Welcome JENNIFER JAKES

 Jennifer Jakes is a fellow Wild Rose Press author and I’m thrilled she’s visiting today! Make her feel at home!

Welcome, Jennifer, and tell us a little about yourself.

First, thanks so much for having me here, Liz!

I’m a wife and mother. We live in the Midwest on a 15 acre farm with horses, dogs and spoiled house cats.

 Tell everyone about your journey to publishing a novel.

I started writing about 4 years ago. I dabbled with some novellas, then pulled out some notes I’d carried

around for years and began working on my first full length, RAFE’S REDEMPTION. I found a couple of fantastic

critique partners (hi, Barb and Sara Ann) and we started a rotation of submission/critiquing. From April to December

we each wrote a novel and polished and polished………..;) Anyway, after a couple of rejections, I finally figured out

how to fix my show/tell problem. I then entered RAFE in the Gateway to the Best contest and won Grand Prize. That

gave me the confidence to enter the Golden Heart. When I finaled in that, I knew I was close to publication. I sold to

The Wild Rose Press in September!

 What do like the most and the least about writing?

The most: Things turn out the way I want them to!

The least: Trying to find quiet time to plot. (*see above mentioned children)

 What are three things you cannot do without?

Mexican food (Fajitas anyone?)

Sweet Tea with lemon

Sleep (I do not function well on less than 8 hours)

 Give us a peek into your latest published work.

He rode into town to buy supplies, not a woman.
 
For hunted recluse Rafe McBride, the raven-haired beauty on the auction block  is exactly what he doesn’t need. A dependent woman will be another clue his vengeful stepbrother can use to find and kill him. But Rafe’s conscience won’t let him leave another innocent’s virginity to the riff-raff bidding. He buys her, promising to return her to St. Louis untouched. He only prays the impending blizzard holds off before her sultry beauty breaks his willpower.
 
She wanted freedom, not a lover.
 
Whisked to the auction block by her devious, gambling cousin, and then sold into the arms of a gorgeous stranger, outspoken artist Maggie Monroe isn’t about to go meekly. Especially when the rugged mountain man looks like sin and danger rolled into one. But a blizzard and temptation thrust them together, and Maggie yearns to explore her smoldering passion for Rafe.
 
But when the snow clears, will the danger and secrets that surround Rafe and Maggie tear them apart?

What’s next on the writing horizon for you?

I’ve decided to take out those old novellas and polish them for publication. I’m also working on another full-length novel

set in 1898 Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Is there anything you want to tell readers?
Yes. I want to tell them thanks! Romance readers are the most loyal readers in the world.

Jennifer~
RAFE’S REDEMPTION

Coming From The Wild Rose Press
2010 Golden Heart Finalist
http://www.authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/
www.jenniferjakes.com

21 Comments:

  1. Hi Jennifer *waving madly*. It was apparent early on that you’d publish soon. You tell a great tale. And your heros are luscious. 🙂 Can’t wait for the Gold Rush story.

    Good luck with Rafe. Readers will love his and Maggie’s story.

  2. Jennifer, Congratulations on being a 2010 Golden Heart finalist! How great is that?

    Love the blurb for Rafe’s Redemption. I definitely plan on checking it out.

    • Thanks, Sarah! (I put my reply in the wrong box at first) LOL Anyway, it was fun being a Golden Heart finalist. The RWA makes you feel like a princess — or prince — b/c we had one gentleman in our 2010 group!
      Hope you love RAFE as much as I do;)

  3. Hi Jennifer,

    I’m with you on the 8 hours of sleep. I’ve never functioned well without my sleep. I’m busy counting down the days until your release date.

    Happy plotting.

    Lisa

    • Hi, Lisa! Yes, I was thinking I need to get one of those count-down widgets on my website:) But technology makes my head hurt.
      As far as plotting – from your mouth to my muse’s ears!
      Thanks!!!

  4. Jennifer, congrats on Rafe’s Redemption. I’m sure your novellas will be snapped up by a publisher!

  5. Hi, Sarah! And thanks so much! Being a Golden Heart finalist was a fun ride, I won’t lie:) And I made some great friends from out 2010 finalist group.
    Glad you like the blurb! The closer Feb. 25 gets here, the more excited I get. I’m like a kid waiting on Christmas. LOL
    Thanks again!

  6. Jennifer,
    I’ve been reading little bits about Rafe’s Redemption and the more I do the more I can’t wait to read it. I love the story of your journey to publication–sounds like a dream come true. I’ll be right in line to buy your book when it comes out–congratulations!

    • Hi, Liz!! I so glad you liked the blurb and excerpt. The journey was fun. I think the thing that made it fun was I made myself remember “getting there would be half the fun” and that rejections and failures was just part of the trip. (Yea, I’m a glass 1/2 full kind of girl)
      Thanks so much for your support!

  7. Interesting interview. I like your teaser on your book.

  8. Jennifer,
    Getting over that show-don’t-tell problem is a real hurtle. What would you say made it all click for you? Those two critique partners must be great (;
    Marci

    • Hi, Marci!! I’ve heard other authors say Show vs Tell was tough for them also, but I swear I was beginning to think I’d never grasp the concept. Then I found two articles that explained it in a way that made sense to me, and I was off and running:)
      Yes, my CPs are great — and I’ve added 2 more great CPs ! 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by today!!

  9. Love the excerpt! Another book I have to have!!!

  10. So if Christmas has a jolly fat guy in a red suit delivering presents, shouldn’t release day have someone too. What about one of the Man Candy Men from your Monday blogposts, dressed in very little (very, very little), delivering champagne and of course, the long awaited book? Can’t wait!

  11. Sorry it took me so long to check in! Hi Liz and I’m so excited for all of you releasing books this month. It’s truly awesome and inspirational!

  12. It’s good that you emphasize how important contests have been in your journey toward publication, Jennifer. I always counsel aspiring writers to enter as many contests as they can afford.

  13. I love how we can hear something over and over on a particular subject but it takes being written a certain way for our mind to say ‘Oh yeah.. now I get it’ LOL

    The book sounds awesome Jennifer, but I’m holding out for my autographed copy at ORA this summer 😉

    Can’t wait to hear more about Gold Rush.

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