Q&A with Jennifer Gilby Roberts + GIVEAWAY

I'm so honored to welcome Jennifer Gilby Robert on Sky's Book Corner today. She agreed to answer my questions, which made me really happy. Then this wonderful author asked me to be part of her one year anniversary tour for The Dr Pepper Prophecies, so here we are. Thank you so much lovely Jenny, xxx.

Bio

Jennifer Gilby Roberts has a degree in physics and a postgraduate certificate in computing, so a career writing fiction was inevitable really. She was born and grew up in Surrey/Greater London, but now lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire with her husband, small daughter, two middle-aged cats and a lot of dust bunnies.

Taking care of her daughter is now her main job, but previously she worked many thrilling jobs in administration.  In these she learned the real truth of business: that every successful executive would be lost without their PA.

She can also be found getting red-faced at zumba class, reading historical porn (as her husband calls it – Regency romance to the rest of us) and humming nursery rhymes while going round Tesco.  Her current obsessions include toffee crisp bars, Costa fruit coolers and the TV show Torchwood.

JGR writes chick lit novels and short stories featuring sweet (occasionally sexy) romance, dry humour and things going tits-up.  They will especially appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Jane Costello.

Interview

1.     Did you always dream of being a writer?

A dancer, actually, but my knees weren’t up to that.  I always planned to write a novel, though.

2.    Wedding Hells is the prequel to The Dr Pepper Prophecies in the Chocoholic Series. Can you tell us a little more about them?

TDPP is a modern version of Jane Austen’s Emma.  It’s about Mel, who sets out to help others – whether they like it or not – while making a complete hash of her own life.  Things just go tits up for her – she’s like Bridget Jones in that respect.

Wedding Hells is a short story I wrote as an introduction to TDPP.  I offer it free on most Amazon sites, so people can meet Mel and try out my style.  It takes place a few years before TDPP, at Mel’s sister’s wedding.

3.     What does your family think about you being a writer?

My husband hopes I’ll become wildly successful so he can retire.

4.     What inspires you most when you’re writing?

Usually some form of sugar.

5.     What inspired you to write After Wimbledon and what’s the story about?

A trip to the Australian Open.  It’s about Lucy, a pro tennis player in a casual relationship, who’s struggling with whether it’s time to retire and go for real life and love.  It has less humour than TDPP, but more romance.

6.     What are you working on right now?

A spin-off from TDPP about Mel’s sister, Brittany.

7.     Where and when do you write your stories?

Home and baby group.  Whenever I get the chance, basically!  I have a toddler, so I’m lacking in time and energy.

8.     You also write short stories, how is that different from writing a normal novel?

I think short stories are harder to write, because you have to explore the characters and get a complete story into a few thousand words.  It’s easier to write them about characters that have already appeared in novels.  Then you can just cover isolated events in their lives and you don’t have to cram in so much information.

Early Daze is technically a novella, but it’s 40,000 words so there was room to do a whole story.  I may well write more of that length.

9.     Can you tell us more about the short stories you already wrote and are still in a working progress?

Wedding Hells is about Mel’s adventures as a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding.  Flights of Nancy is a stand-alone story about a woman who’s been told she’ll meet Mr. Right on a certain day.  Early Daze is written from my own experience of becoming a mother to a premature baby.

10.  What do you do and enjoy when you’re not writing?

Amateur dramatics, walking, Zumba, comedy and a bit of reading.

11.   The covers for your books are really bubbly, colourful and creative. How were they developed?

I ran a design competition on 99 Designs for the current cover of The Dr Pepper Prophecies and chose JelenaM as the winner.  She then went on to design the covers for After Wimbledon and Wedding Hells.  I provided character descriptions, colour schemes and some ideas and she actually made them look good!  For Flights of Nancy and Early Daze I did my own with stock pictures.

12.  What is the best thing about being a writer?

Making people feel good.

13.  Who is your favourite author and why?

I like books that bring you into another world.  Two favourites for this are Stephanie Laurens and Erich Segal.

14.  If you were shipwrecked on a desert island what 3 books would you want with you?

The SAS Survival Handbook, something inspirational and a large blank book to write in.

15.  If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?

I would have a transporter to get there, to avoid the need for travel sickness pills.  Sunshine, but not too hot because I’d want to get out and do things.  It would include beautiful scenery, beaches and a babysitter.

16.  Coffee or tea?

Don’t like either.

17.  Paperback or e-reader?

E-readers are great, but paperbacks are still necessary for reading in the bath.

18.  Mountains or the sea?

Sea.

19.  Summer or winter?

Summer

20.  Sweet or salty?

Usually sweet.

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To celebrate The Dr Pepper Prophecies’ one-year anniversary since publication, Jennifer Gilby Roberts is giving away one paperback and five ebook copies!  Enter on Rafflecopter.

Find out about her other great celebration offers, giveaways and extras on her blog.

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25-year-old Mel Parker has a few tiny problems:

• Her job is terrible
• She's been dumped yet again
• Her ex is now her boss
• Her parents think she's a loser compared to her perfect younger sister
• All her efforts to improve her life seem doomed to failure
• Her best friend, Will, is in grave danger of being stolen away by his evil girlfriend
• There just isn’t enough chocolate in the world to make up for the above.

So what do you do when you've pretty much given up on your own life? Help others, of course!

After all, what's the worst that can happen?

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Buy for Kindle or in paperback on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon sites.  The paperback is also available from Barnes & Noble.