Like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter's day

Hello Jennifer and welcome to Adventures in Authorland. Please get comfortable and tell us about your adventure.

Jennifer Britt

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

     It wasn't until I was a finalist in a contest in 2012. Up to that point, I had been writing and writing, but considered it more of a hobby. I still remember receiving the email telling me I had made the finals and jumping up and down with excitement and happiness. I swear I told everyone, family, friends, and strangers, that I was a finalist and I'm sure most people I told didn't care. But when I saw my name on the list with the other finalists, I knew at that point that I was a writer.

What books have most influenced your life?

     Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, anything by Nora Roberts, Rachel Gibson, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and many others. If it weren't for these authors, I wouldn't be writing romance today. While I fell in love with romance after reading Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, Nora Roberts hooked me and kept me coming back for more.

In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

     I write contemporary romance. While I read a wide variety of romance and other genres, I tend to come back to contemporary romance. I enjoy reading and writing about modern day heroes and heroines. It also gives me the ability to create the quirky, small town characters that I love. A good contemporary romance is like drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

     I've written three books thus far - Betting Brenda, The Best Intentions, and Finding the Dream. I can't pick one as my favorite. All of them have moments and characters that I love. The Best Intentions and Finding the Dream are special to me because they are part of my Lincoln Falls series and all of the characters have become near and dear to my heart. When I sit down to work on a Lincoln Falls novel, it's like coming home.

Do you have any advice for new writers beginning their adventure?
     Write at least 15 minutes a day and try not to edit yourself as you write. It took a long time for me to turn off the editor in my head. I found I wasted a lot of my writing time trying to get the perfect wording down. You can edit and worry about perfection later.
     Learn to take criticism in stride. Writing is subjective -- some people will love your writing and some won't. You will have to analyze the criticism you receive to find the nuggets that will help you improve your writing. I highly recommend contests. The critiques I received through contests were invaluable.

     Make sure to read. You can learn a lot from reading books, not only in the genre you write in, but in other genres as well.

Share three fun facts about you that most people don't know.
     I would love to go up in a hot air balloon one day. It has been on my list of things to do for a long time.
     I love to prank people. I've been married to a prankster for a long time now and I think I caught the prankster bug.
     I'm extremely competitive. I go into everything with the idea that I'm going to win.

BLURB: FINDING THE DREAM

     Jessica James had her dream—a career on Broadway as a successful actress—until one night when it was taken all away. Forced to move back to Lincoln Falls and live with her parents, Jessica's only goal is to regain her career and go back to New York. She doesn't count on a honeysuckle hating man standing in her way or the town of Lincoln Falls itself. Now everything she thought she ever wanted may not be her dream at all. 

     Eric Mason and his daughter have quietly lived next door to Jessica's parents. That all changes when he meets Jessica. She is overly dramatic and the most annoying person he's ever met. Yet, he can't get her off his mind.

     Will they find a new dream together?

EXCERPT:

     Eric had heard a lot about Lorraine's daughter, the actress, but he hadn't had the opportunity to meet her since she'd come home. So far, she'd made quite the impression on him. Who knew there'd be this much drama over a honeysuckle.

      "I'm wearing slippers." She turned, anger in her brown eyes.

      "With reindeer?"

     "No. Moose."

     He laughed. God, she was easy to bother and, for some reason, he enjoyed bothering her a lot.

     "Why would you wear those?"

     "They keep my feet warm," she said it as if it should have been obvious.

     "You know they sell slippers without antlers."

     "These were a gift," she said, pointing at them.

     "You could have returned them."

     "Why would I do that? I like them. I need a cup of coffee. Goodbye." She pushed a tangle of blond hair out of her face as she turned to walk away.

     He held up his hands. "Whoa. I didn't realize you were so sensitive about them."

     "I'm not. I'm just done with this conversation. Eric, I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but under the circumstances . . . well, you understand." She shrugged and walked toward the house.

     "Wait. You know my name, but I didn't get yours."

     "Jessica."

     "Jessica James. As in Jesse James. You're named after the infamous outlaw?" That was a good one. What had her parents been thinking?

     She flipped him the bird as she turned to go and he laughed.

     "It was a pleasure," he said, watching her as she retreated across the backyard. She had a willowy frame and, in her slippers, stood almost as tall as him.

     She glanced over her shoulder one last time with her full lips pursed and fire in her eyes. He couldn't wait to meet Jessie James again.

Buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1SX6CI

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-the-dream-jennifer-britt/1119887447?ean=2940046046267&itm=1&usri=jennifer+britt

About Jennifer Britt:

     After graduating from law school, Jennifer Britt worked for a leading tax publication as a legal editor.  She then moved to an accounting firm as an associate director and legal editor.   While her day job keeps her busy, Jennifer has managed to find time to write and, most nights, she can be found in front of her laptop writing her next contemporary romance novel.
     She lives in Virginia with her husband and family.
Connect with Jennifer on her website at http://jennifer-britt.com/, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest