Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview - Judi Fennell

Please welcome Judi Fennell as part of The Qwillery's Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interviews.

TQ:  What inspired you to become a writer?

Judi:  I've always written, from kindergarten all the way through school, so I don't know that I was inspired to write by one specific thing. But I did eventually sit down to write a book that I knew I would try to get published. What inspired that? The voices in my head. :) Seriously, one morning I woke up with an idea for a story. It's a time travel called Through The Leaded Glass and while it is the novel I "cut my teeth on," it has been revised so many times and re-written a few more that I will eventually try to do something with it since it soooooo was not publishable in its original form. Recently, a reader/writer who'd read it in a contest years ago asked me when I'm going to put that story out, so *shrugs, who knows... it might see the light of day yet. But once I wrote that story, my husband found RWA and my local chapter for me and encouraged me to go. After the first meeting, I was inspired enough to write 30K words in a month for another book that I'm hoping will eventually get to see the light of day. So, to answer the question, I'll say that the story idea sparked the write-to-publication thing, and my fellow authors honed and focused that inspiration to get me to where I am today.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Judi:  Chapter 4. :) I have no trouble with Chapters 1-3 and the ending, but I finish Chapter 3 and then look at my computer screen and think, "Okay, now what?" That's when I have to let the story gel for a bit (I am not a plotter), and "listen" to my characters. Sometimes--the great times--they start gabbing and don't shut up and I have to type really really fast to keep up with them. I love when that happens. That is the magic of writing.

TQ:  What writing achievement are you most proud of?

Judi:  The PRISM Award I won for my second book, Wild Blue Under, which was the first one written under contract and under deadline--and under a heck of a lot of revisions. Fixing that manuscript over Christmas in 2008 was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I put in probably 15 hours a day every day except Christmas and NY Eve to get that finished on time. Then it was nominated for a PRISM Award along with best selling authors. I actually didn't go to the awards ceremony because I knew there was no way it would win. Imagine my surprise when it did!

TQ:  What one thing should everyone know about your writing?

Judi:  That it's like the Shrek movies. They have a layer of humor for the kids, and then there's a whole other layer for the adults. Now, my stories are DEFINITELY for the over 18 crowd (therefore, not kiddie humor), but there's a surface layer of funny and then there's another layer that is masked by the humor that deals with issues like insecurity and trust and self-awareness, plus the magic of finding true love and what that means to the character(s).

TQ:  Please tell us about your latest and upcoming works.

Judi:  My Bottled Magic series came out in 2011 with I Dream of Genies in January, and Genie Knows Best in November. The third book, Magic Gone Wild, hits the shelves in August. Think I Dream of Jeannie meets Indiana Jones, with magic and humor and lots of action. I had such fun living in the magical realm with all its possibilities from gods and goddesses and a talking cat named Obo who tried to steal the entire book from the main characters (Eden & Matt Ewing in I Dream of Genies), to the try-as-hard-as-he-can fennec fox named Dirham who is Kal, the genie's, magical assistance assistant in Genie Knows Best with it's under-the-desert magical city, to the enchanted furniture and dishes and a phoenix named Merlin Pendragon (hey, where do you think we mortals got the idea...) in Magic Gone Wild. Not to mention, of course, the hunky heroes who are just right for the heroines to fall in love with.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Judi:  Thank you so much for having me. If your readers would like to see excerpts and deleted scenes from the stories, they can check out my website: www.JudiFennell.com


About Bottled Magic

Genie Knows Best

Bottled Magic 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca, November 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Be careful what you wish for. . .

Samantha Blaine is about to make a fateful discovery. A tall, dark, handsome, ohmygosh kind of fateful discovery...

Kal is very pleased to meet his attractive new master – especially since he intends to seduce her into granting him freedom. But when seriously dark magic spells trouble for both of them, Kal can't help himself from falling for the woman who holds his fate in her hands. . .

Warmly acclaimed by readers and critics alike, Judi Fennell brings to life a fabulous world of magic and mayhem where wishes come true in the most unexpected ways!

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

I Dream of Genies
Bottled Magic 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca, January 4, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

He needs to change his luck, and fast!

Matt Ewing would gladly hunt down a fortune in lucky pennies if he thought it would help save his business. But for all his hoping, Matt’s clueless when his long-awaited lucky charm falls in his lap in the form of a beguiling genie. He just can’t believe that this beautiful woman could be the answer to his prayers...

She’s been bottled up for far too long!

Spending 2,000 years in a bottle would make any woman a little stir-crazy. So when Matt releases Eden from her luxurious captivity, she’s thrilled to repay him by giving him the magical boost he needs...

But for all her good intentions, Eden’s magical prowess is a little rusty and her magical mistakes become more than embarrassing. And though Eden knows falling in love will end her magic and immortality, she can’t help but be drawn to the one man who wants her just for herself...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

 
The Tritone Trilogy:

About Judi

Judi Fennell has had her nose in a book and her head in some celestial realm all her life, including those early years when her mom would exhort her to “get outside!” instead of watching Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie on television. So she did--right into Dad’s hammock with her Nancy Drew books. These days she’s more likely to have her nose in her laptop and her head (and the rest of her body) at her favorite bookstore, but she’s still reading, whether it be her latest manuscript or friends’ books. A three-time finalist in online contests, Judi has enjoyed the reader feedback she’s received and would love to hear what you think about her Mer series. Check out her website at www.JudiFennell.com for excerpts, reviews and fun pictures from reader and writer conferences, and the chance to “dive in” to her stories.


Judi's Links

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a I Dream of Genies (Bottled Magic 1) and Genie Knows Best (Bottled Magic 2) from The Qwillery.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who is your favorite genie?

OR

Make a wish!

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Saturday, March 10, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*