Interview with Jennifer August

This month, I’m happy to have my fellow chapter-mate and friend, Jennifer August, talk to us about her writing and her latest book. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up HER DARK MASTER, get your copy today! You can get it by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, Jennifer!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? And how did you get your start?
Thanks for having me, Michelle, I’m excited to be here! I think on some level I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but it really hit me hard in the 10th grade. I’m not sure why, but I always equate my Marine Biology Teacher Mrs. Hill with that overwhelming desire to write a book. I got my start by diligently crafting an entire 32 page (front and back!), hand-written debacle of friends-into-lovers. Even though I had no real clue about what I was doing, I had a marketing hook! My real start came when my brother purchased a ticket for me to a writer’s seminar. That ticket included a year’s membership to the writing group and I was hooked. I learned so much from them, it’s just unreal.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere! Trite, but true. I’ll hear a phrase or see a word and it’ll spark an idea. Pictures also play a huge part in my creative process. I love to look at painting and whatnot, but sometimes if I know the type f book I want to write, I’ll Google a word and click on images. It’s sort of like sensory immersion. I’ve had two books come to me in dreams, too. My first book – a medieval with paranormal elements; and Her Dark Master.

One of my favorite places for inspiration, though, is the characters themselves. I find the more I learn about the people running around in my head, the more their story begins to evolve.

What is the one writer’s tool you can’t live without?
That’s a hard question but I’d say two words: What If. Pen and paper to write the answers down would also be helpful, but What if can create worlds and worlds of ideas.

How many words/pages do you do in a day/week/month? And how do you keep yourself motivated to do them?
I aim for about 20 pages a week, not that I always achieve that. A lot of time I go over and sometimes I go under. I keep myself motivated in several ways. Most notably by remembering my overall goal of continuing to publish. Next would be my CPs and my family, all of whom are constantly asking me “Did you write today?” They are intertwined closely with a yahoogroup I belong to called the Write_Now_Game. Those ladies are so motivating and inspirational that it’s impossible not to write. Plus, I have a feeling that if I didn’t get the words out of my head and onto paper, my brain might explode and that would just be sad. Not to mention messy.

Whose work has influenced you the most?
Amanda Quick, Julie Garwood, Julia Quinn and a fabulous author I just discovered Sabrina Jeffries.

This month is the release of your novel, HER DARK MASTER. Where did you get the idea for that?
That one came to me in a dream. One might say a fantasy, considering the subject matter. I have always been a very sensual kind of person and I remember going to sleep that night thinking about how far I would go to make love with the man I adored, even if I had to marry someone else. I’ve always been able to sort of direct my dreams and this was no different. The actual book really differs from my dream but the general idea is the same.

Tell us a little about the book.
Her Dark Master is a Regency erotica featuring an unusual (to me) heroine. Tori Ashford is a virgin, but she writes for an underground sex paper – anonymously, of course. When she learns she’s to be married off to an old man, she undertakes a very risky charade to ensure she spends one night of passion with the man she really loves – the hero Matthew Corwin. Matthew is a strong, alpha male with definite Dom tendencies coupled with a mistrust of women. When he learns Tori has deceived him, he plots an erotic revenge that has repercussions neither expected.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Her Dark Master – the story of Tori’s brother Ryder and his own quest for love.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
A baseball analyst. In my dreams, of course, but dreaming is what life is all about, isn’t it?

What’s your favorite genre to read? What’s your favorite genre to write?
I love historicals! I’m not all that choosy on time periods, though. Vikings, Medievals, Regency, Victorian, Civil War, Scotland… you write it, I’ll read it!

My favorite genre to write is actually medieval, though I’ve written a ton of Regencies and I’m itching to dive into the Victorian realm as well. I have so many stories in my head that my fingers really can’t keep up. Which, in this business, is a good thing!

My favorite non-romance genre is fantasy. I love sword and sorcery books, which is why so many of mine have paranormal elements. I have a huge fantasy epic I work on when I get frustrated, stumped or boggled by my current romance work in progress. It helps clear the air because I consider it free writing. It’s just for me, but I HAVE to know what’s going to happen to those characters. I’ve gotten them this far, I can’t just abandon them now. Right?

I love to hear from readers, especially what they are reading, what they like and dislike in the romance arena today, and what they’re just itching to read. I always reply to emails, so send me a note at jenniferaugust08@yahoo.com.

Links of interest:

• My website: www.jenniferaugust.com
• Where to buy my book: www.eredsage.com
• My infrequently updated blog: www.jenniferaugust.blogspot.com