of tourists helpfully turned up to give me a typical example of how conservatively dressed they were. Little did they know they would inspire a prominent aspect of my book. Lol.

Had to include this! I was thrilled (and surprised) when "Caught" placed equal third in the 2011 Rainbow Awards for Best Contemporary Gay Romance. Because it's a judged competition (not popularity) that meant a lot to me. It may not be a best seller, but it's still getting good response on Goodreads.

The funny thing about putting Danny into a red cheongsam is that twelve months after the book's release I went to the eighteenth birthday party of the daughter of a friend and three guys turned up wearing them for laughs!

Another of the photos I described Danny taking.

I loved the way alignment of the cover title echoed the theme of the book.

I'd needed something for my characters to talk about and came up with the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. A man who is often credited with being one of the main people to establish photography as an art form. Books of his work sell in the range of three to four thousand dollars, so I thought it would be a suitable drawcard for Danny to get to know Taylor better.

As preparation for writing the book which is set up at Watson's Bay and The Gap in Sydney, one bright sunny day, I took my camera and set out to see what my protagonists would see. I loved this shot I took of the lighthouse. And the fence surrounding it offered up other possibilities for a scene.

More photos that I took that day that managed to work their way into the text.

A couple of people were taking photos taking advantage of the late afternoon lighting, so I just had to add that concept! To me, that's what I love about writing, drawing on real life.