Spotlight Author with Jennifer Lewis

November already? My eyes see the calendar but my brain just doesn't compute. This year has flown by. Today I have Desire author, Jennifer Lewis with me. Let's show her some love.

Hi Micole, and thanks for inviting me to your blog!

So glad that you could visit with us today, Jennifer. So tell us about your last release, THE BACHELOR'S BOUGHT BRIDE.

My most recent release was The Bachelor’s Bought Bride, which came out in May for Silhouette Desire. It tells the story of a wealthy heiress who’s used to being a bit of a wallflower, so she’s surprised when a gorgeous and successful man pursues her and proposes. She’s appalled when she discovered that her father paid him to seduce her into marriage. By this time they’ve both seriously fallen for each other, but can they have a real relationship after she discovers his deception? This story was part of a Silhouette Desire series, where six authors are given linked plots and characters, and each of us writes one book in the series. We then have the challenge of turning a paragraph of plot description into a full book, and I really enjoy the process. The Bachelor’s Bought Bride was set in San Francisco so I had fun with the romantic setting as well as the unusual storyline.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished writing the third book in a three-book Royal Rebels series that’s coming out next year. Each book is set in a different country and I had loads of fun inventing my sexy royal heroes and their kingdoms.

I noticed from your web page that you have had the advantage of living in some cool places. Do you think that this has helped your writing/imagination/muse?

Living in different countries gives you insight into each culture. You see how different things are important to, even how standards of beauty and what makes an intriguing mate are different. Then when you travel you can look for these interesting things that make a culture unique. It definitely inspires my muse! I also get inspired by settings. In fact sometimes the setting is what draws me to a book. In my Royal Rebels series I visited a tropical island, romantic central Europe, and the Pyrenees mountains, all in my imagination. A summer trip to Barcelona, with its unique Catalan culture and gorgeous medieval castles, was very inspirational for the last book.

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

I’m a plotter all the way. I come up with the idea, write a synopsis and interview the characters before I start. I sell my books based on the synopsis most of the time, so this is essential!

Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?

I think the most important thing is to have a writing habit. Even if you only write one page a day you’ll have a book finished in a year. If you write three pages a day, like I usually do, you could end up with three or more books!
If you’re writing just for fun, then write whatever you want (and this is probably the best way to write your first book, just enjoy the process). If you’re writing to sell, then recognize that it’s a market and you need to fit into it somewhere and it may take several books and/or years of studying your craft and writing for you to find your niche, so be patient! I wrote 10 books before I finally sold one, and now I’ve sold thirteen, all written since that first sale.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Who knows? I had no idea five years ago that I’d be back in England after living in the US for so many years, so it just proves you never know what life will bring. I’m just glad that writing is easy to do anywhere, and that I still enjoy it after writing more than twenty books!

What’s one thing that you know now that you wished you knew when you started your journey as a writer?

The internet is such a goldmine of information and inspiration. I think I would have sold a lot sooner if it had been around when I penned my first books nearly twenty years ago. It was actually a friend telling me about the eHarlequin site and all the tips it had, that convinced me to give writing another try after a long break.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

I wrote my first sale books by getting up super early in the morning and writing before my toddlers woke up. Now the kids are in school I usually drop them off and write during the day. I also love running, horses, yoga and spending time with friends. Writing a little bit every day leaves me plenty of time to enjoy the rest of my life and get out there looking for new ideas and inspiration!

Thank you, Jennifer for joining me at my blog. For more information about Jennifer and her books you can find her at http://www.jenlewis.com/

Hugs

Micole