Author Spotlight - Jennifer Shirk

From http://relationshipslovelanguage.blogspot.com

The Minxes have two special Valentine's treats for you:

• Our Minxy anthology Blaze is available for free on Amazon from today until 16th February, so if you haven't already, grab your copy today.
• Today's spotlight author is giving away a copy of her latest release to one lucky commenter, so read on and get commenting!

Jennifer Shirk is from New Jersey in the US. She has been published by Samhain Publishing, Amazon's Montlake Romance imprint, and most recently by Entangled Publishing. Way to go, Jennifer!

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I'm a pharmacist, turned stay-at-home mom turned author. I'm married and have one child, four hermit crabs and now one guinea pig.

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
Maybe someday I'll write as many as Nora. LOL This is only number #5 for me.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
Deadlines, plus it really does help your other books if you keep writing new ones. So that keeps me going.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Top promo tip? Hmm...honestly, I'm learning the best promo is to write a really good book, otherwise, it doesn't matter how much you tweet or blog, it still won't sell.

How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
I tend to work best in the mornings so that's when I make time to write. Then the afternoons I can do errands or take care of the house.

Do you write every day?
I TRY to write every day. But it doesn't always happen. Lately, I'm on blog tour and all my writing time has been used for interviews and blog posts!

Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?
YES. I am dying to write a YA. I will. I even have a premise and partial outline. Someday....

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
Yes, I run and do spin classes, and right now I'm redoing the P90x workout regime. That's about an hour 6 days a week, but I LOVE it.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I had a great time using my humour. I kind of wrote this book with the thinking that this book was for ME and I was just going to have fun with it no matter what happened.

Could you be friends with any of your heroines?
YES! But especially Phoebe in A Little Bit Cupid. She's just so fun--like a Sandra Bullock character.

Writing snacks – what are your favourites?
I try to stay pretty healthy when writing, but I do enjoy a Tootsie Pop or a Blow Pop when I'm writing just for something sweet to suck on. I love a hot cup of tea when I'm writing too now that it's cold out.

Thanks so much for having me!!

A LITTLE BIT CUPID is now available for 99cents at Amazon and B&N!

Finding love should be easy, but wedding photographer Phoebe Ward knows better. When Cupid shows up on a crazy mission to help her —and save the world in the process—Phoebe realizes love might be even more complicated than she thought. Even with Cupid showing her Mr. Right , she can’t stop thinking about his best friend, Mr. Wrong.

Cal Crawford has never had time for love, but now he’s falling for Phoebe. Which means it’s got to be just plain wrong to set her up with his best friend, right? But even though seeing Phoebe with someone else will break his heart, he can’t walk away from her.

Phoebe can’t afford to choose the wrong guy with the fate of the world at stake. But maybe Cupid has it wrong. Maybe she has to rely just a little bit on Cupid, and a whole lot more on her heart.


A Little Bit of Cupid is available on Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.

You can find Jennifer on her website, her blog, on Twitter, on Facebook and on Goodreads.

Author Spotlight - Jennifer Shirk

Jennifer Shirk has been a long-time friend of this blog, so we're delighted to have her here today to talk about her second release through Avalon Books, Sunny Days for Sam. This New Jersey mom (who is currently raising four hermit crabs!) is also published by Samhain.

What is your writing process?

Well, early morning I’m online checking email, FB, blogs, Twitter, etc... Then about 10 or 10:30 I start writing and work until lunchtime. If I have time and don’t need to do errands or any cleaning, then I’ll go back and try to write some more until the kiddo comes home from school.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I haven’t found a method exactly. Some days it’s easy to stay on track because you like the way a chapter is going. Other days, I DO go shoe shopping. LOL

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Oh, I’m glad you asked! I am a P90x graduate and have been continuing the workouts still. I love it, because it makes me do weights, which is something that is so important to maintain muscle, but something I would neglect if it wasn’t part of the program. I workout every morning from 8-9AM—unless sick.

Do you believe in writer's block?

No. I think it should be called writer’s procrastination. LOL

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book?

Yes. I used to work in a pharmacy where there was a high theft of condoms. So I decided to use that as a backdrop scene in my second book, GEORGIE ON HIS MIND.

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

Well, before you’re published, you think everything will be great once that happens. But then you quickly learn there’s more to the story that just that. Now you have different concerns, like sales, promotions, and reviews, which are even more stressful.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

With every book, you learn what worked and what didn’t and make adjustments. I always try to add something new. This year, I hired a book tour coordinator—Goddess Fish promotions—to get in front of some new faces that are not part of my normal blog and FB following.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Reviews and word of mouth are the best kind of promotions you can get, so when you do a giveaway, always encourage your winner to do a review for you—good or bad. 

What did you learn while writing this book?

That I can write a hero that is beyond your basic good-guy-beta kind.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

I love writing the children’s dialogue! Kids can get away with anything, so it’s especially fun to write what they’ll say.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

I can totally see Sam wanting to have Sunny experience Europe. So he would take her on a 10 to 14 day trip to Paris, France and then on to Portofino, Italy. *sigh*

Sunny Days for Sam
By Jennifer Shirk

Sunnyva “Sunny” Fletcher is a firm believer in fairy tales. With the recent debt she’s acquired, the hope of something magical happening in her life is the only thing keeping her going. She needs a job fast. So when Sunny learns the sexy new vacationer in town is looking for a nanny, she starts to believe she just may have a fairy godmother after all!

Internet guru Sam Calloway is only in town for the summer and needs a nanny for his two small children. However, the beautiful and inexperienced Sunny is not exactly the kind of caregiver Sam has in mind. It doesn’t take long for Sunny’s tenderhearted and bubble-blowing ways to soon have the children—and Sam—enamored with her. She’s a dream come true. But after what Sam’s been through, he’s stopped believing in fairy tales long ago.

Sunny manages to work her way into Sam’s closed-off heart, but at the end of the summer, will the workaholic dad go back to his life in New York City, or will he decide his days are much sunnier here with Sunny?


Buy links:
Barnes and Noble

Amazon

You can find out more about Jennifer at her website or on her blog.