About Us: Jennifer Faye

Nope that’s not me, not even on my worst bad hair day. LOL. But my very furry kitty loves when I show her off. When I get a real photo of myself I’ll post it. Promise.

 

 

About Us: Jennifer Faye

Hi everyone! Looks like I’m next up in this series about us interviews--featuring the ladies of The Hot Pink Typewriter! So grab your favorite blend of caffeine and have a seat while I tell you a little about myself and my writing journey. And make sure you stop back next Friday for another installment by another Hot Pink lady.

 

How and why did you get involved with The Hot Pink Typewriter?

I knew some of the ladies from M&B New Voices and the harlequin.com boards. But it was Victoria James, who is a fellow SYTYCW finalist, who invited me to be a part of this exciting new blog. Since I had yet to venture into having a blog of my own, having no idea what I would have to say *G*, I was thrilled to share a blog with a bunch of wonderful writers from different backgrounds.

 

What sub-genre of romance do you write and why?

I write Contemporary series romance that contain a rollercoaster of emotions and a feel good ending. I remember picking up my very first Harlequin when I was a teenager. It was a sunny afternoon and I was with my friends checking out a sidewalk sale in town where there were boxes upon boxes of books. I remember buying a Harlequin with the pretty purple cover. Couldn’t tell you who wrote it or its title. But once I read it, I was hooked.

 

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? What prompted this interest?

In short—YEP! I wasn’t even in school when I knew that I would one day write a book. I grew up watching The Waltons and learned that John Boy had to have a typewriter if he wanted to be published. So my big item on my list for Santa that year was a typewriter (yep, I was so young I still believed in Santa). And I got it. I was thrilled. It was gray and had white keys. And I started typing poetry. You know… Roses are red, Violets are blue… I didn’t have a clue how to form a story. That came later in elementary school where I devoured books. And who read the most books for those Read-a-thon’s. Yep, that was me. LOL.

 

Did contests play a role in your writing journey? If so, in what ways did you find them beneficial? And what if any were the drawbacks?

Contests most certainly played a role in my writing journey. *G* All you have to do is look at my website to see that for a while I was focusing on contests where the final judge was an editor I was interested in. I learned a lot from those contests and from the judges who volunteered their time. But in the end, the most important thing I learned was to trust my gut.

The contests that were my favorite were the ones sponsored by Harlequin / Mills & Boon, from editor pitches to Fast Tracks to New Voices and SYTYCW. Each played an important role in my journey as did the fabulous people I met along the way.

What point are you currently at in your writing journey?

Every day I get a step closer to my dream of being published. *G* I have some stuff in the works. *VBG*

 

Describe what makes a perfect hero for you. And what makes a perfect heroine?

Okay, so whoever made up these questions isn’t about to leave us off easy, huh? J

I love a tough but wounded hero with a crusty shell that my equally strong, feisty heroine must break through to find his soft/tender center.

I enjoy throwing these two flawed characters together and watching them learn from the other how to trust, forgive, or whatever is holding them back from their HEA.

 

What does HEA mean to you?

Is it just me or are these questions getting harder as I go on? LOL.

Let’s see, what does HEA mean to me? Hmm…I guess the best way to describe it is that my hero and heroine must grow throughout their journey, overcoming and learning from each obstacle.

Their HEA is being able to take a risk on love and in return be loved for who they are on the inside.

 

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Everywhere.

I’ve literally been playing the “What if” game my entire life. You wouldn’t believe some of the scenarios I’ve concocted. It’s amazing what your imagination is capable of if you let it loose. By writing, I seem to tame its tendency to meander. *G*

 

Name your five favorite movies/books, or those that have influenced you the most and how.

1.      The Waltons (TV series)-As I said earlier, this is what first gave me the idea of being a writer as a very young child. In fact, looking back it surprises me that at that tender age I knew what would make me happy. Life is truly amazing.

2.      Gone with the Wind (movie)-This was my first exposure to romance. My mother was horrified that at seven or eight I was totally enthralled with the movie. I refused to go to bed on time. I just had to watch Scarlet and Rhett. He was the dreamiest.

3.      Harlequin’s-As I said earlier, this was my first exposure to romance books (my mother had no idea. LOL) I can still vaguely see the purple cover and I’m betting if I saw it again, I’d recognize it. After that I was addicted.

4.      Kathleen Woodiwiss books-I devoured her books in high school. I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning turning page after page. I couldn’t get enough. And even though I had to be out the door at 6:30 in the morning to catch the bus, I just had to get to the end. Boy was it hard staying awake for class. LOL.

5.      Johanna Lindsey books-She is another author I’ve followed since I was a teenager. Those rakes took my breath away and had me riveted to the page. When I reached the end I was so bummed. It was like I’d lost some good friends. *G*

Tell us about your greatest writing challenges and how you work through them.

Setbacks and rejections have been the biggest challenge. Each one makes me pause and say, “Am I good enough?”

Last year was my toughest writing year…ever. It seemed like everything I wrote or touched was wrong. I was very, very frustrated. But my very dear friend, Michelle Styles (HQ Historical author), reminded me that the important thing wasn’t the “R” or the contest rejects but what I did with my writing afterward. So I kept going.

I decided that if I never got published I would still write. I love it. I would be lost without it.

And if the worst happened and my treasures never made it in the world, I figured some day when I’m gone from this world my kids and grandkids might get a kick out of my ms’s.

So quitting has never really been an option (even if I’ve threatened it from time to time. *G*). It’s a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and to keep going. Sometimes you have to slow down and catch your breath but you can never ever stop.

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Almost at the end and someone throws in another toughie. J

I’ve been given so many wonderful bits of advice that I don’t know how to narrow it down to the “best”. Hang on I’m thinking…

-          Keep it simple and go deep

It’s one of my favorites, although I have many. I have a tendency to unnecessarily complicate my stories and insert threads that distract instead of deepening the core conflict. So I have to think before I add something: “Is it necessary? Does it add depth to the central story?”

What are your hopes and aspirations for your career?

I hope that I keep writing stories until I’m so old that my arthritic fingers can no longer punch a keyboard… but then I’ll buy some voice-activated software. *G*

So I guess I hope to write the rest of my life and entertain my readers by tugging on their heartstrings before giving them a happy sigh as the H/h achieve their HEA. What could be better than bringing a smile to a reader’s lips?