I need your opinion! I can't decide if I like Crystal Lake or Diamond Lake for the setting of my new story. I'm taking a vote. I'll use the name that gets the most votes.

Last year, you moved from England to Canada. Was this the first big move you’ve ever done? 

Jen:
First of all, thanks so much for inviting me to guest on your blog, Charlene. It’s a pleasure to be here and chat with your friends and readers. 

I’ve moved often and that’s probably why the search for “home” runs through what I write. Indeed, my author tagline is “Romance to bring your heart home.”

Although I’m Canadian by birth and have lived across Canada, I’ve spent much of my life in England, first as a student and then because of my husband’s job. The UK is my second home and while it will always be special to me (not least because my daughter was born there), the pull of Canada remained strong. 

My family and I moved to a small town in Ontario’s Rideau Valley in 2015. My Irish ancestors settled in this area in the nineteenth century, and it’s also where I spent childhood summers. I’m now rooted in a small-town world that’s a lot like the communities I write about.

There must have been some adjustments for you, settling into your new home. What were some things that took getting used to?

Jen:
The biggest adjustment for me was an emotional one. It’s taken time to settle into a place that after so many years away was and wasn’t familiar. I also travelled a lot for my last day job so I’ve had to adjust to a new, homebody life.  

In practical terms, I continue to hunt for a proper English digestive biscuit and also miss that quintessential British tea room favorite, the Victoria sponge cake. However, my daughter, known in our town as “the little English girl,” has taken to poutine (French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds) like a native, and we all feel blessed with the warm welcome we’ve received here. 

Now that you are writing on deadlines, when do you write? Do you have a schedule? 
Jen:
My move to Canada coincided with taking redundancy at my day job so for the first time in my life, I’m a full-time author. My writing schedule, though, is almost as structured as the one I had when I went out to an office every day. 

I write during school hours and around my daughter’s activities. As I did prior to being a contracted author, I set daily word counts (although now in relation to my deadlines) and work toward those. I start my day by responding to emails and dipping into social media, and then it’s offline to make the most of what are for me the productive morning and early afternoon hours.

While my daughter does homework after school, I dip back into social media. I enjoy chatting with readers and writing friends and, since I work from home, Facebook and Twitter are like a virtual “front porch” linking me with the wider world.  
Unless I’m on deadline, evenings are family time and often include reading as my daughter is a keen reader too. Mindful of the hazards of sitting and the dreaded “writer’s bottom,” I also go for a walk most days. Some of my best ideas (as well as solutions to tricky plot problems) come when I’m out walking. 

What are you reading, or what’s on your bookshelf to read?
Jen:
I’ve just finished reading The Magic of Ramblings by Kate Field. Kate is also a debut novelist and, like me, she’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in the UK. The Magic of Ramblings blends contemporary romance and women’s fiction. With a compelling hero, an evocative north of England setting (including a fabulous Victorian Gothic house I want to visit), and a brave heroine who touched my heart, it’s a book to savor.
Next up is Family Tree by one of my favorite authors, Susan Wiggs. She writes so movingly about women’s lives, loves and family relationships, and I’ve been saving this book as a winter weekend treat. 



Tell us about your new book!! What is it about? 
Jen:
The Cottage at Firefly Lake is my debut release and the first in a three-book series. It’s an emotional, second-chance love story about redemption and finding your way home. 

I set it in a fictional small-town in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, a beautiful, unspoiled corner of the US where my husband and I spent several happy vacations. 

For me, it’s a book that encapsulates everything that’s wonderful about a summer vacation, including that first love you never forget. It’s also about life challenges, family secrets and the often-tangled relationships that test us, but also help us figure out what truly matters. 




The Back Cover:

Some mistakes can never be fixed and some secrets never forgiven . . . but some loves can never be forgotten.

Charlotte Gibbs wants nothing more than to put the past behind her, once and for all. But now that she's back at Firefly Lake to sell her mother's cottage, the overwhelming flood of memories reminds her of what she's been missing. Sun-drenched days. Late-night kisses that still shake her to the core. The gentle breeze off the lake, the scent of pine in the air, and the promise of Sean's touch on her skin . . . True, she got her dream job traveling the world. But at what cost? 
Sean Carmichael still doesn't know why Charlie disappeared that summer, but after eighteen years, a divorce, and a teenage son he loves more than anything in the world, he's still not over her. All this time and her body still fits against his like a glove. She walked away once when he needed her the most. How can he convince her to stay now? 

Connect with Jen! 

Website: www.jengilroy.com
Twitter: @JenGilroy1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JenGilroyAuthor

You can order The Cottage at Firefly Lake in mass market paperback or digital/e-book format on all Amazon platforms, as well as Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Chapters-Indigo. ​

It's the count down to Christmas in our house.
Presents are bought, baking is done and I have a book that I'm looking forward to reading, accompanied with a steamy cup of tea. I've read some memorable books this year and there are ones that are still on my reading list, that I didn't have time to get to, but I will. 
I am so lucky to be part of a book club that reads a variety of books. It challenges me to read something I wouldn't normally pick up.
Between my personal picks and those I read for my club, here are my top five reads for this year. Not in any particular order. 

1) The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah
2)When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
3) Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
4)Another Piece of My Heart, by Jane Green
5) Sleigh Bells in the Snow, by Sarah Morgan

I wish you and your family a blessed holiday and all the best in 2017!

Happy reading!

Charlene
xx

​The inspiration for that scene came from a photograph I saw of a beautiful, tear stained bride in jail and I wondered what could have led to that? And that scene led to His Toughest Call and Leah and Jed’s romance. 

As to what inspires me, everything or anything! It could be a line of dialogues, a situation, a song.  A photograph, as mentioned. Really, I’m not picky where they come from; I’m just so grateful the ideas keep coming in! If they don’t I might have to go and raise llamas or something equally odd. 


I love meeting new people, even if it’s only by cyberspace, so chat with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram 
 
Thanks, Charlene, for having me here. 
Happy reading!
Joss

Dani knows what she wants to write and is successful doing what she loves to do.
I asked Dani about her writing routine and what she does on her downtime.

Dani:
I do write everyday. Typically I fool around on social media and answer any urgent emails first thing, while I drink my tea. Then I make a pot of coffee and attack my word count (or revisions.) If it’s a first draft, I shoot for 2k/day. Some days are better than others. Midday I come up for air and go for a walk to get the mail (about 5 km round trip) or I go to the gym and get the groceries. Then I either finish my word count or attack things like blog posts or other admin tasks. When things are running smoothly, I knock off around five and make dinner, then sometimes work after cleaning the kitchen or, if I’ve been a good girl, I binge watch Netflix. I do write on the weekends and I work 10 or 12 hour days if I’m running behind. It’s a juggle, but my youngest just graduated high school so we’re basically empty-nesters and I can give my writing career a lot of time and I like to! It’s actually hard for me to stop working. 

Charlene: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

Dani: Well, um, as I inferred above, I don’t do much except work. I do have a vegetable garden that I quite enjoy, but I’m not above neglecting it if I’m on deadline. It’s a jungle at the moment. 


Charlene: What really inspires me about you, is that you write for two publishing houses and you manage to consistently put out new books. How do you do it? Are some books easier to write than others?

Dani: Absolutely some books write themselves and others are two steps forward, one back. But those don’t fall neatly into one publisher or genre. Some just arrive as fully formed ideas and others have to be worked out along the way. 
I feel very lucky to write for two different publishers because the books are quite different, stretching different muscles so I don’t get burnt out on one genre. All of my book are quite sexy and emotional, but I write the glitz and tycoon alpha male for Presents, then I switch it up with something more down to earth and small town for Montana Born. 


One thing that has helped me put out so many books is the fact it took me so long to publish. I literally have a backlist that no one has seen. I’ll actually be putting out two single titles later this year as indie titles because I have them and what use are they sitting on my hard drive? But when I was writing around little kids and a day job, I learned to focus and get the words on the page. That training has served me well and now I show up and do the work and sometimes it’s great and sometimes it’s horrible and I have to make it great another day. And then I have wonderful editors who definitely help me hammer the stories into shape when I’m struggling. 

​
Charlene:  I enjoyed your book, Scorch, published by Tule Publishing. Can you tell us about your new Harlequin novel, The Secret Beneath The Veil? What’s it about? 

Dani: Thanks! I loved helping Jacqui and Vin find their HEA. 

In The Secret Beneath the Veil, Viveka takes her sister’s place when her sister is about to be married off to a stranger with a bad reputation, Maksym. No one knows until Maksym lifts the veil and discovers the wrong girl. Viveka runs away, but nearly drowns, Maksym saves her, then he kidnaps her onto his boat. Maksym is the grandson of a notorious criminal and he’s trying to prove the family has gone straight. The marriage would have accomplished that and Viveka has ruined things. She is also now in danger of retaliation from her stepfather for helping her sister escape, so Maksym ‘keeps’ her and persuades (seduces) her into becoming his mistress. He’s very much a scarred hero who doesn’t know how to love and she’s very much an innocent who deserves to be loved. It's a rough road to their HEA, but so worth it.

If you're not familiar with young adult novels, may I suggest adding this book to your shelf or e-reader?

Entertainment Weekly calls it a "creepy, satisfying thriller."

It's a well-written young readers novel, but adults would enjoy this page turner as well. 

I want to introduce you to the author behind the book, Eileen Cook.  I've met Eileen a few times and I definitely saw a little of her personality through the pages. She is upbeat, down to earth and funny. 
Here is what Eileen shared with me about her work schedule, hobbies and her favourite accessories. 


Charlene: If I remember, you work full-time as well as write. When do you find the time to write? And where do you write?

Eileen: I am excited to say that I am now writing full time in addition to doing some teaching and freelance editing. I have as of this January given up my  job as a counsellor.  This is pretty much a dream come true for a writer, but I do warn people that it took me a long time, and ten novels to be in that position.  I worked full time for the first four of my novels, then went to part time until eventually this year I made the leap. 

Writing while working was a challenge. There are so many demands on our time that often when we do have a bit of breathing space it feels like the only thing we can manage to do is stare at Netflix or take a nap. What I did discover is that what works for one person- may not work for another. I remember hearing the advice that I should set my alarm an hour early and write before starting my work day. I tried. I really did. However, there is nothing happening in my brain at 5am. I can barely remember my own name at that hour let alone a characters.  For me it was easier to write in the evenings- even if it was only for thirty minutes or an hour. I set tiny word count goals for myself (500 words) that I could achieve without getting discouraged. The truth is that all books getting written one word at a time. If you keep making progress- even if it is slower than you would like- you will get to the finish line. If you never start- you never will. 

Charlene: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

Eileen: It’s probably not too surprising that one of my favorite things to do when I’m not writing is to read.  I am pretty sure someday I will be killed when one of the million stacks of books I have in the house falls over and crushes me.

I’m also a big knitter, I always loved crafty things so when I found one I could do while watching movies or listening to audio books I was hooked.  If you are friends with me at some point you’ll end up with a scarf or socks. I enjoy the process of making something that I can see grow.  Often with writing you can work for a long time, but not make a lot of progress.  When I knit I always have something to show for it.

Lastly, I love spending time with friends. I enjoy throwing dinner parties and I often have huge board game nights where we play until the wee hours.

Charlene: You have an eye for accessories. What’s your favourite thing to shop for? Why? 

I have a thing for shoes, handbags and office supplies. I can’t help myself- or more truthfully- I don’t want to stop.  For me shoes and handbags are a great way to show a bit of personality. If I have on a great pair of shoes I just feel more zippy.  (And I say this as someone who spends the bulk of her time wearing yoga pants with my hair in a ponytail while making stuff up.)  There are times when I might be nervous (before speaking for example) and I find if I am wearing something that makes me happy- it almost fools my brain into thinking it is confident.  

I have no idea where my passion for office supplies comes from- but I have convinced myself that I am only a pack of Post-it Notes, index cards, folder, or new pen, away from organizing my entire writing life and then creating the Great Canadian Novel. Staples is like a candy store as far as I’m concerned. 

Charlene: Can you tell us about your newest book, With Malice? How does it compare with your other works? 

Eileen: With Malice is about Jill who while on a school trip in Italy is in a horrible car accident. She wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the accident or the six weeks before.  Jill is devastated to hear that her best friend Simone died in the accident and horrified that the police don’t believe it was an accident- instead they’re tying to prove Jill murdered her friend.  Jill has to fill in the missing time while trying to decipher if other people’s stories of what happened are accurate before she’s forced back to Italy and a trial.  She’s forced to question her friendship and more importantly what she’s capable of doing.


WITH MALICE tackles issues of identity.  I have been fascinated for a long time on the issue of what makes people choose different paths and how we view ourselves, versus how other view us.  Jill, the main character in this story, struggles because she can’t recall the past six weeks. She’s trying to figure out what happened, and come to terms with what people say she did before time runs out- all while dealing with the grief of the loss of her best friend.
This book is a bit different from my others in that I wanted to raise questions for the reader that hopefully leaves them with a lot to discuss when the book is done.  It is certainly the most complex book I’ve ever written. I had stacks of color-coded index cards, timelines and highlighted pages as I tried to figure out how it would all fit together.

Hi! Thank you for stopping by. Okay, so I haven't been posting consistently. I failed to do that when I decided to write two books, one after the other. Neither are published yet, as I often put a book a side and revisit it for a final read through before sending it off. It's a lot of submitting and waiting and more waiting. That's okay, though. It gives me time to write something new, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy summer while it's here. It never feels long enough.:) I love the heat and sunny mornings. It's when I get the most writing done before the kiddies get up. I hope to share more with you about what I'm working on very soon. 

I hope you'll check in from time to time, as I have some authors lined up that I want you to meet. The author I interviewed for my first post is inspiring and funny. She is someone I admire and I hope you'll stop by for a personal chat and maybe a laugh or two.  

To kick this blog off, I'm giving away a treat. A Kate Spade shopping bag, Kate Spade pen set and chocolate. Yes, chocolate...All you have to do is comment on my author Facebook page attached to this post, and tell me what book you're reading OR plan to read this summer and you're entered! I'll draw a winner on July 28.
 https://www.facebook.com/charlene.groome/ 

Happy Summer!
Charlene
xx