Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Interview with Jenn LeBlanc

Today I am pleased to be sharing my blog with a very talented writer and artist. Jenn LeBlanc's books are like nothing else out there. The beautiful photography, the hand picked bodies, and of course the wonderful writing make for one (or five) great books! I am please to call Jenn an associate I have the honor of working with as well as a friend. Please welcome Jenn LeBlanc

What genre(s) do you write?

I write time travel historicals. I refer to them primarily as historicals because they identify better with that genre than with the sci fi/fantasy genre. The time travel aspect of the book is more fish out of water than a big technical exploration of the quirks and conundrums that accompany a time traveler.


What was the hardest part of writing your book?

My books are illustrated, so the most difficult part was determining what images to shoot and place, and how to layout the book. It’s very different, and something that hasn’t really been done, especially in the romance genre. This is the only one. The images were created specifically for this novel, they are an integral part of the story and add pieces to the story that would otherwise go unnoticed. It was a great deal of fun, but also very difficult, because I didn’t have a road map, so to speak.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am 100% pantser. I have tried to plat on the past, but it just doesn’t work for me. I keep trying, but my brain just fights structure of any kind. It’s unfortunate in that some of the techniques I’ve heard of with plotting are SO COOL! But alas, it still hasn’t worked for me.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?

I started writing this novel in March of 2009, it was complete in May of 2009, and spent about 9 months in edits. Then I decided to shoot a cover to grab the attention of agents, that exploded into illustrating the whole book, and the shoots lasted about a year. It was finally released in February of 2010, but was incomplete, the final two parts of the story were not included in the original book, and it wasn’t published the way I wanted it to be, as a six part serial novel. THAT finally happened this last December, each part being released every two weeks. The final part of the book, the grand finale comes out on February 28th. So I have lived these characters for three years now. I’m actually a little sad to let them go.

What other careers have you had?

I was a mom primarily, for a long time, then I returned to school, because I was a single mom it took me ten years to get through school while working, but I graduated with degrees in photojournalism and fine art photography. I pursued a career in photojournalism, and most recently won a first place national award for my coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill. My writing and cover photography business has taken over a bit, and I have cut back my freelancing, but I still work for several local papers on occasion, just because I love it so very much.




Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE is a six part serial novel, with the final installment of the serial to be released on February 28th.

My next project BETWEEN A FRIEND AND FOREVER is scheduled to start shooting this spring for a summer release, but those are soft dates as of yet. The manuscript is finished, it’s all brass tacks now, models, scheduling, etc. I’m really excited about this book because the heroine is so very different from the heroines I’ve read, she suffers a form of mental illness, possibly OCD with a chaser of anxiety or maybe even tourettes with a bit of Asberger’s. Of course these illnesses weren’t available as diagnoses back then, so she is treated as an outcast. As the sole heir of a duke, with the responsibility of securing her future and that of her mother should her father die, it’s a difficult place to be.

Following that is the —as yet—untitled follow up to TRATR, This book follows two characters introduced in TRATR, cousins of the Duke and Viscount Roxleigh. It is also a time travel historical.

Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.

Where to find me: Twitter | Facebook | Author Site | Blog | Tumblr(NSFW) Please come find me! I LOVE to chat with readers!





I have several constants in life that define me:
Colorado, Canon, CJ, kids and curls.
Born and raised in a household of other people’s children in this beautiful state —very nearly with a camera in hand— I never left. I started my own family, got used to the curls, went to college, built a CJ, and started a business, all with a camera in hand.
I always had another passion; storytelling born from daydreams and nightmares. My fingers were never as quick as my mind, and no amount of practice got them there, so it was difficult and frustrating to have this inside me. When my second daughter was born her inherent traits kept me pinned— my only escape the keyboard. Spending my days in parenting chat rooms I got highly adept with one-handed typing and I can still type just about as fast with one hand as I can with two. It’s a great talent to have when engrossed in a scene and in need of a hit of caffeine. I recently finished my first novel but I quickly realized: I was born a photographer.
From the realization that someone ELSE would be shooting the cover of MY book my control-freak took over. What started as an easy cover shoot ballooned into this completely new kind of media, designed specifically for digital book readers.
I live and thrive off chaos and the constant flow of the creative process. I wear shorts and flip-flops year-round —much to the chagrin of my friends and family— and I am currently working on the illustrations for my second serial novel.
Follow the blog or twitter for up to date information!


And what follows is a bit about the books:

Trailer:

http://youtu.be/RSW_LyFR5To




A woman out of time.
A man stifled by propriety.
A nemesis determined to take her away.
A brother to the rescue.

How will a powerful Duke deal with a woman who doesn't know her place? How will a woman used to the 21st century survive in time where she is considered property?

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.
How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.



Where to get the books:

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE


FREEDOM : Part one brings Francine to the world of the Duke of Roxleigh, clashing worlds in first installment of the completely revised novel, with all new material.

Available now from these ebook retailers:

iBookstore for iThingys





Available now from these ebook retailers:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance eBooks
iBookstore for iThingys

TAKEN : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Three
Part THREE brings Francine and Gideon closer than they ever imagined possible, until the unimaginable tears them apart. What will Gideon do if he loses her, this time, forever?

Available now from these ebook retailers:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance eBooks
Goodreads




RUINATION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Four
Part FOUR is full of revelations, celebrations, protestations and one surprise that will have you holding your breath for the final chapters. What has Perry done?

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Goodreads


SUBMISSION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Five
Perry leaves Roxleigh House without a backward glance only to be tossed headlong into one of the most difficult trials of his life. How will he protect the very thing he is dedicated to pursuing? How will a man dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure survive a woman who refuses to relent, when he knows he cannot have her.


Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Goodreads



RETRIBUTION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Six
Perry must find the woman who has managed to capture his heart, then he must find a way to keep her. Someone else is on the hunt, someone from her past who doesn’t appreciate that she still lives and breaths.

Coming February 28, 2012

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