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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Interview with Jennifer DeCuir Author of Drawn to Jonah, Five of Hearts, and Wynter's Journey

I'm so excited to share with you an interview with author Jennifer DeCuir.  Jen has three books published already, and all of them are great reads.  If you're looking for the perfect book to take on vacation or spend a lazy Sunday with, pick up any of her books.  They are all set in the same fictional New England town, but you don't have to read them in order.
  
How did it feel when you found out that you'd sold your first book?  Did you celebrate?

At first I was stunned, and the fact that the editor prefaced her email with an apology for taking so long to respond to my query? Wow! Truth of the matter was, she replied faster than any other publishing house I’d ever sent to. Too funny! I celebrated numerous times… once with the family, once with my closest girlfriends and once by myself (with a well-earned trip to the bookstore for a long browse).

Can you tell me about your writing process?  Do you plan every detail before you start writing?

I am THE most disorganized writer you can imagine! I have index cards and post-it notes scattered all over my desk. I have notes going in at least three notebooks. I also jot myself notes on my Aqua Pad in the shower (BEST invention in the world!)
As far as plan details, I can’t start unless I know my hero and heroine inside and out. I need to know what the basic conflict is. I need to know the climax and how the story is going to end. But as far as detailed chapters… I let my characters sort things out as they go along. Often times I’ll sit back smiling because I did not see that particular scene unfolding the way it did. It’s kind of spooky but a lot of fun.

You have two young children at home.  How do you balance parenting and writing?

I give up trying to earn the Mother-of-the-Year award. When I’m writing, I let them play video games, watch cartoons and trash the living room with pillow forts and Lego booby traps. Sometimes it means cereal or pizza delivery, when I’m on deadline. But when I’m not writing, I cherish every moment with my little monsters that I can. I take tons of pictures and I talk them up on Facebook, because they aren’t going to be little forever and I am going to miss these days like crazy.

Do you base your characters on people that you know?

I can neither confirm nor deny that question. Just kidding. I may have based a secondary character or two on a real person. You know what they say about ticking off a writer… ;)

You have three books published now.  Do you have a favorite?  Why is it your favorite?

My favorite book is Five of Hearts. It’s a shout out to my fan fic writing days and was a lot of fun to write. But as far as heroes go, Jonah Goodwin is the man for me. Such a sweet dad and a great big guy who is handy with his…tools. ;)

I heard that you have a fourth novel coming soon. Can you tell me a little bit about it and when it will be released?

Tentatively titled Trapped In Tourist Town, this book was originally the very first in my Scallop Shores series. It was also my first rejection and I hid it away after a Harlequin editor told me Burke was too perfect and Cady was too immature. After Drawn to Jonah sold, and Five of Hearts right after that, my editor at Crimson asked if I had any more Scallop Shores books. I decided to give it another go, using what I’d learned in the years since I’d first written it to make it a better book.

Cady is the manager at Logan’s Bakery that readers have been introduced to in the last three books. She loves to match make, she’s proud of her espresso machine and she doesn’t take any guff from her cranky clientele. But she’s worried that by staying in Scallop Shores, she’s missing out on a more exciting life in New York City. Just when she finally decides to take the leap and skip town, Scallop Shores gets a new resident in Burke Sanders. Now she has to decide if following her dreams to the big city are more important than leaving behind the first man she’s ever truly fallen in love with.

While I would love to say that this book is already under contract, I haven’t submitted it to Crimson yet. So… cross your fingers for me. I’m aiming to submit a proposal for it within the next few weeks.

Good luck with the next book, Jennifer!  And thanks for answering my questions.

You can read more about Jennifer at her website  follow her on social media:

All three of Jennifer's books are available on Amazon.  Check them out!

(Amazon links are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from sales)

Drawn to Jonah (a RONE 2014 Nominee and 2nd place winner in the 2012 ECO contest)

Quinn finds new purpose in life caring for the local handyman's daughter and teaching the sexy single dad how to read.  He knows he owes her a huge debt, but he'll start by giving her his heart.
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Five of Hearts
Shannon is a single mom to triplets.  Dean is a former boy band member hiding from the latest fake paternity scam.  They couldn't be more wrong for each other.  Sometimes falling in love is more about chance than choice.

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Wynter’s Journey (A 2nd place winner in the 2013 ECO contest)
A childhood promise brings Wynter and Sam together again after tragedy ripped them apart over ten years earlier.  Fate has given him a second chance to tell her how he feels.  This time he's not going to run.

Amazon