Kristabel Reed: #Guest Jessica Jefferson and her new release Taming Miss Tisdale

Jessica Jefferson makes her home in northern Indiana, or as she likes to think of it—almost Chicago. She is heavily inspired by classic sweeping, historical romance novels, but aims to take those key emotional elements and inject a fresh blend of quick dialogue and comedy. She invites you to visit her at jessicajefferson.com and read more of her random romance musings.

http://www.JessicaJefferson.com and www.embracingromance.com

Like me at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Jefferson/545243542195152

Follow me at https://twitter.com/authorJessicaJ/

What is your story's heat level? How do you approach the sex scenes?
It’s sensual. I can’t say that writing sex scenes are my favorite part, but they don’t bother me too much. It’s just a natural progression of my couple’s relationship, so of course it would need included in the story. I just approach them as I would any other scene.

How do you maintain activity as a writer when sitting at a desk all day?

That’s actually been a huge issue for me. I’d gained a lot of weight with my second child and just didn’t manage to lose it all. Writing only seemed to make it that much harder to lose. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to participate in my local American Heart Association BetterU Challenge. With this program I had access to both personal trainers and a wellness coach to come up with some really great strategies to help lose the weight and maintain this loss. It’s imperative that you get up and move as a writer. I work out at about 3 days a week, and most other days enjoy some sort of activity. I’ve learned to incorporate little bursts of exercise into my writing. I may get up and do a “wall sit” in between chapters. I’ve also had to alter my diet to accommodate the extra sitting. Nothing special – just making sure I snack on vegetables and fruit, eat whole grains, and lean protein – both plant based and some animal.

What is it that you loved about the main characters in your story?

I loved the hero. He was so uncomfortable in his own skin, where the heroine was so confident and strong. He wasn’t the conventional hero and that really appealed to me.

What do you feel is your strongest type of writing? Humor? Angst? Confrontation scenes? Action? Sex? Sensuality? Sweet Romance? And why?

I loved the hero. He was so uncomfortable in his own skin, and how he was able to overcome this after meeting the heroine who was so confident and strong. He wasn’t the conventional hero.

Are you social media savvy? If so what do you suggest for others? If not, why not?

I’m better than some, but there are others that are way more knowledgeable. I think the most important part is simply participating. Find a platform that works for you (Twitter, FB, etc.) and actually use it. I’m lucky enough in that I know some people within the marketing and PR worlds so I’ve picked up a few tricks, but the common denominator with all their advice has been simply interacting with readers via some channel.

What are some things from your life or things you have observed that you've infused into your stories?

I like flawed characters. I don’t think anyone’s life is perfect and by having these common, realistic flaws makes the characters more relatable. Who hasn’t felt inferior or lost at times? Why not reflect this in my characters?

If you had an unlimited budget, where would you like to visit for story-related research?

I would love to take a honeymoon tour around the “continent”. To visit England, France, and Italy – much like one of my characters would have.

Any fun facts about the research for your book?

It’s actually a little embarrassing. I know nothing about horses and they are pretty prevalent in regency. I often times have to ask my friends with horses for help. Even with basic terminology – it’s like I’ve completely zoned out anything horse-related over the years.

Finally, tell us a little about your newest release!

My latest book in the Regency Blooms series, Taming Miss Tisdale, was recently released from Soul Mate Publishing and is available now on Amazon. Even though this is part of a series about sisters, each book can easily stand alone. Taming Miss Tisdale is your not-so-typical duke meets hoyden story. Tamsin Tisdale is a feisty red-head, determined to live by her own rules. She meets the reclusive Duke of Grayson, who decides to reinvent himself as the outgoing gentleman— Mr. Winston. With his new identity, he is able to live the life he’s always wanted, but the truth eventually comes out and jeopardizes their relationship. It’s definitely different from the other regencies on the shelf, but still a fun story for those who love historical romance.

Excerpt:

Jason looked bored. “Get to the important part, Grayson. Was she beautiful?”

Again, Marc was ill-prepared to answer such a question. Taken individually, that large mouth, those plump pink lips, her long nose, red hair, and freckled skin—nothing about her was spectacular by any means. But together, all those odd pieces and parts, which seemed so ordinary at first glance, fit together to form the picture of a particularly stunning woman.

“Yes,” he answered quite simply. No need to give Jason any more fodder for discussion by rambling on like some sort of awful poet.

Jason grinned from ear to ear. “Well, that is quite eventful, indeed.” He swept a crumb off his jacket sleeve. “Does this original have a name?”

Marc stopped suddenly, his coffee halfway to his lips. “Name?”

Jason laughed. “Yes, her name. This unique creature has to have a name. Diana? Aphrodite? Venus, perhaps?” Then Jason stopped laughing as realization spread over his face like a mordant rash. “You don’t know her bloody name, do you?”

Marc set his cup down on the table and stared at it. “She never volunteered the information and I never bothered to ask.”

Buy Links:
Amazon

Jessica will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter