Author Interview: J. Sterling

I had the pleasure of meeting Jenn at the Lust In The Lowcountry conference this year. She is an amazing author with a great story. Let's hear all about her...

Thank you for joining us. Please tell me a little about yourself.

My name is Jenn and I write all kinds of romance- new adult, sports, contemporary.  I have one son, he’s a professional baseball player and I’m dating the “real” Jack Carter (after 20 years apart and one heck of a book series inspired by us lol)

Could you let us in on what you’re working on now?

I’m in the middle of writing 5 more stories in my Fun for the Holiday’s Series! That will make a full year’s worth of reads- one for each month! Think Hallmark, but hotter.

Which of your stories is your favorite?

I love The Perfect Game for what it did for my career, but I love Dear Heart, I Hate You for how it challenged me at a time in my life when I didn’t believe in love anymore, but wrote about it for a living. I love Safe at First, and wish it got more attention, for the story I chose to write for that particular athlete. It’s not one I ever see talked about and as a mom to a pro athlete, who didn’t get drafted, it was an important story for me to tell.

What’s your inspiration?

Real life. My heart. My past. My imagination.

How and when did you begin writing?

I started writing in 2010 after getting fired from my job. I thought I only had 1 story to tell, but that turned out to be a lie. LOL

What is one of your favorite books by another author?

I love Claire Contreras romantic suspense books (she writes a lot of genres) and I honestly think Tara Sivec is one of the funniest writers out there. 

Have you considered writing in other genres?

Yes. But there will ALWAYS be a romance aspect to whatever story I tell.

What is your writing process? Do you need silence or music?

At the beginning, I couldn’t write without my book soundtrack. Now, I need silence. I still have book soundtracks for almost every full length story I tell, but I listen to them in the car.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

I usually write and release about 3 books a year. But the holiday books are technically novellas, so this year I’m releasing SEVEN and there will be FIVE next year!  

Have you ever had the dreaded Writer’s Block?

Sure. I don’t consider it writer’s block though. I’ve just had times where I don’t feel like writing, or the story isn’t coming, or whatever IT is, it’s not working. I step away and watch movies, or read. 

Do you have pets?

I have a dog named Jack!

Anything new on the horizon?

Fun for the Holiday’s is a collection of stand-alone romance stories with holiday/seasonal based themes. They’re super fun, funny and sexy!  

Do you have anything that you absolutely need to have in order to write?

Monster zero-sugar energy drinks. LOL  I know, I know….

Could you tell me the heat rating of your books out of 5 flames?

I’d say they’re a 2. My books are more about the story, then the sex. There’s always sex IN the story, but it’s never what it’s about.

Who is your main source of support for your writing?

To be honest, I don’t think anyone truly understands what it’s like to be a writer- except other writers. 

Thanks for having me!  

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE book each month:

 https://tinyurl.com/Jnewsletter

Website & Blog: 

http://www.j-sterling.com

Spencer, Fire Lake book 4

 

My newest book, Spencer was released on September 15! 

Take a look at his story:

Everyone has secrets. Especially a Navy SEAL. But Spencer has found the one man who seems to be hiding more than him. And that just doesn’t fly.

Rick reinvented his life fifteen years ago, and has no intention of revealing why. But, in the back of his mind he’s been waiting for the other shoe to fall, and now it has.

Certain he has to get far, far away from the former Navy SEALS who make up LH Investigations, Rick learns they take loyalty and friendship to a new level.

But that doesn’t solve his heartbreaking problem: He’s got it bad for Spence and there’s no way he’s going to let the clever IT specialist anywhere near the shame he’s harbored for half his life.

Spencer on Amazon

Spencer on Barnes and Noble

Spencer is available for Kindle and in paperback and is ready for you to read today!

Quotes that inspire

I have decided to share quotes that inspire, encourage, and uplift each week on my social media accounts.

Thursdays will be the day!

I think we all need to be pushed to continue on from time to time...so, this is my little push for all of us. And some days, we all just need to good laugh...so, I will share those here and there as well. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Instagram

Facebook 

Author Interview: Gladys Cross

 

I met Gladys at an author event and just HAD to interview her for my blog...Let's take a look: 

Thank you for joining us, Gladys. Please tell me a little about yourself.

I’ve written for myself off and on since the third grade, always putting my dream of being an author on the backburner. It took a friend asking for feedback on a piece they were writing during COVID for me to focus on making my childhood dream a reality. I discovered I had all these stories pent up inside waiting to be told, and once I got started, I couldn’t stop.

When I’m not writing, or begging people to read what I’ve written, you’ll find me hanging out with my eight-year-old daughter and her band of neighborhood friends. I’m perfectly content knowing about Pokémon cards, Nerf guns, pterodactyls, and the latest in barbie accessories. They provide me with endless amusement, which I share on my social media because we could all use a daily dose of laughter.

Could you let us in on what you’re working on now?

Picture it, Sicily, 1927. Just kidding, a little Golden Girls humor. Seriously, picture outlaw bike club meets cartel. Dark, action, drama, suspense, and, as always, sexy.

Which of your stories is your favorite?

Lord, this is like picking a favorite child. Brutal. How about I give you my favorite thing about a few? Devil’s Secretary – the reference to the pineapple. Hilarious, dark, and a little off color. Leave it to Luc, the Devil, to be creative. This Thing of Ours – Rachael and the poker. That girl will do anything for her man. Inked – Charlie. I’ll just leave that right there. The Order Bound Series – the fight scenes. They were crazy fun to write. 

What’s your inspiration?

This varies. It started off being a scene that would come to me in a dream. For example, in This Thing of Ours, it was the diner scene and with Trinity, it was a sex scene between Rhone and Jade in the woods. Inked started out as a project for women’s day that took a dark and gritty turn, but it’s such a beautiful story. With Devil’s Secretary, I just wanted the freedom writing about the devil gave me. Not really sure where my current project came from aside from me wondering what would happen if….

How and when did you begin writing?

I alluded to the third grade earlier, but it was actually a field trip to The Vanderbilt Estate that sparked my ten-page (typed) romance titled The Vanderbilt Affair. Don’t worry peeps, it was totally pg. 

What is one of your favorite books by another author?

Anything and everything by TL Hodel. She’s the queen of the likeable butthole and I love her for that. Not to mention she’s a cool person.

Have you considered writing in other genres?

Honestly, no. Romance is my jam. That being said, I write across every subgenre of romance you can think of. Love to read it all and thus I will write it all.

What is your writing process? Do you need silence or music?

People are probably going to hate this, but for me, silence is golden. When my daughter is off for the summer, literally nothing gets done, it's terrible. A fun fact, though, I always start with the cover and title.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

Depends on the length. I wrote a few shorter ones, like Devil’s Secretary, that I knocked out in a few weeks, but for the most part I put out a book about every three to four months.

Have you ever had the dreaded Writer’s Block?

Do not jinx me like that! Lol. Not yet.

Do you have pets?

We have a beloved old lady named Cody. She’s part greyhound and part black lab. Picture the coloring and hair of the lab with the body style of the greyhound. Needless to say, if she gets out, it requires me to drive around the hood with sliced cheese in the minivan cause the girl is fast even at twelve.

What is your favorite part of writing? Do you have favorite plots?

The creative part of seeing where the story takes me. I’m a complete pantser and have been known to shoot a character and call my mom like now what?

Anything new on the horizon?

I’m intrigued with the idea of subscriptions. I’d love reader input as I write.

Do you have anything that you absolutely need to have in order to write?

Other than a kid who doesn’t hover and say mom, mama, mother, every second like Stewie from Family Guy? Lol, no.

Could you tell me the heat rating of your books out of 5 flames?

Oh, gosh, definitely a 5.

Who is your main source of support for your writing? Mine is my husband and children.

My mom plays an integral part of the process because I call her every night and read what I’ve written. When the words are said out loud, you catch clunky sentences and things that don’t come off the way you want them to. After my mom, my daughter is my next biggest fan because she doesn’t hesitate to inform the grocery store clerk I write about smoochy love (her term). Then there’s the hubby, who prefers to stay in the background and tells me to keep writing because he feels like he could get behind a sugar mamma (he’s totally kidding, don’t send him hate mail).

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Romance readers rock and I hope you check out my stories and drop me a line to let me know what you think. Writer’s love knowing you connected with a character or that you thought the story line was creative. Believe it or not, it makes a difference to us. Some of my readers say the sweetest things that make me tear up, so don’t stop doing it!

Thank you for taking part in my Author Spotlight on my blog.

Check out Gladys books by clicking on the book cover below...