For
anyone that has yet to meet Jacquelyn you are in for a treat. This is
her official author bio!
I
am a Domestic Engineer (born and raised in NJ) whose sole
responsibility is to guide three young impressionable kids into
becoming phenomenal adults. This challenging, yet rewarding work
requires a lot of love (coffee), patience (wine) and determination
(periodic exorcisms). I work all of this magic in the beautiful state
of New Hampshire.
Before becoming a Domestic Goddess (not
really), I spent over a decade working in the medical field where I
wore more hats than the Queen.
I have had a love for the
written word and the great escape it provides since I was a little
girl. When I wasn't reading about people and the places they lived, I
was creating my own characters and adventures. Finally, I have been
putting a pen to paper allowing my characters to come to life. When I
don't have a pen and paper in hand,you can often find me laughing at
the conversations my characters are having in my head.
Now
she forgets to add into that that she is, in the very best way
possible, as crazy as a box of frogs, once she gets to know you, you
can expect……..
- Mad dances on your
twitter timeline!
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmNGIg8f-0Wc&h=QAQE_6Rp8
- Arcs in your e mail!
Whoo Hooo
·
Emoji’s and love notes ;-) in your morning inbox
She is honestly one of the most ‘giving’ people we have ever come across and here at BNW we are happy to call her our friend.
And –she’s as you may have guessed, an author!!
You need to check out her work!!
Goodbye Caution (lost and found #1) released in January
~ Synopsis ~
Becca
Campbell is a mother, friend, and widow to a war hero (may he rot in
hell). She just wants to raise her daughter right and keep her
bed-and-breakfast afloat in this economy. Her traumatic past leaves
her with no desire for a relationship—until Grayson James walks
through her door. He’s not the type of man you can easily say “no”
to. Becca can’t quite understand the pull she feels toward him. But
then his controlling nature starts to push her away—and into Ray
McNeil’s comforting arms. Which is right where Ray has always
wanted her.
Who will Becca choose?
Will she finally
give in to her feelings for Ray, or continue the tumultuous
relationship with Grayson? Only one thing is certain—either choice
will mean saying goodbye to caution.
Review Snippets for Goodbye Caution
~ Buy the Book ~
Goodbye Secrets (Lost and found #3) releases 26th Feb
~ Synopsis ~
What
if your life wasn’t exactly as you thought it was? What if there
were secrets you kept—from yourself?
Becca Campbell has no
idea her world is about to be turned upside down when she and Grayson
return to New Hampshire.
Pieces start flying into place,
answering the questions of the puzzle she calls her life. Things
finally add up—it all makes sense. All that was lost is now
found.
But will she be able to move forward, knowing the
truth?
ADD TO GOODREADS:
Goodbye Uncertainty (Lost and Found #3) release to be confirmed.
Jacquelyn has lots of other works in progress too! Check out our interview with her to see what’s coming up!
Hi
Jacquelyn and welcome to the virtual HQ of BNW! I’m sorry for
the mess *shuffles tour packets and Arcs out of the way*
So
my first question starts at the beginning with Goodbye Caution. It’s
an unusual book, very fast paced, and it touches on some risqué
subjects. Where did the idea for Goodbye Caution come from?
When
I think back to the very beginning stages of Goodbye Caution, I can't
help but chuckle. The Elm Creek Quilt novels by Jennifer Chiaverini
inspired me, actually. This wonderful series is based around women
who've built their friendships from their common love of quilting.
Being a scrap booker myself, I could see the potential in building a
series around the love of scrapping. So Becca Campbell and her lovely
Bed and Breakfast (that host Scrapbooking weekends) were born.
However, once she was, she sort of took over the reigns.
It
was not going to be as wholesome as it was set out to be. Becca
turned into your everyday, quirky, fun-loving kind of person. I
wanted her to be relate-able. Look like most women, have real issues
and love the things that other women love. So she's the girl next
door with a heart of gold, a great sense of humour, and an effed up
past.
Grayson
can be demanding, all consuming and overpowering at times, how did
you manage to make him so likeable and hot at the same time?
You
know, I think having his POV the entire story makes him likeable (to
most). I was actually shocked as to how many women are on Team
Grayson! He can be a right bastard! But the fact that you get to see
his thoughts on things softens him around the edges. You know that he
isn't happy with the way he behaves. He has a lot of remorse over his
actions and he does try to correct his behaviour a lot. I think if
readers didn't see that, there would be a lot more for Team Ray! As
far as his hotness is concerned, who doesn't love a confident man?
Confidence and sense of humour are a sure fire fit for likeability
and hotness!
I
think you are right; his acceptance of his mistakes is a very
likeable attribute. You've brought us nicely onto Ray........so
similar to Gray yet so different. I struggled throughout Goodbye
Caution flitting between rooting for Ray, and not. Have you had that
response a lot?
Yes
I have. Ray is a great character and swoon worthy in his own right.
He's not as abrasive as Grayson but you can tell he's a man's man!
He's got that rugged charm and great sense of humour. He's calmer
than Gray is.
I,
of course, happen to love them both.
The
readers will learn a lot more about Ray in the next two books and I
think everyone in general will be on the fence once again!
People
cant wait for Book 2, the very title Goodbye Secrets hints that lots
of questions will be answered! Can you tell people a little about
your writing process? Do you pre-plan your books or did the idea come
to you in dribs and drabs?
I
think a little bit of both now that I have quite a few under my belt
(not all published yet). For The Lost & Found Series, I had the
idea that I mentioned and it just took over from there. Most of the
time, that's how it is. The different paths my characters lead me
down always surprise me. Though I get ideas for books, I just jot the
idea down. I'm not one who outlines the story because I never know
where the story is actually going to lead me. I do jot down
conversations that happen between characters that are not necessarily
happening at the part of the book I'm writing. It will usually get
weaved in later when it's appropriate.
Fun
Fact, by the way, this series was not only hand written but it was
written as one entire book! lol. I typed it all up and
said....uhh...no! This is three books, not one. It could've been
stretched to 4 or 5 due to the size of the first two, but I didn't
want to drag it out for people.
Hand
written? In one huge book? Thats so funny! You must have been
engrossed in the story!!
It’s
no secret that the series deals with aggressive characters and
spousal abuse and the fact that some of the proceeds are donated to a
charity to help abused women and children shows it’s a subject you
feel strongly about. Can you tell us a little about why you went in
this direction and how you do your research?
Yes!
It took up residence in several notebooks that I carried around with
me EVERYWHERE! Engrossed is an understatement! I lived, breathed, and
slept this story.
As
far as some of the elements in this book regarding abuse, yes it is
something that I do feel strongly about. Most of us, I think, can
relate to Becca's character whether we have been the subject of one's
abuse or have witnessed a loved one go through it. I knew that when I
was creating Becca's character that she would have survived an
abusive relationship.
However,
being a student of psychology and knowing several different people
with various shades of abuse in their background, I wanted to take
her character to a different level. What readers need to understand
about Becca is that she never gained the strength to walk away (or
run) from her abusive husband. She was pulled out of that situation
by the powers that be, if you will. So, in return, her psyche is
very different than that of a person who did walk away. Though she's
kept her distance from other possible relationships, she never really
"unlearned" the behaviour patterns of an abused woman.
That
is why we see her fall so easily into an obsequious roll. The great
thing about Becca, though, is that she does grow through out the
series and we all see this when she questions her own reactions to
Grayson's temperament. Then she starts putting her foot down. Like I
said before, I was surprised as to how many people fell in love with
Grayson, but just like Becca, everyone can see that he really isn't
mean spirited. His insecurities tend to get in the way of his
judgement. I think people will enjoy learning more about Grayson and
the reasons behind his behaviour in book #2.
And
for your final question, it is also important to know that while I
have personal knowledge of this sort of behaviour pattern, I've also
confirmed it with a Licensed Social Worker (therapist) who has worked
with abused women for over thirty years. Though my book is fiction, I
would never write about such a sensitive topic without any knowledge
or proper research.
And
yes, a portion of my proceeds goes to Emily's Place which is a local
shelter, near my town, that is run by YWCA.org. If you would like to
donate the YWCA or see how you can help by volunteering, please go to
their website to see how you can help!
Obviously
being careful of spoilers can you tell us what type of scene you
enjoy writing the most??
I
love writing from the male POV. Some authors have a difficult time
doing it but I find it very freeing and fun. It's boring to act like
a "lady" all of the time. But you asked about what type of
scenes. I love writing the heart to heart scenes when you really get
to the bottom of things. That's when a character truly shines for me!
If
you absolutely had to, would you be team Grayson or Ray? You HAVE
to.......
OMG
. . . I really can't! You can't make me! I love them both too much!
LOL
Ok I won’t make you......
What
have you got in store for your readers?
I'm
so excited about this year! There are so many things happening that
will be leading right into 2015! Right now I am in the middle of
finishing off my novella for The Southern Seduction box set that 12
of us Indie Romance Author Chicks are collaborating on. Very excited
for that! We will be releasing that on April 14, 2014.
Roughly
around the same time, I will be releasing the last instalment of The
Lost & Found Series. However, I think we will hear from Becca
again in a prequel as the requests are already coming in.
In
June, I will be introducing my newest series to everyone called The
GEG series. These will all be standalones based around 5 best
girlfriends (2 being sisters). Each book will focus on one of the
friends but still have the others intertwined. As with my other
books, I touch upon a subject that causes great grief in the first
instalment, but it's not a dark read like Caution and Secrets can be
at times.
So
far "Under Contract", which is the first book based on
Mitch and Charlotte, has been the most fun to write! It's really got
a lot of obnoxiously, in-your-face, laugh-out-loud moments (well, to
me! lol). These characters were so funny to write. It was really
great to step into a lighter story after The Lost & Found Series.
I am currently working on "In the Mix", the 2nd book.
Other
than that, I have been enjoying being a part of an amazing group of
indie authors called Indie Romance Author Chicks. We started out as a
small sprinting group, cheering each other on. Helping one another to
stay positive. It's grown nicely and we continue to keep that
positive attitude and try to send those vibes out to others. Speaking
of sending things out.... we are formulating a plan to send all or
most of us to one fabulous location in 2015 for our first IRAC
signing event! We're all very excited about this! Stay tuned!
Oh
that will be amazing, any chance it could be my side of the pond??
I
only wish!!!
Well
chatting has been an absolute pleasure. The novella sounds exciting
and I can’t wait for Goodbye Uncertainty and the GEG series.
Claire,
I'd like to thank you for all of these wonderful questions. I really
enjoyed myself and appreciate you taking the time! Thank You!
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