To celebrate 13 weeks of winter, Hàlön Chronicles is conducting one interview a week for 13 weeks. We’re also partnering with other sites and artists to bring a fuller, richer experience to our readers.
Join us on the hashtag #13Winterviews, or check out this season’s articles:
Welcome to the Season | Winterviews Partners | 2019 Blog Hop | Book Pairings | Winterviews & Solstice Eve
This week on Winterviews we travel into the woods of Oregon for some hot lumberjacks, exploding dildos, and a beautiful romance in bloom as we say hello to Jen Davenport.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’ve been reading and telling stories since I could talk. When asked what my most valuable possession is, I’ll tell you it’s my Kindle. A Texan at heart, it doesn’t matter that I transplanted to the Midwest nearly 20 years ago. Rain or shine, humidity or snow, I’m happiest with a book in hand.
When I’m not stuck in a cubicle, I’m hanging out with my two daughters and husband, writing, or reading something with some love and happiness. There’s nothing better than a good love story no matter if it takes place in space, has dragons, or just a good ol’ small-town hero and heroine.
What types of books do you write, and why?
I write in all age ranges and from contemporary to fantasy. My passion is contemporary romance. I love the promise of a happily for now or ever after and the escape books provide. Whether it’s a fantasy world, or a story of love with complications, it’s fun and no matter what my real life looks like, my characters always find the light at the end of the tunnel.
What were your early influences, and how does this manifest in your work today?
I love revisions and writing funny or romantic scenes. I’m also a fan of edits following a round of critiques. There’s something quite satisfying about knowing (or at least hoping) I’m making the story better than it was.
Are there aspects of the craft that excite you more than others?
I kinda love each part of the craft for their own reasons. Some can be a bit grating, but none that I love over the others. I think it may be because I edit as I write, so one day I could be writing a new section, the next I could be rewriting it, the next I might (but never do) scrap it entirely and start from scratch. I’m also a plantser/pseudo-discovery writer, so I never feel the stress of trying to make something conform to or even the stress of having to make an outline.
What books or websites are your go-to places while editing?
The Emotional Thesaurus is a go-to for me in addition to Thesaurus.com. I’ve only recently begun reading craft books, and Story Genius by Lisa Cron is one of the best I’ve read so far. I usually keep a list of helpful websites handy during edits, but these vary based on the topics in the story.
Tell us about your writing space.
I don’t have a dedicated writing space yet. For now, it’s in the living room on the couch or at the dining room table. Besides kid needs, that are always an emergency as soon as I sit down to work, the cats have a tendency to think they should be right on my lap as soon as I open the laptop. But hey, that’s the joy of writing, right?
Tell us about your latest WIP.
My current WIP is so much fun! I absolutely love this story and owe the ladies of my writing group everything. They helped me brainstorm PINKS AND PEARLS. Without them, this story wouldn’t exist.
Madelyn Begay tests sex toys on the side to help cushion her bank account, until a test goes wrong and she ends up in the hospital with glass dildo pieces embedded throughout her lady parts. She should have known from her daily tarot reading the day wasn’t going to go as planned. Twenty-six stitches and prescription for pain meds later, she finds herself with more hospital bills than she has money to pay for. Working at Pinks and Pearls, a sex boutique her nana owns, won’t be enough. Maddy’s going to have to do what she’s always refused to do…enter corporate America. At least her parents will quit complaining.
Life is good for Ax, until the night he races to the emergency room to help a friend and stumbles into the wrong room where he comes face to crotch with a woman whose vagina is shredded to pieces. Ax left the turmoil of New York for the forests of Oregon to escape a gold-digging ex-wife. Podunk offers him the chance to put business suits, love, and politics in his rear view mirror and try something new—becoming a lumberjack. His plan to enjoy the stress free single life is about to get more complicated than the messy divorce he navigated a year ago.
Maddy’s new job as a site manager leads to a run in with Ax, who not only saw her in all her stirruped glory, but he’s also the foreman of the logging crew. Exploding toys, horny grandparents, and strict no-fraternizing rules make dating an adventure for Ax and Maddy. But his ex-wife threatens everything by exposing their relationship and the secrets they keep from each other. On the journey to their happily ever after one will choose the job and the other will choose love, but both may regret their choice.
She’s a fan of any good book, but her go-to books will always be romance, regardless of the genre. She has a handful of authors on her auto-buy list and they range from fantasy to sci-fi, mystery, and contemporary. She loves the bad boys, the motorcycle clubs, and the mafia. Give her shifters, witches, and other magical creatures. Make her cry, make her laugh out loud, just give her a reason to escape everyday life.
