A visit with Jenna Jaxon

Heart of DelightHow did you get started writing?

I had just finished reading Kathleen Woodiwiss’s medieval romance Everlasting, which I loved. I was standing in my office at school and looked at my computer and said out loud, “I think I can write something like that.” And literally sat down and started to outline the book that eventually became Time Enough to Love.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write historical romance because I love history and researching and writing about how people lived in other time periods is the most fun I can think of!

Tell us about your current series.

Handful of Hearts is a sweet Regency series that takes place in 1820. The premise of the series is that all the books (other than the first book which is a prequel) begin at Lady Hamilton’s ball in May, at the beginning of the Season. Each of the couples in the series meet at that ball, many of the characters know each other already, and the stories are interwoven at points, but each is stand alone and can be read without the others. The first book, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, begins the Christmas before, but introduces some of the characters who become the heroes and heroines of later novellas.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

Well, it was hardly a walk in the park, but there wasn’t a lot of peril, just a lot of waiting. And rejections by agents and editors. I started writing in January of 2009 and my first short story—ironically the inspiration and final book for this series—was published in 2011. But my first novel wasn’t published until 2012 and just this past April I acquired an agent and in June received an offer of a print contract. So seven years is quite a bit shorter period of time than many writers, but it seemed a long time to me!

What is your favorite dessert/food?

My absolute favorite dessert is Apple Bourbon Bread Pudding (which I cannot eat because of gluten allergies) and my favorite food is Lamb Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb dish).

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently writing both the second book in my Regency series The Widows’ Club tentatively titled To Take a Widow to Wife and a medieval Christmas story that will hopefully release in early November.

What do you have planned for the future?

A lot of writing!  I’m currently under contract for two ebooks and three print books to Kensington Publishing, plus my sweet Regency series which has four more books for me to write.

Tell us about your hero.  Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

The hero for Heart of Delight is Lord Halford, Hal to his friends, a somewhat eccentric nobleman who doesn’t care for society’s strictures and rules. To make things worse, his father had decreed he must marry before the Season is out and Hal doesn’t like any of the eligible young ladies of his station. His strength is his willingness to go to great lengths to help people. A weakness is his mercurial temperament that spurs him to do somewhat unorthodox antics—such as pretending to be his valet instead of himself.

Tell us about your heroine.  Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Gabriella d’Aventure is a young woman on a mission. She has taken a position as a lady’s maid and come from France with a very specific purpose—to meet the Duke of Rother. She’s a bit untruthful about why she wants to meet this duke when she encounters and enlists the aid of a young valet during a ball. Gabriella’s strength is her tenacity in her attempt to make this meeting with the duke happen. When she puts her mind to something, she is very focused. Her weakness would be her reluctance to forgive people who have deceived her.

Heart of Delight BLURB:

 He’ll do anything to be her heart’s delight—except tell the truth.

Gabriella d’Adventure is on a mission. She has come to England as a lady’s maid in pursuit of the Duke of Rother. When she meets Horace Carpenter, valet to a marquess, she is delighted to enlist his aid in gaining her heart’s desire: a meeting with the duke. But will her growing feelings for the handsome valet interfere with her plans for the duke?

The eccentric Marquess of Halford, Hal to his friends, is tired of the demands of Society, especially his father’s decree that he marry this Season. When a breathtaking young woman intrudes on his solitude, he is captivated and introduces himself as his valet in hopes of learning more about her. Despite his fear about the true motive behind Gabriella’s quest to meet the Duke of Rother, Hal agrees to help her gain an audience with him, all the while praying his deception won’t ruin his chances of winning her love.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Jenna-Jaxon/e/B005CHPBD2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1473182747&sr=8-4

AUTHOR BIO

Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling, multi-published author of historical romance in periods ranging from medieval to Victorian.  She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager.  A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.  She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and two rambunctious cats, Marmalade and Suger.  When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director.  She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

Jenna is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is very active in Chesapeake Romance Writers, her local chapter of RWA.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/

@Jenna_Jaxon

https://www.facebook.com/Jenna-Jaxon-146857578723570/

Rafflecopter-Ebook Giveaway Heart of Delight

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One thought on “A visit with Jenna Jaxon

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *