The Interrogation Room with Jennifer Theriot

Please give a warm welcome to a good friend of mine joining us in the hot seat this week... Jennifer Theriot!

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What were you like at school?

I know you’re not gonna believe this, but I was always the clown.

Were you good at English?

Nope!

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

To keep writing as long as I can and as long as I have readers who encourage me to continue.

Which writers inspire you?

Jacqueline Susann is my all time FAV author!

So, what have you written?

My Out of the Box series consists of three books (Out of the Box Awakening, Out of the Box Regifted and Out of the Box Everlasting. A women’s contemporary romance / family saga series, it focuses on family, friends and second chances. My main characters are over the age of thirty and I suppose you could say it’s grownup romance from the other side of 30) Toccata Obbligato~Serenading Kyra is a romance companion novella to the Out of the Box series, written from the POV of one of the rock stars featured in the series. I have a Holiday novella called Unwrapping Noel, which is about a woman who has been cheated on and finds love during the holiday season, just when she’s about to give up. I’m working on the second book to this series, called Finding Joy. Also, I have a series out called The Green Room Chronicles and it’s written under the pen name J.D. Frettier. The first in the series is called Desperately Seeking Sixty-Nine and it’s a quirky love story about a couple who meets at Woodstock in 1969. She dies 47 years later and goes up to Purgatory (aka, The Green Room)

It’s a funny look at hippies and channeling the afterlife. I’m working on the second book to this series, called Linda Gets Her Groove Thing.

Where can we buy or see them?

I’m exclusively on Amazon and three of the books are on Audible.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

My main character in the Out of the Box series is Olivia Petersen. She’s a trendy mid-fifty year old mom – the mom everyone loves.

What are you working on at the minute?

I’m actually working on four stories!

What’s it about?

Fortissimo Legato~Bound to BriAnna (another companion novella to my Out of the Box series), Finding Joy (sequel to Unwrapping Noel), Linda Gets Her Groove Thing (2nd in The Green Room Chronicles series), Somedays I Can; Somedays I Can’t – Woman to Woman, a new inspirational book, Fortune Sprawling (a sequel to Fortune Brawling, a book I co-wrote with Hunter S. Jones)

What genre are your books?

Women’s contemporary romance.

What draws you to this genre?

I love to read it, so had to try my hand at writing it. I found there wasn’t a lot of romance reads out there about women my age, so on a dare from two friends…typed my first words on Halloween night in 2012.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

Oh man hands down…that would have to be Diane Keaton

How much research do you do?

Not too much.

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers?

I co-wrote Fortune Brawling with Hunter S. Jones and am working on the sequel, Fortune Sprawling.

Why did you do decide to collaborate and did that affect your sales?

After Hunter wrote Fortune Calling, I was joking around with her and said we should co-write one called Fortune Brawling. She had a few fun characters in her mind and once we started brainstorming, the characters all BEGGED to have the story written…It’s been so much fun!

When did you decide to become a writer?

When my friends dared me, back in October of 2012

Why do you write?

It’s an escape and enjoyment to me.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

The dare from my friends, along with their encouragement made me think “I can actually do this!”

Do you write full-time or part-time?

Part-time. I work a full time job as CFO for a real estate investment firm. I’ve been there almost twenty years and I love my day work.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

As soon as I get home from the office, my laptop comes out of the safe and I try to write at least a few hundred words per night. That doesn’t always happen, because as you know…..characters sort of have a mind of their own ;)

Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I try to write 5 nights a week, but I get easily distracted by Facebook, The Voice, NCIS and Bluebloods…..

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?

No. I don’t put that kind of stress on myself. One of the perks of being self-published.

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?

Computer

Where do your ideas come from?

Sometimes from something as simple as the words to a song I’ve heard.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

No outlines. I’m probably the most un-organized writer ever!

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I think I’ve come a long way, at least I hope I have!

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Writer’s block!

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

Finishing it.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

Is there an easy thing?

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

6 months.

Do you ever get writer’s Block?

ALL THE DAMN TIME!

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Wine. Lots.of.It!

Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors.

I read text to speech on my Kindle almost every day and knock out a couple of books a week. My reading time is on my daily commute to and from the office. I find it eases the stress of Houston traffic immensely…

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Ebooks and audio books for me.

Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

I pay someone to do that. Actually RE Hargrave does a wonderful job and I’ve booked her through eternity.

Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?

No.

Who edited your book and how did you select him/her?

RE Hargrave. She’s a personal friend and colleague. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her and her honesty, coupled with her professionalism. It’s a good marriage.

Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

I like covers that no one else has, or can have. Some of my covers are photographs taken by a friend.

Who designed your book cover/s?

JC Clarke of The Graphics Shed has done them all and like, RE for the editing, I use JC exclusively. Another marriage that works <3

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

Absolutely! It’s your first chance to grab a reader’s attention.

How are you publishing this book and why?

Indie all.the.way!

What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?

Self pubbing allows me to be the driver, which I love.

How do you market your books?

Twitter, Facebook, you name it, I’m doing it.

Would you or do you use a PR agency?

Not at this point.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?

Get yourself out there on social media. Come up with a slogan, logo or something that brands you. Get some professional head shots taken and sell yourself. You have a product, so own it and get it out there.

What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?

Mornings and evenings.

What do you do to get book reviews?

Book tours, offer free books and coupons for the audio books.

How successful has your quest for reviews been so far?

I’d say fairly successful.

Do you have a strategy for finding reviewers?

Not really.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Bad reviews, as in reviews from trolls I don’t consider true reviews. Bad reviews where the reviewer actually takes the time to write why he or she doesn’t like the book, I take as constructive criticism. Not everyone is gonna like your book, let’s face it. The good reviews just make ya wanna keep on writing <3

What’s your views on social media for marketing?

It’s hot right now!

Which social network worked best for you?

Twitter is awesome!

Any tips on what to do and what not to do?

Just because someone purports to be a publisher and wants to publish your book, don’t jump on it. I know it sounds exciting to have a ‘publisher’, but a lot of them are just blowing smoke up your rear end, if you ask me. If it sounds too good to be true, honey it is. If you’re gonna have to end up doing just as much if not more work marketing your book, only to give a publisher part of your profits, then I’d run. Now, if a reputable publisher offiers you six figures and a helluva deal, yeah, I’d consider it.

Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?

Yes.

Did you get interviewed by local press/radio for your book launch?

No.

Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?

Book of the day with several promo companies is a great way to get yourself out there. Offering a free book day, using free and paid sites can get you into a best-selling category, there’s no doubt. You just have to be smart and schedule far enough out to where you can book multiple promos to run at once

Why do you think that other well written books just don’t sell?

I have no clue :/

What do you think of “trailers” for books?

I think they’re great, but I’ve found through experience that you need 1 minute or less trailers, so people don’t lose interest.

Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?

I do have trailers, but they’re longer and I really should have them re-done. My trailers are here: https://www.youtube.com/user/jtheriot2000

Do you think that giving books away free works and why?

Yes! Hook them with a freebie and if they like it, they’ll want to purchase your other books. Who doesn’t like a free book? I one click the freebies all the time!

Did you format your own book?

Nope.

In what formats is your book available?

Kindle and some on audio.

If formatted by someone else, how did you select them and what was your experience?

Having someone else format takes so much stress off of me…I’m a numbers person and my brain is on overload, so I have no interest in learning formatting.

How do you relax?

A bottle of wine and spending time with my amazing family!

What is your favourite motivational phrase.

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I’m Possible” (Audrey Hepburn)

What is your favourite positive saying?

Be Your Own Hero

What is your favourite book and why?

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.

What is your favourite film and why?

Too many to name!

Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?

Retired, cruising around on a yacht drinking champagne (haha!) Seriously, though in five years, I will be retirement age, so retired and writing full time.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Live like there’s no tomorrow and have no regrets!

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I would love to have met Jackie Kennedy.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Fifty Shades of Grey and laughing all the way to the bank!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Chase your dreams!

Where do you see publishing going in the future?

Have no idea.

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A great big thank you to my dear friend Jennifer!

Be sure to keep an eye on this---er I mean follow Jennifer!

Website: http://www.jennifertheriot.com

Blog: http://jennifertheriot.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifertheriotauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JenTheRiot

Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-theriot-9211157

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jtheriot2000/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Theriot/e/B00D8SW61C

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7082754.Jennifer_Theriot

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-theriot

Book Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Theriot/e/B00D8SW61C