JENNIFER COLLIN - INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - SET ME FREE - THE EVANS TRILOGY # 1 - CHICK LIT - SELF PUBLISHED - AUSSIE AUTHOR ROAD TRIP - DAY 5

Day 5 has arrived and I am driving up the coast to my stomping ground in Queensland to have a chat with Jennifer Collin and she is having a nice giveaway. Check out her excerpt and find out her 6 Quick Things. It's time for some chik lit and it's never too early to shake our bootie.

Welcome Jennifer.

AUTHOR BIO:

Jennifer Collin lives in Brisbane, Australia. She spent her twenties partying, and most of her thirties raising small children while working full time. Now she has the life experience she was told she needed when she was a teenager, she has started writing again. Set me free is her first novel, and the first in a trilogy about the Evans family.

6 Quick Things:

A quote that means something to you.

"…rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."  JK Rowling.

JK Rowling is a living reminder to never give up, and always believe in yourself.

A song that describes you.

Hmmm, probably I see you baby (shakin' that ass)

 by Groove Armada.

 Once upon a time, before children, my favorite thing to do was shake my ass on a dance floor.

 These days I just do it in my living room.

 Who is your book boyfriend? 

Phineas T Tucker from Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. He's hot, he's sexy, he's powerful and he owns a bookstore.

Who is your book girlfriend? 

Jenny Crusie again – I love her characters!

 This time Minerva Dobbs from Bet Me.

 She's self-assured, more so than she gives herself credit for, and fun.

 Author that inspired you and why?

Oh dear, it's Jenny Crusie again. I'm starting to sound like a stalker! Jenny Crusie was the first romance author whose female characters really got my attention. Like Min in Bet Me, they are self-assured and strong characters. Until I read Jenny Crusie, I didn't know publishers released books like that.

And of course, JK Rowling is an inspiration, and a reminder that if one person can't see your potential, someone else will recognise it. 

 Will you be attending the Indie Author Down Under Gold Coast event 22nd March 2014?

Facebook Link

Hopefully! I am still awaiting confirmation.

 Other points to note:

· Set me Free is sitting in the top 30 bestsellers for 

Women Writers and Fiction on Amazon UK.

· It's getting 5 star reviews

· It's only 99c at all good ebook retailers

Title of Book: Set Me Free
Author: Jennifer Collin
State: Queensland
Series Title: The Evans Trilogy
Published By: Self Published
Date Released: 29 April 2013
Genre: Chick Lit
Book Cover Designer: Cameron Eaton

Disastrous love life aside, Charlotte Evans is rather content with her life. Her quaint little art gallery is plodding along nicely and her sister Emily’s artistic career is about to take off, thanks to her tireless promotion. She even gets to see her best friend every day and drink his delicious coffee in the café next door.

But when dastardly property developer Craig Carmichael comes along, threatening to demolish her gallery and take everything away, Charlotte has an unexpected fight on her hands. Not only is she battling to stop Craig’s development, she’s also struggling against the mysterious magnetic pull that has her on a collision course with Craig himself.

Craig Carmichael is fighting the Battle for Boundary Street on more than one front. The tenants of the building he wants to knock down are mounting a strong case against him and in a hot-headed moment he put his career on the line for a project that is threatening to fail. If the project doesn’t succeed he will lose everything but for some reason he’s having trouble maintaining his focus.

As their worlds begin to unravel around them, anyone could win. It’s what they might lose that has Charlotte and Craig wondering what it is they really want.

Excerpt  

‘You know I’m going to fight you in this development, don’t you?’

‘I do.’

They walked in silence until they rounded the corner into her street, and crossed the road in front of her building.

Charlotte stopped. ‘You lied to me,’ she accused, finally seeking out his eyes.

‘No I didn’t. Not technically. I failed to tell you something, but I didn’t lie.’ Was he teasing her?

‘Same thing,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t like liars. And I’m not very fond of people who are out to ruin my life,’ she added.

‘I’m not going to ruin your life,’ he said, not looking away, holding her with his dark brown gaze.

‘Well, that means that you are because you’re a liar.’

He chuckled softly. ‘Your argument is not sound.’

He was right. She sounded like a petulant child. She decided not to bite back.

‘I’m going in now,’ she said. ‘Thanks for seeing me home, I guess.’

He shrugged. She paused, and her gaze fell on his lips. When the corners of his mouth started to turn, so did she, on her heel, to stomp up the stairs to her apartment.

‘Goodnight, Charlotte,’ he called.

Throwing him one final glare, she closed her door on him and made a beeline for the shower, to wash away the sinful desire threatening her good judgment.

Q & A SESH with JENNIFER

Michelle:  What five words describe Jennifer Collin the AUTHOR?

Jennifer: Driven, disorganised, romantic, tired, happy.

Michelle:  What five words describe the person behind the author?

Jennifer: Vague, sleep-deprived, cynical, weird, happy.

Michelle:  If you were given the task of walking up to somebody random in the street and you were to explain your book to them in a short speech what would you tell them? Not your book blurb, but something more...deeper.

Jennifer:  I've written a book about remembering what it was you wanted to be when you grew up, and finding the courage to revisit it. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we never planned on going, only to find we don't really want to be there. Set Me Free is about finding your way back to what it is you truly want.

Michelle:  What ten words describe Craig Carmichael?

Jennifer:  Sexy, smart, cool, determined, cynical, frustrated, patient, ethical, courageous, loyal.

Michelle:  What ten words would Craig use to describe Charlotte Evans?

Jennifer: Beautiful, smart, sharp, talented, sexy, gutsy, determined, protective, devoted, addictive.

Michelle: What quote is your favourite from Set Me Free?

Jennifer: "There was nothing less classy than being a cheater's one night stand."

Charlotte thinks this when she first realises there is a connection between Craig and her sister's nemesis, Cassette. She's mad at Craig for lying to her, and she's not sure about his relationship with Cassette.

Michelle: What song do you think best describes Craig and Charlotte’s relationship and why?

Jennifer: I've got you under my skin, by Frank Sinatra. The lyrics sum up their relationship, and I can just imagine them dancing some slow, sexy swing to it.

I've got you under my skin. 

I've got you deep in the heart of me. 

So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me. 

I've got you under my skin. 

I'd tried so not to give in. 

I said to myself: this affair never will go so well. 

But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well 

I've got you under my skin? 

I'd sacrifice anything come what might 

For the sake of havin' you near 

In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night 

And repeats, repeats in my ear: 

Don't you know, you fool, you never can win? 

Use your mentality, wake up to reality. 

But each time that I do just the thought of you 

Makes me stop before I begin 

'Cause I've got you under my skin. 

I would sacrifice anything come what might 

For the sake of havin' you near 

In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night 

And repeats - how it yells in my ear: 

Don't you know, you fool, ain´t no chance to win 

Why not use your mentality - get up, wake up to reality? 

And each time I do just the thought of you 

Makes me stop just before I begin 

'Cause I've got you under my skin. 

And I like you under my skin.

Michelle:  What has been the one thing that stands out to you in your journey as a writer?

Jennifer:  How much I have learned – about writing, about marketing and about myself. And how much I still have to learn about all three!

Michelle:  Could you please give me images of who you think best represents Craig and Charlotte.

Jennifer:  I've cast James McAvoy and Amy Adams in my imaginary movie version ;)

Michelle:  What has been the most memorable book signing or book event you have been to and why?

Jennifer:  About 10 years ago, a work colleague and I decided to have a bit of fun at the annual writer's festival held in our home town of Brisbane. There was a competition to put together and present a pitch for a TV program, and we thought we'd have a go.

Our pitch was for a comedy set in an office, where the audience would get to giggle at the ludicrous things office workers did and said to each other. Our idea fell flat, and the judges told us in no uncertain terms that nobody would want to watch a show like that.

About 12 months later, Ricky Gervais hit UK television with his show "The Office" which was so successful, the US version soon followed, snaring Steve Carrell in the lead role no less. My colleague and I did feel vindicated, but, being a poor, fragile writer, the rejection still smarts to this day. Hence it's my most memorable experience at a book event!

On a more cheery note (!), I attended a great session at this year's festival called Genre Ghetto, which involved five very entertaining writers and/or bloggers defending their genre of choice.

Michelle:  Is there anything you can tell us about book two in The Evans Trilogy?

Jennifer: Yes! It will be called Open My Eyes, and it’s Emily's (Charlotte's sister) story. After walking away from her cheating husband with nothing, Emily is trying to stand on her own two feet. As she's never had to do that before, she keeps tripping up and making mistakes, one of which was sleeping with her sister's best friend, Ben, in Set Me Free. Emily desperately needs to figure out how to take care of herself, because the clock is ticking, and soon it won't be just herself she's taking care of. Meanwhile, Ben has licked his wounds, and is determined to get on with his life, focusing on expanding his business and getting cosy with the new girl next door.

Michelle: If your life at this point in time could be described in a chocolate flavour or an icecream flavour, what flavour would it be and why?

Jennifer: I think I'll go for something sweet and fruity, like Lychee Sorbet. Why? Because my world is so bright and full of promise at the moment, and I have a spring in my step. Set Me Free is doing really well, Open My Eyes is with my structural editor, and I have no pressure on me right now.

It's also summer here in Brisbane, so I can't think of anything that's not cool and refreshing. Six months ago I might have been a velvety chocolate icecream, hunkering down at the midnight hour, working furiously with my laptop to get Emily's story out of my head.

Goodreads Link:

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17977570-set-me-free

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferCollinAuthorPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollinJennifer

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jycolli/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/jycolli

GIVEAWAY TIME

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tomorrow I thought I would hang about Queensland for a bit, the weather is awesome. Karin Cox is our next author to feature.