Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Interview: Jennifer Lohmann + Giveaway!


WELCOME TO THE BLOG, JENNIFER! :) 






Jennifer Lohmann is a Rocky Mountain girl at heart, having grown up in southern Idaho and Salt Lake City. When she’s not writing or working as a public librarian, she wrangles two cats and several backyard chickens; the dog is better behaved. She lives in Durham, North Carolina

Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt. 





Where to Find Jennifer:



TheBookQueen: Hi Jennifer! What can I get you to drink? And be sure to take an extra cookie or two – today I made a batch of Raspberry Oatmeal. :)




Jennifer: Coffee sounds like the perfect thing to go with those cookies. Raspberries are my favorite fruit and those cookies sound delicious.



TBQ: Oh, they are! *hands over coffee* Alright, first, tell us a little bit about yourself. 

J: I'd say I'm a wacky person masquerading as normal, but I think that's true for both librarians and romance authors. :-)

I love to cook. (Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop and World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey are favorite cookbooks of mine).  Cooking is really the only hobby I can maintain while working full-time and writing, though I have a bunch of dress and quilt patterns that I mean to sew (and the fabric for them), but can never find the time for. And sewing is just one of the many things I mean to perfect and never manage to even start. The list is too embarrassingly long to put in writing.



TBQ: *nods* Oh, I know about such lists! And normal is soooo overated, so I think you'll fit in just fine with the rest of us! :) 

Your newest release, Weekends in Carolina, just came out. Can you tell us a little bit about this book, and why readers are going to love it? 

J: The book is about Max, a woman determined to keep her livelihood, and Trey, who wants to cut all ties to North Carolina, no matter the cost to the people around him. The book fits right into a long line of romances where the hero is trying to ruin a business, property, family, etc and the heroine is collateral damage (a popular historical romance and Harlequin Presents trope). Of course, Max teaches Trey what's really important in life and gives his anger a constructive new direction.

Readers are going to love how emotional the book is and how hard Trey and Max have to work to pull off their Happily Ever After. It doesn't come easy for them. I love the book because it's set in Durham, North Carolina and feature so much about the area that I love—food, culture, history, mix of old and new, etc.  Because Durham is a small city, Weekends in Carolina straddles the line between small-town and big-city romance.



TBQ: Oooh, you've sold me on the book! *click* 

Why do Trey and Maxine belong together?

J: Trey gives structure to Max's dreams; Max gives Trey something to believe in.



TBQ: *dreamy sigh* 

In 5 words or less, describe Maxine for us. And let's not forget Trey—what's he like?

J -- Max: Strong, beautiful, hard-working
Trey: Looking to call someplace home (I cheated a little there)



TBQ: Cheating is allowed, especially since it does sum him up well! 

When writing each novel, do you listen to certain songs, like a playlist for the story? If so, what was the playlist for Weekends in Carolina?

J: I wish I could write with a playlist. I sing along to every song I hear, even the terrible ones, and I hum along with instrumental music.  I've tried to write with a playlist and I write the words I'm singing and not the actual book.



TBQ: Trust me, that would be me, too! 

Do you have a favorite part from Weekends in Carolina

J: The end is my favorite. As I said before, Max and Trey really have to work for their Happily Ever After. Trey, bless his heart, comes within a hairsbreadth of letting his past and his anger ruin the best thing that's ever happened to him. Even though I wrote the book, those last scenes are still heartbreaking for me to read.



TBQ: I always love a good ending . . .  :)

I know we all hate this question, author and reader alike. :) But I have to ask: What are a few of your favorite books and/or authors?

J: For romance, I love The Outsider by Penelope Williamson, Simply Love by Mary Balogh, The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt, and Can't Hurry Love by Molly O'Keefe. And, as far as I can tell, neither Jill Sorenson nor Carla Kelly have written a bad book.

Outside of romance , The Black Count by Tom Reiss is one of the best books ever. I love Mary Roach and Hillary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy (I can't wait for the third to come out).



TBQ: Oh, I so love Hoyt's books, especially TSP! 

We've all fallen for a hero (or two, or three, or....ahem).  Tell us one hero that you've fallen for—who is he and what drew you to him?

J: I love the tortured hero (see the above list of favorite books). But perhaps my favorite hero is Lt. Philemon Brittle from Carla Kelly's The Surgeon's Lady. He's far below Lady Laura Taunton in station and it doesn't bother him at all. He sees how strong she is. Just when she thinks she'd helpless, he tells her to do the impossible and she does it. Because he believes in her. What is more romantic than that?



TBQ: First -- who doesn't love a tortured hero? *wink* 

Ooh, that is terribly romantic! I've not heard of that book, but it's going on my list now, thank you. 

What's next-- Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming releases or WIP?

J: My next release is Winning Ruby Heart, which comes out in September from Harlequin Superromance. Ruby Heart was an Olympic gold medalist kicked out of her sport for doping and the Micah Blackwell is the sports reporter who made her face her crime. It was so, so fun to write. [It sounds like it!]



SPEED ROUND:

A day on a secluded island OR a day at the spa?
Secluded island. Like most readers, I have a TBR pile that I need to get through :-) [YES!]

Reading a spicy romance novel OR a sweet “my-heart-skips-a-beat” one?
My heart skips a beat.

Which would you rather have an affair with: a sexy highlander OR a devilishly handsome English lord?
Sexy highlander, though I hope the Scottish castle he comes with isn't too drafty.

Hot summer days OR cold winter nights?
Cold winter nights. I've got a big, sexy highlander to keep me warm. [See, no worries about the potentially drafty castle then! :)]

Where would your dream house be: in the city, where all the action is OR nestled in the mountain where you can enjoy the quiet and the wilderness?
Despite my rural background, I'm a city girl at heart.

If you could live in any time period, past or future, which one would it be?
The 1920s, just to be a part of the cultural revolution. [Oh, that would be a fascinating time!]

Cover Lover OR Blurb Fan?
Cover lover, no question.

Steamy Novella OR Sweet Novel? (aka, Quickie or Slow Build Up?)
Slow build up. Make the moment last. [Ooh yes, especially when done well!]

Quick—name the one food that you cannot live without?
Brown rice. It's such a boring answer, but I make a batch of baked brown rice at least once a week (It's a Cooks Illustrated recipe and you can find it here). [I've always had horrible luck with brown rice, but I've tried baking it a few times and slowly the results are becoming more edible. LOL]

And finally, tell us 3 unique/wacky/fun things about yourself:

  • I have lots of pig and chicken things in my house. Mostly chicken pictures (loosely define, including a comic chicken and a chicken clock) and pig kitchenware (including a pig sponge holder).
  • I took saxophone lessons as a kid (saying "I used to play the saxophone" would be too generous a description of my abilities). [Hehe!]
  • I'm an adventurous eater. I celebrated the sale of my first book by going out to a local restaurant for a special offal menu.



TheBookQueen: Thanks so much for stopping by, Jennifer,  and please know that you are welcome back anytime! Do you have any questions for our readers—something to spark a good discussion? :)


Jennifer: Danielle asked about heroes. What are everyone's favorite heroines?




Weekends in Carolina by Jennifer Lohmann
Publisher: Harlequin (June 3, 2014)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Wishing the weekend would never end! 

Trey Harris wants nothing to do with his late father's farm. In fact, he can't get rid of it fast enough so he can enjoy his city life. Then he meets Maxine "Max" Backstrom—the gorgeous woman leasing the land. Between her passion for his family's farm and her determination to show him its beauty…well, Trey can't stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss her! 

Still, their lives are worlds apart. If he sells, her livelihood vanishes. But his interests aren't here. And no matter how magical their weekends together are, this can't lead to anything…can it?



Where to Buy*:
Amazon | Kindle | BN | NOOK | ARe
More Info:





a Rafflecopter giveaway





Thanks for stopping by today, Jennifer! I so enjoyed our interview, and I'm dying to read your books now! 

Remember, Jennifer has a question for you, and don't forget to enter for your chance to win (Rafflecopter above):

Danielle asked about heroes. What are everyone's favorite heroines?

That's a good question by the way, I often forget about our heroines; ack!



Enjoy!


Until Next Time,

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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

13 comments :

Jennifer Lohmann said...

Since no one has answered yet, I'll answer with one of my own. I love Lauren, from Mary Balogh's A Summer to Remember.

Pat Egan Fordyce said...

Nice to meet you Jennifer! I live on the coast of N.C. And I'm retired so every day is our weekend! Looking forward to reading your story. I just finished a book where the heroine was amazing. Single Mom, her father trying to take over her life to "fix" her and an adorable seven year old son. I can't imagine being a single Mom, with other people trying to run your life. Thanks for stopping by and telling us about Weekends in Carolina. It's on my to read list!

Jennifer Lohmann said...

Pat, nice to meet you too! Do you remember the name of the book? And, if you live on the coast of NC, have you read Virginia Kantra's Caroline series: Carolina Home, Caroline Girl, Carolina Man.... They are awesome. She's really captured the feel of coastal North Carolina. Fabulous books!



I hope you enjoy Weekends in Carolina!

Lover Of Romance said...

I love heart skips a beat romances!! Nothing is better than that right? Loved the interview...I see I need to check this author out!!!

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

Oooo a face I know from Lady Janes!! *waves* Hey Jennifer! My favorite heroine ever is Eve from the In Death series by JD Robb. She's just incredible with her quirks and kick ass-ed-ness. lol

The_Book_Queen said...

Oh, I haven't read it, but I do so enjoy Balogh's books! :)

Loida said...

Sounds interesting

Tammy Sigond said...

Love meeting new authors...hello!

Ann Lorz said...

Nice interview!

Melody May said...

Really, heroines. Umm. Samantha Graces Lisette from Miss Lavigne Little White Lie. Also Frankie from Marina Adair's Autumn in the Vineyard. Man you really made me think about about it. I love Lisette cause she's Daniel stubborn match. Frankie cause she puts up a tough exterior, but a marshmallow inside.

Jennifer Lohmann said...

Hi, everyone. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've only read the first "In Death" book (HI, Anna!). There are so many and the series looks so intimidating on the library bookshelf. And funny that Melody mentions Samantha Grace, because we blog together over at Lady Scribes. I've not heard of Autumn in the Vineyard; I'll have to check it out. Hello to everyone else and thanks for stopping by.

The_Book_Queen said...

It's a hard question, isn't it? We often fall for the heroes, but it takes more for us to connect and love the heroines, doesn't it? Or at least it does for me!

Tobi Helton said...

Wow a whole new to me author! Thanks so much for sharing!