Please help me welcome Jan Romes to my blog. Today she will be giving a copy of Stella In Stilettos to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave her a comment.

Tell us about yourself:
Hmm. Let’s see. First and foremost, I’m a wife, mother, grandma and sister. After that, I’m a romance writer and part-time fitness trainer. I love to read (all genres), garden, and cruise the Caribbean. I like to make people laugh even though I’m a relatively shy person.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? And why?
I think I’m a misplaced spirit that should have been living in the tropics all these years. Life in Ohio has been good to me, but I’m fast becoming someone who no longer wants to deal with winter weather. I could so see myself living on an island in the Caribbean or living along the coast of South Carolina. I dig hot, muggy weather. And I wouldn’t mind wearing shorts, tank tops and flip-flops all year round.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a “day job”?
I consider myself a full-time writer, although I occasionally pick up a shift at the gym. In years past, I worked outside the home as an administrative assistant for an electric utility company. Now I’m fortunate to be able to spend most of my time writing.

How does your family feel about your writing career?
My husband is very supportive. I bounce ideas off of him. He gives me feedback. When something awesome happens with my writing/career he’s just as excited as I am. I couldn’t ask for more.

What is your typical day like?
I would love to say that it begins with the smell of coffee wafting through the air to make my sleepy eyes pop open and the sounds of birds chirping at my windows and that the day just gets better from there. In reality, there’s a mop of scary bed-head to deal with as I shuffle my way to the kitchen where I impatiently pace back and forth in front of the coffee pot waiting for that first eye-opening sip. I pop into social media for a bit. Open my current work-in-progress. Pop back into social media. Go back to said WIP and let the creativity flow. Another cup of joe. Back into social media. Back to WIP. Lather-rinse-repeat. Not so glamorous, but it works for me. (New Year’s resolution for 2014 – be more structured with writing habits)

Tell us about your current work-in-progress:
I’m only about 45 pages into the story (a little over 11,000 words). But I can share that it’s a marriage of convenience story with two unusual plot twists. For now, I’d like to keep them a secret.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?
I love to read most genres. Of course, my first pick would be romance since it’s the genre I write. But then, it’s sort of wide open. I love westerns, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, historicals, time travel, non-fiction, etc. I’m a little leery of books with too much gore in them. Not saying I wouldn’t read them, but if there’s too much descriptive blood and guts, I would probably have difficulty sleeping. LOL!

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do to combat it?
I don’t think I suffer from writer’s block as much as I deal with distractions that interrupt my creativity. (By distractions, I don’t mean my penchant for social media – *grins*) Life occasionally throws a curve. When that happens, it can take the train off the tracks for a day or two.
If I’m still in a funk, I forget about the WIP by reading or going for a walk.

Bio:
Jan Romes grew up in northwest Ohio with eight zany siblings. Married to her high school sweetheart for more years than seems possible, she is also a proud mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother. She likes to read all genres, writes witty contemporary romance with characters who give as good as they get, is a part-time fitness trainer, and enjoys growing pumpkins and sunflowers.
Here’s how to follow Jan:
Website: www.janromes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.romes.5
Twitter: @janromes
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5240156.Jan_Romes
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jan-Romes/e/B005OMZICY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

EXCERPT FROM STAY CLOSE, NOVAC

Adrenaline pumped through Jessi with as much velocity as gale force winds and she got an instant headache. While she rubbed her temples she did some erratic pacing from the back door to the front door to the bathroom, waiting for the slightest sound that would indicate she was under siege. The same helpless feeling that plagued her in New York had returned. The only difference was instead of being surrounded by millions of New Yorkers, she was isolated on a lonely stretch of beach where no one would stumble across her until the stench of decomposition attracted attention. A worse thought played across her mind – what if Ian and the fancy pants thug turned her into a shark snack? Oh God! She thought about her parents. While they drove her up a wall with their constant bickering, she still loved them and didn’t want them to suffer the pain of losing their only child.

Well, she wouldn’t go down easy. She wrung her hands and tried to come up with a brilliant plan.

She needed an equalizer.

A quick rummage through the kitchen drawers produced a mountain of plastic spoons. Great. Ian Alexander and his accomplice better watch out. One false move and they’d be pulling plastic ware from their ribs. Jessi groaned.