lukecj

I’ve just returned from overseas, and I’d have to say that the most amazing place I visited was Cuba. The scenery, the people, the music! I went there to research the location for a novel, and it was just the best place. I would recommend visiting Cuba (particularly Havana) to anyone; it’s incredibly safe, and a lot of fun. But bypass the hotels in favour of casas particulares, houses rented out, either officially or unofficially, by the Cuban people. This is a great way to meet locals, and at 25 dollars a night it’s incredibly affordable.

Having written the first novel of what could potentially be a series, I want to see what it would feel like to write a trilogy involving the same character. What would it be like to watch him/her grow? How much further could I develop the story and themes? Would my writing develop over the course of the project?

The first novel is a spy novle aimed at teens entitled ‘Sleeper’. It will be released by John Wiley and Sons Australia mid-2006. For more details on this novel, and possibly on the sequels, visit my website: www.lukecjackson.com

Midway through 2004, I was approached by a large Australian publishing company to write a mystery/suspense novel aimed at teenagers in the first or second year of high school. I began work on an idea I’d had while at uni a few years before, and wrote ‘The Unclaimed’ in around nine months. It was published in June 2005, received good reviews, and has been booklisted by a couple of inner-metropolitan schools here in Australia.

Having completed my second book for the same company, a horror novel entitled ‘Summer’s End’, I’ve just begun work on the third book, more of an action novel, which is set in India. As well as writing, I teach English Literature at an inner-city high school, and run writing workshops for aspiring writers. I just wanted to wish everyone on this forum luck with their work, and I’ll help out with advice etc. whenever I can.

If you’re interested in finding out more about my work, you can find me at www.lukecjackson.com

Luke.