Today I'd like to welcome Harlequin Romance author Jennifer Faye to my blog.
Congratulations on your new release, SNOWBOUND WITH THE SOLDIER, Jennifer. Over to you!
Available
at:
1) Have you always been a
writer?
I started writing as a little kid. I can remember asking Santa Claus for a
typewriter. And he brought it. It had a grey case and white keys. And don’t
remind me how old that makes me that they still had typewriters back then. LOL.
Then in elementary school I would write short stories to pass around the lunch
table. So off and on throughout my life, I was writing this or that. It wasn’t
until I was a teenager and read my first Harlequin that I knew what I wanted to
do when I grew up. Hmm…does this mean I’m grown up now? ;-)
2) Do you have a particular writing
process?
Yes, I do. It’s my process and I’ve
learned to value it as it gets me from start to finish.
Here’s an overview:
1.
write the complete
synopsis
2.
wait for editor
feedback
3.
implement editor’s comments
4.
set up an Excel
spreadsheet to keep track of my progress and ensure I’ll meet my deadline
5.
start writing/researching
details
6.
keep writing…ignore
the doubt crows that always circle and tell me that it is rubbish. By the time
I type “The End” and reread it won’t sound as awful as I’m imagining. ;-)
3) Is there a particular book or an
author that has influenced you in your writing?
This is a tough question. Way back when
I got the burning desire to write romances it was due to Harlequin paperbacks,
Kathleen Woodiwiss, Danielle Steele and Johanna Lindsey. Those women would keep
me up most of the night with a flash light in one hand and a book in the other,
hoping I’d never reach the end because it was sooo good.
4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with
you, or that you would like to share?
There was a
piece of advice that I got and learned was wrong…There are rules to writing
fiction.
I’m not talking
about the mechanics of grammar. Yes, sometimes a writer will break a
grammatical rule for dramatic purposes. But you need to know the rules of
grammar before breaking them. ;-)
The rules I’m
talking about involve the craft of storytelling. To use a prologue or not to.
To write 1st person or 3rd person. To always start with
the heroine’s POV. And the list goes on.
My advice is go
with your gut. If it feels right, run with it. Your editor will tell you if
you’ve run amuck. ;-)
5) Can you tell us three things about
yourself that we probably don’t already know?
1. I
love pizza. It should be calorie-free so I can eat it every day. ;-)
2. My guilty pleasure is watching Y&R (Young
& the Restless) while eating lunch
3. I have more hobbies than I have time in the
day. If only I could squeeze a couple more hours.
6) Congratulations on your
release of SNOWBOUND WITH THE
SOLDIER. Where did the idea come from?
This is really sad to admit, but I don’t
actually remember what sparked the first idea for SNOWBOUND WITH THE SOLDIER. I
just knew I wanted to write a Christmas story. The idea grew from there. I
entered the original version in the Mills & Boon New Voices entry in which
I won an editor’s critique on the opening chapter. Talk about being over the
moon. I took that feedback and reworked the story. I then entered it in
Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2011 Contest where it made a Top Five
Finalist, and I had a M&B editor to work on it with me. So as you can tell
it’s been around for a while. But those characters really wanted their HEA and
I was determined that they would have it. ;-)
Maybe this Christmas…?
It has been
seven long years since Kara Jameson last saw Jason Greene. Returning home as a
wounded war hero, Jason looks a shell of the man she once knew. Yet her heart
still skips a beat as if it was yesterday….
Stepping back
into civilian life, Jason looks to Kara for help. But there's too much water
under the bridge—not to mention too much lingering attraction.
But it seems
that the mountain weather has other ideas, and when Kara and Jason end up
snowbound together they are forced to confront the ghosts of Christmas past.
7) Do you have a
favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to
tantalise us with?
Kara and Jason
are seeking shelter from a harrowing snowstorm at a mountain cabin. Kara is
desperately trying to think up an alternative to staying alone with Jason, but
she can’t think of any…
“What
about the military? Didn’t they do anything for the holidays?”
He
paused by the front door. His back went ramrod straight.
“I
always opted to be on duty,” he said, his tone clipped.
“You’re
home now. Time to start over. A chance for new beginnings…” Her voice trailed
off. She didn’t want him to misconstrue her words—to think she wanted them to
have a new beginning. “You should try joining in the fun. After all, it’s the
most joyous time of the year.”
Kara
forced a smile. She couldn’t believe she was trying to talk him into
celebrating the exact same holiday in which he’d broken her heart. If he wanted
to be an old, cranky Scrooge, why should she care?
Jason
didn’t say anything as he opened the door and stepped aside, allowing her to
enter. In the narrow opening her arm brushed against him, and even through the
layers of clothing, an electrical current zinged up her arm, warming a spot in
her chest.
Staying
here wasn’t a good idea.
Being
alone with her new boss was an even poorer idea.
This
whole situation constituted the worst idea…ever.
8) What can we expect from
you next? Is there something you are working on right now?
My next release will be out in March 2014, SAFE IN THE TYCOON’S ARMS. It is
something different for me as there isn’t sexy cowboy anywhere in sight or a
small town. This story takes place in New York City. And the hero, Lucas, is a
rich businessman that can fill out a suit in all of the right places…And did I
mention he was recently named Bachelor-Of-The-Year? Can you say hot? ;-)
9) Plotter or pantser?
I started off being a pantser. But I ended up having to do way too many rounds
of revisions. I knew there had to be something better…something more efficient.
I just had too many stories to tell and not enough time. Through observation
and trial and error, I became a plotter/pantser hybrid. And I love it. :-)
10) Digital books or print books?
Both. I love print books. After staring at a computer monitor all day, I like
to settle down with a print book. I love the feel, the smell, everything about
it.
But these days there are sooo many wonderful books that only come via
digital format. I don’t want to miss them. So I read both. Although between you and me, I
still don’t have an ereader. I do my reading on my computer. So guess what is
going to be on Santa’s list this year?
CHECK OUT JENNIFER'S BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY HERE.
Author Bio
Jennifer Faye is a
two-time RT Book Reviews TOP PICK author. Maybe that’s partly due to the fact
that she has spent most of her life with her nose in one book or another. It
was only natural that she dreamed of becoming a romance writer and spinning the
tales of the imaginary people running around in her mind. But first life took
her on a couple of detours. Refusing to give up on her dreams, she finally
succeeded in getting her name on a book cover. She currently resides in
Pennsylvania with her very, very patient husband, one amazing daughter (the
other remarkable daughter has flown the coop to chase her own dreams) and two
spoiled rotten cats. When she’s not glued to her laptop writing another
contemporary romance (which isn’t often) or enjoying some family time, she
loves to get lost in a good book, cross-stitch, embroider, quilt, knit, watch
hockey (go Pittsburgh Penguins!), and garden. Jennifer loves to hear from
readers--you can contact her via her website.
Author Links
Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Google+ / Tumblr
