Hi Jaime. Thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for Reasons To Act. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Reasons to Act is the third novel in my 3000 Reasons series. It’s about Olivia, a Marine who is unexpectedly made the military consultant on the set of an action movie starring Chris Blackstone, who has private reasons for needing the movie to be a success and doesn’t trust a newbie like Olivia on his set. They butt heads immediately, but of course sparks also fly. Ultimately, this story is a romance but it’s also about acceptance and respect. (Think the movie Fall Guy meets The Hating Game)

What are the challenges of writing a book within an established series? What’s been the best part?

Reasons to Act is actually a great example of the challenge of a series because it wasn’t supposed to exist, but then this fierce character Olivia came along as I was writing Reasons to Risk and she wouldn’t leave me alone. After I accepted that I’d have to give her a story, it was supposed to be an offshoot novella, but I found in the writing process that I needed more space to do them justice, so it became a novel. It’s difficult to be flexible, but I think it’s most important to give the characters their due and make the romance believable, even if it wasn’t part of my original plan or the characters don’t fall into the structure I originally imagined. At the same time, one of the most fun and wonderful things about writing a series is returning to characters over and over. They’re like friends and watching them interact as each one gets their own story is really rewarding.

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals – coffee? Silence?

I’m an early bird with four kids, so my typical (ideal) writing day starts with a workout session followed by copious amounts of coffee, farm chores, more coffee, and getting the kids off to school. Once they’re out of the house I sit at my desk or in a comfy chair and do about an hour or so of email and social media, then I change gears and get into the manuscript. I usually listen to music, but it depends on what kind of scene I’m writing and what kind of mood I’m trying to get into. Often instrumental pop works, but I have playlists for steamy scenes or those with more energy. When I feel stuck—or the dogs want to go out—I’ll often take my phone and dictate as we walk around our fields. Sometimes the change of scenery, movement, and nature sounds will help me through a difficult scene. When the kids come home I try to quit for the day, although I often keep notes and ideas for dialogue on my phone or in a notebook as they come to me and put them in the manuscript the next day.

What was your route to publication and what advice do you have for someone looking to follow a similar path?

I initially queried with agents and tried the trad route with an early version of 3000 Reasons to Stay and had some interest, but ultimately no takers. I ended up doing a massive rewrite once I found my developmental editor, Jen, and decided to indie publish because the trad route takes so long and by that point I was antsy to just prove to myself I could publish. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best marketing decision (wait, I’m supposed to have an ARC team? Get reviews? Tell people about my book?) But Stay turned out well and I’ve learned SO MUCH since putting it out there. I like being in control of my product and revenue, though it’s a lot of work and I don’t rule out pitching a future series to a trad publisher. However, the trad route is incredibly slow and I’m not sure I have the patience for it! With all that said, my advice for new authors is, Don’t Rush It! Learn the process, the business, build a platform and get to know other published writers for advice. There are tons of people and places willing to share their knowledge, often for free or minimal cost. Take the editorial process seriously, and if you’re writing series romance, have a couple books finished before you put the first one out. Be patient and don’t quit!

What’s your favourite word and why?

I’m not sure I have a favorite word, though I do appreciate a very thoughtfully placed swear. Maybe that’s because I write military and former military characters (and my husband is a former Marine) so a well dropped curse can really set a scene.

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