Welcome, Jenna! It's great to have you here today - romance/murder mystery is a genre I have been interested in writing myself at some point in the future so I'm looking forward to find out more about you and your work. Let's start with my questions...
1.) What is your favourite thing about yourself?
Wow...starting off with a hard question. Physically, I’d have to say my red hair, which even in my 40s has managed not to have too much grey. I’m friendly and social.
2.) What do you wish you’d known before you started writing?
How long it takes. Not just the writing, revising and editing, but dealing with publishers. As of January 2015, I have a manuscript that has been sitting on an editor’s desk (by the editor’s request) since Feb. 2013 (that’s nearly 2 years). Once it’s sold, it could be another year to 18 months before it’s published. It will be a historical romance by then ... LOL. I had a traditional book that took about 2 years from the time it sold to the time it hit the market. Being an author is truly a test of patience.
3.) Share a romantic moment in your life.
My husband (whom I’ve known since I was 18), isn’t one for grand romantic gestures. But he’s extremely involved with the family, does dishes and laundry, and is a great father. I’d rather have that than romantic gestures any day. However, I find it very sweet when in the spring, I’ll come into my office and find a vase with flowers cut from our garden sitting on my desk. Winters are hard for me, and he knows that colourful flowers cheer me up and brighten my day.
4.) Is there one subject you’d never write about as an author? What is it?
Incest. I probably won’t write about bondage, S&M, and other popular erotic situations of the day. It’s not that I’m a prude, I just don’t get the appeal of it.
5.) Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Write, write, read, write, write, write, read, write etc. It also doesn’t hurt to have a critique partner that can help you improve word choice and flesh out scenes.
6.) If you could be the original author for any book, what would it be? Why?
I’d like to have written Harry Potter, just because it’s so creative, led to a movie and made JK Rowling rich.
I think I would have liked to have written Persuasion by Jane Austen because I love that story.
7.) What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
I was actually a pretty good kid. I did get a big spanking once when after a little spank I told my dad, “That didn’t hurt.”
8.) If I came to your house for dinner what would you prepare for me? Why?
I’m not a great cook, unfortunately. I would probably make a pasta with homemade pesto. On the off chance it wasn’t great, I’d have a fabulous chocolate dessert (i.e. torte with ganache) to make up for it.
Jenna Harte is a die-hard
romantic, writing about passionate characters who are committed to each other
and frequently getting into trouble. She is the author of the Valentine
Mysteries, the first of which, Deadly Valentine, reached the
quarter-finals in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013.
When she's not telling stories, she works by day as a freelance writer, author
and blogger under her "real" name. She lives in central Virginia with
her husband, two teenage children and two cats.Website: http://www.jennaharte.com
Tess
Madison is jobless, homeless and hopelessly in love with the sexy, blue-green
eyed Jack Valentine. But their new love is put to the test when the husband of
an old flame of Jack’s is murdered. Jack thinks she innocent and vows to help
her. Tess isn’t so sure and with the help of her friend and Jack’s nemesis
Detective Daniel Showalter, she joins the investigation. Now Tess is pitted
against Jack and as they each seek answers, not only do they put their love at
risk, but their lives as well.
Connect with
Jenna
Email:
JennaHarte@gmail.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/Jenna_Harte
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/jennaharte/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/jennaharte
Deadly Valentine:
A Valentine Mystery Book One
ISBN: 978-0-9881770-2-4 (Print) ISBN: 978-0-9881770-1-7 (ebook)
“Written with precision and care, this intriguing
romance/murder mystery is a fun read that will keep readers guessing until the
very end." - Publisher's Weekly
Deadly
Valentine reached the quarter-finals (top 100) for romance in Amazon.com’s
Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013.
Tess
Madison walked away from her two-timing fiancé, a multi-million dollar trust
fund and a cushy corporate law job to pursue the single life indulging in
chocolate and fancy French underwear. But her newly reordered life comes unraveled
when she reluctantly accepts an invitation to a dinner party and stumbles upon
the host’s dead body. Now Tess is in the middle of a murder investigation
pitting her wannabe-boyfriend police detective against Jack Valentine, a man
from her past with blue-green eyes and sinful smile that causes her to rethink
her self-imposed celibacy. Tess has many reasons to avoid Jack including the
fact that he’s the prime suspect in a murder. But Tess doesn’t believe Jack’s
the murderer and with an honest attempt to keep her hormones in check, she
agrees to represent him. With Jack’s help, she uncovers a 30-year-old secret
someone is killing to keep hidden and discovers sensual delights that don’t
include chocolate or French underwear. But when her professional and personal
relationship with Jack threatens to ruin her career and end her life, Tess has
to decide if Jack, is worth the risk.
Reviews of Deadly Valentine
Publisher's
Weekly: “Written with precision and care, this intriguing
romance/murder mystery is a fun read that will keep readers guessing until the
very end."
My Cozy Corner:
“Jenna pens “Deadly Valentine” a real page turner filled with mystery and
romance.”
Inside
BJ’s Head: “I totally could not believe how many twist and turns
this book had the reader going on…I swear I thought I had the story figured
out, Heck NO!”
My
Daily Obsession Review: “This book was beautifully written. I
could hardly put it down!”
TE
Garden of Book Bloggers: “EXCELLENT! Absolutely Great!… Once I
picked the book up, I couldn’t put it down! I read looong into the night…”
Old Flames Never Die: A
Valentine Mystery Book Two
ISBN:
978-0-9881770-6-2 (Print) ISBN: 978-0-9881770-3-1 (eBook)
Can a new love survive
the lure of an old flame and murder?
With This Ring, I
Thee Kill: A Valentine Mystery Book Three
ISBN: 978-0-9881770-7-9 (print) ISBN:
978-0-9881770-4-8 (eBook)
Planning a wedding can be murder!
Wedding
bells are in Jack and Tess’ future, that is, if the people trying to kill them
for Tess’ engagement ring don’t succeed. Together Jack and Tess research the
ring to discover why people are willing to kill to possess it. Their
investigation takes them back to 18th century France, when black magic and
potions were used to secure love, power and status. Tess’ friend, an expert in
French antiques, agrees to help, but is she really helping or is she behind the
plot? And will Jack and Tess make it to their wedding day or will fate tear
them apart forever?
‘Til Death Do Us
Part: A Valentine Mystery Book Four
ISBN: 978-0-9881770-8-6 (print) ISBN:
978-0-9881770-5-5 (eBook)
Nothing can stop Jack and Tess’
wedded bliss,, except maybe murder!
Tess
and Jack are living in wedded bliss, until Jack’s childhood friend, famous
actress Ava Dumont shows up in town to film a movie. Years ago, fans of her
popular TV courtroom drama speculated on whether or not her and Ava and her
handsome co-star, Reece Wilder’s off-screen chemistry was as hot as it was on
screen. The question was seemingly answered when Reece married Ava’s nemesis,
D-list actress, Amya Grosse. Now estranged and seeking a divorce, Reece has
pushed to do a movie with a reluctant Ava. But their highly anticipated on and
off screen reunion is ruined when Amya turns up dead in Reece’s hotel room.
Jack’s loyalty and Tess’ curiosity put them in the middle of a murder in which
everyone they meet had a reason to want Amya dead. Will they be able to
discover the murderer or will ‘til death do us part’ come much sooner than
they’d dreamed?
5 Things You Didn’t Know About
Jenna (But Hopefully Will Find Interesting!)
v Writing always
terrified me, so I’m baffled to how I got here.
v My favorite fiction involves
mystery and romance, but I prefer a mystery with romance as opposed to a
romance with mystery, if that makes any sense. In either case, there should be
at least one hot love scene!
v My favorite authors are
J.D. Robb, Janet Evanovich, Sandra Brown and Carl Hiaasen. I also love Jane
Austen, but tend to stay away from literature unless I know it will end well.
v Like my character Tess,
I love good chocolate and old R&B tunes. I’m still working on getting Carine Gilson lingerie to see if I’d
love them as much as Tess does. A set can cost several hundred dollars, so I
have to wait until more books sell.
v
I long for the day when Apple or Microsoft invents a
doodad that I can plug into my head, preferably when I'm sleeping, that will
download my stories to my computer. My stories come to me when I sleep (and
when I drive), but I can't remember the details when I sit down to write.
Comments?? Questions??
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