I'm excited today to have multi-published romance author Jenna Jaxon as my guest. She agreed to answer some of my serious and a few of my fun questions.
Welcome Jenna!
1.
Can you tell us a
little bit about yourself?
I’ve been writing for a
little over four years now. I started
because I read an historical romance book and literally said, “I can write one
of those.” And sat down and did it. I published my first short story two years
ago, and to date have seven books out total.
2.
What do you do
when you are not writing?
I have a day
job--I teach theatre at a local liberal arts college. So I spend a lot of time directing
plays. And then there’s reading, movies,
some TV. But mostly I just write.
3.
When did you first
start writing and when did you finish your first book? I started writing in January 2009.
I had recently gone gluten-free and suddenly I got a huge burst of
energy and creativity. No other creative
outlet was availble, so I sat down to write a romance novel, set in my favorite
time period--the middle ages. It took me
six months--I wrote “The End” at 11:38 on July 28 2009. It was complete at 187,000 words.
4.
Where do you get
your ideas?
A lot of my
ideas come from songs on the radio. Katy
Perry’s Last Friday Night inspired my erotic novella 7 Days of Seduction; I
have a wonderful contemporary novella I’m plotting out based on listening to
Maroon 5’s Daylight. I have two Regency
novels I’m plotting based on songs from Les Miserables. And sometimes my characters just come up and
start whispering in my ear. The Marquess
of Dalbury did that to start me writing Only Scandal Will Do.
5.
Do you ever
experience writer’s block? I say not,
but with me I think it’s just a matter of knowing when I’m ready to write. I’ve never sat down an not been able to
write, but if I don’t feel it’s right, I procrastinate. Kind of like winding up my spring until it’s
tight enough, then I can let ‘er rip and make the keys sing.
6.
Do you work with an
outline, or just write? I have to have an outline. I figure out the plot, then write a detailed
outline chapter by chapter. Then I go
back and start filling in the narration and dialogue, writing the first
draft. I don’t always stick to the outline--I
let some things evolve--but I have to have the outline before I can begin.
7.
Is there any particular
author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? I give Kathleen Woodiwiss credit with inspiring me to write romance. Her book, Wolf and the Dove, was the first
romance novel I read and her final book, Everlasting, was the one that I read
before deciding to become a romance writer.
Both were set in the middle ages. J
8.
Have you written a book
you love that you have not been able to get published? My first book, Time Enough to Love, at 187K was pretty much unpublishable
as it was. Even with cutting it down to
160K, I was advised that it was too long.
I also had trepidations about some of the content as it breaks several
unwritten rules of romance. So, although
this book is the book of my heart, I didn’t think it would ever be
published. Then someone advised me to
chop it into three parts and publish them separately. Betrothal, which I just self-published on
April 19, is the first part of the Time Enough to Love Trilogy. So my dream is coming true!
9.
What was your favorite
chapter (or part) to write and why? My favorite part of Betrothal to write was Geoffrey and Alyse’s first
fight. I really liked the tension and the
inevitability of the fight. I also
learned a lot about Alyse during that scene.
It’s always fun to discover your characters.
10.
What project are
you working on now? I
am currently revising the second book of the trilogy: Betrayal.
I’m also finishing revisions to the second of my House of Pleasure
series, published by Lyrical Press, called Only Marriage Will Do. It should be off to my editor ASAP.
11.
Do you have any advice
to give to aspiring writers? What my mentor,
author Judy McCoy said to the day I first met her: You can fix crap; you can’t fix nothing. Keep writing, because as long as it’s
written, it can be fixed.
FUN QUESTIONS
1. Are
you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
Make your bed? Like with a hammer and
nails? LOL
2.Be
honest, how often do you wash your hair? Every other day. It’s dry.
3. Do
you get road rage? What pisses you off the most about other drivers? I get fussy at other drivers who go too slow
on the interstate or who take forever to make a turn because they come to a
complete halt before turning. Pet peeve.
4. Do
you go out of your way to kill bugs? Are there any that make you screech and
hide? Most things make me scream and run--from spiders to granddaddy longlegs
to mice and voles. But I hate to kill
anything. Except flies. I’m death to flies.
5 If
you were stranded on a deserted island with one of your characters, which one
would you want to be with? Why? I would most want to be with Geoffrey
Longford from Betrothal/Time Enough to Love.
He’s always been my perfect hero of mine. I would least want to be with Viscount
Phillippe de Valere from Only Marriage Will Do, who is the blackest villain
I’ve ever penned. He’s cruel and vindictive.
6. Do you go outside without make-up?
Or to you put on full make-up to go to the grocery store?
I haven’t worn make-up
in probably six months. I’d rather write
than put on make-up. I will take the
time, however, when I’m in Atlanta
7. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Because I don’t wear make-up, it only takes me 15-20 minutes
8. What’s your favorite dessert? Apple bourbon bread pudding (but I can’t eat it any
more); of the ones I can eat, Mexican flan.
9. If your latest release was made into a movie,
who would you cast in the lead roles?
Clive Owen as Geoffrey, and Jemima West.
10. Are you a reality show fan? The only reality shows I watch with any
regularity are
Project Runway and Pawn Stars. Mostly I cannot stand them. I want a plot! LOL
Blurb for Betrothal:
Lady Alyse de Courcy has
fallen in love with Lord Braeton, a nobleman in King Edward III’s court and a
man to whom she has barely spoken. Fate, however, has decreed her betrothal to
his best friend, Sir Geoffrey Longford—a handsome and imposing knight, yet
hardly the man she wants to wed.
When Sir Geoffrey is bound in
betrothal by his father, he could not have expected the beautiful stranger to
win his heart the moment they meet. Nevertheless, the fascinating Lady Alyse
has done exactly that, and his feelings for her only grow as he learns more of
her gentle yet spirited nature. But Alyse’s infatuation with his friend casts
doubt on whether she can ever return his regard and their wedding day is fast
approaching…
Will he have time enough to
win her love?
Excerpt for Betrothal:
“What do you require of me, Majesty?” Her mouth so dry she
could taste sand, Alyse fought to speak in a normal tone. With a sigh of
relief, she dropped into a deep curtsy, hiding her face in the folds of her skirt.
If only she could remain bowed thus before His Majesty for the remainder of the
evening.
King Edward laughed. “Obedience, Lady Alyse, as I require of
all my subjects. As your father requires of his daughter.”
Her heart thumped wildly in her breast. That could mean but
one thing.
“Rise, my lady.”
She did so on unsteady feet. “I am ready, as always, Your
Majesty, to obey my father as I would you.”
Holy Mary, let it be
Lord Braeton.
King Edward lifted an eyebrow toward Alyse. “A very pretty
answer, my lady. And are you ready to accept your father’s decree for your
betrothal? His messenger has today reached me with the contract, as I am to
stand in his stead in this matter.”
Alyse took a deep breath and hoped her voice did not
tremble. “Yea, Majesty, I will obey my father.”
King Edward nodded and leaned over to whisper something to
Queen Phillipa, who sat beside him, heavy with their twelfth child.
Mere seconds before she learned her fate. She could scarce
affect an indifferent pose before the court when inside every inch of her
quivered with anticipation of the name. His
name, pray God, on the king’s lips.
Thomas.
In her mind, she heard the word.
The king straightened, glanced at her then at the man by her
side.
“What say you then, Sir Geoffrey? Does the lady not speak
fair? I vow she will make you a proper wife and a dutiful one as well.”
Alyse turned, until that moment unaware that Geoffrey
Longford stood beside her. Chills coursed down her body as the king’s words
echoed in her mind. The sensation of falling backward assailed her, as though
she rushed away from the tall man at her side even as his figure loomed larger
and larger in her sight.
Not Lord Braeton.
Her numbed brain repeated the phrase, trying to comprehend
that instead he would be her husband.
Geoffrey Longford.
God have mercy on me,
for by the look of him, this man will not.
Fearful, she cringed as her gaze climbed higher, over his
chest, over his chin, finally resting on the dark blue eyes turned toward her.
Geoffrey returned her appraisal, his gaze sweeping her
figure as a smile crept over his face. “Your Majesty.” He spoke to the king but
his attention remained fixed on Alyse. “When my father told me of the betrothal
contract before I left his home, I resolved to play the dutiful son. Now,
however, I find I do not wish to act that role after all.” His eyes held hers
as he paused.
Dear God, does he mean to renounce me here before the
entire court?
Alyse stared at the man beside her, willing herself to
remain upright, despite the waves of ice and fire alternating through her body.
“Now I find I would rather play the ardent lover.”
An amused murmur ran through the Hall at his words. Sir
Geoffrey grinned, his eyes sparkling with humor and something more. Despite the
uneven light, Alyse saw an unfathomable promise in their dark depths. She took
a shaky breath and looked away.
Author Bio:
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of
historical and contemporary romance. Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series
of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary
works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of
Seduction. She is a PAN member of
Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers.
Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published this
summer as a series of three novellas.
The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.
Jenna has been
reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic
herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense,
a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own
stories. She lives in Virginia
She has
equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she
starts she just can’t stop.
Thank you for a wonderful interview, Jenna! Where can we find you?
Thank you for a wonderful interview, Jenna! Where can we find you?
Jenna Jaxon
Historical Romance--Not for the Faint of Heart
Betrothal--Historical Romance April 2013
7 Days of Seduction--Erotic Romance October 2012
Only Scandal Will Do--Historical Romance July 2012
Almost Perfect--Contemporary Romance December 2011
Visit me at Jenna's Journal at http://jennajaxon.wordpress.com
17 comments:
I love that your write musically, Jenna! There is always a 'theme song' to my books, too. Sometimes finding that song (I never know before I start writing) is as fun as writing the whole book.
Hi, Kristina! Yes, I sometimes have to stop listening to the radio--I have so many ideas for books now, I don't know if I'll ever write them all. LOL But yes, each book has it's own song for sure. And every time I hear it, I think of that book--whether it's been written or not! Thanks for coming by!
Thank you so much for having me here today, Kathleen! I had such fun with the interview! I think today's going to be great fun too, talking with your readers. :)
I'm so happy to have you as my guest, Jenna! (Waving)
Thank you for a fantastic interview!
Enjoyed the interview ladies! Just when I think I know a lot about you Jenna, I realize I don't. Congrats on your latest...I'm looking forward to reading it!
Let's see, what did I learn new today - you are gluten free and death to flies. :-)
Great interview.
Always great to learn more about you, Jenna! Congrats on getting the book of your heart out into the world! :)
Pawn Stars? Really? Geoffrey is such a great hero! Congrats on the release.
Music inspires me too. But not much makes me run, I'm rather fast at stepping on those nasty spiders:) Congrats on the book.
That was a great interview. I learned new things about you Jenna! Tweeted.
So nice to get to know you better, Jenna! I'm with you about the makeup! And 187k! Wow. I thought my first ms was long at 110k, lol. Congrats on the release! Wishing you many, many sales!!
Christine - Thank you! I'm like an onion. Lots of layers. I try to find something new to let readers discover with every interfiew. :)
Daryl - Also ants and mosquitos. Otherwise I don't kill stuff. Not even spiders. Just last week I had a very difficult dance with a vole that the cat dragged in that was still alive. LOL
Jessica - Thank you so much! I haven't seen you in a while, so I'm so glad you dropped by. Yes, I'm so very happy this book is being published, one part at a time, but published. :)
Kary--Hey! Pawn Stars has a lot of historical stuff that comes into the shop. :) In fact it's on the History Channel. But I do love the banter between the owners. At least I don't watch Men in Need of Razors (Duck Dynasty) LOL
Karen--Oh, I'm never much of a runner unless something is running toward me! Thanks for stopping by!
Ella--Thanks for the tweet and for coming by. We'll have much to talk about when we meet at RWA I think. :)
Jennifer--Thank you! Yeah, I didn't know any better and wrote single spaced, so I had the right amount of pages--until I double-spaced them. LOL 110K is nothing to sneeze at either!
187K words is a heckuva story! My first novel was a scant 140K by comparison. But the story must be told in its entirety, right? Although I know you pretty well, I didn't know you we afraid of insects. I learn something new with every interview! :)
Patricia--yes, i had to write the whole thing and then went back and chopped out a lot of dead wood. One whole chapter was deleted because absolutely nothing happened in it. I ended up making a one line reference to it which sufficed. LOL Live and learn editing! Thanks so much for coming by!
I'm happy to see so many people stopped by today, Jenna!
I really enjoyed your interview. I'm glad you figured out a way to share your beautiful story.
I have to remember the wise words of Judy McCoy. She was a great lady!
I love Pawn Stars!!!! I think I've watched every one of them.
Kathleen--Yes, we all loved Judy, who was in my local RWA chapter. She is much missed.
Sharon--I'm sort of hit or miss. i usually eat in front of the TV and my husband has Pawn Stars on. But I love finding out about all the different items that come into that pawn shop. :)
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