Author Interview with Jenna Jaxon!

Hey there, WordWranglers! We are very pleased to welcome historical romance author Jenna Jaxon to the round corral this morning. Jenna is here to talk about her writing process and share a tasty tidbit or two from her books. One with the interview!

WordWranglers: Hi, Jenna, welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself.
 
Jenna: I am a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance.  My historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. My contemporary works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction.  I’m a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. My medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published this year as a series of three novellas.  The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.  And in November 2013 my Victorian novel, As Long As You’re Mine, will be released through Rising Phoenix Publications.

I’ve been reading and writing historical romance since I discovered Gone With the Wind at the tender age of thirteen.  I am quite the romantic, but I’ve always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.  So there’s little wonder I try to incorporate all of these elements into myown stories. I live in Virginia with my family and a small menagerie of pets.  When not reading or writing, I indulge my passion for the theatre.  I’m a working director and too often feel like I’m directing her characters on their own private stage of the book. “Writing is like chocolate, once you start, you just can’t stop.”

WordWranglers: Love that quote. And Gone with the Wind. Okay, talk about the book(s) you’ve written. What was the first seed of an idea you had for your book? How did it develop?

Jenna: The first seed for Only Scandal Will Do came from another book--The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh.  The hero is a scarred man with self-image problems.  He hires the heroine as a prostitute, uses her roughly only to find out she was a virgin.  About that time, my hero starts whispering in my ear, telling me about the woman he bought at an auction who turned out not to be the prostitute he believed her to be, but a lady of the ton.  Scandal indeed.  So I set to writing quickly, trying to see how they could overcome this very unfortunate first meeting. There were a lot of changes to the story, although most of them were in the revisions.  And I had to keep my heroine from killing the hero on multiple occasions.  She’s a feisty woman!

WordWranglers: Ooh, that just sounds yummy. Was there a scene that was more difficult than others? One that you pondered whether or not to include it?

The inspiration for Jenna's heroine, Katarina
Jenna: There were a couple of scenes that did get cut, but I cut them reluctantly.  I don’t think there was a difficult scene in this book.  It flowed very quickly--I was done with the first draft in two months!  It was, however, very difficult to revise.  My heroine originally hated the hero--who was an arrogant asshole who bought her in a brothel.  But they both needed to have a spark of attraction in the beginning that would grow, so I had to work hard--really hard--throughout to calm down her dislike and lose his arrogance (well, most of it anyway).

WordWranglers: Gotta leave just a smidge of arrogance, don't you? lol What do you keep in mind as you write? An overarching question? A theme? The last line of the book?

Jenna: What I keep in mind is the through-line of the book--the plot and where it’s going.  I have the whole book plotted out before I even start with the first chapter.  Then I just look at the outline, like I’m reading a roadmap, and sail forward.

WordWranglers: Great advice! What are you currently working on?

Jenna: At present I have several projects I’m working on, all at different stages.  I’m revising the second book in the House of Pleasure series (the Scandal series) called Only Marriage Will Do; I’m editing the second book, Betrayal, in my medieval trilogy, Time Enough to Love; I’m putting the finishing touches on my Victorian romance, As Long As You’re Mine, scheduled to release in early November, and I’ve just finished polishing my Regency novel To Woo A Wicked Widow, first book in The Widow’s Club series.  Whew!

WordWranglers: You are a busy lady! How do you balance writing, marketing, promoting, bookkeeping, family and work?

Jenna: Sometimes I feel like an octopus juggling too many clams. LOL  Something always has to give.  Most of the time it’s family.  But fortunately the girls are older now and have very busy lives of their own. Marketing and promoting are hard beasts to keep in control of.  They get out of control very easily and a whole day is gone with no writing accomplished. Work is very demanding and has to be attended to first.  So everything else has to be fitted around my very hectic schedule.  Which usually means no sleep.

WordWranglers: Oh, no sleep. UGH! And I'm still LOLing at the octopus/clam visual. Thanks for visiting us Jenna!

Jenna: Thank you so much, Kristina & the WordWranglers, for having me here today!

Okay, readers, Jenna is sharing a little peek into her book Only Scandal Will Do:

Katarina clutched the chair’s golden upholstery to keep from launching herself at him and wrapping her fingers around his arrogant throat. “I am Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam, sister to the Earl of Manning. I was kidnapped and brought here tonight against my will.”

He cocked his head. Then his mouth twitched. “Truly? What an exciting life you must lead...Lady Katarina, was it?” He chuckled deep in his chest, and took a step toward the chair.

She glared at him. “I am Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam, you dullard.”

“And true ladies always run around London at night scandalously underdressed as Greek slaves?”

“My brother and I were on our way to a masquerade ball when I was abducted.”

“As was I, fair lady,” he bowed with an exaggerated flourish, “when I decided to come to this charming establishment instead. Perhaps if we had continued on our ways uninterrupted, we would even now be dancing together at the ball.” That nasty laugh grated against her nerves worse than the screech of rusty nails, making her contemplate murder. If the scoundrel didn’t believe her story, killing him might be her only means of escape.

Blurb: He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?

Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.

Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she's a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he'll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who'll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family's name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He's betting their future he'll capture her heart, but does he have what it 
takes to win the wager?


WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.

Buy the Book:
Amazon      Barnes & Noble     ARe     iTunes

All About Jenna: 

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance.  Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction.  She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published this year as a series of three novellas.  The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.

Find Jenna Online:   Blog   Facebook   Twitter  @Jenna_Jaxon

Comments

  1. Whoa, the book sounds great. We can sure all relate to the octopus visual! Thanks for visiting the corral.

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  2. Hi, Liz! Thanks for coming by so early in the morning! It's a pleasure to be here on Wordwranglers. Thank you so much, Kristina, for having me! I hope you get to enjoy Scandal sometime, Liz. :)

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  3. Hi, Jenna! Thanks for being our guest...

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  4. I love that picture of Kat! That's just how I see her! Great interview.

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  5. Kristina, you are so welcome! I love being here!

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  6. Andrea--Thanks so much! I truly appreciate it!

    Kary--Isn't it perfect for her? Just enough fire and spice. :) Thanks for coming by, Kary!

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  7. Great interview. I'm looking forward to reading the book

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  8. It's wonderful to get to know more about you. Love the cover and excerpts for your book! :)

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  9. Gemma--Thank you for coming around with me today. :) And I do hope you enjoy Scandal!

    Melissa--Thank you also for making the circuit with me today. Several ladies have followed me on all these stops--you all rock! Thank you also for your kind words about Scandal!

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  10. Thank you so much, Kristina, for interviewing me and having me on Wordwranglers today! I had a great time!

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  11. Sounds like this will be a hot read, can't wait.

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