Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Jennifer Mueller

Interview with Jennifer Mueller:

Hi Jennifer. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...

- Please tell us about your latest book.

Once Upon a Spy is a WW2 Spy story out with Vintage Romance Publishing. When a woman is found washed up on the shores of a Scottish castle the people there give her shelter, but things aren’t all they seem. The woman, Elise, has secrets she’s hiding and when guests show up there’s even more mystery to figure out. Pure gothic romance, a secluded castle, a ghost, spies, secrets to hide and find out. Its one of my favorite pieces that I’ve written.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

Soon I’ll have a departure from my usual historical coming out. Egyptian Nights with Linden Bay Romance is a time travel paranormal erotic about a modern woman who wakes up after being killed to find herself in the body of an ancient Egyptian woman who died in childbirth. Of course there’s a handsome husband to deal with now that she’s taken over another’s body.

- How do we find out about you and your books?

I have a website JenniferMuellerBooks.com that has all of my books out, coming soons, and all that stuff everyone always wanted to know including how to contact me. Then of course there’s my bio page here at Romance at Heart.

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

I didn’t actually, I was looking for places to submit and ran across Vintage’s website. Looking at what they were looking for I suddenly realized that Once Upon a Spy was a romance. I was writing a spy story okay. Of course now that I had one published looking at others I’ve written I’ve pulled out 6 or 7 that leaned that way and Egyptian Nights was accepted. I write all genres and I go in cycles I’ll keep writing romance until I run out of ideas or another idea catches my eye. Its definitely a genre you can have some fun with.

- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

I was reading a book about 13 years ago and decided I could do better. That’s turned into more than 40 some stories. I never tried to have any published until I think it was 2003 my husband said I spent so much time writing I might as well publish them and here I am.

- Where do your ideas come from?

Everywhere. I suppose that’s cliché but I love history and traveling. I was in the Peace Corps in Kenya and spent 5 weeks in Europe. Books I read, TV Shows on PBS, places I’ve been, places I dream of going. Some little cute thing my daughters done.

- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

Yes and no. So far most of the love scenes I’ve written have been added to fully formed stories I knew the personality and background of those characters and it was rather easy. I just tried writing my first romance/erotic from scratch and it was harder to do. I seem to have a lot more tension if I don’t know that’s where they’re going to end up. I finally had to just start thinking like I did when they were just stories.

- Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?

I write Historical that’s where most of mine fall. That’s my genre. Now within that I have western, romance, erotic, just plain fiction, noir, mystery, spies. I have a few contemporary not many. If I see a story there I’ll write it so I don’t really have any longings to branch out.

- Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

I’m a forester by background, originally from Kansas, but now living in Minnesota. I’m married and have a 5 year old who I was a stay at home mom with. She’s started school now so I’m kind of trying to find my way as far as what I want to do again.

- Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?

A Wolf In Angel’s Clothing. I started that one because I hated a book. I’ve been working on it for 13 years and it’s with someone to edit right now before submitting it. The characters in that book I know so well I can dash off scene after scene. Could be why the book is 475 pages long.

- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Sometime I might have nothing more than some outfit I’ve seen in an old book, a view I’ve seen out of a window, a name, maybe its some tidbit of history I’ve never heard about. Then it’s like putting together a puzzle where could that name fit, or that view where could it work as being real. I actually have a view I saw in Minnesota stuck in a story about Scotland.

- Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I don’t plot out anything. I just let the character take me where they will. Sometimes it doesn’t work out sometimes it does. I like seeing where a story will take me as much as those reading it do.

Jennifer, thank you very much, for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation, which is Egyptian Nights, from your talented imagination!

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

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