Hey guys. Thank you for joining us at the Coffee Time Romance & More. Today I bring you the lovely Ms. Jennifer Snow to discuss her latest release, Falling for Leigh.
So let us begin the interview. Ms. Snow, thank you so much for taking time out and joining us. Please first help yourself to the yummy sweet and salty goodies in front of you and with your favorite beverage ranging from coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to delicious shakes and smoothies; sit back and make yourself comfortable before I bombard you with questions.
Coffee-always coffee 🙂
Thank you for hosting me today!
Please tell us about your book, Falling for Leigh and the lead characters? What makes them tick?
Falling for Leigh is a story about two people searching for a family of their own and finding one together, where they least expected to. Logan is a NYTimes Bestselling Author with writer’s block caused by his stress of a custody battle and Leigh is a daycare worker in the middle of her own struggle to have a child.
What was the inspiration behind this story? Especially the writer’s block that Logan is facing or the adoption system.
The inspiration was actually a close friend of mine who’d experienced similar problems with fertility and watching her strength as she continued to try for the baby she’s always wanted was the main inspiration. I’m happy to say that unlike the character in my book, my friend is six months pregnant now and doing wonderfully 🙂
*That is wonderful.. 🙂
This is the third book in the Brookhollow series. What can you us tell about this series?
The series wasn’t originally designed to be one 🙂
Isn’t that so often the case? Lol. The Trouble With Mistletoe, book 1 was a stand-alone holiday title about a woman returning to her hometown three weeks before Christmas and then the town sort of came alive with wonderful secondary characters that deserved/demanded their own stories lol. The second book is a friends-to-lovers theme with the tomboy mechanic, who is definitely someone I related to and a handsome firefighter. And now the third…
Can you tell us a bit more about the Brookhollow town? Why did you choose it? Is it based on a real town or imagination?
Brookhollow is a fictional town in New Jersey, and it’s not really based on one particular small-town, but rather ‘the small-town feel’. It has less than 10k residents, a wonderful Main Street leading through the center of town with a bakery, diner, bookstore, and sports museum. It has the town park, and the community center and schools and a library. The people who populate the town and the books are essentially one core group that are connected by family or friends and they make appearances in each others’ stories.
Are all the books standalone? What more can we expect in this series? I had no issues in reading this book without knowing about the previous two in the series.
The books are all stand alone, and if you’re okay with spoilers, you can read them out of sequence, but they do follow a real timeline, so I’d rather read them in order, lol. Book four is Melody Myers story and is releasing Nov 1st, then books five and six are scheduled for release next year.
*Can’t wait…* 😀
Leigh’s struggle with not having kids and then trying for adoption broke my heart. We are trying for baby ourselves but its more into initial stages. I cannot imagine going through what she did. I agree with Logan that her husband left her at the most vulnerable time. You never explained why she cannot have kids. Was it medical reason, some old illness or injury or just fate? Why did her husband never consider the option of adoption with her rather than leave her if he loved her?
There really was no definite reason, which was also the case for my friend. Doctors couldn’t give her a reason (which is wonderful because she kept trying despite a lot of heartache and is now due with a baby girl in Nov), but in my character’s case, trying was simply too hard after three failed attempts and a destroyed marriage. Maybe if she’d kept trying, she could have had one… who knows, maybe fans of the series may be in for a surprise pregnancy in future books?? 😉 My lips are sealed :)And I think as far as her husband goes-adoption isn’t an option for some people, and that’s really a personal choice.
*True that. Happy it worked out for your friend.* 🙂
The whole twist in the end, did it come easily? Was it all pre-planned or the characters guided you on how and what they wanted? Were you tempted to get her the kid regardless of her marital state?
The ending was always the original plan, but the characters always take the lead in my stories, so if it hadn’t felt right, I would have gone in a different direction. And yes, it’s always tempting to write the predictable HEA and give every character the desired outcome, but that’s not how real life works, so I wanted the book to be as realistic as possible.
Have you gone through the writer’s block similar to Logan’s? If yes, how did you overcome it? If no, how did the idea come about?
I personally don’t believe in ‘Writer’s block’, I think life and stress sometimes just inhibits our creativity and ability to focus. But I think if you can force yourself to write anything, something, even if it’s terrible or not related to the story you’re working on…it gets things flowing again. I think for a lot of writers, when the middle of the book stalls a little, they call it writer’s block, but I think it’s just ‘the damn middle of the book’ that we all dread, lol. I usually skip over scenes when I’m not sure how to proceed, and sometimes I write the end, then work backwards. Doesn’t work for everyone, but I think it’s what makes me prolific-I’m always writing, even if it’s out of order.
My main gripe. What is wrong her ex’s wife? How can she be that cruel and thoughtless and selfish? Seriously? I am with Logan on the whole thing.
Lol – I know. Angela was a different kind of character for sure, and like Ethan’s ex Emily in book two, I knew some readers may really hate her, but I think for Angela it was the same as any parent-wanting the best situation for her kids and being a little selfish, not caring if that upset Leigh. Also, it gave Logan something to be protective of her over, which was an element I loved in this story.
*lol*
Why is Leigh’s grandmother so against Logan and or is it just Leigh getting married or involved again? Doesn’t she want her to be happy?
She definitely does want Leigh to be happy. She is just cautious about her getting involved with someone who has no intentions of staying in Brookhollow. She has watched her granddaughter get hurt in the past and doesn’t want it to happen again.
Will we see more of them in the next book? May be meet Leigh’s parents, adoption etc.?
In the next two books so far, Leigh and Logan and their ‘newly formed family’ do appear. 🙂
You have a four year old kid and you were finalist in two awards/contests, Aspen Gold and Golden Quill. How do you manage writing with a small kid? Do you work too?
Yes, Jacob is my everything. I started writing seriously again when I was on maternity leave and going through a divorce because I wanted to do something that my son could be proud. I did work a full time job until January, but with a six book contract with Heartwarming and tight deadlines, I was struggling to make it work, so my husband told me to quit…so I did, and writing full time has been amazing! My husband is the best! And Jacob goes to daycare during the day so I can write, but I usually pick him up as soon as I get my word count goal done 🙂
*Wow! Amazing hubby. Cheers to him* 😀
Tell us about your journey to becoming a finalist for the Aspen Gold and Golden Quill Contest. The process etc. Were they for your very first book or much later ones?
The Aspen Gold and the Golden Quill were contests that I entered for the first book in this series The Trouble With Mistletoe and it was such a shock to final… I’m still waiting on the winners of the Aspen Gold-being announced in Oct :)The Trouble With Mistletoe is my fourth release, but the first one that I felt confident enough in to submit to contests.
*Best of luck with Aspen Gold…* J
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story? Was it easy to incorporate these elements in your story?
I think the key elements are relatable, quirky, unique, four-dimensional characters, a strong, unpredictable plot, a great setting, and fun scenes. And yes, definitely hard to pull off, lol. But I think it comes naturally when you are writing a story that you love and are excited to write.
Who are some of your favourite authors of all time? What, if any, influence have these authors had on your writing?
Debbie Macomber gets all the credit for my love of writing. Especially holiday titles-her stories are so wonderful, I can only hope to create romances as powerful as hers someday.
Do you have any Pet Peeves while writing or in writing?
My only real pet peeve is the ‘why am I not allowed to do that?’ issue lol. As a new author and a category author, there are rules that I sometimes have to follow that I see other authors allowed to break and I get definitely get jealous, lol. 🙂
*Hahaha.. Yes I agree.. Every author should have the right to break the mold and follow their heart at least once..*
Since when have you been writing and what inspired you to pick up the pen in the first place?
I’ve been writing stories since I learned to read and write at four, and I started sending out manuscripts at 16! I still have my first rejection letter from Harlequin on my YA pitch I submitted almost 20 years ago lol. So, nothing in this industry happens overnight for most authors.
*Wow! Amazing. I would have given up early into my first few rejection. Kudus to you!*
Have you ever had to start all over again after you almost completed a story? If yes, why? How did you overcome the block?
Actually, yes. Book five had started as a completely different book, but in the back of my mind, another plot kept unfolding and despite how much I told it to go away, it persisted to the point that I mentioned it to my editor at RWA Nationals this year, and she said-if it’s the harder book to write, then it’s probably the right way to go. So I didn’t exactly start over, I was able to still keep a lot of the same scenes, I just rewrote them in the new direction.
How would you describe your stories, characters and style to a new reader?
My books tend to read more like movies. They are fast paced, they are more plot-driven I think, though my characters are very real. And my stories are a balance of light and dark. Even though Falling for Leigh and the upcoming release The Mistletoe Melody have heavy themes and deal with serious issues, I try to inject humor and a lighter feel to balance out the drama.
Why write for Harlequin Heartwarming? How is it different from other Harlequin series?
I love Heartwarming because it’s sweet without being sweet-if you know what I mean. The topics are often dark, and serious and real, but the language is clean and there’s no sex. The word count is longer than a lot of the other lines, which allows for more secondary characters and plot lines as well, which I love.
Nowadays we see lots of explicit sex in romance novels. This story is sweet and heartwarming instead of intense and sexy. I liked it for being different, pure romance for a change. Have you ever felt pressured to write more explicitly for sales/popularity purposes? Are/were you ever tempted to write something more sexy and explicit?
I definitely don’t feel pressure, but I do have a wide range when it comes to what I read and what I like to write. Heavy erotica will never be my thing, just because I know I could never pull off that level of heat, but I am writing a mainstream contemporary series currently that is out on submission that does have a higher heat level and sex scenes.
Five things readers do not know about you?
-I’m terrified of Frisbees and escalators. I think both are stupid and dangerous. And here’s no changing my mind on that.
-I used to box and I love MMA.
-I’m originally from Newfoundland, but was born without the accent.
-I have a background in marketing and sales, but my degree is in Linguistics and Psychology, and I use none of that currently:)
-My great-grandfather was a baby left on the shores of Newfoundland many years ago by one of the fishing boats from either France, Portugal, Spain…We have no idea. A wonderful Newfoundland family took him in and raised him. So technically, I could be a princess.
*Hahahaha.. You are one interesting lady.. MMA, linguistics and psychology – Awesome!
Imagine that would right out of a storybook.. Long lost princess an MMA fighter..* ;D
After reading Falling for Leigh, am really curious to know… How did you first meet your husband? Was it love at first sight or similar to Leigh and Logan’s journey? *winks*
Lol, here is the link to our story, published in Avenue Magazine.
http://www.avenueedmonton.com/articles/yeg-lovespiration
What is your idea of a perfect date?
Comedy club and wine 🙂
*Excellent combination.* 😀
What do you do to relax?
I don’t. Too much life to experience, too much fun to have with my son, and too many stories to write-not enough time.
*Great news for all us fans out there..*
Strangest and sweetest thing a fan ever did to get your attention?
I’m open for entries on this 🙂
Any other writing projects you are currently working on? Can we get a taste of what is to come from you in the future?
Yesterday I sent book five in the Brookhollow Series to my agent, Stephany Evans at FinePrint for her thoughts, which are always genius, and today I start on book six.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t do it. Just kidding! Keep writing. Don’t give up the day before you finish the book or get that contract or win that award… whatever your goal is. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen if you want it bad enough that you keep working hard to make it happen.
Any last comments or message for all your readers out there and us, here at Coffee Time Romance and More?
Just THANK YOU for continuing to buy my books and read them, and allowing me to do what I love to do.
Xo
Jen
Thank you so much for taking time out to spend time with us here at Coffee Time Romance and giving us more insight to your life, books and writing. I hope you will join us again. Best of luck and success to you.
Readers I hope you also enjoyed as much as I did. Thank you for joining us. We would love to hear your feedback. See you next time with another great author.
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