Friday 30 November 2012

The Next Big Thing - Jennifer Faye

Well, last week it was my turn to answer The Next Big Thing questions, but this week I am hosting brand new Harlequin Romance/M&B Cherish author Jennifer Faye! Take it away, Jennifer...



Fiona, thanks so much for inviting me to stop be your blog. Am so thrilled to be here. :-)

As Harlequin Mills & Boon’s newest Romance/Cherish author, I’m still walking on the clouds and pinching myself, making sure this is all real. I’ve had a dream most of my life to write stories to share with the world and at last my dream has come true.

I write emotionally stirring romances that will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your heart with each happily-ever-after. If you want to read more about me, you can check out my website: www.jenniferfaye.com (soon to be updated)

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The following answers pertain to my first sale to Harlequin Romance / M&B Cherish. Squee!!!


Q. What is the working title of your next book?

“RANCHER TO THE RESCUE”
Available July 2013 U.S./U.K.

 Q. From where did the idea come?

The story was something I developed this summer for the Harlequin Romance Fast Track. I couldn’t actually tell you where the idea came from. It started with the heroine being in the worst possible position and grew from there.

Q. Under which genre does your book fall?

I write for Harlequin Romance / Mills & Boon Cherish. I love the emotional depths you are able to explore within the line—from smiles and laughs to the occasional damp eye. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster with a happily-ever-after. 

Q: Which actors would you choose to play the part of your characters for a movie?

I’d picture Isla Fisher as my heroine Meghan.
And for the hero, I’d say he’s similar in looks to Adam Rodriguez from ‘CSI Miami.’

Q. What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

When a big, splashy wedding goes awry, the runaway bride is aided by a reluctant rancher, but their adventure has only just begun and as their complications mount, they’ll find out that their future plans are about to be revised in ways neither of them could have ever predicted.

Q. Will you self-publish or be represented by an agent?

This book will be traditionally published via Harlequin Mills & Boon.

Q. How long did it take to write the first draft?

Honestly, not long at all. At the time I was working one-on-one with my now-editor and I had deadlines to meet. I’ve always worked best under pressure. Shhh…don’t tell my editor.  :-) If you’d like to see how it unfolded. You can read about “The Call” here:


Q: With which books within your genre would your story compare?

I’m really hoping that it is different and that’s the reason my editor and Harlequin Mills & Boon has brought me onboard.

Q: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

To be honest, the inspiration behind this book had absolutely nothing to do with my characters. I was currently working with a fabulous editor at Harlequin Mills & Boon and I wanted to keep working with her. So I had to come up with a great story, something that would make her sit up and take notice. So she inspired me to write a fresh story with a unique twist.

Q: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Although the story is set in the American Southwest, it has a contemporary feel with a celebrity cook, who likes to turn up the heat in the kitchen. Things definitely never get boring for these two.

 
Fiona, thanks so much for having me as your guest!!! I’ve had a great time visting.

Friday 23 November 2012

The Next Big Thing

I've been tagged by the gorgeous Heidi Rice has tagged me to join in with THE NEXT BIG THING, a series of questions on my next book. So here's the skinny:



What is the title of your book?
Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe

How did you come by the idea?
I was fascinated by the idea of a WAG (short for Wives And Girlfriends, normally applied to partners of famous men). In this age of unprecedented opportunity for women, why would she decide to define herself by her husband. And what would she do if she wasn’t married to him any more and lost that key piece to her identity?

What genre does your book fall under?
Romance/Women’s Fiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
Ooh, interesting! Maybe Jennifer Connelly as Louise and Hugh Jackman as Ben.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A WAG leaves her celebrity life – and her cheating husband – behind and seeks to build a new life for herself in a crumbling deserted mansion in the country.

Will your book be self-published or traditional?
Traditionally published.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Hmm. Not sure. This was an ‘elongation’ of an earlier book (think, the 12” compared to the 7”). I think the earlier version (60k words) probably took about 4 months, but I added another 30k words in four weeks!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Liz Fenwick’s The Cornish House took a similar theme – woman on her own moving to a new place, and a very special old house, rebuilding her life and finding love again – but our styles are quite different.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
The idea of my WAG character, Louise, but also the location. When I was a teenager my father owned a boat that he moored near Dittisham, up the River Dart, in Devon. If we ever took the boat out to sea, or went down river, just for a few seconds we’d catch a glimpse of a marvellous old white mansion on the hill, half hidden by trees. I used to wonder who lived there and what it was like inside.
Years later I was very excited to discover the name of the house was Greenway and had once been owned by the famous crime writer Agatha Christie. And there, the idea for the story of a haunting old house on the riverside, once lived in by a famous woman, was born – although in my version, the former owner was a movie star and not a writer.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
My heroine carries the scars of being a child carer for her ailing father, and the guilt she feels after his death has brought her to where she is now. Even with the seemingly ‘perfect’ husband and the life everyone dreams of, she hasn’t been able to be happy.

And I tag the following people to take up the baton and talk about The Next Big Thing:
Liz Fenwick
Jessica Hart
Nina Harrington
and brand-new author Jennifer Faye, who'll be giving her answers HERE next week!

Thursday 1 November 2012

Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe: Hero and Heroine

I've been using all my words to work recently, but in the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple of pics.


 Here is how I imagined Ben and Louise from Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe: