Bitten by Books
BBB: Describe yourself with five adjectives.
JA: Determined (stubborn!), compassionate, loving, creative and animal lover. (Describing myself is a little uncomfortable, so I asked my FB and Twitter friends from help, and chose these ones.)
BBB: What real-life science, pseudo-science, history, religion, or mythologies did you research for your book?
JA: Ah, good question. I researched snipers, including Chris Kyle. For the series, I’ve done a fair amount of research on combat PTSD, types of treatment and various methods of coping. I also researched a bit about adoption, although I felt that since I have people in my family who’ve been on both sides of adoptions in both giving up a child, and adopting children that I had a fair idea of the range of emotions.
When writing this type of book, I’m really striving to represent an emotional reality of the characters’ lives without bogging the story down research details. Therefore, I end up using only use a fraction of the information I learn for each book to keep from inundating the reader with endless details that slow the pacing of the story. Or that’s my goal anyway!
BBB: Would your main character win on the show Survivor by strength, cheating or not at all?
JA: My hero, Hunt, is a former Marine sniper, so he’s win by sheer strength and knowledge. He knows how to survive.
My heroine, well now this is an interesting question. She’s survived a lot of emotional pain, but she’s wealth and never had to struggle to eat or provide for herself in that way. I think she’d come close to losing as she learns, then would figure out how to win.
BBB: If you were a color, which color would it be and why?
JA: Today, I’d choose red just because I feel energized and vibrant. Other times I’d love to be teal like the sea.
BBB: Please tell us more about Exposing the Heiress and the storyline that drives it.
JA: In Exposing the Heiress, Alyssa is threatened and runs to the one man she knows can and will protect her, her old friend that she grew up with, Hunter Reece. I loved this friends-to-lover story, it’s sexy and tender, with a few edge-of-your-seat moments. Both Hunt and Alyssa must overcome their pasts to find the trust to fall in love.
What I think drives the story is the overall plot of Alyssa being in danger, and watching Hunt struggle with his PTSD as he falls in love with the women he wants but fears he can’t have.
BBB: How many more books will there be in the Once A Marine series?
JA: I’m not sure at this point. My original plan was to have at least five books featuring the Once A Marine operatives, Adam Waters (Book 1 TThe Baby Bargain), Logan Knight (Book 2 Her Temporary Hero), Hunt Reece (book 3, Exposing the Heiress), Griff Rankin and Cooper Sims. But right now, we don’t have any definite plans in place.
BBB: What sets the Once A Marine series apart from other books in the same genre?
JA: The characters! For me, falling in love with a book is all about the characters. Hunt and Alyssa have emotional layers that I hope draws the reader into their world and lets them experience through the characters the profound healing that can be found in love and friendship.
BBB: What types of characters can readers expect in your world?
JA: Fiercely loyal Marines, and the heroines who help them heal and find happiness. In Exposing the Heiress, Alyssa interested me in that she’s an heiress who, on paper (and in the tabloids) looks like she has it all, but her reality is very different. She’s as human as the rest of us 
I hope readers fall in love with her as I did.
There’s also a great villain, basically he’s a shark in a suit, and completely unpredictable. I love these villains – they really up the stakes in the story! Plus his reason for doing what he does is the final twist in the book.
BBB: What does your protagonist think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you, the author, his creator.
JA: Well Hunt is an artist as well as a former Marine and security agent, so he would “get” me. He’d understand why I’m awake at 2am worrying about fictional people in a book. And Alyssa…I hope we’d be friends. I love her because she made a really tough and powerfully brave choice for her son by giving him up for adoption to give him the best life possible. I just don’t know if I would be strong enough to do that and I admire her. I’d want her to like me.
BBB: What are the 5 books your hero or heroine loves best!
JA: Alyssa would probably gravitate to biographies of interesting people as a counter point to growing up in the Hollywood spotlight. But she’s also a romantic at heart and would read romances too like:
The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan
Worth the Risk by Claudia Connor
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Revenant by Larissa Ione
Black Lies by Alessandra Torre
All have characters that are survivors in one way or another.
Hunt would love thrillers. He really needs the good guys to win.
BBB: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve Googled?
JA: I google so many weird things it’s hard to choose one. I wrote a book that had sex toys as part of the mystery – that got some very disturbing hits on google and I learned but be very careful, LOL!
BBB: What’s coming up for you for the rest of 2015?
JA: I’m going to re-release the original books in my Wing Slayer Hunter paranormal series and I’m excited about that. I’ve just released the new book, Caged Magic written under my Jennifer Lyon name, which is getting some great reviews. Then I’m starting a new contemporary series about a rock band and I can’t wait to dive into writing it.
Buy a print copy of Exposing the Heiress from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of Exposing the Heiress from Amazon by clicking here. – ONLY $2.99!
Books in the Once A Marine series in the order they should be read:
The Baby Bargain
Her Temporary Hero
Exposing the Heiress - ONLY $2.99!
About Jennifer Apodaca
Author Bio:
Award-winning author Jennifer Apodaca grew up in Southern California and met her very own hero at the dog pound. She worked there, he came in on business, and it was puppy love. They married and had three wonderful sons. While her husband worked on his master’s degree, Jen did the mom thing by day and went to college at night with the intention of pursuing a marketing degree. But her true passion was writing. With time at a premium, she had to make a choice.
Choosing writing, she poured herself into her dream. A mere eight years later, she published her first book, Dating Can Be Murder. In her career, Jen has written a fun and sexy mystery series, a variety of contemporary romances, and a dark, sizzling paranormal series under the name of Jennifer Lyon.
Jen has achieved many of her dreams except for attaining a self-cleaning house, a latte delivery service, and finding the holy grail of non-fattening wine and chocolate. She can live with those disappointments as long as she can keep writing the stories she loves to share with readers.
11 Quick Things About Jennifer
Favorite Food? Chocolate
Favorite Color? Red
Favorite Movie or TV Show of all Time? Don’t have one really.
Favorite Drink? Coffee in the day, wine at night.
Favorite Current Book? I love too many books to name!
Favorite Season? Fall
Favorite Online Hangout? FaceBook
Favorite Animal? Dog
Favorite Band or Musician? Imagine Dragons
Mode of Travel? (Trains, Planes or Automobiles) No dragons? Well okay, a car then.
Favorite Vacation Destination? Beach!
Connect with Jennifer
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Who are some of your favourite authors?
I have so many! I’ll just list a random few off the top of my head: Cherise Sinclair, Rebecca Zanetti, Maureen Child, Tessa Bailey, Larissa Ione…I could go on forever!!
Hi Jen!
1. Wraith Seminus from Larissa Ione’s Demonica series :).
2. Chocolate
3. Never been up in one but we have festival in town every year for Memorial Day weekend and the balloons are all over the place. They have even come down on the little road in front of our house.
When you get a dog :), will you have a name for it already or wait and pick one after you know it a day or two?
Viki, I love Wraith and chocolate too!
Honestly, I don’t know if we ever will get a dog. We go back and forth on it a lot. As to a name, I have several I like but I’d wait to see what fit the dog. Or if the dog came with a name he or she recognized, I’d probably leave it. I just want a canine friend to hang out with, his looks or name really doesn’t matter.
Why do you like French Bulldogs?
Amanda, I liked them before I wrote HER TEMPORARY HERO, but I became obsessed with them after meeting Jiggy in that book. That little guy won my heart. Also I feel in love with Lentil from the FB page, My Name is Lentil, he’s a little French bulldog born with a cleft lip and palate, I believe. The page is all about supporting children with cranial/facial issues and I love that.
Plus French bulldogs are full of personality and crack me up
What are your must haves for writing? Coffee, tea, water, pens, music, outside, inside?
Hi Kristy, coffee for sure! Once I wrote to the chaos of three kids, now I like quiet but I don’t always get it. When I’m plotting or working out problems, I use paper and pens as it somehow helps me think and problem solve. But for actually chapter, I always write on a computer, never long hand.
Once I’m into a book, I can write anywhere.
Hi Jennifer!
Welcome back to Bitten by Books, it’s great to have you here and with a new book/series.
My question for you is; do you find it difficult to juggle multiple identities/ pen names?
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for having me here! I’m having a great time!
The answer is YES. I find it really difficult and if I had it my way, everything would be under one name, or I’d go back in time and re-create a social media identity of Jennifer Lyon Apodaca to merge identities, making it easier to manage, and for readers to find me.
To answer your questions for the readers that are on the Giveaway Tools Widget.
1. Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
hmmm I really don’t remember to be honest. I have been thinking about this since I put your interview together. I guess it was one or both of the Hardy Boys. LOL I am getting old timers, so I don’t remember as good as I used to.
Who was your first book boyfriend Jennifer?
The Hardly Boys, I love that! Mine would be Steve Morgan from SWEET SAVAGE LOVE by Rosemary Rodgers which I read at **gasp** 14 years old.
2. Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
Well, it used to be McDonald’s fries but I can’t really eat those anymore. I do love Mac N Cheese with hotdogs.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
I used to love the fries but stopped eating them years ago. Tastes change, right?
Mind comfort food is chocolate chunk cookies, or in some cases, just baking something decadent is my comfort.
Hello! What writers have influenced you?
Hi Susan, a lot of writers! Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux and Nora Roberts are the ones that spring to mind.
3. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? I want to…but I am kind of chicken!
No, I had the chance to go one time at my aunt and uncle’s 45th wedding anniversary. But I was too scared to go. I am not a huge fan of heights.
Do you think you will ever try it Jennifer? I know I would do that or a zipline over bungee jumping. LOL
I never THINK I’m afraid of heights until I get up there. I doubt I’ll go in a hot air balloon, but I think I’d try ziplining. For sure I wouldn’t bungee jump!!
Back to heights, I didn’t think I was afraid until I went out onto the roof to help my husband with Christmas Lights — something I’ve seen him do a dozen times. He just wanted me to hold a cord or something like that. But I absolutely froze in fear and he had to help me back in. He was very sweet about it, while I felt like an idiot
Loved Exposing the Heiress. I would have liked there to have been a little bit more mystery/suspense to the book. Tell me why you felt Alyssa and Hunt made a good couple.
Hi Kim, thank you! Working with a limited word count makes it hard to get everything I’d like to in there, but I totally hear you on wishing for more mystery/suspense.
Great question on why they made a good couple. Hunt and Alyssa had a natural attraction that really worked for me as the writer. Their shared past really made it easy as they already had a foundation for friendship. What really worked is that Hunt needed someone like Alyssa to see that he truly is a hero, and Alyssa neede Hunt to give her the support to grow into her own strength as a woman. I loved the way they helped each other be the person they WANTED to be, not who someone else EXPECTED them to be.
You have a limited word count?! Tell me more?
Yep, sure do! For Exposing the Heiress, I think it was 65,000 and I had a tough time meeting that. For the last book, Her Temporary Hero, my awesome editor had to help me cut it down to that word count, which if memory serves, was 60,000.
The word count is because these are considered “category”romance, similar to Harlequin Desire type of books. Traditionally those are shorter than bigger romances.
It has been so long since I’ve read my very first book, I can’t remember my first book boyfriend. But I have soooo many, once I try to pick a favorite, they start to argue in my head.
I don’t think I’m really a comfort food person. But I will say in the summer peaches, because I have to have them. Then in the winter, I’m a huge fan of Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. Oh and you can never go wrong with popcorn from Target.
I think I might be afraid of heights, so I’m going to have to say no to the hot air balloon.
I love peaches, and fresh peach pie. never had red velvet hot chocolate, it sounds good
Where do you get the hot chocolate?
Congratulations on the release of Exposing the Heiress! Do you celebrate in any special way after the release of a new book?
I always celebrate with readers and do some giveaways. On the homefront, my husband and I usually go to dinner and do something fun for the two of us. He rarely ever complains when I’m on deadlines, and he often picks my slack, so I like to both celebrate the release and spend time with just him
Hi Jennifer and Congratulations! I’d love a self-cleaning house and calorie-free goodies, too! Please let me know when you figure it out! Wait, you’ll let the world know about that because you’d be the wealthiest person ever with those inventions! Here’s my question for you: Who is your all-time favorite book character?
And here are my answers for you:
1. Well, I hate to admit it but I can’t remember my first one and I’m fickle! That being said, my book boyfriend depends on the book I’m reading!
2. Chocolate, chocolate and chocolate!!!
3. I really dislike heights but years ago there was a festival featuring hot air balloon rides in my area. I psyched myself up so I could go with my kids~you know how you do anything for your kids. We walked up and for some reason that escapes me now, they were no longer offering the rides. I wasn’t really sure how to feel, relief that I didn’t have to go or disappointment that I didn’t get to face that challenge. So, no, I’ve never been in one. There are ziplines in my area and I have tentatively considered that… I’m sure that I could be lured with chocolate!
Hi Betty! And boy do I know about doing anything for our kids — I went on a scary roller coaster for one of my kids. Something I’ll never forget!
Great question, but I don’t know how to pick all time favorite book boyfriend, LOL! Hmm…Roark from the In Death Series? Or wait…maybe Wrath from Black Dagger…oh man, I’m starting to sweat trying to choose!
Seriously, it’s usually the hero of the book I love at the moment. But then I’ll read a new book and fall in love all over again
Thank you, Jennifer! Ah, you sound like you’re fickle, too!
1. Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
I really don’t remember to be honest.It was too long ago.
2. Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
Sunflower seeds
3. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? I want to…but I am kind of chicken!
No, I had the chance but I want to.
Sarit, sunflower seeds are much healthier that brownies or my favorite chocolate chunk cookies! I should be more like you
Thanks…the only problem is when you start you can’t stop…and if it salty your lips will feel it too soon.
Author questions
The first book hero I fell in love with was Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities.
Chocolate is my favorite comfort food.
I have never been in a hot air balloon and I don’t think I would ever want to fly in one.
Bonnie, we have a lot of chocolate lovers today!
I think I’m more intrigued with the “romance” of a hot air balloon than the reality
Hi Jennifer! If you could choose any literary character to spend the day with, who would it be and why? What would you ask them?
Hi Becky! Right now, I’m extremely curious how Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird would feel about the way her father, Atticus Finch was portrayed in Go Set A Watchman. I didn’t read Go Set A Watchman, but have heard the rumblings and I wonder if Scout would feel betrayed by that. I read To Kill A Mockingbird as a young girl and it had a profound effect on me, so that would be my answer
Which of your characters is your favorite?
Hi Debbie, wow this gives me that same panicked feel as when someone asks me which of my kids are my favorite. I love them all in very different ways. Alyssa in Exposing the Heiress meant a great deal to me as she had a story about giving up a child for adoption that I’ve wanted to tell for a long time.
All that said, one of my most beloved characters is a secondary character from my Plus One Chronicles Trilogy written under my Jennifer Lyon name. His name is Drake Vaughn, he appeared as a “mentor’ character in the books, and I absolutely loved his wisdom humor and bravery. He had one of the most honest hearts that I’ve ever met in a character and it was very hard to let him go….
Book boyfriend: I dunno read too many books
Comfort food: Italian food or momma’s pot roast with potatoes and carrots
Kristy, your mom’s pot roast sounds like the perfect comfort food!
Hot air balloon: hell no I’m terrified of heights
Probably wise to stay on the ground!
Sounds fun!!!
Answers to Author’s questions:
1. Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2. Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
Strawberry Cheesecake
3. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? I want to, but I am kind of chicken!
No, but I would jump at the chance to do so.
Becky, ohh! My husband loves strawberry cheesecake too! Good choice
If you go up in a hot air balloon someday, I want to hear all about it!
Hi Jennifer!!
What’s the one book that you can’t live without?
Hi AngelMarie! This is a super scary question, I don’t want to live without my books. That’s one thing I love about my Kindle, they are all in one place. Honestly I just can’t pick one!
My first book boyfriend was and still is Sutton West.
I would love to go up in a hot air balloon
My comfort food is tortilla chips and guacamole
Sutton West from Soul Magic? That is awesome to hear! i was just working on that book getting it ready to re-issue and fell in love with Sutton all over again myself.
I love chips and guacamole! I rarely eat it, but when I do, I enjoy every single bite!
If you could only give ONE piece of advice to newbie authors and writers, what advice do you think is the most important one to give? Pro to being a writer? a Con?
Raonaid, the most important advice to is have passion for your story — for me it’s the passion that drives a writer to struggle and strive to find the absolute best way to tell the story through the characters. Passionate writers never stop developing craft and trying to improve, and passionate writers really CARE about their readers.
The pro for me of being a writer is doing what I love, even when it’s hard. And sometimes, it’s stomach cramping hard when the story isn’t working.
The con is self doubt. It’s just too easy to doubt ourselves and it can be destructive.
Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
—- Hrmm, a toss up between Sebastian Kerr from Teresa Medeiro’s HEATHER AND VELVET and James and Anthony Malory from Johanna Lindsay’s Malory series
Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
—- Cheesecake, it can be strawberries on top of it, cherries.. Hell I’d even eat the cheesecake delight desserts that I’ve been making (and my brother in law loves me for them. LOL. I use those as bribes). If Whit’s Frozen Custard will keep Almond Joy ice cream a regular, that would become a comfort food.
Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? I want to, but I am kind of chicken!
—- Nope… If I cannot walk across a bridge it’s safe to say I will not feel comfortable in a hot air balloon.
Raonaid, love that you might cheesecake delights desserts as bribes! I’ve found certain baked items are excellent bribes
Our car broke down… and hubby had two balloon gigs one sunday - a family reunion and birthday party. Fortunately his sister and brother-in-law were going to both. They made a request to make one of the cheesecake delights ( One deals with pumpkin tastes like a pumpkin pie, another has vanilla and chocolate pudding and the other tastes like a banana split.
I told hubby I would make two, give one to his brother in law for payment of hauling us around. I told him “This one goes to the reunion. The other is yours.” - Laughs - When hubby tried to pay him for gas he declined “I got a whole dessert waiting for me in the fridge, that’s payment enough.”
-Laughs - I made him that pumpkin one for Christmas, said it was his Christmas present. His commentary about not sharing (and far as I hear its accurate) with anyone else.
But yeah, he said he would be a willing guinea pig whenever I wanted to experiment with those desserts. Plus, why we get invited to Thanksgiving, Christmas Dinners, etc on hubby’s side because they want those desserts.
Those must be amazing desserts!!
Who is your favorite Muppet and why?
Cookie Monster! Because he understands the appreciates of cookies
Do you consider yourself a good cook?
Nope, my range of cooking skills is way too limited. I admire truly talented cooks!
It was Kenny Kolodny in Kevin Canty’s INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN when I was in college. Well-read, sensual, totally besotted with his woman, troubled but not in a threatening way, with a few intriguing flecks of genderqueerness that probably would have been explored more in a book written today. I totally thought Junie was unworthy of him.
Depends on the situation, but I have to have some chocolate and coffee each day! I have been making a lot of ice cream lately, and a good cookie never hurts…
No! Terrified of heights, and I remember news reports about some couple who perished in Marin when their balloon caught fire. Eek!
Why are you re-releasing your books?
Nope, my range of cooking skills is way too limited. I admire truly talented cooks!
The reason I’m re-publishing the books is the orginal publisher, Random House returned the rights to me, andis removing it to sell. This gives me control over the series, so I’m re-publishing them with new covers and some additional editing. Thanks for asking!
don’t have one
pizza
no
Pizza is a tried and true comfort food!
What book(s) are you reading
1. Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)? I do’t remember, but I think is was Vanyel from Mercedes Lackey’s Last Herald Mage series
2. Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
Chocolate
3. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? No
Hi Zonell, Right now I’m re-reading OUTLANDER by Diane Gabaldon. It’s been more than a decade since I first read it and I’m really liking it so far.
Hi Jen!
Question about the Wing Slayer re-release…
Are you self publishing them with new covers etc? Do you have a rough date for when it’s happening? You knew I love your Wing Slayers:) I need some paperbacks for my shelves! I only have Ebooks.
And I can’t wait to hear more about the Rock Star Romance series,
Hi Cori! Yes, I’ll self publish the Wing Slayer Hunter books. It’s taking a little time as I had to have them scanned, then I cleaned the file of scanning issues, and am having them copy-edited for things I missed and small fixes.
I’m having new covers made and super excited. We’ve just finished the cover for Blood Magic and Soul Magic, they are hot and gorgeous to me, and I hope you agree when we release them.
I’m hoping to release them late fall, and to have all the pre-orders up in a month or so.
Thank you on the Rock Star Romance - I’m excited I just need time to write
And thank you so much for stopping by!
Do you have a favorite stand-alone novel?
Fox, I don’t have one, but today I was just thinking of KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Deveraux. That book really stood out at the time. Another of my faves is Susan Elizabeth Phillips NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE. And the book I’m re-reading right now, OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. But once I start talking about books, I loved, I can go on and on and on.
hi jennifer, do you have a favorite place to “hide”?
Hi Dina, I love that question! I’m tempted to make up super secret place that I escape too. But really, my escape is in books
would you share 3 unique things about yourself — thank you
Hi Jo Anne, sure, I’ll try to thing of 3 things:
1) I often read series books out of order. It doesn’t really bother me as long as they are separate stories, not cliffhangers picked up in the next book.
2) I don’t think this is particularly unique, but my husband says it’s weird: I like salt on my cantaloupe.
3) I like real coconut, but hate coconut in food or candy.
1. Jondalar
2. chocolate
3 yes, and it was awesome
Oh! I’m tempted if only I wasn’t afraid
Glad you enjoyed the experience of a hot hair balloon!
Are there any other genres you would have an interest in writing ?
So far, I’ve written, mystery, contemporary and paranormal, all of which I enjoyed. If I ever came up with a concept that would work, I might try a thriller.
I love me some KILT WEARING SCOTS. They all seem to be raised with such loyalty & honir. I used to live anything high, but my Meniere’s Disease& heights only mix with puking. I love me some ANIMAL CRACKERS or GRILLED CHEESE & LOW SODIUM TOMATO SOUP. What age were you when to first baked solo?
Do you have any writing or reading rituals?
Hi Amy! I like to have paper and a pen nearby to make random notes that occur to me. It helps me get rid of the clutter in my head, or figure out plot or problems, but anyone else reading the the ramblings would be confused as they wouldn’t make sense.
1. Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
That would have to be one of the many men in Julie Garwoods books…can’t really remember which one.
2. Which food is your comfort good?
Chocolate anything really but lindt truffles with hot cocoa are my favorite
3. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon?
I almost went on one in Downtown Disney in FL but ended up not having enough people who wanted to go lol
I love Julie Garwood’s Scot historicals! She had awesome heroes.
How would you do if you were on the show Survivor?
I wouldn’t last 5 minutes.
Amy, I’d fail in some spectacularly stupid way, and it’d be caught on camera for the world to see
How do you make your characters more relatable/compelling?
Natalija, this is a great question. Alyssa in Exposing the Heiress is an heiress living a life most of us never will. So making her relatable was extremely important. I tried to do that with several things; giving her down to earth friends, showing her “average” side of liking pizza and brownies, putting her in situations the showed she cared about others like rescuing an injured dog — these are all things most of us can relate to and, I hope, make her real and more empathetic to readers.
Who was your first book-boyfriend (hero in a book you fell in love with)?
I don’t remember exactly, but I guess it was one of Sandra Brown’s heroes since I started reading romance with her books.
Which food is your comfort good? (For the heroine, it’s brownies!)
A big boul of soup on a cold evening & vanilla ice cream during Summer time.
Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? I want to, but I am kind of chicken!
Nope, I haven’t and I’m not sure if I want to.
Oh I haven’t read Sandra Brown in ages, but I loved her heroes in her earlier romances. Great choice!
Hi Jennifer! If you weren’t a writer what would you be doing?
1) My first book boyfriend was Gabriel McBain from Julie Garwood’s Saving Grace.
2) Comfort food would be a big bowl of Cream of Mushroom soup.
3) Never been in a hot air balloon, I’m too scared of heights!
Ada, ideally I’d love to work with animals or make cookies all day
How do you decide if a book is going to be a stand alone or part of a series?
Hi Mary, love this question. In most cases, I decide ahead of time. In the case of the Once A Marine series, I had a goal of giving heroes who’d served their country happily ever after. I chose men for this series as that works for the publisher, but I secretly wanted to bring in some female combat vets.
Occasionally, though a powerful secondary character will pop up in a book — and then I end up giving him his own book. I’m debating that right now with a character from my Plus One Chronicles series (written as Jennifer Lyon). I never planned fro the character to have that kind of impact, but sometimes, it just happens.
Where do you do most of your writing? (at a desk, anywhere, at the kitchen table?)
Most of the time it’s at my desk on my desktop computer. But I also have a laptop, and a chair tucked away in the corner of a bedroom where I can hide when the house gets too noisy.
From any of your books, what has been one of your favorite scenes, or types of scenes, to write?
Lindsey, emotionally charged dialogue scenes are my favorite to write. If the scene “practically writes itself” I love it even more
To answer your giveaway questions:
Edward Cullen
Chinese food (sesame chicken, vegetables, lo mein noodles, wontons)
Yes, briefly!
Lindsey, and now I have a craving for Chinese food
Hi Jennifer!
What drew you to writing about Marines in particular?
I think my first book boyfriend would have been Marius from The Vampire Chronicles. I’m still very much obsessed with him!
Comfort food, hmmmm, I have too many to name but cheese is usually involved is some form.
I have not been in a hot air balloon, but I would love to go one day!
Kirstin, I’m a cheese lover too!
who is your favorite author?
I don’t have one favorite, but love so many! Tessa Bailey, Linda Howard, Cherise Sinclair, Rebecca Zanetti…I could fill pages with all the authors I adore
If your series became a blockbuster; would you stay with it or start something new?
Linda, I’d stay with it until the series ended, but I’d try not to drag it out and end up disappointing readers. I’d probably write something new around that, but the blockbuster series would be my priority as it would be the books most important to my readers.
wheres your favorite place to write?
Hi Amanda,
Usually, I like being at my desk where I have everything I need at my fingertips. But I also have a laptop I use when I want to move around, or I’m traveling.
Whats your favorite cocktail?
Hi Steve, I usually have one glass of wine. But we have a pretty good margarita recipe we break out for pool parties once in a while. Those are very good!
Hi. What was your favorite book or series that you have written so far??? And why?????
Brandy, I love them all for various reasons. I love the Once A Marine series because I wanted to explore Marines coming back for combat, dealing with some PTSD and finding a way to happiness. My paranormal series is a magical battle between good and evil which I find fascinating, but one of my all time favorites is my Plus One Chronicles series -those books are about a real love that sees beauty even in a person with scars. It doesn’t matter if they are physical or emotional scars, they still leave us marked, and being loved as a whole person with our scars is a very powerful thing. Much like my husband was to me when I got sick many years ago (I’m better now).
Do you have a favorite book or story that you’ve written?
Katie, this is always a hard question to answer as I love all the books for different reason. But as I said in the answer above, The Plus One Chronicles series has a very personal meaning for me.
What was your first published book?
Had you written other books before that (for practice)?
Hi Susan, my first published book was DATING CAN BE MURDER, the first book in my Samantha Shaw Mystery Series. I wrote about five books before that one. It took me awhile to get published, but I learned a great deal writing all those books.
If you could have three folks to dinner living, dead, real, or imaginary who would they be and why? and I have a secondary question about your Wing Hunter series. How many books do you have planned in that series and what’s up next. Loved Caged Magic btw.
answers
1. Its been over 35 yrs since I read my first romance book so I don’t remember my first. And my favorite now Is whomever I’m reading at the moment.
2. burgers and potato salad and reece’s ice cream
3. yes depending on who is flying it.
Hi Jennifer! *waves* If Exposing The Heiress was made into a movie, who would be your dream actor and actress that you would cast as Hunt and Alyssa?
Here are my answers :
I have so many book boyfriends, it’s kind of embarrassing but my first was Julia Quinn’s Colin Bridgerton….sigh!
Nothing says comfort food to me like cabbage rolls and lasagna.
I’ve never been in a hot air balloon but I might want to try someday even though I’d probably be so terrified of the balloon catching on fire. Haha, now I’m psyching myself out!
What books have most influenced your writing life?
1. First hero: Absolutely no clue on this question, can’t think of one.
2. chocolate, chocolate,, and anything chocolate
3. I have never been in a hot air balloon and never will with my heights phobia
What is your favorite movie?
Name your top 3 favorite things (other than writing) to do and why
if you could go anywhere in the world on a Vacation where would you go?
What things inspired you to write books ?
What is the WORST thing about being a writer?
2) beef jerky or any similar dry, salty meat
3) I’ve never been in a hot air balloon, but I’m not a fan of heights and high risks.