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| There Goes the Groom |
Jana Richards, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
your book, There Goes the Groom.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Uncial Press
Cover artist: Judith B. Glad
Length: 52,500 words
Heat rating: Spicy
Tagline: Tony is given a second chance when fate throws him back
together with Olivia, the woman he left at the altar eight years ago.
Blurb:
Eight years ago Tony left Olivia at the altar. He was sure she
didn’t really want to marry him. Now he’s back, and they’re forced to work together.
Coming home isn’t easy for Tony, because his father wanted him
to work at a trade instead of going off to college. Their relationship is still
unsteady. Even before Tony’s return, Olivia began questioning the depth of her love
for her fiancé, a man she chose because he was safe and reliable. The last thing
she wants is a loveless, faithless marriage like the one her parents suffered through.
When Tony, who never stopped loving her, insists her fiancé is
the wrong man for her, Olivia sets out to prove him wrong. But the sexual chemistry
between them is still strong, and so are her feelings for him. Even so, how can
she break her engagement, hurt her fiancé as she was once hurt? And how can she
trust Tony not to abandon her like he did before?
If anyone does the jilting this time, she will.
Buy links:
Uncial Press https://www.uncialpress.com/There-Goes-the-Groom.html
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/there-goes-the-groom-jana-richards/1115360337?ean=2940016730424
ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theregoesthegroom-1213327-149.html
What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
Tony DiPietro is a thirty-one year old archeologist. He specializes
in studying the artifacts and cultures of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas. Aside
from his work in the field, he is a visiting professor at Simon
Fraser University
in British Columbia, Canada.
Olivia Taylor is twenty-eight years old and is the Director of
Public Relations for the National Museum of Canada in Ottawa.
Interview
How did you get your start
in the industry?
You might say I had rather a slow start. For several years, I
wrote and submitted stories to print publishers like Harlequin and Silhouette, and
received enough rejection letters to paper my walls. I know now I got those rejection
letters because my writing wasn’t ready, but that didn’t make it any less painful.
I was on the verge of quitting writing when a friend urged me to submit to her publisher,
www.uncialpress.com. I sent “Her
Best Man” to Uncial Press and was thrilled and amazed when it was accepted.
Publishing with them gave me the confidence boost I needed to keep writing and to
continue submitting. I currently have ten works of romance published or under contract
with three different epublishers.
If you could change something
about your first book, what would it be?
My first published book, “Her Best Man”, was always
meant to be the first in a series that I called my “Left at the Altar”
series. If I could change anything about this book, it would be that I wouldn’t
wait six years before finishing and publishing the second book in the series! When
I wrote the second book, I submitted it for critique to a published writer who was
visiting my writing group. Her vision for the book totally differed from mine, but
since she was multi-published, I figured she must know what she was talking about.
Using her suggestions, I re-wrote the book, but I didn’t like the result, so I left
it languishing on my harddrive while I worked on other projects. I finally took
a second look at the book in 2012, and in the middle of trying to re-write the book
yet again, I had an epiphany. The revision I was trying to do, based on the published
writer’s suggestion, was ripping the beating heart of out this story. This was my
book, no one else’s. So I went back to my original concept, and I’m glad I did.
I’m definitely not against critiques and critique groups, but I learned that I have
to be true to the story I want to write.
What do you enjoy most
about writing?
Creating characters, I think. I love creating real people with
real problems, and I love putting their personalities together, one layer at a time.
And since I’m a romance writer, I enjoy showing them that love can make their lives
better and happier.
If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what
would it be?
I would tell my younger writer self that it’s okay to fail. All
those rejection letters served as a wonderful apprenticeship. It’s how I learned
my craft.
Do things your family
or friends do ever end up in a book?
Sort of. I think a little bit of every writer ends up in their
work. Sometimes, especially when I’m creating a secondary character, I’ll find myself
giving them the characteristics or quirks of people I’ve met. Stories I’ve heard
also end up in my work. Years ago, someone I worked with told me a story that he’d
heard from a friend who attended a very unusual wedding. When the bride arrived
at the altar, the groom turned to the congregation and said there would be no wedding,
and if they looked under their seats and opened the envelopes taped there, they’d
understand why. The envelopes had pictures of the bride and the best man in bed
together. I still don’t know if that story was true, but I’ve wanted to use it in
a book for years. I finally got my chance in “There Goes the Groom”!
What are some jobs you’ve
done before (or while) you were a writer?
Over the last several years I’ve worked as an office administrator/bookkeeper.
I’ve been lucky enough to work part-time for many years, which gave me time to look
after my children when they were young, as well as to write. I’m hoping that within
the next couple of years I can fully retire from my day job and concentrate exclusively
on writing.
Which of your books would
you recommend to someone who doesn’t normally read your genre, and why?
I would recommend “
Her Best Man” because
it’s light and funny and has wonderful, quirky characters. It’s also the first in
a three book series, so hopefully if the reader enjoyed “Her Best Man”,
she’d go on to read “There Goes the Groom”, and then “Always a Bridesmaid”,
to be released January 17, 2014 by Uncial Press.
What kind of books do
you read when taking a break from your own writing?
I read a lot of research books when I’m not writing, especially
history relating World War Two. I have a special interest in the era, and have written
two books with WW2 as the background. I hope to write several more, hence the research.
For fun, I’ll read all kinds of romance, mystery or suspense
novels, with the occasional literary novel thrown in for something completely different.
What was the proudest
moment of your life so far?
On a person level, I’ve had many proud moments—marrying my husband,
the births of my two daughters, watching them graduate from high school, and then
university. As a writer, my proudest moment so far was when my editor, Jude Glad
of Uncial Press, told me I was a ‘real writer’ for going the extra mile with my
edits on my first book.
What is your favorite
holiday and why?
Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love putting up the tree,
baking cookies, and shopping for presents. But mostly I love getting together with
family.
Where were you at midnight,
on December 31st when the new century started?
I distinctly remember this. My husband’s office was concerned
there might be problems with Y2K, so he had to be close to the office that night
in case something went wrong. His employer put us up at a hotel about a block from
the office. He stayed at work most of the night, while my daughter (then twelve)
and I watched movies before checking out the New Year’s Eve fireworks from our hotel
window.
What do you like to do
when you’re bored?
When I’m bored I can usually lose myself in a good book. If that
doesn’t work, I’ll read blogs, go to a movie, or phone someone. If all else fails,
I’ll resort to exercise, but only as a last resort. I’m kidding, sort of.
If you were a color, what
color would you be?
Interesting question. I don’t consider myself a bright red, out-in-the-front,
extroverted kind of person, but I hope I’m not a dull grey person either. I think
I’m a soft buttery yellow. I’m bright and warm, but not in your face. I’m a color
you can live with for a long time, but I don’t fade into the background.
Please underline which statement is more like you:
“I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and relaxed.”
“I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because
I do things as fast as possible.”
Actually, I think I’m somewhere in-between these two extremes.
My husband would never say I was laid back (grin). I used to be a terrible procrastinator,
and I still struggle with it to some extent, but nowadays, having writing deadlines
scares me silly. I’m terrified I’ll miss a deadline. So I work hard to get things
done on time, or usually, before my deadline.
Please complete the sentences
I love pizza with everything on it.
I’m always ready for chocolate.
When I’m alone, I enjoy the quiet.
You’d never be able to tell, but I’m very shy.
If I had a halo it would be dusty, like my house.
If I could lose weight I’d be thrilled.
I can never fall asleep on a plane because I’m an insomniac.
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