Her characters jump right off the page—literally.
Good
morning, JJ. Let’s start with where you are from. My legal name is J. Jordan St. Clair and my pen name
is JJ Spritely. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State
University. I also received my masters in American history there. I moved to
Bell Wyck, Ohio because I was accepted into the Ph.D. program. And I ended up
staying and teaching there, until I resigned to write novels full-time.
Tell
us a bit about Rewrites of the Heart. I’ve resigned myself that Rewrites of the Heart is the story I’ll
tell my grandchildren about how the characters from one of my manuscripts came
to life. I’m a romance author and Alex Zurich and Blake Teesdale are characters
I created for their story Love’s Surprise.
Well, imagine my surprise when they spring
to life one day in my home office. Yeah, it was a bit of a reality check. They adamantly
insisted they were the characters I created. And they were on a mission. They thought
Kennedy King Cooper, history professor and literary snob, was the man of my dreams.
Was he? I didn’t see how could be. He not only hated romance novels, but
romance authors as well. You could see how we were incompatible.
While they’re trying to get me to see
the good things about this egomaniac, Alex and Blake discover they can’t make
it back home to the pages of their own story. Believe me, it’s not that they
didn’t try. I’ll never look at bathtubs in quite the same way again.
What
did you think the first time you saw Kennedy King Cooper? My first impression was “Wow. What a handsome man.” We
were both standing in front of the history section of a local bookstore, with
the Civil Rights Era, and the Civil War staring down at us. I was widowed in my
20s, and still mourned my husband but…
Works for us—something
right out of a rom-com. What came next? What a pompous ass. He made a disparaging comment about the
romance author signing books at the front of the store. He called romance
novels “trash,” and he wondered what kind of person would lower themselves to
write the “trash.” He had no idea I was that trash-writing romance author.
Do you
feel it was love at first sight? Hardly.
He got under my skin something terrible. Of course, if you ask Alex, the heroine
from my book, she’d call that love at first sight. But she sees the world through
the lens of a romance novel.
What
do you like most about him? There’s
so much to like about the man. He’s kind and generous and willing to admit his
mistakes (like that whole romance novel misunderstanding). But most of all, he’s
smart and funny. He keeps me laughing.
How
would you describe Professor Cooper? At about six
foot, brown hair, and brown eyes, he fills his suit out nicely. But just when
you think he’s all business, he flashes a boyish grin.
How
would he describe you? Kenn would
call me confusing. While he may mention my blond hair and green eyes and even
my short stature, confusing is the most descriptive in his mind. He never knows
when I’ll get mad at what’s happening to us or when I’ll take in stride.
What
made you choose your careers? I was an
historian first and perhaps at heart I’ll always be one. I love American
history, especially those episodes that hint at conspiracy. And I do love to
teach it. It’s satisfying.
But I also love writing romance
novels. Once my first novel sold well, I quit teaching to write full time. Who
knew events beyond my control would pull me back into research and teaching.
What
is your biggest fear? I think I’ve overcome
by biggest fear. It was living without my first husband, who died in a car
accident. I lived in fear by withdrawing from the world for far too long. I don’t
think much scares me these days.
How
do you relax? I wish I could say I
take strolls along the beach or watch the sunset, and while I do that on
occasion, it’s not typical of me. I make a bowl of popcorn, grab the remote
control, and find a sad, romantic movie. I forget about whatever problems I
have (including the very real Alex and Blake occupying the same space as me) as
I immerse myself in a romance.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? You
do realize you’re asking this of an author. I have to answer with my own characters.
Of all the characters I’ve brought to life, none are more dear to me than Alex
Zurich and Blake Teesdale. They’ve taught me so much.
But if I had to choose a character I
didn’t create, I think I’d choose Mosscap, the robot from Becky Chambers’ Monk
and Robot series. He’s continually curious and brings a love of life few humans
can match.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? Alex and Blake made me realize that my life is an open
book. And I should enjoy the moments I have, regardless of what others may
think of me. Life is too short to do otherwise.
Thanks for
spending time with us, JJ. Now we’d like to chat with Terry.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? In my early years, I read The Happy Hollisters series
and that was it. I knew I had to write my own books. But every single book I
read influences me in some way, from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
to The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.
Everything I read in some way becomes
a part of me and is eventually found in my writing. The Love Hypothesis,
by the way, is a fake dating trope. I loved it so much, I’m writing a fake
dating story of my own.
Is
there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story
and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I wrote the original version of Rewrites of the Heart, more than
a decade ago. It had a different name. But I wrote it shortly after my husband
died. Reading JJ’s story of loss nearly a decade and half after my own, I realize
I put a lot of myself into her storyline. I wasn’t in my 20s, but my 50s when
my husband passed, but the feelings are the same.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? I
first heard about the Wild Rose Press years ago when I attended a local chapter
of writing group. They had a representative there. I thought that was so cool. That
stuck in my mind. When I searched for publishers, they were tops on my list.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I have The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston sitting right beside
me begging me to open it. Right behind that I have The Spanish Love Deception
by Elena Armas vying for second place. But I have a virtual TBR list of two
soon-to-be-released books: Love, Theoretically, by Ali Hazelwood, and 10
Things that Never Happened by Alexis Hall. I’ll be at the bookstore getting
physical copies the days they release.
Last, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves?
The
Wizard of her Heart,
releases May 31. It’s part of The Wild Rose Press’s Jelly Beans and Spring
Things series. The main characters in this novella are a wizard who casts love
spells over jelly beans and his skeptical new employee who thinks he’s, well, deceiving
himself and others. The tag line: She’s certain he’s no wizard. He’s sure she’s
pure magic.
I’m currently working on Hearts on
the Rocks, a story about two doctoral students who decide to pretend to
date so they don’t get set up on blind dates. I’m hoping that will release
sometime in 2024.
To learn more about Terry Newman and what she’s up to,
go to:
Website: https://terrynewmanauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewmanWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tnewmanwrites
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