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URL:
www.jacquelinegeorgewriter.com
Contact:
jacquelinegeorge@westnet.com.au
ABOUT JACQUELINE
Jacqueline lives in
the far north of Queensland, Australia, on the shores of the
Coral Sea. She has a house built for the tropical climate—on
tall stilts and with walls that open to let the breeze blow
through.
She settled in Australia after living with her husband
in many countries and cultures, and her travels have given
her a fund of stories and locations she uses in her stories.
We do not know exactly how far her stories come from her
imagination, and how much from experience. She will not tell
us but if you visit her website and ask nicely, she might
tell you.
Jacqueline writes romantic stories because she is an
unrepentant romantic at heart. In a world that is drowning
in poverty and violence, she tries to hold up a cheerful
light and make everyone’s life a little happier. That is a
big job, but it is fun to make the attempt and, who knows,
it might just work.
When she is not writing, she is kept busy by her garden
which is still maturing. Right now her coconut trees look
young and scrappy, but come back in five years and they will
be towering over the house. And what could be more romantic
than a coconut palm?
INTERVIEW
Q: I’ve always longed to visit your country. Please tell
us what it’s like to live on the shores of the Coral Sea in Far
North Queensland?
A: Warm, of course! When my husband, left the oil industry we
looked for somewhere with coconut palms (meaning it is never too
cold); somewhere in the country but not too far from
civilization; and somewhere small but big enough. Cooktown is
wonderful—1500 souls and big enough for a mini-mart, 3 pubs and
a library. We have bush on one side and a warm sea on the other.
And the nearest traffic signals (traffic lights in Aussie) are
more than 200 miles away. Lots of wildlife with kangaroos in the
garden most days. Lots of snakes, but we don’t see them too
often. The crocodiles are a BIG negative, meaning you can’t swim
in the rivers at all, and you need to be careful on the beach as
well. The Great Barrier Reef is only 20 minutes away by boat and
that is one of the places you must see before you die.
Q: What are the different countries you visited? What were
the new favorite foods you found while traveling?
A: If you travel and stay in international hotels, the food is
pretty standard. Not too much concession to country, although
pork is taboo in some places. As I was normally living with the
locals, I got a chance to try lots of things. Overall, I die for
the various spicy foods of Malaysia and Indonesia, but most
places have some interesting things. Cous-cous in North Africa,
viande fumee in Montreal, meze in Mediterranean Turkey, the
wines and cheeses in France, huevos rancheros in a farmers’
diner in rural Texas. You’re making me feel hungry! And the
worst food? Sorry, but country Australia wins hands down. Our
idea of a good meal is a factory made pie and a can of coke.
Q: What is your typical day like?
A: As for everyone, I have the normal amount of house managing
to do. Except ironing. Ironing is just masochism in a climate
where everything is moist and limp as soon as you put it on.
Once that is done, I can write.
When I need a break, I find time to ride my push bike over the
hill into the village several times a week. We have an open air
cafe at the mouth of the Endeavour River that does the most
wonderful iced coffee. It also acts as an informal meeting place
for lazy locals like me, especially at the time of year when it
is too hot for tourists.
In Cooktown we are at the end of the road, literally,
and everyone turns their hand to whatever is necessary. We
finished building our house a year ago. It's a very open
building on tall stilts and surrounded by nascent coconut palms.
The centre of the house is a our living area, and it is
completely open to the weather from both sides (but we have foul
weather shutters). Although it is finished, there is still a lot
of work to be done, outside especially.
Q: What do you do to relax and find enjoyment when you’re
not writing?
A: The only club I’m a member of is the Hash House Harriers, and
they don’t have a membership. Every Monday evening, 20 or 30 of
us get together to go for a run (or walk if you prefer) on a
trail laid through the bush by a host. Then we go back to the
host’s house for beer and a feed. The Hash is an international
organization and we get frequent visitors from around the world.
It is also a good place to meet a wide range of folk you would
not normally come across.
Apart from that, we both enjoy riding our push bikes
and walking. We really enjoy visiting the bright lights
of Cairns every month or two, going to proper restaurants and
catching a film. And shopping, of course. But one or two nights
of city life is enough!
Read more about Jacqueline George
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