Details
Author name: Jane Smith
Book title: Three Times Buried
Genre: Historical fiction
Launch date: 16.03.2024
Website: Jane Smith
Buy links
Summary
As flies the shadow, so does life. In Scotland, 1826, Meggy McKessar comes to live and work at John Lovie’s Aberdeenshire farm. John’s widowed mother is warned Meggy will bring trouble, but she refuses to listen; all she wants is to for the rumours about John’s sordid past to be forgotten forever. But when a sudden death casts suspicion on the widow’s favourite son, the life she has so desperately tried to preserve threatens to fall apart.
Based on a sensational true crime, Three Times Buried is a sinister tale of torn loyalties, secrets, superstition and murder.
Let's talk about it
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I spent a large part of my childhood up in the branches of an African tulip tree in our front yard.
Why did you choose the themes in your book and were you aware of them from the start?
The book is based on a true crime that took place in early 19th-century Scotland. The accused murderer was an ancestor of my husband’s, who my brother-in-law discovered in the course of his family history research. The court case was so notorious in its day that a folk song was written about it!
How difficult was it for you to write this book? Did you face any obstacles?
Because my story is closely based on a historical Scottish crime, I planned, booked and paid for a research trip to Scotland in 2020. Then Covid-19 put an end to that plan. I had to conduct the research remotely, which meant lots of emails and phone calls at odd hours.
Do you always write in this genre or do you like to break out of the box?
So far all of my books have had history at the core – some fiction, some narrative non-fiction, and some straight non-fiction. Some are for children and some for adults. But that’s not to say I won’t write something that’s not historical one day!
What are your writing habits or idiosyncrasies?
Mornings are for admin and technical work; my creative brain doesn’t kick in until later in the day. Other than that, I don’t have a routine. I write whenever I can squeeze it in around work. A mid-morning coffee is the only essential.
What would you do differently next time?
I would get started a year earlier and get my research in before the pandemic!
With hindsight, what would you say to yourself as a fledgling writer?
Marry someone who is into marketing :). But more seriously: attend more sessions on the craft of writing right from the start.
If you worked with a professional editor, what was the experience like?
All my experiences of working with editors have been very positive.
What’s next for your writing?
My next book will be a biography of Hannah Rigby, the only female convict to stay in Moreton Bay when the penal settlement closed. I have a Visiting Fellowship with the Harry Gentle Resource Centre (Griffith University) to research and write Hannah’s story.
Author Bio
Jane Smith is a QLD author, librarian/archivist and freelance book editor who loves bringing history to life. She has written more than 20 books, fiction and non-fiction, for all ages. Four of her books have been short- or long-listed for significant literary awards. Most recently, her non-fiction ‘Ship of Death’ came third in the 2021 Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Book prize. Jane is writing her next book with the support of a Visiting Fellowship with the Harry Gentle Resource Centre (Griffith University).
