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December 6, 2012


The PP welcomes a special gal-Jeffe Kennedy!
Come say Howdy and
get to know more about her.


How did you get from your day job to writing romance?  Well, I’m still working my day job, so I haven’t quite transitioned yet. Right now I put in fairly long days (~12 hours) with time on both. I work from home, so that helps. The day job still pays much better, though the writing is starting to catch up. I’m hoping the writing will win the race someday!

What are your three favorite books of all time? This is always hard for me to answer, because I love so many. Ones I often recommend are Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett, Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood and Possession by A.S. Byatt. All really excellent, wonderful, insightful books.

Morning, afternoon, or evening person? I used to be a night owl, but I retrained myself because, if I wanted to write every day, I needed to write in the mornings. My schedule didn’t really allow for a consistent time at any other point in the day. Now I wake up fairly early – 6am- and make sure I get plenty of sleep every night and I feel like I’m pretty much awake and productive all day.


Music--with or without? What kind? It totally depends. Mostly I like pure and total silence. If I’m feeling like I need to get in the mood, I’ll listen to a movie soundtrack or a playlist. I just finished a novella that takes place in New Orleans and I made myself a playlist that mimicked the soundtrack from The Big Easy (which for some reason wasn’t available on iTunes).

First or third POV? I write both and love both, for different reasons.

How's tricks? Do you juggle multiple projects? Hmm. Yesterday, I worked on revisions on a new fantasy romance novel. Today I’m working on developmental edits for the New Orleans contemporary romance/erotic novella (book 3 in the Facets of Passion series). I have an appointment tonight to brainstorm a short story with my CPs for an anthology. That will take place in the world of yet another novel that my agent is shopping – and talking to people about this morning. I also talked to my agent yesterday on an offer on yet another project, so I think that’s a yes to juggling!

That said, when I’m drafting, I like to work on that and only that whenever possible. I write start to finish and need the focus. If I have to set it aside for something else, I will, but I don’t like it.

What's harder: beginning, middle, or the end? Lately it’s the end for me. It seems to keep moving farther away as I write. And then I get feedback that it’s rushed. Pretty much on everything. One day I’ll master the art of the ending!

Revisions: Love 'em or hate 'em? I don’t love them, but I don’t mind them. Drafting is my favorite part.

How did you come up with that title? ROGUE’S PAWN (book 1 in Covenant of Thorns) was originally called OBSIDIAN. I called it that for many years while I was shopping it. Right before Carina bought that book, they published SAPPHIRE, which is book 1 in Facets of Passion. They, very nicely, pointed out that I couldn’t have “one-word, jewel titles” in two different series. Alas! So my CPs and I brainstormed a list of new titles and there we are!


Best advice anybody ever gave you? Write every day, at the same time every day.

Fill in this blank: My ideal fictional hero would think me gorgeous no matter who I’m standing next to.

What's your favorite dessert? Brownies.

Do you write at home or someplace else? Home! I don’t really like to write in other places. Except maybe airplanes.


And here's an excerpt from Rogue's Pawn. I'm happy to give away a copy!
 
My eyes cleared enough for me to see him. Ebony-blue climbed over half his face. The winding pattern of angular spirals and toothy spikes swirled out of his black hair on the left side of his face, placing sharp fingers along his cheekbone, jaw and brow. For a moment, the tattoo-like pattern dominated
everything about him. Ferocious and alien.

Once I adjusted, I could see past the lines. His face echoed Tinker Bell's golden coloring. He could be her fraternal twin, with those same arched cheekbones. But where she was golden dawn, he was darkest night. Midnight-blue eyes, that deep blue just before all light was gone from the sky, when the stars have emerged, but you could see the black shadows of trees against the night. He shared Tinker Bell's rose-petal mouth, but with
a curious edge to it. I suppose a man's mouth shouldn't remind one of a flower, and there was nothing feminine about this man.

Where she wore the pink sugar roses of debutantes and bridal showers, his lips made me think othe blooms of late summer, the sharp-ruffled dianthus, edges darkening to blood in the heat. His bone structure was broader than hers but still seemed
somehow differently proportioned, his arms hanging a bit too long from shoulders not quite balanced to his height. Inky hair pulled back from his face fell in a tail down his back. One strand had escaped to fall over his shoulder and I could see a blue shimmer in its silk sheen.

He arched his left eyebrow, blueness in the elegant arch, repeating the deep shades of the fanged lines around it. "Shall we?" he repeated.

I stared at him. What was the question?

Find Jeffe at: http://twitter.com/jeffekennedy

11 comments:

Jeffe Kennedy said...

Thanks for hosting me today!

chris k said...

love that last line - What was the question? LOL

don't have many of those moments in real life any more -
though I do remember a decade ago or so at work with a female customer and a young tom cruise walked in the door- both of us had to make an effort to close our mouths-

had he said anything we probably both would have had to ask - what was the question? LOL

thanks for joining us

Kathy Ivan said...

Hi Jeffe and welcome to the Plotting Princesses.

I'm with Chris K - love that line "What was the question?" I think we've all had that moment where everything else pales and we're left gaping with you mouth open, trying not to embarrass ourselves.

I'm a night owl myself, it's the only free time I get any more to write. (Like you, I work from home too)

Congratulations on your latest release with Carina. Wishing you many sales.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Jeffe! And congratulations on your books. Do you have any writing tricks up your sleeve?

Sylvia said...

Hi Jeffe,
Love your covers and your titles. Both sound like excellent books. You sound like me. I work from 5:30 to usually 9-9:30 at night. I still have a day job, but i keep hoping that will end soon. Best of luck with your books.

Chrisbails said...

Loved the excerpt. I also loved that last line. I also love the cover, wow he is gorgeous. I am a night owl and work 2nd shift as front desk @ a hotel. I love my job cause it allows me to read when I'm not busy. Thanks for the giveaway.
Christinebails at yahoo dot com

Katalina Leon said...

Wonderful interview and excerpt!

Jeffe Kennedy said...

Thanks for the fun feedback, gals! I'm just cracking up over your comments and how much you like that last line!

Do I have writing tricks? Hmm. Besides writing a whole bunch, preferably every day, and reading a whole bunch - which are my core pieces of advice - I say:reach for more. When you're writing, reach for the better description, the deeper emotion, the more precise word.

Unknown said...

Great interveiw and excerpt. I love to find new authors and books.
lauratroxel@yahoo.com

pc said...

This sounds like a wonderful read with humor! I'll check this out...thanks for sharing!
ivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)com

Jeffe Kennedy said...

And the winner is, according to the random number generator.... Kathy Ivan! Let me know what ebook format you prefer, Kathy!