Welcome Author Jana Richards!
Give a warm welcome to Jana, author of The Girl Most Likely! And guess what, it’s on sale for 99 cents from 5-13-16 – 5-27-16. Hurry get your copy today!
Now, lets pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip cookie from the plate, and learn a little about Jana.
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com
What inspired this particular story?
The Wild Rose Press sent out a call for submissions for the “Class of ‘85”. It was to be a multi-author series about the 25th high school reunion for Summerville High, a small town in western New York State. The idea of a high school reunion story appealed to me, but instead of a story about a girl who was unpopular in high school and found success as an adult, I decided to turn that idea on its head. What if Cara had been one of the most popular girls in high school? What if everyone expected her to have an amazing life and an amazing marriage? But the reality is that her life has fallen apart. She’s a divorced single mother working at an entry level job. Her former trim figure has gone south along with her confidence. And now she has to face her former classmates at her high school reunion, including her ex-husband. I wanted to see what Cara was made of.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
I give up! It may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes the best thing to do when a writing project just isn’t working is to walk away. Sometimes I’ll work on another project, maybe something less taxing like a blog post, or a new piece of writing that I’m excited about. Or maybe I’ll go for a walk or to the gym and turn my mind away from writing. Stepping away often gives my brain time to work out a solution to whatever point I’m stuck on. And if that doesn’t happen, it often means I need to go back and rethink my plot. The trick is to not abandon the project permanently. I’ll admit this has happened to me in the past, but I’m convinced it was because the story had fatal flaws.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
My writing stayed in the closet, so to speak, a long time. I didn’t even tell my husband for ages. I used to bring out my notebook and write after he went to work. It seems silly now, but at the time I thought he’d think my desire to write was foolish, but in reality he’s always been supportive. As far as other relatives and friends, it took me a long time to talk to them about my writing. Even after all these years, the only people I really talk writing to are my writing friends.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
Absolutely. I believe there’s a little bit of me in all of my characters. In THE GIRL MOST LIKELY, Cara McLeod is trying to lose weight so she can feel confident attending her high school reunion. I’ve been battling my weight all my life and I know what it’s like when your dress feels a little too tight and you feel that everyone is talking about how much weight you’ve gained. But I think I’m also a strong person who picks herself up and pushes forward, just like Cara.
Tell us a little about The Girl Most Likely.
Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?
Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he’s eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?
Do you have an excerpt for us?
He chuckled. “Jessica better watch her back. You could give her a run for her money.”
He heard Cara’s throaty laugh, and various parts of his anatomy tingled in response. “Yes, that’s my evil plan. Take over Rochester Noon, then the world.”
“If you set your mind to it, I’m sure you could do it.”
“Thanks Finn.”
“For what?”
“For believing in me.”
“Are you going to be okay now?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
He wanted so badly to tell her he loved her, adored her, thought she was the most amazing woman in the world. But fear stopped him. Was she truly over her ex-husband? Why else would losing weight for the reunion be so important to her if not to impress Peter?
“I’ve got to run. Thanks again. I’ll talk to you later at my condo, right?”
“Absolutely. I can hardly wait to hear about your big TV debut. Break a leg. Isn’t that what they say in show biz?”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s what they say. Bye.”
Finn replaced the receiver and closed his eyes. He hoped everything went well with this interview. Cara deserved to realize how amazing she was.
If she did come to that realization, would there still be room in her life for him?
You can find The Girl Most Likely at :
Ibooks –
You can find Jana at:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Newsletter Signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, Romance by Tena Stetler with 12 comments.
“Class of 1985” caught my eye, being my high school graduation year. And many times I’ve felt over 40 and frumpy. I love a story that starts with a plot most of us can relate to. Good luck with your book!
Thanks for stopping by! The Girl Most Likely can be part of all of us. The years past by at the speed of light leaving us to wonder what if?
Hi Jana and Tena.
Great post. Love the title and it’s such a relatable storyline.
Sometimes I find it hard to integrate my writer’s life and “real” life and sometimes it feels good that my writing is something that is only mine. I really value the support of writers in the TWRP loop.
Thanks so much for stopping by Charlotte! The Roses are a great group!
Great post and your novel, “The Girl Most Likely, sounds like a real winner. I love when the characters are people with thoughts, fears, and problems like ordinary individuals. Ironically, my reunion is coming up this year and I’m thinking the only way I’ll lose 8-10 pounds is to cut off my head!
Thanks for stopping by!
Wonderful interview! I didn’t realize how much of myself is in my heroines until my sister told me. I was telling her how much I found it frustrating that this character smacked her chest when she was trying to get a point across. My sister laughed and said I did the same. I was shocked. Really! I did it without thinking, lol! So, yes, it does seem like we all put a bit of ourselves into the characters we write. 🙂 Wishing you all the best with your sale, Jana. Another book on my TBR list.
Hi Mary, Thanks for stopping by. Yep, whether we know it or not, we are in our characters.
I love that you turned the idea on its head and gave us a heroine who feels like the rest of us feel when faced with a high school reunion.
Awesome excerpt!
Lori,
Thanks for stopping by and checking out Jana’s book.
Great interview, ladies, and Loved the excerpt! I love the idea of turning the usual reunion story on its head, and am adding this to my summer reading list. Maybe it’ll help me decide whether I want to brave my own reunion this spring…
Best of luck with sales!
Katie, Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Reunions are a tangle aren’t they. I decided against attended mine.