Spotlight on Janelle Denison

July 2003

Cyn: Why did you decide to write romance?

Janelle: I never intended to become a romance writer, but my love of reading led me down a path that forever changed my life. I was reading 3-5 romances a week when I first got married, and my husband made the comment that since I read so many romances, I ought to write one . . . which got me thinking and ideas forming in my mind. So, I started writing in the evenings (my husband worked the graveyard shift when we were first married, which gave me plenty of time alone to write), and from there, I became a romance writer!

Cyn: Who are some authors you admire and read?

Janelle: There are so many authors I admire. Knowing how hard it is to write and complete a book, I admire anyone who can do that. The published authors I admire the most are the ones that I originally read before I became a writer: Catherine Coulter, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Catherine Anderson, to name a few. Those authors opened up a whole new world for me and gave me the desire to write stories of my own. These days my reading time is so infrequent that I try to read old favorites, but I also read stories that other friends recommend, too.

Cyn: Do you read any genre besides romance?

Janelle: I mainly read romance. I love hot, sexy stories that are packed with emotion and sexual tension! If I venture outside of the romance genre it's usually to read one of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series books. I'm a die hard romance reader at heart!

Cyn: Would you ever write books in another genre? If so, which genre?

Janelle: The answer to that is an easy one for me: No! I love writing romances and there is no other genre that appeals to me the way that romance does.

Cyn: What inspires some of the sexy love scenes you've created? Some of them seem to be fantasies of both men and women that you've tapped into.

Janelle: My characters inspire the love scenes I create and write. A lot of what happens between them sexually also comes from the plot of the book, or a sexy premise or hook. I do read a lot of non-fiction books about sexual relationships, fantasies, and how to make sex fun and hot. Not only do I find all that fascinating and interesting on a personal level, the advice and ideas in those books are a great way to keep the love scenes and chemistry between my characters fresh and exciting!

Cyn: Do you have a certain routine that you follow when you write?

Janelle: For the most part, I try to get into my office to write by the time my kids are off at school, which is usually by 8:30 AM. On a good day, I'll write until 2:00 PM, which is when my youngest gets home from school, and from there homework starts, along with other household chores that need to get done. This is my ideal day's schedule, but sometimes I find myself working after dinner, too, into the wee hours of the night (or next morning!). It all depends on where I am in my story, and whether or not I'm up against a tight deadline. In that case, writing in the morning and evenings is not uncommon!

Cyn: What advice would you give new writers regarding the romance publishing industry?

Janelle: The most basic advice would be to read a lot of the books that are published by the publisher you are interested in writing for to see what they are looking for and buying. As for writing itself, my best piece of advice is to write, write, write. Be persistent and don't let rejections get you down - it's all part of the business and those rejections still happen even after you're published. If writing is your heart's desire and dream, don't ever give up - because you never know if the next book you write will be the one to finally sell! That personal sentiment is one that kept me going through all the years of writing without selling and the rejections I accumulated along the way. And yes, eventually I *did* sell!

Cyn: Do you find it hard to write different length stories - from novellas, categories, and single title?

Janelle: I definitely have to get myself into the right mind frame before each book, depending on what I'm writing, to make sure the story will fit the guidelines for that particular line/category. But once I'm into the story and know it in my head, I'm usually fine and somehow, someway, end up with the right word length and tone for each line I'm writing for.

Cyn: Who are some of your most memorable characters for your readers?

Janelle: The most memorable characters for my readers seem to be my recent Seduction series, which included the "Sommers" family (Joelle, Cole and Noah). Those characters seemed to have been a big favorite for readers. Now, it's the Wilde brothers - starting with Eric Wilde in Something Wilde, which was part of the I Brake For Bad Boys Brava anthology, and is continuing with Steve Wilde's story in Wilde Thing (Brava single title, July '03), and finally Adrian Wilde in The Wilde One, which will be part of the Bad Boys To Go Brava Anthology out in November '03.

Cyn: How did the Wilde brothers stories come about?

Janelle: I wanted to do a new series for my Brava's, and I wanted to tie the story titles together by three brothers and a fun, sexy kind of word so readers would be able to easily follow the series - and the name "Wilde" came to mind. From there, Something Wilde (Eric Wilde's story) was born, followed by Wilde Thing (Steve Wilde), and finally The Wilde One (Adrian Wilde). Figuring out the titles for these stories have been as much fun as writing the books themselves! And since these three brothers seem to have plenty of "Wilde" cousins, there are many more "Wilde" stories planned ahead!

Cyn: Which of them happen to be your favorite, and why?

Janelle: Ohhh, that's such a tough, tough question, because all three of these Wilde brothers have been favorites! I really enjoyed writing Eric Wilde's story because he was such an easy-going, fun-loving kind of guy - yet once he set his sights on Jill, he was such a goner and it was so much fun watching him fall hard and fast for her! With Steve Wilde, I had such a blast writing a story around "phone sex", and boy was Steve ever good at that, LOL! He was also a guy who thought since he'd already done the marriage and family thing that he was content to be a bachelor, yet when he fell for Liz, he came to realize that sometimes it's a matter of finding the RIGHT woman to complete him and his life. And then there's Adrian Wilde - The Wilde One, a very fitting nickname for a man who loves taking risks and thinks of life as one big adventure. He's tough on the outside, but he's actually the most vulnerable of the three brothers, and it takes a very special woman, Chayse, to make him realize that opening himself up to a woman can heal the deepest of physical and emotional scars.

Every single brother has touched me in some way and has left a lasting impression in my mind. They're all sexy bad boys, but they are honorable to the core, and that's a quality any woman can't help but fall for.

Cyn: Do you plan on showing more of the Wilde family in future stories? I know I was cracking up at the interaction between the siblings with their friends and relatives.

Janelle: Oh, yes, there are four Wilde cousins beyond Eric, Steve, and Adrian, and I've got plans for each one of them! In Wilde Thing, I introduced Scott, Alex, and Joel - and their wild child sister, Mia. And now each of them are getting their own stories. Already, Mia and Cameron are causing interest and fan mail because of their sparring and interaction, (and red-hot chemistry!) and readers will be happy to hear that those two will be getting a story of their own in a Brava novella in 2004. Right now, I'm working on Scott Wilde's story, which will be out in March '04 as The Wilde Side. Then Alex and Joel will be next . . . and maybe even more Wilde cousins to come!

Cyn: How do you balance family life and writing?

Janelle: I have a very supportive husband, and two daughters who understand and respect the fact that my job is to WRITE, and that means sometimes I'll be in my office for hours writing on the computer. I taught them early to be independent and self-sufficient, and boy has that ever come in handy, especially during deadlines! My daughters know that I'm always there for them, that they come first if there are any problems or they need my time and attention. Balancing family and writing isn't always easy, and I think at times I feel more guilty than anything for how much time I spend in my office sometimes, but my husband understands, and so do my girls. I also try to take time to just spend with the family - going to the movies, or shopping, or accompanying my daughters on school field trips.

Cyn: What do you think is the most romantic thing a woman can do for a man?

Janelle: I think the most romantic thing a woman can do for a man is to make him feel loved and cared for. And that can happen as easily as a touch or a look or a spontaneous "I Love You".

Cyn: What's coming up for you over the next few months?

Janelle: Well, starting this month in July, I have two books out - Wilde Thing, which is my first single title with Brava, and I'm also in a Harlequin Blaze anthology titled Invitations to Seduction with two fabulous writers and good friends, Carly Phillips and Vicki Lewis Thompson. Coming in October I have a Temptation "Heat", entitled Pure Indulgence along with a novella in the Jingle Bell Rock Brava 6-pack anthology out that same month. And then in November I'll finish out the year with Adrian Wilde's story, The Wilde One, which will be part of the Bad Boys To Go Brava Anthology.

Cyn: What's your favorite movie of all time?

Janelle: Titanic! I just wish there was a happier ending to the movie!

Cyn: How do you define what makes a person sexy?

Janelle: Humor is sexy - so is a great attitude and the kind of smile that makes your heart pick up a beat or two!

Cyn: As an author, do you still face rejections when you write? How do you overcome them?

Janelle: Yes, I still have to deal with rejections. But I'm at a point that rejections usually come at the inception of an idea, and before I've put any words on paper, so the rejections aren't as painful as they used to be and overcoming them is just a matter of coming up with a new story line for approval. However, I still have revisions, and sometimes those can still be very overwhelming! But it's all part of the writing process, and it's a part of my job that I've come to accept!

Cyn: What was one thing that someone said to you when you first started writing that has stuck with you all this time?

Janelle: You can't fix a blank page. And I think it was Nora Roberts who said it!

Cyn: What does your family think about you writing such hot, sexy romances? How do your daughters handle it?

Janelle: I think at first my family (outside of my husband), were kind of surprised that I was writing the sexy romances, but over the years they've come to accept what I do, and support it, too. My daughters are great about what I do, and if anyone asks them what I write, they say "love stories". And that's exactly what I do write - stories about men and women falling in love. My daughters are still too young to read my books and understand that they are "for adults", but I save a copy of each of my books for them, and when they turn 18 I'll give them the collection and let them read the books if they'd like. Then we'll see what they say, LOL!

Cyn: What's the best part of being an author that people don't ask you about?

Janelle: For me, the best part of being an author is the fact that it's enabled me to stay at home, work out of the house, and be here for my girls during those young, formative years. Another thing I love about my job is the fact that I can work in my jammies or sweats, and I don't have to fight traffic or wear pantyhose. I make my own hours, I'm my own boss, and I get to make up stories for a living. Yes, I do love my job!

Cyn: To read excerpts on Janelle's latest releases, sign up for her newsletter or enter her monthly contest, visit her website at www.janelledenison.com.

Return to top of page.

This page was last updated on January 1, 2008

This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.