*Interview* with author Jennifer L. Allen

Author Interview with Jennifer L. Allen

1.  What are you working on right now?

I’m working on three different projects right now. One is top secret. I hopefully share more about it in the new year. The second is Joey’s story, a novella that is part of the JACT series. All the books in this series can be read as standalones, but reading them in order will give you a full appreciation for the characters and the series. And the last project is brand new, it’s going to be a military romance. It’s a story that just popped into my head recently and one I can’t wait to tell.

2.  Tell us about your writing process. 

I don’t really have a process I stick to. I tend to get an idea for a story and stew over it for a few days until I have enough info to start jotting down notes. I don’t really do a complete outline, because I’m too anal retentive. I know how that sounds, you’d think someone who is anal retentive would thrive on outlines, and I’m sure some do. My problem is that if I create an outline, I want to stick to it, and when the story starts going in a different direction, or I think or something new to insert, I start to freak out a little bit because I’m swaying from the outline…then I need to redo the outline, etc. So I tend to wing it because it keeps the process fun and loose. So I make some rough notes, and my notes are usually in the form of a list of things I want to happen so I can scoot things down, insert new things, and delete stuff, etc. as I go. I don’t write every day. One day I might write 2000 words, then a week later I might write 10,000, then I might work on something else. It can be chaotic, but I don’t usually give myself deadlines or goals or anything while writing because I want it to stay fun and not a chore…I don’t want it to be a job. It’s a fun, creative outlet for me.  

3.  Who was your favorite character to write?  Who was the hardest to write?

I really enjoy Alex from my JACT series. He’s just a fun guy. He’s laid back and easygoing. He enjoys life and doesn’t take too much seriously, except when he has to. I can’t wait to write his story. I have such great plans for him!

4.  Do you write full-time or do you have another job?

I have a full time day job as an Office Manager. I’m also a graduate student. Writing is very, very part-time for me. But as I mentioned before, it’s a fun, creative outlet for me, and I want it to stay that way. I want to always enjoy it. Right now, like reading, it’s sort of an escape for me. When I’m stressed over this, that, or the other thing…I write.

5.  What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I read. You can almost always catch me with a book in my hand. I’m addicted. I also enjoy music and going to concerts, traveling, and taking pictures. I like to spend time with my husband and our families when we can. I also enjoy cooking and baking, though I haven’t been doing too much of that lately since starting grad school. I’m all about make ahead meals that I can stick in the crock pot and forget about!

6.  Do you have any favorite TV shows? 

Yeah…so I don’t really watch TV anymore. When I started avidly reading, I found books to be much more fascinating and gave up pretty much all my TV shows. I don’t really know what’s on TV anymore. I used to enjoy CSI, Criminal Minds, and How I Met Your Mother. There were others (my husband and I had a ridiculous lineup of shows we watched), but I can’t even remember what they were. I also loved to catch reruns of Friends, Golden Girls, The Nanny, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and if I happen to see one of those on TV, I might still watch it.

7.  What's your guilty pleasure?  

Chocolate. I love Cadbury and Symphony and Dove…yum.

8.  Who are your favorite authors?

Such a hard question. There are so many authors I absolutely love and I love discovering new authors, too. I love Colleen Hoover, and probably always will keep her at or near the top of my list. Hopeless is the first contemporary romance book I read, the one that started my reading obsession. So I’ll always be thankful to Colleen for introducing me to this side of the book world. I love Tijan – her work is amazing. Others I enjoy are Sawyer Bennett, Jade C. Jamison, Abbi Glines, Jay Crownover…this list could go on and on and pretty much every time I’m asked this question, I answer with different people.

9.  What was your last 5 star read?

Sweet on Wilde by Fabiola Francisco. I met the lovely Fabiola at my first signing, Sassy in Jacksonville. We’ve actually been Facebook friends for a while and I’ve read a couple of her other books, so it was great getting to meet her in person. Anyway, I picked up this book at the signing and LOVED it! The chemistry between the two main characters was amazing and the story was so sweet. I liked that things happened over time and it wasn’t all insta-love…though I don’t mind stories with insta-love at all, but I appreciate a good build up. This story had that! 

***************************************

Thank you Jennifer L. Allen for taking the time to answer these questions for us. 

Stop by Bookworm Mom on Facebook to check out the teasers and spotlight posts that have been posted throughout the week for Jennifer's books.  You can also pre-order Right Place Right Time, which comes out on July 22nd! <3