Make-Believe Mondays With Jenna Peterson

Today on Make-believe Mondays I'd like to introduce Jenna Petersen. Jenna writes for historical romance for Avon and erotic romance as Jess Michaels.

Welcome Jenna, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Jenna: I just finished the first draft of an erotic romance for Avon Red that will come out next fall under my Jess Michaels name. It’s about a voyeuristic young lady, her very naughty neighbor and the bargain they strike to save her family.

Debra: Now that sounds intriguing!

Jenna: AND I also just turned in the manuscript for my third Lady Spies book, which will also be out next fall. This is Emily’s book. She’s a very strong character and she’s paired with an equally strong hero in spy Grant Ashbury. And once the two of them stop chasing each other, they’ll have to foil a plot that might very well involve the assassination of the Prince Regent.

Debra: Ooh, exciting!

Jenna: So I’m a bit in between, but I’m very excited about both these books!

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Jenna: Wow, that’s a great question. I think I do tend to let my well (or my cup) go dry by over-exerting myself. When I do, I let myself have breaks. A weekend spent with my husband doing something fun or reading a great book or even playing a video game can give me enough relaxation to get back to business. But I have to tell you, writing is really what turns me on. Most of the time, writing itself fills up my cup.



Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Jenna: I rarely see or hear them, but they always come alive enough that they change the story. LOL I’m a plotter, but there always comes some time when my hero turns left instead of right or my heroine makes an offer I never expected. Those are great moments! Scary, but great.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Jenna: I have dreamed books, but I don’t think I’ve ever written what I’ve dreamed. I seem to dream outside my chosen genre and I love writing Regency-era historical romance too much to go into the realm my dreams take. I figure my dreams are stories for my entertainment alone.

Debra: Now we'll all be wondering what you dream about, but a little bit of mystery is always good.

As a child, did any particualr book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Jenna: L.M. Montgomery most definately in all her books, but especially Anne Shirley's world of Avonlea and Green Gables. I so wanted to live there. Later on, it was Tolkien (when I was in high school). Who wouldn't want to visit the charming Shire or, uh, maybe go pass some time with Aragorn... oh sorry, I was distracted.

Debra: And what a wonderful distraction he is!

Jenna, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.


You can visit Jenna at http://www.JennaPetersen.com and at http://avonfanlit.com
Jenna also runs a wonderful website called the Passionate Pen
http://www.thepassionatepen.com