Monday, September 29, 2014

Awesomesauce Authors: An Interview with new adult author Jennifer Blackwood!



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Today I'm thrilled to welcome to the blog Jennifer Blackwood whose New Adult debut UNETHICAL releases October 20th from Entangled Embrace! Let's find out more about Jen and her soon-to-be-born book baby!

ABOUT THE BOOK:



Two years ago, the medical world was shaken by scandal, and Payton Daniels's family was at the center of it. The second she graduated, Payton left everything behind―her high school sweetheart, her family, and the controversy surrounding her mother's death—and hid within the anonymity of college. But Payton’s ex, Blake Hiller, hasn't forgiven her for leaving, and when he enrolls in the same medical ethics class, she panics. She can’t run the risk of him telling everyone who she really is. 

As if being at the same university isn’t enough, both Blake and Payton land the same internship. Forced together, their passion for each other reignites, but when Payton is asked to testify in her father’s high-profile trial, she must choose between risking her acceptance into medical school to help her father, and losing every connection to her past—including the only guy she’s ever loved



Tell us a little about your writer's journey so far:
Well, Unethical is the second book I’ve written. My first book, an angsty YA with a hero that resembles Edward Cullen an awful lot, will NEVER see the light of day. I started querying Unethical Halloween of last year, and by March I was lucky enough to snag my top choice agent, the fabulous Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates, and land a two book deal with Entangled.


Okay, let's hear your Twitter Pitch! (140 characters or less.)

Here is the actual Twitter pitch I used to PitMad back in January:
When pre-med student's dad is hot topic in ethics class, all she wants is to go unnoticed. Not so easy with angry ex as classmate #pitmad


What inspired you to write this book? How is it a book only you could write?
I had just finished reading Easy by Tammara Webber and I thought to myself, gosh, I’d really love to see a NA romance that dealt with stuff I went through in college. I was a pre-med student for three years before I decided I didn’t want to go into the medical field, and wanted to write about characters who studied hard and played even harder (***not that I did anything but spend my Friday and Saturday nights in the library, Mom***). I also wanted to write about the Greek system in a positive light. Fraternities tend to get a bad rap in general, and I had a really great experience with them when I was in college. Heck, I married a frat guy J. So, I combined a few of my favorite experiences and used it to write Unethical!



What's your favorite thing about writing?
I love editing and revising. It’s where all the magic happens. I love to make my book stronger, adding in better word choice, more depth, etc.



What's your least favorite thing?
Drafting. It gives me hives. For real.



Now it's time to brag a little--What do you love most about your book?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. I really like my hero, Blake. He is a total dude with a heart of gold. I’m proud of his growth throughout the novel.




Who was your favorite character to write? Why?
Besides my hero and heroine, I love Blake’s best friend, Ryan. They have a bromance going on, which you will see more of in book two! I love writing guys who can be silly with each other.


What has surprised you most about publishing post-agent?
I’ve learned that everyone’s pub journey is different. Even though two people can have the same agent, editor, or publisher, they will have completely different experiences. There is also a lot of waiting, similar to the query process. But most of all, publishing is a wild ride, so buckle up and keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.



Okay, now a little about you. (And yes, I stole these questions from In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton.)

What is your favorite word?
Facetious 


What is your least favorite word?
Moist *shudders*


What turns you on?
Smart guys


What turns you off?
People who are full of themselves


What sound or noise do you love?
Wind chimes


What sound or noise do you hate?
People picking at their nails


What profession, other than your own, would you most like to attempt?
I’d really love to own a wedding business. I’m very type-A, detail-oriented, and love weddings, so I think it’d be fun!


If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear G-d say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
“You made a difference in someone’s life.”


Finally, what's the one question you've always wanted to answer in an interview? (And of course, you have to answer it!)
Who got you into writing romance in the first place?
That would be Jennifer Echols! I read her book, Love Story, and decided from that moment on that I wanted to write romance.

GAH! I love her. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Jen! And don’t forget to check out UNETHICAL when it debuts next month. Goodreads link is below!!



Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and New Adult author. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s binging on Veronica Mars episodes and white cheddar popcorn.Her debut novel, UNETHICAL, comes out October 20th from Entangled Embrace

      







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