1.)
For people not familiar with your work which
book or series would you recommend that they read first?
It really depends on what you like. My books span the gamut
of romance sub-genres. If you’re interested in starting a series, you might try Big Girls Do It, which also has a spin-off sequel series, Rock Stars Do It,
and I’m currently working on the first of a Rock
Stars spin-off series called Big Love
Abroad. Those are sexy and funny, what you might call erotic romantic
comedy. My most well-known book is probably Falling
Into You, with its follow-up books Falling
into Us and Falling Under. Those
are angsty, emotional, dramatic New Adult books. There are book in between,
like Stripped, which is a little
emotional, fun, and sexy, and a standalone novel. That might be a good one for
someone who has never read any of my work before, since it won’t rip your heart
out like the Falling books or The
Ever Trilogy, but is still a good sample of my style of writing.
2.)
Also if people have never read your books, but
have heard that they are in the “erotica” genre and or about dominate and
submission; what would you say to that reader to get them to give your books a
chance? If they are still hesitant to read them is there anything that you
could say to change their mind? (I made the wrong choice of words here and Jasinda quickly corrected me!)
First, I don’t do true bondage, S&M, dom/sub type sex in
my book. My latest book, Alpha, is
closest to that, but it’s really more about a dominant alpha male. My books do
contain a lot of explicit sex, but it’s sex as an expression of love between a
consenting man and woman. I write hot, steamy, fun, exciting, romantic sex.
It’s part of the story, part of how my characters bond and learn each other,
part of how their story progresses.
2.) Do you feel that the sexual content in your
books are over the top or are they in line with what most authors in the genre
are writing?
Well, naturally I wouldn't do it
if I thought it was over the top. I write what I want to read, and I follow the
guidelines my husband and I put in place for our sexual content when we first
started writing. Also, I’m not super concerned with comparing my content to
other authors. I write what I believe in. I read a lot, and I read in my basic
genre and the bestsellers overall, so I know what other authors are doing. My
sexual content is part of the story, part of how the characters express
themselves. Sex is a natural and vital part of a romantic relationship, and
that’s what I try to reflect in my writing.
3.) What makes your books stand out so much that
your readers are so rabid for the next one; be it a series or just one book?
And what parts of each book do you write and what parts does your husband
write?
This is really two separate questions, so I’ll tackle them
separately. First, I like to think that it’s a combination of things that makes
my readers hungry for the next one. I try to keep my books paced quickly, so it
feels like even a 500 page novel reads quickly. I try to make the writing
eloquent and smooth and natural and compelling, and I put my books through
three distinct phases of editing so each one is as clean as possible, free from
grammatical or technical errors. No one is perfect, and no book is ever perfect
either, but I do my best. I also try to make sure my characters are believable
and real and well-rounded, but still compelling and sexy. And most of all, I
try to make sure my storylines are simple and easy to follow, but still
dramatic and gripping. It’s a balancing act, but I think I’ve found a method
that works for me.
As for Jack’s and my writing style? We get asked this a TON,
and it’s not a question we’re capable of answering to anyone’s satisfaction,
nor are we necessarily interested in trying to do so. Jack and I have an
amazing, and we think, unique relationship. We’ve always worked well together,
even when we were just friends, and as parents now, and as business partners.
We developed a style and a process that works for us, and I highly doubt it’s
one that could ever be replicated. What I’m good at and what Jack is good at
overlap, cover gaps and weaknesses in each other. I’m really good at dialogue,
given my background in theater, and Jack has a degree in literature so he’s got
an eye for the more technical aspects of writing, but we develop our characters
and plots together. Each book is produced differently, in terms of who does
what.
4.) E.L.
James said that she tried out a couple things in the Fifty Shades of series before
writing the scene – do you try out any of the scenes before writing them into
your books? (What I really want to
ask is do you practice D&S)?- you totally don’t have to answer this!!!
This is a question I’m going to have to refrain from
answering. What my husband and I do in the bedroom is private. You’ll just have
to read my books and make your own decisions.
5.)
It seems that selling over a million books by
self-publishing has done what many signed authors to one of the big six wish
for – what advice would you give to any new and up and coming authors
regardless of what genre they are writing for?
I honestly think that it is impossible for anyone to get
where I am via the traditional route. I have nothing but respect for trad
authors, but I couldn’t have gotten where I am that way. I’ve made a career
breaking the rules of romance, and I refuse to be put into a genre box. I write
across the range of romance, and I will continue to do so. I will write what I
want, what I like, what I find inspiring and sexy and interesting. As for
advice? Write. Just write. Write the book. Don’t worry about social media or
marketing. Write the book. When you’ve written it, go through it and edit the
hell out of it. Then do it again. Then
have a professional—NOT a friend who
“likes to read”, but a qualified professional free lance editor—go through it.
Then publish it. Another piece of advice: Don’t go to a bunch of signings on
your first book. It’s depressing and a waste of time. Do signings after you
have enough of a fan-base to attract readers. After you’ve published your first
book, WRITE THE NEXT BOOK. Bella
Andre has said, and I will steal her words: There’s no marketing tool as
effecting as the next book.
6.)
Do you and your husband have any goals for the
future that move out of the “erotica” label for example: romantic suspense w/ a
little more spicy sex, M/M or F/F? Are you even interested in writing any books
of that sort?
We are not erotica authors. Some of our earliest books may
fit that bill, but I don’t accept the label “erotica author.” If you’ve read
all of my books, you’ll see that there are romantic suspense books, romantic
comedies, new adult, contemporary romance…I’m not concerned with labels or
genres. I write what interests me. I do not see myself writing Male/Male or Female/Female romance, because that’s just not what I’m personally into. There’s nothing
wrong with it, it’s just not what I’m into. I don’t do multiple partner scenes
either, as a rule. The sex, as I’ve said in previous questions, isn’t the main
focus in my books. It’s the characters, and the story.
7.)
You are very accessible to your readers and fans
do you think that that helps with the sales of your books or is it just the
great writing?
I’d like to think it’s both. I’m accessible to my readers,
and I intend to stay that way, and I do think it does help with sales. But I
also think my writing style has a lot to do with it as well.
8.) What do you think about the whole three or
six book series concept that a lot of writers are doing now where the reader is
not getting a HEA in the first book? (I
personally enjoy reading a book with the characters showing up in the next book
but having two new major characters have their story? I sorta want a HEA after
the first book or maybe a second book.)
Every writer is different, and for me, each story is different.
I write what the story and characters dictate. My Ever Trilogy doesn’t have an
HEA in the first book, simply because the story arc was too long to be
contained in one book. You have to approach each book as its own thing, and
that is true as reader and as a writer. Sometimes, you just don’t get the HEA
right off the bat. Sometime, the story is a journey that may span three, four,
five, or six stories. My Big Girls
and Rock Stars books contain 10
titles between them, and not every title ends with an HEA. You just have to
read it for what it is, and decide for yourself if the journey of the story is
worth it to you to continue.
1 9.) Have
you been approached to be signed by on the five, and would you feel vindicated
as an author once you were signed? Or in your opinion is it better to
self-publish because you can make more money and have complete control over
your content?
I have been offered deals of all sorts from all of the Big
Five. I’ve turned down the deals and I probably will continue to do so. I don’t
need the vindication. My sales numbers are my vindication. The fact that my
readers like my books and continue to buy them is vindication. To me,
self-publishing is the better way to go. I need the control over every aspect
of my business, and yes, I do enjoy the exponentially-higher royalty
percentage.
1 10.)What
was the first book that you remember reading that made a huge impression on
you? And also for your husband?
In professional terms, the book that made the biggest
impression on me was one of Bella Andre’s Sullivan books. I don’t remember
which one, but it was one of the first ones in the San Francisco Sullivan
series. She was doing that herself, writing, editing, designing her own covers,
publishing, everything. That made me realize it could be done, and that it was
a profitable way to go, and that I didn’t need the “gatekeepers” of agents and
editors and publishing houses. I could do it myself and I didn’t need anyone’s
permission to do it. For Jack, it was the Spinward
Fringe books by Randolph Lalonde, and they had the same effect on him that
Bella Andre did me, e.g., making him realize that top-quality books could be
written and published and make money without any of the middlemen.
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