Jennifer, Can you
tell us five things about you that nobody would ever guess? Actually,
you’d probably be able to tell if you met me more than once, but I love to
change my hair color, and I mean drastically. From blond to a deep red
mahogany, and even to an orange creamcicle color I found myself with the other
day. In addition, my heroines tend to have the flavor of the season too. For
instance, Persephone, from Knight of the
Dead, has long, wavy deep red mahogany hair to match my color this past
winter when I was writing the romantic suspense. Today I’m a brunette, and my
newest heroine Randi has the same light brown color.
Wow! I’m going to
count that as two things, Elaine. Okay,
would you believe that I’m actually a shy person, uncomfortable in the
spotlight? Yet I always find myself being selected as the spokesperson when in
a group situation; others must get the impression that I’m outgoing. Maybe it’s
because I can lean toward the bossy side. Just ask my family.
Finally, sports and
competition, at times, consume my life. During the volleyball season—I coach
varsity volleyball at Pickens High School—I lose myself in the passion of the
sport, and in the thrill of winning. With the season started, I’m obsessed with
getting my fifth state championship, and a fourteenth for Pickens High School.
However, I hope to find some time to write, and to read some great books.
What do
you think makes a book a page turner? A solid plot and
characters that make you feel.
Which
genre of books appeals least to you? Why? Probably anything
in the non-fiction section—I read to escape rather than to learn. Also anything that is super technical. That
goes back to the reading as entertainment rather than to further my knowledge
these days.
On the
average, how long does it take you to write a book? Considering
my first unpublished novel and sequel took about ten years, and my published
book Knight of the Dead took about
six months from start to release, that would put my average at a little less
than five years!
LOL. That's funny. Readers, I've read those first two books. You wouldn't believe how good they are. Would you
share your links with us? Right now I’m in the process of designing a
website with a blog, and I haven’t taken the plunge into the world of twitter.
Remember, I told you, I am a shy person at heart! But you can find Knight of the Dead at Astraea Press,
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any number of other sites offering ebooks under
Jennifer Rae Gravely.
We’d love
to read an excerpt. Be sure to give us a buy link. Thanks,
Elaine, for letting me stop by your blog.
From chapter two:
the heroine works at a daycare, and is waiting with the new child for the
father.
The
pristine white SUV pulled in the church parking lot at a
quarter
to six. This had to be him. Persephone ushered Rose out the
door
and met the businessman as he slid from his vehicle. At least
six
feet two inches with broad shoulders and an athletic build, he
oozed
confidence as he stepped forward.
He
didn’t offer an apology for keeping her waiting but
instead
addressed the child, “How did you like your first day,
Rosebud?”
He ruffled her short brown hair.
“My
teacher read me a story about a giraffe. When can we
go
see a giraffe?” Rose hopped from side to side.
“Someday,”
he answered. “When it gets warmer.” He pulled
her
navy blue wool coat tighter around her, but they continued to
stand
in the space beside his immaculately detailed vehicle.
Persephone
didn’t have time for the tender moment, but she
tried
to remain patient rather than risk offending the man. Rose
resembled
her father, with the same blue eyes and high
cheekbones.
Even though his dark hair belied a hint of gray at the
temples,
it did nothing to detract from his arresting good looks. No
doubt
his wife was gorgeous too — the picture perfect family. An
unexpected
wave of envy caught Persephone off guard.
“Can
Miss Purr-So-Funny come home with us and read
another
story?”
After
glancing in Persephone’s direction, he turned his
attention
to his daughter. “It’s Persephone,” he corrected. “Did
Miss
Persephone tell you the story of her name? Her story explains
why
we have spring.” Rose shook her head and then looked at
Persephone
in excited anticipation.
Persephone
hesitated. She needed to be gone ten minutes
ago.
“Can I tell you tomorrow morning?” It was now completely
dark,
and she still had one headlight that didn’t work on her car.
Rose
looked crushed. “I thought you were coming home
with
us.”
Persephone
shook her head slowly. “Not tonight. I have
plans.”
“We’re
not going home anyhow, Rosebud.” The father
opened
the back door and hoisted Rose to the booster seat and
buckled
her in. Rose waved, and then he closed the door.
As
Persephone turned to leave, Rose’s father spoke, “I have
to
go back to my office. I know you said you had plans, but I really
need
someone to watch Rose while I work. I’ll pay you thirty
dollars
an hour.” His blue eyes were serious. “Cash.”
Persephone
quickly did the math. “I need to run an errand
first.
Can you give me the address and I’ll meet you there?”
“Absolutely.”
He reached in the pocket of his brown blazer
and
pulled out a business card. She noticed the wedding band as he
handed
her the card. His nails were trimmed and neat. The address
was
on the north side of town. “It’s the free standing white-washed
house
with the towering magnolia tree in the front beside the
stairs.”
“I
know the place.” She smiled, looking up into his blue
eyes.
“The old Timmon’s Home at the end of the business block on
North
Main Street.” Breaking her eyes from his intensity, she
glanced
again at the card.
“Yes,”
he confirmed. He ran his hand through his dark hair,
making
the front flip up. “I’ll tell Rose that you’ll join us later.
She’ll
be thrilled.”
“She’s
a sweet girl. See you soon, Mr. Lawrence.”
Persephone
spun on her heel and paced the length of the
playground
to the employee lot. She checked her phone for the
time. Ten
minutes. Maybe she could still make it.
Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing with my readers. Persephone is a heroine that most of us can relate to and admire. In one week she gets thrown out of an insurance agency, loses her job, is mistaken for a ... Well, never mind. As you can see, there's a lot going on! Here's a link to the book at Astraea Press. They sell pretty much all formats there. http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=13594241
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