Romance Author Jan Meredith
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Kathy: Let's jump right in and let Jan tell us a little bit about herself.
Jan: What can I say about myself that won’t bore you to tears? I’ve
worn many working hats: seamstress, cake decorator, cook, custodian,
transmission assembler, ER clerk…I enrolled in college when most women are
slowing down and waiting for grand children to arrive. Today I’m a nurse, a
wife, a mom and a writer. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
I began writing in the 80’s, pounded out two manuscripts on a manual
typewriter before splurging on a snazzy new electric job and tapping out
another one. Two of them (I burned the 3rd one—it was that bad) sit
in a boot box under my desk, with mark-ups in the margin from an agent, but
they never made it past the editing stage, as life stepped in and took a front
seat.
While my characters often made a return appearance in my thoughts, it
wasn’t until I read the Twilight books that I caught the writing bug again. I
entered an editor’s pitch contest with Harlequin Mills & Boon’s medical
romance—a two paragraph blurb was all I needed. I won the opportunity to do an
online pitch with the editor and was asked to submit the first three chapters
of "A Doctor In The House” which garnered an awesome 2-page
feedback/rejection letter and a request to write something new and submit it.
My characters, however, were determined to have their story told.
Taking that editor’s advice, I revised the chapters and sent
them out to three publishers. All three asked to see the full manuscript. One
of the editors was Heather Howland from Entangled Publishing who was heading up
the launch of a sexy new imprint, Brazen.
In the end, I finished the book as a novella, gave it a sexy new title,
“Playing Doctor” and on November 25, 2013, it released with
the launch of yet another sexy imprint with Entangled—Flaunt!
Kathy: Name one thing you love
about writing.
Jan: The thing I love most is the opportunity to give someone, even a
character from my imagination, a happily ever after.
Kathy: Name one of the
challenges or frustrations in writing.
As this is my first publication, I found it challenging to work
with a deadline for a change. I’ve always had the freedom of writing when, and
for however long it suited me. It was more a hobby in the beginning that I
could pick up or put down and return to at my leisure. Having a set length of
time to do edits, having to rearrange my story, cut scenes and characters that
were dear to me, at times, made my head want to explode. I’m happy to say that
I’m pleased with the outcome, and find myself eager to dive into the process
again.
Kathy: Who is your favorite
author?
Jan: Hands down—Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love her world building
abilities, her tortured characters and the sarcasm that flies between them.
Kathy: What process did you
adopt from inception through to the finished book?
Jan: I became more disciplined with my approach to writing. Before, I
was a total pantser, working the story out along the way. After doing NaNoWriMo
last year with Entangled Publishing and Savvy Authors, and learning how to do a
one page synopsis—that actually worked and was only mildly painful—I now do
character profiles, outlines and plot the story out before starting. That’s not
to say that my characters always do what I want them to do!
Kathy: What do you need (or
not need) around you while you write?
Jan: While music plays a major part in my writing as a muse or to
help my characters tell me what they feel, I don’t listen to it while I write.
I can, however, concentrate better if the TV is on for background noise.
Kathy: What single piece of
advice would you give to any aspiring writer?
Jan: Read the type of story you want to write. Pay attention to what
the author says, how he or she moves the story forward. Ask yourself, what is
it about this book, the way it’s written, that keeps me turning the page to see
what happens next. And then write. It isn’t going anywhere if it isn’t
finished.
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.
To read an excerpt click HERE
To read an excerpt click HERE
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