Today, I welcome to the blog, author Jennifer Gracen, who recently released her debut contemporary romance novel, Autumn Getaway. This is book one of the four part Seasons of Love series.
Jennifer answered some questions about her career in writing as well as about the series which I will share here today. And please don’t forget to enter the giveaway which will give the lucky winner a free e-copy of the book Autumn Getaway!
Book Blurb
Author Jennifer Gracen brings together a colorful cast of friends and family in Book One of the Seasons of Love series, AUTUMN GETAWAY. Newly divorced mom Lydia is just getting back on her feet. Her college roommate’s wedding promises a much-needed getaway weekend with old friends, at a beautiful manor in Connecticut. When she meets Sam, a handsome friend of the groom, she’s nearly overwhelmed by a confusing mix of hope and trepidation. Their instant connection feels intensely real, to both of them, but the ink is barely dry on her divorce decree. It takes all her nerve, and more than a little prodding from her girlfriends, to convince Lydia to give her heart – and Sam – a chance. But when the magical weekend comes to a close, Sam must return to Chicago, while Lydia heads back to her complicated life and young son in New York. Can their newfound connection survive the trials of physical distance and years of emotional baggage?
Jennifer Gracen’s Interview
Q: How did you come up with the idea of writing a book?
A: I didn’t. I’ve just always written books. I started in my early teens, writing romances in little spiral notebooks. I’d get about 40-50 pages in, get another idea or get stuck with the current idea, stop, and start a new one. I must have started and not finished about 30 books during my teens. I didn’t actually finish a book until I was 20. Then, I stopped writing for a while (a LONG while, like 15 years), and when I started again, at 38, it was with a new focus, maturity, and determination. I wanted to write books again, and to do nothing else.
Q: Where did your inspiration come from?
A: For writing? I don’t know. I just always loved to read, and to write. I wrote poems in kindergarten, short stories in 3rd grade – and my family encouraged it because I obviously liked doing it. It was just in me, I guess. There wasn’t a specific person/event that inspired me. I simply can’t remember not writing.
Q: Have you learned anything about yourself since you started writing?
A: YES. I’ve changed and grown so much since I started writing seriously, about 5 years ago. I’ve learned that I can work hard at something when I’m passionate about it and it doesn’t even feel like work, because I love the doing of it. That I can make myself buckle down and do what needs to be done, and I haven’t always been great with self-discipline. That what I have to offer through my writing is valid, because people who read it enjoy it. That the creative part of me never died, as for a time I thought it had; it was merely hibernating, and when it woke up, it did so with a vengeance. That my love of writing is more than a passion, it’s what I’m meant to do. It’s my bliss, as Joseph Campbell would say. I feel like I found my true self when I started writing again. I unearthed the real me.
Q: What advice would you give someone who might be thinking of writing a book?
A: Do it! Just sit down and write something. The only way to start is to start. Butt in seat. Go for it.
Q: Have you written any other books?
A: I have six completed full length novels. Four of them comprise my Seasons Of Love series. One is romantic women’s fiction, a standalone. One is the first of the next series I’m working on, also four books, also contemporary romance. That book’s done, working on the second now. And there’s one novella that will likely never see the light of day, hahaa.
Q: Are you working on a book right now?
A: Of course! The second book of the new series I mentioned earlier. Almost done with the first draft. Hoping to be done within a month.
About Jennifer Gracen
Jennifer Gracen hails from Long Island, New York, where she lives with her two sons. After spending her youth writing in private and singing in public, she now only sings in her car and is immersed in her passion for writing. She loves to write contemporary romance for readers who look for authentic characters and satisfying endings. When she isn’t with her kids, doing freelance copy editing, or giving in to her social media addictions on Twitter and Facebook, Jennifer writes. She’s already hard at work on her next book. Jennifer is a member of the Romance Writers of America and is active in the Long Island Romance Writers.
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!
To enter, just leave a comment with your name and e-mail by which you can be reached. If you’re the lucky winner, I will reach out to you!
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