A Second Chance At Forever: Interview with author JM Stewart
Niecey: I’m so excited to have you on my blog today, JM! Especially when I know how busy you are since your novel, A Second Chance At Forever 
, was released just yesterday!
JM: Thanks for having me, Niecey!
Niecey: What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
JM: I hope they enjoy it. I hope they can’t put it down, that it keeps them up at night, but you know, deep down, what I really hope, is that I touch them. That I’ve created a character they can’t forget.
Niecey: Do you have a favorite food?
JM: Teriyaki! My husband got me into this, because someone at work got him into it. These places are popping up all over the place out here. Have you ever had it? It’s teriyaki marinated meat (I prefer chicken) that’s grilled. They slice it up and serve it with white rice and a plain salad with the most delicious dressing (I have GOT to figure out what this dressing is!). I can’t get enough of this stuff. It’s fun to go around to the different restaurants. Their versions of the teriyaki sauce are all slightly different.
Niecey: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
JM: I’ve been asked this question before, but I’ve learned something lately. I’m learning that my voice and my style are unique. Some love it, some don’t. But it’s me. I can’t write like anybody else and I can’t change it, and believe me, I’ve tried (and failed). So, I’ve decided to own it. That seems such a simple concept, I know, but for me, it was a huge moment. In a flooded market where everybody is trying to be the next Jennifer Probst, this is a tough one. I’ve seen rejection so much I often sit down and cry. I finally realized, I can’t be like them. I can only be me, good, bad or ugly. It was such a freeing lesson and I have a very special lady to thank for helping me get there. Miss Vonnie Davis. I’m telling you, that lady can give a pep talk. 
So that’s my advice to aspiring and/or new writers. Develop your voice. Your style. And this is easy to do—just write. Write from the heart. Your voice comes with time, with practice. The more books you write, the more your voice and your natural style will begin to shine. Then own it. It’s what makes you different from everybody else.
Niecey: What do you like about the heroine of A Second Chance At Forever the most?
JM: I like that Angela’s smart. She’s a geek. She’s also got a lot of heart. She takes care of the people she loves, does nice things for people just because.
Niecey: Who is your favorite supporting character of A Second Chance At Forever, and why?
JM: That would be Angela’s brother, Brock. He just cracks me up. He’s a goofball. One of those great big loveable guys who doesn’t take life too seriously. But like Angela, he’s got heart. He’s a family guy.
Niecey: Do your characters love the direction you take for them or do they have other ideas?
JM: My characters love the direction I take for them, because they’re the ones who choose where the story goes. I’m a pantser—I sit down with a vague idea and a couple of characters and I write. That often means the story takes turns I don’t often count on, because my characters invariably end up taking over my story. Because that’s what they are—their stories. Not mine. I just write them down. And so they remind me. Quite often. lol
A Second Chance At Forever, Blurb:
Recently divorced and working two jobs, Angela Lewis has no room in her life for love. Yet when her childhood crush finds her at the nightclub where she works as the sexy stripper, Candy Cane, and expresses his interest, Angela can’t resist. She only wants one night to live the fantasy her alter ego provides.
Alex McKinley is still trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, and one night with Candy is exactly what he needs. He gets more than he bargained for, however, when he discovers she’s the little sister of his best friend. Suddenly little Angie’s all grown up and driving him crazy.
The more time he spends with Angela, the more Alex finds himself falling for the woman she’s become. She makes him want to live again. But can he convince her to take a chance on him?
A Second Chance At Forever, Excerpt:
“When is your birthday, Alex?”
The minute the words left her mouth she wanted to suck them back. When Alex’s gaze snapped to hers, heat blazed up her neck and into her cheeks. The question gave her away, revealed her thoughts as surely as if she’d spoken them out loud. In front of her family, no less. Oh, her, and her big mouth….
To make matters worse, desire and recognition flared in Alex’s eyes, the memory rising between them.
A night neither one of them could forget. She remembered only too well him telling her exactly that.
“Two weeks,” he said.
“Got any plans?” she asked, to cover the need that sparked in her belly. Like an ember stoked into a tiny flame. One that if given the right amount of fuel could consume her.
Alex didn’t respond the way she’d anticipated, however. The expression drained from his face, his features going stony. Tension rose tight and prickly in the air around them.
Brock looked up from the grill.
Alex shook his head and rose from his seat, his jaw tight, a stiff set to his shoulders that had unease settling in her stomach. “No.” Then he turned to Brock. “Beer in the fridge?”
Brock nodded. Without so much as a glance in her direction, Alex moved around her, stepping through the sliding glass doors into the darkness of the house.
Angela turned to Brock, fear and confusion pounding in her breast. “I said something wrong.”
Her brother shook his head. “It’s his story. He should be the one to tell you.”
She nodded, then turned to stare at the doorway Alex had just disappeared through. She swallowed hard and followed after him.
Author bio:
J.M. writes what she likes to call sweet and spicy contemporary romance. She’s a stay-at-home mom who lives in Seattle, Washington, 
with her husband, two boys and their two very spoiled puppies. She’s been devouring romances for as long as she can remember. Writing them has become her passion.
Website: http://authorjmstewart.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JMStewartWriter
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-JM-Stewart/129990420383155
Blog: http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3159044.J_M_Stewart
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorjmstewart/
Buy A Second Chance At Forever from:
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=5088
Also, I hope it’s okay to mention, but I have a blog tour set up, hosted by Goddess Fish, that starts next week, on the 14th. I think there’s seven stops total, including a couple of reviews. I’ll be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card, to one commenter, tour wide. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The dates are listed on my blog. I hope everybody will follow along and stop by to say hello.
Thanks again for having me, Niecey. It’s been a joy to be here!
Thanks for visiting!
Niecey Roy
Coming May 3, 2013 - Fender Bender Blues, a romantic comedy
published by Wild Rose Press
nieceyroy@gmail.com
http://www.nieceyroy.com/
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https://twitter.com/#!/NieceyRoy
