It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Jeanine Englert, author of “The Lady’s Proposal for the Laird (Book 2 in the Secrets of Clan Cameron Series)”.
About Jeanine Englert:
Jeanine Englert is a double VIVIAN ® FINALIST, Golden Heart ® Finalist, and Silver Falchion and Daphne du Maurier Award winner in historical romantic suspense. After years of writing in secret, she joined Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers in 2013 and has been an active member ever since.
She writes Scottish Highland historicals and historical romantic suspense novels. When she isn’t wrangling with her characters on the page, she can be found trying to convince her husband to watch her latest Masterpiece or BBC show obsession. She loves to talk about books, writing, her beloved pups, and of course mysteries with other readers on Twitter @JeanineWrites, Facebook, or at her website http://www.jeaninewrites.com.
Her debut novel, Lovely Digits, is a double VIVIAN ® FINALIST and won the 2020 Silver Falchion Award Winner for Best Mystery and Maggie Award Winner for Best Romantic Suspense. It also won the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award and was named a 2018 Golden Heart ® Finalist for best unpublished romantic suspense. Since then, she has published several Georgian Scottish historical novels through Harlequin Historical/Mills & Boon.
About The Lady’s Proposal for the Laird (Book 2 in the Secrets of Clan Cameron Series):
Enjoy this explosive reunion in Georgian-era Scotland
A betrothal bargain
With the Highlander from her past
When Susanna Cameron needs to thwart her brothers’ plan to marry her off, she turns to her childhood sweetheart, Laird Rowan Campbell, with a daring proposal—to be her pretend betrothed! In exchange, she’ll help the now-hardened Rowan get revenge on the man who killed his family. The only flaw in Susanna’s plan—their returning attraction!
Author Interview with Jeanine Englert:
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- How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I am notorious for having multiple unpublished and half-finished books. I can currently think of three finished and unpublished books and five half-finished books that are a mixture of historical romance, historical romantic suspense, and contemporary romantic suspense. I also have more ideas for other books I want to write, so I have no shortage of works in progress. I am in awe of people who can write one book from start to finish in a linear fashion, because that has never been me.
- Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
Yes, I would say I view writing as a spiritual practice. I also view it as a very therapeutic part of my life. I often don’t realize things that I’m processing through until I finish books, and while editing them I see parts of my experience echoed through characters. I am also a firm believer that books are given to me by something greater than myself, and by something I don’t understand, nor do I wish to. I believe there is something divine and grace driven about the creative process, and being in the flow of that process where I forget time and space and I’m lost in the story is one of my favorite places to be.
- Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes, I have always been a writer and I’ve always wanted to be a published writer for as long as I can remember. My first memories of writing and wanting to be a published author were way back when I was 8 years old filling notebooks with stories and mostly bad poetry, if I’m honest. Writing was my safe place just like books were always my safe place and my escape. They both still are to this very day.
- What comes first, the plot or characters?
Characters always come first for me. I usually see them like a movie in my head, and it is usually the first scene of the book that I imagine with the characters talking. Very rarely do I have a later scene in the book come to me first. And usually, the character that comes to me is showing me it is their story and that protagonist is the one that grows the most in their character arc.
- What time of the day do you usually write?
Early morning before I go to my day job is my favorite time to write. My ideal time to write is between 4:00 and 8:00 AM. It is so peaceful, and I can hear my own thoughts. I am settled into myself, and the words flow so much faster for me. I can write 800 words in a 1/2 hour during that time whereas it would take me 2 hours to write that same word count if I try to write after work in the evening.
- Tell us about your first published book? What was the journey like?
My first published book was Lovely Digits, which was a Victorian romantic suspense book I published in June of 2019 through Soul Mate Publishing. It is about Lucy Wycliffe, a layer-out of the dead, who meets and works with Constable John Brodie in solving the mysterious deaths of two women in Clun, England.
Lovely Digits was my seventh completed manuscript, so I always call it my lucky seven book. I still adore that book and I would not change my publication journey for that first book at all. I learned so much and I would say I also savored it because I was in my forties when I published my first book. I can tell you there is nothing like publishing your first book. While publishing the books that follow is still amazing each time you have a book birthday, the first book is indescribable. There is literally nothing like that feeling.
- Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?
Yes, I listen to music before writing and if I get stuck to help me see and feel the scenes although I can’t have music playing while I am writing. I have playlists for each book, and some songs reappear on playlists. For this book, I listened to the Cure (“Same Deep Water as You”), Garbage (“Milk” and “Stupid Girl”), The Yeah, Yeahs, (“Maps”), and Margot and the Nuclear So Sos (“A Light on a Hill”) the most often. I love music and it is an essential part of who I am and my creative process. Sometimes I think of my books as just long songs.
- What was the highlight of writing this book?
The highlight of writing this book was finally giving Rowan Campbell his story and the conclusion he deserved. What I mean by that is he was the hero in the first historical romance book I ever wrote back in 2013-2014. He has been a part of me and my writing since then, so finally giving him his book was a full circle moment for me.
I realize now that I never sold that initial manuscript with him because I had him paired with the wrong heroine. It wasn’t until I discovered Susanna Cameron that I realized she was his match. She was his heroine, and he was her hero and that this book The Lady’s Proposal for the Laird was their story. I loved being able to give him a happy ending after all he lost in my first Harlequin Historical/Mills and Boon book, The Highlander’s Secret Son. In that book, he is the disgraced former laird who had lost his title and been replaced by his younger brother after losing his mind with grief over the loss of his wife and son. Giving him a peaceful conclusion to that part of his life and a new hope for his future was very fulfilling for me.
To learn more about Jeanine Englert, here’s where you can find her:
Website: www.jeaninewrites.com
Instagram: @JeanineWrites
Twitter: @JeanineWrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanineWrites
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