Yours, Mine & Ours

Rogenna Brewer
  w/ Jennifer Greene

Actually, it's the other way around.  Alison Hart aka Jennifer Greene deserves top billing.   I just got lucky.  Mitzi's Marine is out this month in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines paired with Jennifer Greene's Yours, Mine & Ours.

Jennifer Greene lives near Lake Michigan with her husband and an assorted menagerie of pets.  Michigan State University has honored her as an outstanding woman graduate for her work with women on campus.  Jennifer has written more than 80 love stories for which she has won numerous awards, including four RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America and their Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

You're welcome to contact Jennifer through her website at www.jennifergreene.com.

Meanwhile, we're pleased to have her with us today for this interview...

Rogenna:  Jennifer, you’ve sold over 80 romances in the contemporary genre, tell us a little about yourself and what you write?

Jennifer:  I’ve been writing since I was old enough to hunt and peck an old typewriter—but my mom
was determined to raise a daughter who could earn a living, so my writing was supposed
to be a hobby.  I don’t know why that didn’t work out.   Once I started writing stories,
it was like an addiction I couldn’t shake.   Loved it then.  Love it now.

The ‘making a living’ business took a while in the beginning…and unlike ‘normal’ career paths,
it’s never really steady.  Publishing has always had its ups and downs.  I’ve always felt
lucky to still be doing the work I love.

I write in romance—well, I’ve never liked that ‘romance’ word.  I like the term ‘love story’ better.
My favorite stories have been about women’s issues…women striving to overcome problems and ‘be all they can be’.

Rogenna:  How do you keep up with multiple pseudonyms and publishers?

Jennifer:  I don’t!  Whatever I’m writing at the moment gets l00% of my concentration.  I can’t seem to do it any other way.

I’ve written for Harlequin, Silhouette, Dell, Berkley and Avon.  I’ve been with Harlequin the longest (by far)….but have found super editors, caring staff and wonderful writing opportunities
everywhere.

Wherever you write, whatever you write, gives you new experience—something to bring to the next book.  Some writing projects have earned more than others, but I’m seriously happy to have an opportunity to try new things—because that growth and experience always seems to ‘rejuice the creative engine’, so to speak.

Rogenna:  What is your writing process like?  And do you have any advice for those of us wishing we were more prolific?

Jennifer:  I’ve had a number of writing processes that worked really well.  And then stopped working (!).  There is no one process that will work forever for any writer.  The trick is not panicking when
The current process balks.  Just relax.  Remind yourself that ‘it’s not you’… the Creative
Muse can get cranky for no reason at all.

Don’t keep pushing a ‘process’ that isn’t working.  That can just make you frantic. !  Consider
Things to coax the Muse into behaving.  Fresh air, a walk.  Writing a scene from a different point of view.  Give yourself some sensory stimulus—find a scent that works for the heroine, a song
Or music that’s right for the story, a food (M&M’s) that the hero eats when he’s stressed, a favorite color, a lucky shirt...go through magazines and clip images or pictures that make you think of the hero/heroine.

None of those may work for you…but something will.  (I had one book where the heroine was a redhead—which I’m not—so I went shopping, not with a credit card, but with pen and paper, to
Pick out clothes and makeup and shoes for her.)  I know.  That sounds ditsy.  (Guilty as charged.)  But these kinds of things are FUN.  And when you’re stressed about a writing passage that won’t come for you—or you don’t know what should come next—and you’re tearing out your hair…that doesn’t make sense.  It makes SENSE to put JOY back in the work, yes?  Playing is
Good.  We need it on a Tee Shirt.

On being more prolific—no advice.  I think we writers all have a natural length book we write…and a natural speed.  Forcing square pegs into round holes never works.  Finding
Your natural length and speed and comfort zone always works the best.

Rogenna:  Give us a glimpse of your day to day life.

Jennifer:  Up at daybreak.  Pour coffee, don’t speak, open e-mail, force open eyes.  By 9:00 I’ve generally lost the early-morning-hostility and write solid until lunch.  After lunch is for reading, side
Writing ‘work’—but I don’t get back to the manuscript until around 3, then work until dinner.

I used to write more after the kids went to bed…but then I got older, and those late night
Hours aren’t fun any more.

Lightning Round:

1) First job….my first ‘real’ job was teaching French at the local high school.

2) Cat or dog?...yes, and probably yes to any other critter you can think of.  We raised
Newfoundlands for a long time.  Rescued animals of every shape and size.
So far I haven’t found an animal I couldn’t love, but my husband keeps hoping I’ll learn to say no.

3) Something we’d be surprised to learn about you…
Hmm.  One of my hobbies is duplicate bridge, and I’m about a year away (with some luck!)
To being a life master.

Jennifer will be stopping by today.  So please give her a warm welcome.  And if you have a burning question for her it never hurts to ask <g>.  We'll be giving away a copy of our Special Moments featuring Yours, Mine & Ours and Mitzi's Marine.

So tell us something we'd be surprised to learn about you...