Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Interview: Juniper Bell






Welcome to Beck’s Book Picks. I am very excited to have you here today.
I’m very excited to be here! Thanks for having me.

Tell us a little about yourself?
I write erotic romance for Samhain and Ellora’s Cave – mostly contemporary but I’ve also delved into historical with a Regency ménage. I live in a cabin in Alaska with my almost brand new husband (we got married New Year’s Eve but it feels like yesterday). I have two stepdaughters. We spend a lot of time shoveling snow, chopping firewood and planning trips to Hawaii.

Tell us a little about your latest release and how you came up with the idea?
My latest release is called GO DEEP and it’s part of a series set during a winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” In GO DEEP, a married couple uses Wild Nights as an opportunity to break out of their comfort zone and explore their true sexual desires. I came up with the idea because getting married made me think a lot about intimacy and secrets and trust. You can still choose to keep things hidden or share them. But what better opportunity to let someone really, truly know you?

Do you only write this one genre or have you branched out?
I’ve written one Regency and have an idea for another. And I have an idea for a paranormal that I’d love to write. But those will be on the erotic end of the spectrum too. I’m sticking with erotic romance. I love exploring the complexities of sexual intimacy. I find it totally fascinating.

What are you currently working on?
I’m working on the third book in my Receptionist series, called Unleashing the Receptionist. I love this series – it’s in the heroine’s point of view and she’s a street-savvy, feisty, unconventional girl who’s a blast to write. She and her two bosses have all kinds of fun together.

Do you have any writing quirks?
I feel lonely and incomplete without a hot liquid of some kind by my elbow. It’s usually tea. I find it very comforting and it helps me face the blank page, or the next plot turn, or the tricky sex scene. I need to track down the Earl of Grey and thank him some day. ;-)

What gets you into the mood to write?
A swift kick in the head works. Seriously, I’m rarely “in the mood” to write. I have to sit at the computer and fidget around a while until I settle in enough to focus. Once I get focused, I’m good. I get in the zone and things flow. But if I waited until I was in the mood, I’d have very little written!

Favorite snack or drink while you write?
I happen to have a sexy cabana boy who drops chocolates into my mouth while I write.  Yeah, that would be nice, right? I pretty much stick with my tea and fantasize about the chocolate-bearing cabana boy. Wouldn’t want to get crumbs in my keyboard.

Any words of advice to aspiring authors?
Yes! Don’t listen to a thing I say! Actually, my advice is to read a lot and write a lot. Get a trustworthy critique partner or group. Be prepared for a rollercoaster of highs and lows. When you hit a low (contest loss, bad review, rejection) keep writing. When you hit a high (sale, fan letter, great review) keep writing. No matter what, keep writing.

What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading a treasure trove of Beth Kery books that I was lucky enough to win from her. I love her books, but hadn’t read much of her backlist. So it’s been fun! The book I finished before that was by Mary Balogh, one I hadn’t read called “The Secret Pearl.” It made me cry! I love so many romance authors I couldn’t even begin to list them all.

And finally, is there anything you would like to share?
I love to hang out online – especially on Twitter. So if you’d like to connect, I’m @AuthorJuniper. I’m also part of a group blog called the Nine Naughty Novelists. We wrote a serial story, a romance parody called the Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy’s Secret Werewolf Babies that’s available on Amazon. It’s gotten great reviews, so if you need a laugh, check it out. It’s pretty hysterical. 



I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did. I think I too need to invest in a cabana boy!



 

3 comments:

Sizzling PR said...

Thanks for hosing Juniper today. Great interview.

Drmgrl99 - Dawn said...

I don't know how you do it in all that snow Juniper I'd die in all that cold- too much of a Cali girl I guess.great interview and miss ya lots! Oh and have I forgot to tell you I love your books!! Xoxox

Rachel said...

This sounds like a steamy novel i cant wait to read.