Monday, November 25, 2013

Interview with Jan Meredith



I had the privilege of sitting down with fellow author, Jan Meredith. See what we talked about here:



Using five sentences, tell us who YOU are, the writer.

Jan: I’m a wife, mother and a nurse who listens to the people in my head and writes down their stories. I’ve been a romance junkie since my teens and married my high school sweet heart at 18. I have two handsome sons, and enrolled in college at a point in life when most women are slowing down, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve been a writer of some sort since childhood, whether it was poetry, short stories, or a paragraph that came to mind from a photograph.

Do you currently have any books out for purchase? If so, what are the names, what’s it about and where can we find them?

Jan: My debut release, PLAYING DOCTOR, is one of six books included in the launch of Entangled Publishing’s sexy new imprint, FLAUNT. It’s about Gabriel North, a doctor who lost his wife two years prior to a condition in which he specialized, and is guilt-ridden at having missed the classic signs of the pulmonary embolus (blood clot in the lung) that took her life.
Beth Roberts is a survivor of domestic violence and has no interest in another relationship with a man. For the past four years, she has devoted her life to raising her son and her work in the ER.  
Are you currently working on something? Tell us about it!
I’m the type of person who never has only “one” thing in the works. I’m working on the story for the secondary characters in PLAYING DOCTOR, titled EDUCATING EVE, about a Navy SEAL home on leave for his brother’s wedding (actually, the one where Gabe and Beth meet J), and his childhood friend, Eve, a romance writer whose lackluster love life is making writing those steamy love scenes nearly impossible. While growing up, Eve was forever asking Ian to “show her how to do something.” Well, guess what she wants him to tutor her on now!
I also have a book titled, AFTER THE STORM in the works. An erotic story about a hunky carpenter who fulfills his next door neighbors fantasies, and a friends to lovers story titled, TAKING CHARGE.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what THREE things could you not live without?

Jan: In reality it would be my family, food/water and my faith. In my dreams it would be, chocolate, the internet and Chris Hemsworth…or Dustin Clare…or Adam Von Rothfelder…or, well, you get the picture J

When is your most creative time of the day?

Jan: Evenings to late night. I’ve always been a nocturnal person.

What motivates you to write? Music, movies, pictures?

Jan: Music and photographs are my major muse. I was having a bit of difficulty figuring out what Beth was trying to say to Gabe after their night together, then, driving to work one morning, a song came on the radio (Too Close, by Alex Clare) and BAM! I knew exactly what she was trying to tell Gabe, and how much it hurt her to say it.
Photographs are an awesome source of inspiration for me, too. I fear the day that one of my computers blow and has to be taken in for repairs. I’m sure to be labeled a pervert once the tech sees my Pictures file.

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Jan: President John F. Kennedy, just to say, “See what’s happened to the country you loved so much?”

What authors inspire you? Why?

Jan: So many authors have inspired me over the years! Nora Roberts, for her way of moving a story forward with action and her awesome ability to jump from one character’s point of view to another and do it in a way that works.
Sherrilyn Kenyon for drawing me into the fantastic worlds she creates and making me alternate between weeping for her tortured characters and laughing at the sarcasm bouncing between them.
Anne Calhoun for her ability to write a story so real, that it stays with me for months after I’ve finished the book.
Jennifer Probst because…well, what an wonderful story teller she is! Her books reach out and grasp your heart and make you wonder, what if…

What started you on the journey to write?

Jan: As I said, I’ve always written in one form or another. Like most writers, I read...a lot. Some books are the most wonderful tomes you’ll ever hold in your hands. Others will make you want to throw the book against the wall and wonder how in the world it got published. After reading one of those, I thought, pfft, I can do better than that. Then I tried. Well let me tell you, I burned my first attempt, making damn sure NO one would have the opportunity to fling it against the wall in frustration!
After a while, and several aborted attempts, I decided to listen to what my characters were saying to me, and stop trying to write for a publisher with such strict guidelines that my creativity was stifled. And it worked.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve come across being an author or a writer?

Jan: Writer’s block, procrastination and concentration. I constantly find myself jumping up from the computer and looking for something to do.

How has becoming a published author (independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be? (If you are not published yet – what changes do you foresee?)

Jan: I’ve found it to be a lot like the quote from A Tale of Two Cities:  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. As this is my first foray into the world of publishing, I knew very little of what to expect. During editing, I was so terrified of making a change and it being a wrong one. It took me a while to realize that, even though I had sold my book to a publisher, it was still my book, and that what we were doing with it was a partnership, not a relinquishing of my work to a stranger giving advice and suggestions.
I feel very fortunate to have Heather Howland and Tahra Seplowin as my editors, and Kerri-Leigh Grady is wonderful to work with, as well.  I also had wonderful support from my awesome critique partner, multi-published author, Cathryn Fox, without whom I would have floundered. Wendy Marcus and Laura Kaye were wonderful sources of information and encouragement, as well.

How do you stay motivated and get through writer’s block?

Jan: I go back and read what I’ve written from page one. I know my characters are trying to kick me in the butt and move on with their story, so I revisit what they’ve told me and see what I’m missing. I pull up the photos for the muse for the story, take another look at what they say to me.
I have a wonderful friend and critique partner, Cathryn Fox, who keeps me on the straight and narrow. I can send what I have to her, get her take on it and she points out where I need to go. I’d be lost without her.

What keeps you focused and ‘in the zone’ while writing your novels?

Jan: My characters keep me in the zone.

Do you have a technique or style of writing you prefer? Do you write in order or skip around and piece together later?

Jan: I’m a patch-work writer, especially if I’m having trouble with a certain scene. I find it more productive to work on another scene, or one that’s hounding me to get it on paper, than to attempt to write in a linear fashion. It’s all about putting the words down…it can always be pasted in the appropriate spot later.

When your dreams come true, what do you do?

Jan: Freak a little. Oddly enough, there are times when my dreams have come true. Selling PLAYING DOCTOR was a major dream come true. I was offered a contract from another publisher a week before Entangled contacted me saying they wanted to take it to acquisitions. Entangled was my first choice from the get-go, so it was no chore to take the time and wait for them. In the end, they handed me my dream.

To all of us aspiring authors, struggling, or newbies, what is the best advice you can give us?

Jan: Read the type of story you want to write, and write the story you  want to tell. Get the words down, polish it and make it your own. Get a good critique partner who writes what you write and understand that her comments and suggestions are just that, and she means no insult to you, but that in the end, it’s your story. Research the publishers you plan to submit to: who are their current authors, how are their books selling, what’s their business model? Take note of royalty payments: do they pay a % of cover or list price or net profits? There is a major difference in your royalty check when you compare cover v/s net. Contact authors already with the publisher you plan to submit to: are they happy?

Quote from novel: “Unless that’s an otoscope in your pocket, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

Find Jan here: 






Special Treat!! Read at own risk, adult language and content.

PLAYING DOCTOR/Entangled Flaunt
Blurb:

When a fellow RN jokingly predicts that Beth Roberts will meet a tall, ripped and totally lick-o-licious stranger who will fulfill her deepest desires, it’s supposed to be from across a crowded room, not giving CPR to a wedding guest. Given her tragic love life, Beth has no desire to become involved again, but who could have predicted the ponytailed doctor with the mischievous smile would break through her defenses?

Dr. Gabriel North blamed himself for his wife’s death. Now, after two years of battling guilt and meaningless hookups, he’s ready to move on. When he sees the sexy brunette at his friend’s wedding, his attraction is swift and strong, and he wastes no time in pressing his advantage. One night with the woman who makes him feel alive again isn’t enough, but gaining her trust is going to take more than medical school has prepared him for.

Excerpt: 860 words
He worked the button at her waistband free, pulled the zipper down and drove his hand inside. His fingers slid over her sex once, twice, and then plunged deep. Her body quaked, her inner walls grasped and squeezed at his fingers, but it wasn’t enough.
“More,” she moaned. “I need…I’ve got to have my hands on you.” Beth tugged his shirt free of his slacks, keenly aware of the thick column of his cock pressing against his fly. She plunged her hands under the soft fabric, smoothed her palms up the firm ridges of his abdomen. She pressed her hand to his chest, just over his heart, felt the gallop and pitch of it beneath muscle and bone.
For her.
She was in so much trouble and she didn’t give a flying fig. Right now, at this moment, all she cared about was this man, and that he was here, standing before her. Wanting her.
            His forehead fell to hers, his breathing ragged and uneven. He pulled her hand from his cock, grasped her hips and dragged her in, grinding his erection against her upper abdomen. “I’ve dreamed about you, woke up with the taste of you in my mouth.”
            Her breath caught in her throat. “I’ve dreamed about you, too. Of your mouth, your tongue on me.” She shuddered against him.
            “God, Beth.”
            “I came, but it wasn’t enough. It’s not enough now. I need you…inside me. Right here, right now.”
            “Fucking hell!”           
Had she not known it was lust that caused his fingers to bite into her hips, Beth would have been frightened, but she knew she was safe. By the way his eyes burned with it, the way his shoulders heaved as he fought for control, by the way his touch gentled, she knew. The hollow feeling in her chest filled to overflowing, sealed over, and healed. A new sensation crept in and tapped at her heart. Open up, it beckoned, and see what awaits.
Fabric shifted, just enough to accommodate. Beth toed off her shoes, slid her slacks and panties down to kick one leg free. Gabe fought his belt open, yanked down his zipper and shoved his slacks over his hips. His cock sprang free, heavy and full.
He bent his knees, cupped her ass in his hands and hoisted her up. “Hang on to me. I’m sorry. This is going to be fast,” he apologized and reached between them to align the rigid length of his cock between her thighs. “Ah, damn, you’re so wet,” he gritted, and then slid into her.
Beth buried her face against his neck, ran her tongue along the line of his jaw. His body shuddered. She wrapped around him, wound her arms around his neck, squeezed her legs around his hips and held him there. He was thick and hard and she thought she’d come from the sheer bliss of having him inside her again. He pulled back, all the way to the tip, and, when he thrust back in, the door rattled on its hinges.
They both froze.
Beth sucked in a breath. “Oh, God, as much as I’d love for you to do that again—”
Gabe’s forehead banged against the door. “You’d hate to get fired for getting fucked  against my office door.” He turned, moved to the side and braced his back against the wall.
Beth glanced around the small room, her gaze landing on the desk. Gabe laughed, causing his cock to flex and pulling a moan from her throat.
“Baby,” he rasped, “there’s nothing I’d like more than to bend you over that piece of furniture and take us both to heaven, but unless it’s nailed to the floor…”
“Oh, God.” The image he painted, pushing over the desk, driving into her…her pussy clenched.
“Ah, fuck! Squeeze me like that again,” he panted. “Just…hold on to me.” Widening his stance, Gabe grasped Beth’s hips and lifted her, angling his pelvis up as he brought her back down hard on his shaft. Then he did it again.
“Gabe, that’s…oh, I…just don’t stop!” Each pause was punctuated with another lift and thrust.
“No way in hell. Just don’t scream when you come.” And then he moved, lifting, lowering, rotating his hips to find that sweet spot that drove her wild.
It started in the soles of her feet—that sizzle of electricity signaling her orgasm. It snaked up her legs, curled around her inner thighs, and with a low keening sound, Beth buried her face in Gabe’s neck and welcomed it as it speared her clit with an orgasm that clung to every inch of Gabe as he drove into her. He was right with her, his breath a harsh hiss against her ear as he thrust deep and held her tightly against him.
The soft brush of Gabe’s lips over her sweat-dampened temple was in stark contradiction to the choppy breaths lifting his chest against hers. “I’ve missed you, missed this,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Me, too.” After a moment, when she’d caught her breath, Beth lifted her head and said, “We really…”
“Need to talk,” he sighed. “I know.”


Bio:
Jan Meredith has been a romance junkie since her teens. When she isn't penning steamy stories about strong-willed, independent women and the sexy men who love them, she works as an Infusion Therapy nurse. She lives near Mammoth Cave, KY with her husband (and former high school sweet heart) Tommy.

You can learn more about her at her web site: http://www.janmeredithauthor.com/ 
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.meredith.121 
or Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanMeredith21

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