I’m
delighted to welcome Jennifer
Bohnet to my blog.
Hello
Jennifer,
It
was great to connect with you through The Romantic Novelists’ Association. I’ve
been a member of the RNA for a number of years and continue to be amazed by some
of the brilliant authors and supportive affiliates, I have encountered during that time. But before
we discover more about your latest release, Villa of Sun and Secrets,
here are a few questions which will hopefully give your readers an insight into
some of the things that matter to you.
Arabella: Authors can release
books, making them available to readers in various ways…via an agent, or
working directly with a traditional publisher, or they can even go the
self-publishing route. Which method of publishing do you prefer, and why?
Jennifer: First
I’d like to thank you, Arabella, for inviting me on the blog.
I’ve
been a bit of a hybrid for the last couple of years – self-published and with
HarperCollins but I much prefer working with a traditional publisher. I’ve
recently been signed by Boldwood Books for 4 new novels plus my backlist –
which consists of my five self-published books. I don’t currently have an agent
and find the support offered by a publisher invaluable. Marketing and promo are
hard and time-consuming and as an indie author, I lacked the confidence to push
my books. With a publisher, it’s still hard and eats into writing time but there
is more support in the background.
Arabella: Who or what inspired you
to write your latest release, Villa of
Sun and Secrets?
Jennifer: Villa of Sun and Secrets will be out 8th
August. I have a notebook of ideas and last year after A year of Taking Chances
was published by HQ I was wondering what
to write next and in the notebook were a few unconnected phrases: unknown aunt;
south of France; divorce; two new beginnings. I started to play around linking
them together and the story slowly evolved as I wrote it.
Arabella: A slice of Chocolate
Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and Fries?
Jennifer: A
piece of melon please – with a slice of parma ham on the side would be perfect.
Arabella: If the person of your
dreams, (husband/wife/partner/or superstar), were to take you out for the
night, where would they take you and what would you do?
Jennifer: Dinner
and then the theatre. Actually just taking me to a really good production of a
play, any play, would be wonderful! I miss live theatre with English language
plays so much living in France.
Arabella: Currently, what is your
most favourite T.V. programme, and why?
Jennifer: I
rarely watch TV – A lot of French TV seems to feature dubbed American detective
series, which I simply don’t like. Every July though we tend to get hooked on
watching the Tour de France. (Really
exciting this year too!)
Arabella: When writing a book or
chapter, which do you concentrate on first: plot, character, or setting?
Jennifer: When
starting a new book I decide on the setting and then find the characters who
inhabit it, listen to their stories and then start to weave the plot. I’m more
of a pantster than a plotter but these days I do plan a bit more than I used to
– basically because I find writing from several points of view I can get in a
dreadful muddle! After about 10K words, when the story is starting to gel for
me, I make a note at the beginning of every new chapter of the scenes that are
needed at that point to move the story on.
Arabella: How do you research your
novels and characters?
Jennifer: My
books are contemporary and on the face of it, don’t involve much research –
just up to date general knowledge of what is going on in the world. The book I
had to do the most research for was Shadows of Conflict (a new edition of which
Boldwood Books will be publishing in the future), which is set in and around
Dartmouth in South Devon. During WW11 a large part of the coast down there was
evacuated for training exercises before D-day. We lived in Dartmouth for
several years and I already knew a lot about the history of that particular
event but books and the Internet refreshed the details.
Arabella: What advice would you
give to someone who is starting out on their writing journey?
Jennifer: Remember
you’re in it for the long haul. Few writers achieve overnight success, or write
a breakout novel at the first attempt. Write the best book you can and never
give in to the doubting Thomas that exists in all of us! But most important –
enjoy the writing journey wherever it takes you. And once you’ve started
writing a story try to write everyday even if it’s only a few words or a
paragraph: it keeps your subconscious involved in the story.
Jennifer
- Thank you for joining us on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat and sharing a
little about your journey as a Women’s Contemporary Fiction writer. I think I
might even pinch your idea about making a note at the beginning of a chapter to
drive the story forward.
All
the best and lots of happy-ever-after writing…
Arabella
Sheen
About Jennifer Bohnet:
I
find it hard to believe but I've lived in France now for twenty years. After
eleven years down on the Cote d'Azur where Richard was a guardien for a villa,
we moved from the Mediterranean coast to a small quirky cottage in the depths
of Brittany. A bit of a culture shock to say the least! I've sold hundreds of
shorts stories to the women's magazine market in the UK, Australia, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark - I even had my own newspaper column in a group of local Devon
papers at one time. My latest book - number 13! - Villa of Sun and Secrets is
published by Boldwood Books on 8th August.
Jennifer’s Social Media
Links:
Twitter handle:
https://twitter.com/@jenniewriter
Blurb: Villa of Sun and
Secrets
It’s never too late to live the
dream.
Carla Sullivan’s 50th birthday is fast
approaching when her whole world is turned upside down. Discovering her
feckless husband is having yet another affair and following her mother’s death,
she is in need of an escape. Finding an envelope addressed to her mother’s
estranged sister Josette in the South of France gives Carla the perfect plan.
Seizing the moment, she packs her bags
and heads to Antibes to seek out the enigma known as Tante Josette. But as the
two women begin to forge a tentative relationship, family secrets start to
unravel, forcing Carla to question her life as she has always known it.
BUY LINK:
Jennifer - It was wonderful to have you as a guest on Arabella's Blog and Chit-Chat. I hope you have fun sharing your post with your readers.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, and good luck with your latest release - Villa of Sun and Secrets.
Arabella Sheen - Author
Thank you again for the opportunity Arabella - I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteGreat article and a nice way to promote online. I’m satisfied with the information that you provided Alternativ till BC
ReplyDelete