Jenna Sutton's Blog, page 4
June 22, 2015
Author Interview with The Reading Cafe
Hi Jenna. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.
We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.
Jenna: Thank you for having me, and thank you for your interest in ALL THE RIGHT PLACES. I’m so excited to be here!
TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Jenna: I’m an avid reader, and I’m a huge fan of the romance genre. I started reading romances at a young age. My mom had no problem with my reading preferences, but my dad wasn’t quite so accepting.
When I was in high school (and without a boyfriend, I must point out), my dad warned me that reading romance novels would prevent me from ever finding a mate. “Those books are giving you unrealistic expectations of men,” he insisted. “No real man could ever live up to a fictionalized version of romance.”
My dad was wrong; romances didn’t give me unrealistic expectations of men, but they did give me a strong sense of self-value. And when I met my husband, he was way better than any hero I had ever read!
Before I decided to write a romance, I worked as a journalist. So in a way, I’ve always been a writer, but I wrote fact rather than fiction. My life as a journalist gave me a great foundation for fiction writing because I’ve been outlining, researching, and meeting deadlines for more than a decade.
TRC: Have you always been interested in writing?
Jenna: I’ve always been interested in storytelling. When I was a little girl, I spent hours with my best friend making up stories. It was our favorite thing to do. As we got older, the stories always included a strong romantic element, usually featuring our respective crushes. Thankfully, we never put those stories down on paper. I shudder to think what would have happened if anyone had actually read them!
TRC: All The Right Places is your debut novel. Can you tell us your reaction when you found out your book was going to be published?
Jenna: Let me tell you a story—when my husband proposed, I was elated… ecstatic… euphoric… and a whole bunch of other e-words. I loved him to distraction and wanted nothing more than to be his wife. But instead of screaming “Yes! A thousand times yes!” I asked him, “Are you sure about this? You’re going to be stuck with me for life, you know.”
So that’s me… when I really, really want something, and I actually get it—either through hard work or sheer luck or a combination of both—I have a hard time believing my good fortune. And when I saw the email from my agent that Berkley wanted to acquire ALL THE RIGHT PLACES and do a three-book deal, I thought I was hallucinating or maybe having a bad reaction from the ham sandwich I ate for lunch.
Once I realized the book deal was actually the real thing, I was so relieved because my hard work had paid off. And I was also relieved because my agent’s faith in me had been rewarded. And to be honest, I also felt a lot of pressure because I knew that getting a book deal was really just the beginning. There’s so much work that goes into publishing a book, and of course, you still have to connect with readers and sell novels.
TRC: Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for your Riley O’Brien & Co. romance series? Also, how many books do you have planned?
Jenna: The idea for ALL THE RIGHT PLACES came from a bumper sticker. My husband and I were running errands, and as we sat at a stop light, I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of us. It advocated breast cancer awareness, and it said: Save the Tatas.
I pointed out the bumper sticker to my husband, and he pointed out that there are a lot of words for breasts. And then he oh-so-helpfully proceeded to name them all: boobs, hooters, jugs, melons, rack, tits… oh, the list just goes on and on.
I started thinking that there were a lot of words for butt, too: ass, backporch, badonkadonk, booty, caboose, derrière… again, so many words, so little time.
That thought led me to another – listing the synonyms for butt would be a fun beginning for a romance novel. But who would be thinking about butts all the time? And then it came to me – someone who was involved in the clothing business.
And the most popular clothing for butts? Jeans.
Right now, there are three full-length Riley O’Brien & Co. novels. The second one, COMING APART AT THE SEAMS, is scheduled for publication on Dec. 1, 2015. The third in the series, HANGING BY A THREAD, will come out in spring 2016. I’ve also written two Riley O’Brien & Co. novellas, but I don’t have any specifics on when they’ll be published.
TRC: Can you please tell us the premise of this series?
Jenna: Around the world, people wear Riley O’Brien & Co.’s iconic jeans, known as Rileys. Unfortunately, competition from designer denim is eroding the company’s market share, and the women’s division is in really bad shape. The company has alienated its female consumers, and as a result, it is struggling to stay competitive and relevant.
That business challenge is the basis for the series and sets up the external conflict for the entire series, and especially ALL THE RIGHT PLACES. This generation of O’Briens—risk-averse Quinn, quick-witted Cal, and strong-willed Teagan—have differing opinions on how to solve the problem.
TRC: Last week, All the Right Places was released. Would you please give us a brief description of the first book in your series?
Jenna: Quinn O’Brien, the great-great grandson of Riley O’Brien & Co.’s founder, is currently running the family business. He reluctantly partners with up-and-coming designer Amelia Winger for a new line of accessories. Quinn views the partnership as a last ditch attempt to salvage the women’s division. Amelia, however, views the partnership as one piece of a larger plan—one that Quinn knows nothing about. She fights her attraction to Quinn, not only because of their professional relationship, but also because she’s working behind his back. But Quinn, with his broad shoulders, smoky blue eyes, and sexy smile, is hard to resist.
TRC: You write sexy contemporary romance. Do you have any desire to write other genres?
Jenna: I like to read just about every type of romance including historical, erotica, new adult, and romantic suspense. I briefly considered the idea of writing a new adult novel because I had an idea for one, but unfortunately, I don’t think my voice is suited for new adult. I also have an idea for a romantic suspense series, but I don’t know if or when I’ll get around to working on it. I have a desire to write something a little darker, similar to Anne Stuart. I have an author crush on that woman.
TRC: What are you currently working on?
Jenna: I am working on a new series, and I am really excited about it! I don’t want to share too much about the first book, but I can tell you that my hero and heroine meet in a hotel bar and have a one-night stand (something that is out of character for both of them). They think they’ll never see each other again. They also think it will be easy to forget what happened in that hotel room. They’re wrong, on both counts.
TRC: What is your writing process? Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?
Jenna: My writing process is fairly structured, and I think that’s because I worked as a journalist for so many years. In that line of work, I had to deal with hard deadlines and topics that I often found uninteresting, and the best way to manage my workload was to create outlines and follow them.
Before I start a book, I outline it from beginning to end and really flesh out each chapter. I already know how the story is going to end before I even open up a Word document to type the first word. On average, my outlines are about 100 pages.
When I write, my goal is to complete a chapter in one sitting. I don’t like to start a chapter and leave it unfinished because it’s hard for me to get back into the scene. I don’t really prefer to write at any specific time, though I usually prefer to write in my home office. It’s comfy, spacious, and filled with a lot of natural sunlight.
I feel like I have a pretty good handle on my writing process, but I’m still trying to figure out how to balance the writing part of being a published author (producing books) with the business part (marketing my work and connecting with readers).
TRC: Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth. Do you have anyone you like to discuss your stories with?
Jenna: My sister, Steffanie, and my critique partner, Jamie, are my go-to gals when it comes to brainstorming and plotting my stories. My sister is a very hard-to-please reader, and by hard-to-please I mean that she will skip to the final pages of a book if she’s bored. I know that if I can satisfy my sister, then I have a good shot at satisfying other readers, too. Jamie really helps me figure out character motivation and untangle plot snags. She is an idea generator extraordinaire. I am blessed to have both of them on my team.
TRC: When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?
Jenna: My favorite thing to do is spend time with my husband. He’s the funniest and most interesting person I know, although it’s true that his sense of humor is more 13-year-old boy than adult male. I also love to read, and I am trying to broaden my reading horizons beyond romance. The problem is, I am kind of hung up on the whole happily ever after thing, and a happy ending isn’t the same thing, not at all. I recently started practicing yoga, and I really enjoy it, but wow, I am not very graceful. Every class is a lesson in humility. And, after years of disliking sports, I suddenly love football, both college and pro.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Jenna: ALL THE RIGHT PLACES features likable characters, witty dialogue, authentic emotion, and sizzling sex scenes. As my heroine, Amelia, would say, it’s “orgasmically delicious”.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: chicken poblano enchiladas
Favorite Dessert: orange buttermilk cake with mocha fudge frosting
Favorite Movie: Sixteen Candles
Favorite TV Show: I’m a little grumpy because a lot of my new favorite shows were just cancelled. It makes me not want to watch any new shows. I loved Forever, but ABC pulled the plug on it. I also like Younger, which is produced by Darren Star, the guy behind Sex and the City, and I’m a long-time fan of Law & Order: SVU.
TRC: I feel bad too. I really enjoyed Forever, and Ioan Grufudd.
Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Hugh Jackman. He can act, sing, dance, and OMG, that smile and those abs. Plus, he seems like a genuinely nice guy who loves his wife and children. That’s the kind of guy I’d like to know.
Dark or Milk Chocolate: Depends on my mood.
Favorite literary character (not your own): Hardy Cates, the hero of Lisa Kleypas’ BLUE-EYED DEVIL. That man is finger-lickin’ good.
Dog or Cat: Both! I have an apricot toy poodle who is smart and destructive and a gray kitty who steals my ponytail holders.
TRC: Thank you Jenna, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with All the Right Places.
Jenna: Thank you. I hope I can visit again soon!
June 2, 2015
Once Upon a Twilight – All the Right Places
All the Right Places
Riley O’Brien & Co. #1
Author: Jenna Sutton
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: June 2nd 2015
Review Source: Berkley
The first in a brand new contemporary romance series starring the men and women who are determined to keep the billion-dollar denim dynasty, Riley O’Brien & Co, on top, but aren’t about to let success stand in the way of love…
Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…
Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.
Cover:
Just look at the cover! It is gorgeous. It screams romance. The couple on the cover are sharing a hug. The woman is giving us a smile. She seems happy. If you’re a sucker of cover, then you will be like me by saying, “I need to read this book”. How could you pass on this book after looking at the cover?
Action:
This is not really of an action book. But the pace of this book is right on point. It doesn’t move to fast, not too slow, it’s just right. Which is great on a debut! Bravo!
Romance:
I loved Quinn and Amelia’s relationship. Their story is very believable. Which is something I look while reading a romance story. Their chemistry… these two were a perfect match. I adored how they complimented each other beautifully.
Something I loved:
It is interesting to see how two people start their relationship based on work. The “mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise”. Sure, it’s not wise, but one cannot win in the war of love. You know what I mean? You put all your thoughts and tell yourself not to fall in love. But the heart does what it wants and one just needs to follow. I just loved reading about these two, seriously they had me swooning. And their intimate moments… *fan self*
Favorite Quote:
“I think you might be my Kryptonite”….
“Well, you definitely felt like Man of Steel just a few seconds ago”.
Talk Books to Me – All the Right Places
All the Right Places (Riley O’Brien & Co. #1)
Jenna Sutton
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: June 2nd 2015 by Berkley
4 Stars
The first in a brand new contemporary romance series starring the men and women who are determined to keep the billion-dollar denim dynasty, Riley O’Brien & Co, on top, but aren’t about to let success stand in the way of love…
Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…
Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.
Review:
A man who only wears jeans…and wears them well?!?!?! Yee Haw!
Amelia reminded me of the interview I saw of the Stella and Dot CEO…she is the kind of woman that other women would love to be friends with and would love for her to dress them up! Quinn is bit rigid and yet when he sees Amelia, he is ready to throw out his “no office romance” policy in exchange for some hot lovin’. But like most romance stories, there needs to be that bit of angst. For these two it is Quinn’s sister’s plan to revamp the whole women’s line at Riley O’Brien & Co. From the first few chapters, you just knew that that little gem was gonna come back and bite someone in their delicious denim behind!
I love the struggle though…Quinn struggling to be his own man and his own type of CEO, while Amelia was struggling to find who she was as an artist, a woman and a lover. I really enjoyed this story and the side characters…totally looking forward to a certain football player and Quinn’s sister hooking up in book #2 (hoping). Great start to a series…check this one out this summer. Enjoy!
Roberta’s Dreamworld – Blog Tour: All the Right Places by Jenna Sutton
Blog tour: All The Right Places by Jenna Sutton
All the Right Places
Riley O’Brien & Co. # 1
By: Jenna Sutton
Releasing June 2, 2015
Berkley
The first in a brand new contemporary romance series starring the men and women who are determined to keep the billion-dollar denim dynasty, Riley O’Brien & Co, on top, but aren’t about to let success stand in the way of love…
Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…
Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.
Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it.
Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.
Jenna and her husband live in a 103-year-old house in Texas.
Hello Jenna! Welcome to Roberta’s Dreamworld and thank you for your time. First of all, tell us something about yourself, both as a writer and as a person.
Hi, Roberta. Thank you for having me!
I started reading romances at a young age – way too young, in fact! I love the romance genre, and when I occasionally read something else, I am reminded that a happy ending is not the same as a happily ever after. And don’t get me started on the ending of Gillian Flynn’s GONE GIRL. That completely traumatized me!
Before I decided to write a romance, I worked as a journalist. So in a way, I’ve always been a writer, but I wrote fact rather than fiction. My life as a journalist gave me a great foundation for fiction writing because I’ve been outlining, researching, and meeting deadlines for more than a decade. My life as a journalist also gave me a lot of ideas for books.
I’m married to a great guy, and we live in Texas in a historic house that we affectionately call “The Money Pit” – a reference to the old Tom Hanks and Shelley Long movie.
How/when did you realize you wanted to become a writer?
Although I’d always had the desire to write romance, I didn’t want to write a book that no one would be able to read because of lack of distribution. I started to change my mind when indie publishing became more popular, but the real catalyst was an email from Media Bistro advertising a romance writing class with best-selling author Sarah MacLean. I saw it as a sign that I should finally try to write a book. I expected to self-publish ALL THE RIGHT PLACES, but my husband and my critique partners encouraged me to query agents, and I ended up getting a book deal with Berkley.
Let’s speak about “ALL THE RIGHT PLACES”. We’ve read the synopsis but can you tell us a little more about what the book is about?
Around the world, people wear Riley O’Brien & Co.’s iconic jeans, known as Rileys.
Unfortunately, competition from designer denim is eroding the company’s market share, and the women’s division is in really bad shape. Quinn O’Brien, the great-great grandson of the company’s founder, is currently running the business, and he reluctantly partners with up-and-coming designer Amelia Winger for a new line of accessories. Quinn views the partnership as a last ditch attempt to salvage the women’s division. Amelia, however, views the partnership as one piece of a larger plan—one that Quinn knows nothing about. She fights her attraction to Quinn, not only because of their professional relationship, but also because she’s working behind his back. But Quinn is very hard to resist.
How did you come up with the idea and how did you create the characters?
Proof that inspiration can be found anywhere: the idea for ALL THE RIGHT PLACES came from a bumper sticker. My husband and I were coming back from a shopping trip to Target (which receives at least 10 percent of our annual household income, no kidding), and as we sat at a stop light, I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of us. It advocated breast cancer awareness, and it said: Save the Tatas.
I pointed out the bumper sticker to my husband, and he pointed out that there are a lot of words for breasts. And then he oh-so-helpfully proceeded to name them all: boobs, hooters, jugs, melons, rack, tits… oh, the list just goes on and on.
And then I started thinking that there were a lot of words for butt, too: ass, backporch, badonkadonk, booty, caboose, derrière… again, so many words, so little time.
That thought led me to another – listing the synonyms for butt would be a fun beginning to a romance novel. But who would be thinking about butts all the time? And then it came to me – someone who was involved in the clothing business.
And the most popular clothing for butts? Jeans.
It just so happens that I attended a conference on small cap companies while reporting for a business magazine several years ago. I sat next to a Wall Street analyst who focused on apparel companies. Over a lunch of rubbery chicken, I got a crash course on designer denim and the impact small apparel companies were making on large jeans manufacturers. Companies like Levis, Wrangler, and Lee are having a hard time holding on to market share. They’re losing customers, and they’re trying to stay competitive and relevant.
That’s how I came up with the idea for the idea for series, and the characters quickly took shape after that.
If you should describe your books in three words, what would you pick?
Smart. Sexy. Fun.
Do you have any favorite authors and did they influence your choice of the genre?
For a long time, my favorite author list remained unchanged. Lisa Kleypas and Rachel Gibson were at the very top of that list, and they’ve definitely influenced my writing. Kleypas’ BLUE-EYED DEVIL and Gibson’s SEE JANE SCORE rank in my top 5 romances of all time. I also adore Anne Stuart’s books, especially her Ice series, and Elizabeth Hoyt, who writes sex scenes that melt my… e-reader. Recently, I’ve added to my favorite list. Late last year I came across Penelope Douglas, and I immediately fell in love with her New Adult series called Falling Away. The third book in that series, RIVAL, now occupies a spot on my top romances list. And Elle Kennedy is a new favorite with her Off Campus series. The first book, THE DEAL, gave me a great book hangover.
What else do you enjoy doing, when you’re not writing?
As you’ve probably surmised, I love to read. My favorite thing to do is hang out with my husband, regardless of what we’re doing. He makes everything fun, even laundry. I recently started practicing yoga, and I really enjoy that, even if I am embarrassingly graceless. And after an entire lifetime of not liking sports, I’ve turned into a huge football fan… proof that people really can change!
As a writer do you get support from your family and friends?
My family and friends provide more support than an underwire bra! Seriously, I am so blessed. My husband has been amazingly supportive about my writing career. My sister, Steffanie, was with me every step of the way as I wrote ALL THE RIGHT PLACES. My mom brags to everyone she knows that her daughter is a romance novelist, and my friends do the same thing. And I have a great group of critique partners who encourage me and cheer me on while also providing invaluable insight and feedback.
What are your dreams and plans for your future as a writer?
My dream is that readers will connect with my writing and my characters. I hope that I can be someone’s favorite author, and I also hope that I have many years of ideas and books ahead of me. The second book in the Riley O’Brien & Co. series, COMING APART AT THE SEAMS, is scheduled for publication on Dec. 1, 2015, and the third book, HANGING BY A THREAD, should be out in spring 2016.
Would you like to say something to the readers to encourage them to read your books?
If you enjoy books with lovable characters, witty diagloue, sizzling sex, and authentic feelings and emotion, give ALL THE RIGHT PLACES a shot.
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Harlequin Junkie – Spotlight & Giveaway
Posted June 1st, 2015 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie
Today it is my pleasure to Welcome romance authorJenna Sutton to HJ!
Hi Jenna and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, All the Right Places!
Thanks, Harlequin Junkie, for having me. I’m excited to share ALL THE RIGHT PLACES with you!
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
Around the world, people wear Riley O’Brien & Co.’s iconic jeans, known as Rileys.
Unfortunately, competition from designer denim is eroding the company’s market share, and the women’s division is in really bad shape. Quinn O’Brien, the great-great grandson of the company’s founder, is currently running his family business, and he reluctantly partners with up-and-coming designer Amelia Winger for a new line of accessories. Quinn views the partnership as a last ditch attempt to salvage the women’s division. Amelia, however, views the partnership as one piece of a larger plan—one that Quinn knows nothing about.
Please share the opening lines of this book:
Derrière. Ass. Back porch. Badonkadonk. Rump. No matter what you called it, the butt was Quinn O’Brien’s favorite part of the human body. Yes, he had the typical male appreciation for the female form, but truly, most of his interest was professional.
Please share a few Random facts about this book…
I got the idea for the book from a bumper sticker
It’s my debut novel and the first book I ever wrote
It’s the first in a series called Riley O’Brien & Co., which is a jeans company
The fictional Riley O’Brien & Co. is based on a real company—I’m sure you can figure out which one
It takes place primarily in San Francisco, but there are also scenes in Nashville and Georgia
Please tell us a little about the characters in your book. As you wrote your protagonist was there anything about them that surprised you?
Quinn O’Brien is smart and loyal (and incredibly hot, of course, because this is a romance novel). He loves his family, and he’s committed to honoring and protecting his heritage. He wants Riley O’Brien & Co. to thrive for another five generations, but he has a lot of self-doubt. He’s petrified of doing anything that could harm it or the people who work for him.
Amelia Winger is smart, resourceful, and determined. Unlike Quinn, she hasn’t had a charmed life. She grew up in small Texas town in less than ideal circumstances. When her best friend, Ava Grace Landy, wins a singing competition, Amelia’s dream of becoming a fashion designer suddenly becomes attainable. She gets a gig designing accessories for Riley O’Brien & Co. and ends up working with Quinn, who isn’t happy about the new line of accessories. She fights her attraction to Quinn, not only because of their professional relationship, but also because she’s working behind his back on a secret project.
My characters absolutely have a mind of their own, and sometimes they ended up doing and saying things that surprised me. Quinn, in particular, surprised me a lot, and the most surprising thing was how quickly he fell for Amelia.
The First kiss…
Here’s a little teaser of Quinn and Amelia’s first kiss:
Now that he had his mouth on hers, he was torn between devouring and savoring. He ran his tongue against her bottom lip before sucking gently. She gasped, and he darted his tongue into her mouth. The taste of her was better than he’d imagined, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
He slanted his head to delve deeper into her sweetness, holding her captive by weaving his hands into her fragrant hair and tilting her head back. When her tongue met his, he sucked on it lightly. It felt so good he increased the suction, and she moaned loudly.
Lust slammed through him as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Pushing up his shirt, she grasped his back just above the waistband of his Rileys. Her fingernails dug into his skin, the dual pain and pleasure of her touch sending a tingle up and down his spine.
Bright lights exploded behind his eyelids, and blood rushed through his veins, heading straight to his cock. He was sure he’d never been so hard, the buttons on his fly pressing painfully into his length.
He fed her several deep, wet kisses before pulling back and trailing his lips down her neck. He gently bit the tendon where her neck and shoulder met. She whimpered, and he soothed the small bite with his tongue.
“I’ve been thinking about this since I first saw you,” he breathed against her skin.
Did any scene have you crying or laughing (or blushing) while writing it?
There are several scenes that made me laugh while writing them, and a couple that made me tear up. The one that made me laugh the most is written in Quinn’s POV. He does something really nice for Amelia: he buys her an expensive juicer. It’s actually a very thoughtful thing for him to do, but the way he delivers the gift… let’s just say it wasn’t the smartest idea he’s ever had.
Here’s a little snippet:
Pulling a Swiss Army knife from the front pocket of his jeans, he sliced open the box and got to work unpacking the juicer. He’d just placed it on the island when he heard a high-pitched scream from behind him.
Startled, he spun around to see Amelia standing in the dining area wearing a fuzzy, pink robe. Her long hair was in soggy spirals around her face, her mouth was open in a big O, and her eyes were bugged out with surprise.
Shit. She was here, and he’d obviously just scared her to death.
“It’s just me,” he said and then wanted to roll his eyes at the stupidity of that statement.
When she didn’t respond, he held up his arms like she was a police officer who’d just shouted, “hands up.” He rushed to explain. “I’m sorry. I knocked. Loudly. When you didn’t answer, I thought you weren’t here. So I let myself in. I wanted to surprise you—”
She’d clearly found her voice because she interrupted him. “I’d say you were successful,” she said dryly. “What are you doing here, Quinn?”
Dropping his arms back down to his sides, he leaned his butt against the island, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. “I brought you a gift. But now I have a much greater appreciation for the wise person who first realized that no good deed goes unpunished.”
If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters?
This is one of my favorite scenes in the book: Quinn stops by Amelia’s workshop after their first kiss. He wants to give them a chance—to see where things might go—but she’s determined to keep things professional. That’s hard to do when she’s alone with him, so she decides to escape from the workshop. Here’s a little snippet of what happens next:
As she moved toward the door, he got a good look at her clothes. “What the hell are you wearing?” he barked.
She spun around to face him, and he pointed at her short denim skirt. It ended several inches above the enticing dimples of her knees, and she’d paired it with a gauzy, cream-colored top with a drawstring around the neck, a brown leather vest, and brown cowboy boots.
He didn’t understand how she could look so cute and so sexy at the same time. There should be a law against that kind of thing.
She looked down in confusion. “What?”
“You’re wearing a skirt with the name of my number one competitor stamped on your ass. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what would it be and why?
Have a little faith.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned for 2015?
Book two in the Riley O’Brien & Co. series, COMING APART AT THE SEAMS, is scheduled for publication on Dec. 1, 2015. Book three, HANGING BY A THREAD, should be out in spring 2016.
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Q: Market research indicates that most males do not pick out and purchase their own clothes—the women in their lives do it for them. Depending on the age of the male, that woman could be a mother, girlfriend, or wife.
Here’s my question: Do you pick out and purchase your significant other’s (boyfriend, lover, husband) clothes? How does your significant other feel about it?
My husband and I shop for his clothes together. He follows me through the men’s section while I choose pieces for him to try on. We make the final selections together, but he won’t buy anything I don’t like, whereas he buys things he doesn’t like simply because I do like them. I also create a clothing matrix so he knows which shirts and pants go together. This may seem extreme, even controlling, I know. But you didn’t see him wearing a navy blue shirt with black pants and brown shoes. I did. And I promised myself, never again.
Excerpt from All the Right Places:
Quinn stared into Amelia’s dark eyes. The phrase “fall in and out of love” echoed in his head, and he felt strangely innervated.
With her encouraging words, she had freed him from the horrible despair that had choked him for the past several hours. His black mood was gone.
Poof.
But now there was something even more dangerous in its place: desire.
Her hand was still on his, and he swore he could feel the heat of her touch radiating throughout his entire body. He took a deep breath, battling the urge to move closer to her.
He pulled his eyes from hers, and his gaze dropped to the pale skin exposed by the V-neck of her dress. She wore a silver necklace with translucent green and blue beads, and one of them had found its way into her creamy cleavage. As he stared at that lucky bead, his blood grew hotter, running thickly through his veins toward his cock.
His brain and his body disconnected, and he saw his hand move toward her, fingers spread.
Don’t do it! Don’t touch her!
His fingers stroked the warm skin of her throat, her pulse throbbing against his thumb. Her skin was so soft, so warm, he imagined she could heat all the cold places inside him.
Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her closer. She stumbled a little in her high-heeled boots, and he steadied her with a hand on her hip.
When he felt that beautiful curve within his grasp, the blood drained from his head, along with every bit of sense he possessed. With his intellect obliterated, his primal self was in control, and it wanted more.
Right now.
Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Book Info:
The first in a brand new contemporary romance series starring the men and women who are determined to keep the billion-dollar denim dynasty, Riley O’Brien & Co, on top, but aren’t about to let success stand in the way of love…
Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…
Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
Meet the Author:
Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it.
Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. She and her husband live in Texas in a 103-year-old house affectionately known as “The Money Pit”.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
May 28, 2015
Publisher’s Weekly – All the Right Places
Sutton’s contemporary erotic romance debut combines sweet romance, steamy sex, and emotional drama, and even though all the elements are individually well executed, they don’t quite cohere. Quinn O’Brien, head of a prominent jeans company, reluctantly hires up-and-coming designer Amelia Winger to create a new line of accessories for their floundering women’s division. Ambitious and resourceful Amelia quietly makes a deal with Quinn’s sister, Teagan, to rework the entire women’s division behind Quinn’s back. Amelia intends to keep her relationship with Quinn entirely professional, but their intense attraction, and Quinn’s determination to get his way, make that impossible. Persistent Quinn occasionally becomes manipulative, and while the conflicts are strongly rooted in character traits, the extent to which Amelia shoulders the blame for them is disconcerting, particularly given her unhappy past. Inviting settings and many appealing secondary characters—not including Teagan, who unfortunately mostly remains a cipher—are all pleasant enough, but the central struggle soon becomes off-putting. (June)
Women Unplugged – Spotlight On Debut Author Jenna Sutton
on May 15th, 2015.
I’m wrapping up book 2 in the Second Chances series, but while I was writing, I took a short break to preview a hot new book by debut author, Jenna Sutton. The book is called ALL THE RIGHT PLACES (Berkley Sensation, June 2, 2015) and it reminds me of some early Rachel Gibson books–the ones that made me fall in love with the romance genre–with a hint of Julie James’ sophisticated banter thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed this book so much that I wanted you all to meet Jenna Sutton, the author. Here’s a little background on Jenna:
Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it. Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. She and her husband live in a 103-year-old house in Texas. All the Right Places is her debut novel.
Tracy: Welcome to Women Unplugged, Jenna. First and foremost, can you tell readers where they can find you on social media?
Jenna:
http://www.jennasutton.com
http://www.facebook.com/jennasuttonauthor
@jsuttonauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9761992.Jenna_Sutton
If someone wrote a book about you, what would the title be and why?
Insatiably Curious. My favorite words are actually questions: what, why, who, when, how, and where.
What are 5 things readers should know about you?
1. I’ve worked as a journalist for most of my career, so I have been writing for a long time… fact, not fiction.
2. I am blessed to have a fabulous husband, a loving, supportive family, and a great group of friends.
3. I started reading romance novels way too young. And though it may seem counterintuitive, I think reading romances actually kept me a virgin longer than other girls my age!
4. After a lifetime of hating sports, I suddenly love football. And I’m increasingly interested in hockey, although I’m sure all the new hockey romances have something to do with that.
5. Every time I go out to eat, the tines of my fork are uneven. It doesn’t matter if I’m eating at a casual restaurant or a five-star bistro, crooked forks always find their way to me. I see them as a sign that the universe is in balance.
What is the significance to the title ALL THE RIGHT PLACES?
The title has a double meaning. The perfect jeans fit in all the right places, and my characters touch each other in all the right places, both emotionally and physically.
Please share a few random facts about ALL THE RIGHT PLACES.
• It’s the first book I ever wrote
• It took me about nine weeks to write the manuscript, but it took two plus years for it to be published
• It’s the first in the Riley O’Brien & Co. series
• I got the idea for the book from a bumper sticker
• The fictional jeans company in ALL THE RIGHT PLACES is based on a real company. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out which one.
What was your favorite scene to write? Why?
I had a lot of fun writing ALL THE RIGHT PLACES, but I think my favorite scene is the one where my hero, Quinn, sees the heroine, Amelia, wearing a piece of clothing made by his biggest competitor. Here are a couple of lines from that scene:
Aggression flooded his veins. He had the ridiculous thought that if Amelia wanted to brand herself with someone’s name, it damn well better be his name. He felt like pulling her down across his lap, jerking up that damn skirt, and spanking her sweet round cheeks right where his competitor’s logos were located.
Before his mind could even think about what to do next, his body moved toward her. When she saw him coming, she pivoted and darted toward the exit. He reached her just as she opened the door, slamming a palm against it and forcing it closed with a bang.
Her lush little body was sandwiched between him and the door, and he crowded even closer until she had to turn her head to the side to keep from smashing her nose. He put his mouth to her ear.
“Don’t ever wear another piece of denim that doesn’t have my name on it,” he growled.
Who would you cast in the role of your characters if your book were optioned for a movie?
I’ve always thought a scruffier, taller Henry Cavill would be a great Quinn, although his eyes need to be a little darker, the color of a blueprint. Or maybe a younger, taller James Marsden. He seems to get hotter as he ages. As for Amelia, it’s hard to cast her, but the closest I can think of is Isla Fischer, but with freckles and curlier hair.
If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what would it be and why?
I’d tell them to have a little faith. Both of them suffer from self-doubt, and Amelia doesn’t have faith in a lot of people.
What are you currently working on? What other released do you have planned for 2015?
Book two in the Riley O’Brien & Co. series, Coming Apart at the Seams, is scheduled for release on Dec. 1, 2015. The third book, Hanging by a Thread, is due to my editor in the fall, and it is scheduled for publication in spring 2016.
Thanks for stopping by the blog today, Jenna! Because I loved this book so much, I’m giving away a digital copy to one random commenter. It’s easy to win, just tell me how long you’ve had your favorite pair of jeans. It takes me a few years to get them broken in the way I want them. 
Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…
Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.
March 26, 2015
Trendy Themes in Romance
Even if you’re new to the romance genre, you’ve probably noticed some popular themes. Off the top of my head I can think of dozens.
I think the most common trope is the “rich kid falls in love with someone from the wrong side of the tracks and reconnects as adults.” There’s also the “powerful boss falls for assistant (or any other employee).”
In historical romances, there’s the “powerful duke seduces the innocent governess” and the “roguish lord pursues spinster wallflower.” There’s also the friends-to-lovers trope and the secret baby plotline. Oh, and I can’t forget the “inexperienced heroine strikes up a deal with hot guy to teach her about lovemaking.”
In addition to the themes mentioned above, I’ve noticed that the romance genre experiences hero trends, similar to the way clothing styles change. Cowboys are always popular heroes (not sure if we should attribute this to John Wayne or not), along with soldiers, SEALs in particular. Athletes are popular heroes, too, especially football and hockey players.
One of my favorite books of all time, See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson, features a hockey player hero. Luc (Lucky) Martineau is a goalie with a horseshoe-shaped tattoo on his lower stomach. He’s totally lickable. And one of my new favs, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, also has a hockey player hero.
A few years ago, the MMA hero kicked his way into the genre. All of a sudden, there were dozens of books with MMA heroes, and interestingly, most of the plots had nothing to do with MMA fighting.
Now we’re in this period of rock star heroes and the borderline taboo hero—the stepbrother. Honestly, I’m not that interested in rock star heroes, but I do like the stepbrother set up. I don’t think it’s taboo, either. In fact, I think it’s more taboo to fall in love with your sibling’s ex. That plotline totally turns me off.
What kind of trendy themes in romance have you noticed? Which themes are your favorites and which ones do you dislike?
Chime in with comments!
March 11, 2015
Characters with a Mind of Their Own
Several years ago I read an interview with a prolific author, and though I can’t remember which one, something she said really stuck with me. She said that her characters told the story… that they were in charge of the book, not her.
Frankly, I thought her comment was ridiculous with a capital R. I mean, come on… characters are fictional, and as the author, you’re in control of everything in the book.
But once I started writing novels, I realized she was right: characters truly have a mind of their own. And sometimes… well, sometimes they surprise you.
I experienced this phenomenon while working on All the Right Places. Everything was going fine. The hero, Quinn O’Brien, and the heroine, Amelia Winger, were behaving themselves (or at least they were behaving the way I wanted them to). But then suddenly, one of my secondary characters, Amelia’s best friend, Ava Grace Landy, said something that caught me completely off guard.
Ava Grace is an interesting character—one that popped into my imagination fully formed instead of just a seedling of an idea. Like Amelia, Ava Grace grew up in Texas. She won American Star, my fictionalized version of American Idol, The Voice, and Nashville Star combined, and she’s a country music superstar—imagine a mix of Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.
Ava Grace’s dialogue just flowed from my fingers… words just came out of nowhere. Trust me, I know how ridiculous that sounds. How could this character—one I’ve created in my head—say something that I didn’t expect?
But that’s exactly what happened. She responded in a way that was authentic to her character, not the way I had planned her to respond, and I wasn’t very happy about it. I tried to ignore her—to force her to do what I wanted.
But she resisted. And once I stopped trying to tell her what to say and do, she became one of the easiest characters for me to write.
Now, some characters are more malleable than others. Some do as they’re told and don’t argue about it. But some characters… they’ve got a mind of their own, and I have to let them be themselves.
I sound crazy, don’t I?
March 5, 2015
The Great Book Hangover
I have a hangover. But it’s not because I overindulged in wine, beer, or liquor. It’s because I just read a great book—The Deal by Elle Kennedy.
A great book hangover, or GBH for short, is very different from the good book glow, or GBG. The GBG happens when you finish the last page of a good book and a warm feeling comes over you. A smile curves your mouth, and you think to yourself, “That was a really good book. I’m glad I read it.”
But a GBH gives you an entirely different feeling. When you finish reading the last page of a great book, your heart aches and your stomach clenches. You can’t bear to leave behind the characters you’ve grown to know and love. You can’t stop thinking about them.
A great book stays with you, long after you’ve read the last sentence. It makes you wonder if you’ll ever be able to read another book without comparing it to the one that gave you a GBH. You may even stay away from books for a while because you can’t handle the intensity of another GBH.
The first time I had a GBH was after I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. That book ripped my guts out. I loved the characters, Jamie and Claire, as if they were friends. I loved them so much I read the second book and the third and the fourth. But then I couldn’t stand the pain from the GBH, so I stopped reading.
I’ve had more than a few GBHs since then, but the worst one I’ve ever had came from The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simon. I could barely think about anything but Tatiana and Alexander for weeks.
If you’ve read The Bronze Horseman, you know exactly what I mean. And if you haven’t read it, you need to jump online and order it.
I think every author wants to write a book that will give the reader a GBH. For me, it’s not enough to write a book that you can’t put down or you tell your friends about. I want my books to leave a mark on you. I want them to turn your soul inside out.
Have you ever experienced a GBH? If not, let me know in comments, and I’ll give you some suggestions. And if you have experienced a GBH, I’d love to hear about the book(s) that gave you one.
