Interview with Lisa Renee Jones PLUS GIVEAWAY!!!

I've got something really exciting today! Actually it was supposed to be on Friday, because that was the day this awesome book was released, but because I completely forgot, I suck!!

Anyhow, today I'd like a huge welcome for Lisa Renee Jones, the author of If I Were You!!!!  I actually read this book last month and absolutely loved it!! (Review HERE!!), so enjoy!


The Romance Bookie: Would you tell us a little bit about If I Were You?
 

Lisa Renee Jones: If I Were You is a story that came about because my fiancee was buying and selling storage auctions long before the shows ever came about. He found a journal and was enthralled by it. There was plenty of drama in the journal including a murder next door. He was convinced I needed to write a story about a journal found in a storage unit and began bugging me to do it. And bugging me. And bugging me! All that bugging got me thinking and slowly a story took shape. I resisted though so it simmered a long time.

TRB:  How did you come up with the concept of If I Were You?

LRJ: I jumped ahead of you! It really came from the journal in the storage unit which wasn’t erotic but did really spark ideas like-- what happened to the author or the journal? 

TRB:  Okay, so I have to ask:  Were you thinking of Chris Hemsworth as you were describing Chris Merit?  I know I was! ;)

LRJ: You know I didn’t but I’ve had so many people say that and I completely am on that bandwagon! Yes! Chris Hemsworth! Love him for Chris. 

TRB:  I noticed some similarities between If I Were You and EL James' Fifty Shades Trilogy, what do you think of all the frenzy behind Fifty Shades?

LRJ: I wrote this story long before shades. One of my editors liked a partial for it and she sent it to her boss. It set on her bosses desk for almost a year and finally she liked it. Then right at that point the division it would have fit was done away with. My book was a no after a year. Well, in that time Shades was released and I think that plays in my favor because the market is hungry for this kind of book. For once a story sitting on an editors desk for a year worked out! 

As for Shades I just read book 1 and 2 recently and I loved them. I think EL James is a great writer. I know a lot of people criticized her but I thought her characters were very real and I felt I knew them. 

TRB: Can you tell us a little of what we can expect to happen in Being Me, the sequel to If I Were You?

LRJ: There is a real journey and path to discover in both books. Book 3 is not a filler, want to write a 3^rd book -- book. It has a strong important story line and I’m excited to write it. You will get a lot of closure in book 2 on certain things so don’t worry you will have the same lose ends. But as you get closure there will be other doors that open for book 3.

TRB: What you think will make this series unique, compared to the others in the same genre catagory?

LRJ: The suspense plot is unique and so is the storage unit connection. It’s rare to see an erotic novel have a powerful suspense plot that is actually tied to the self discovery of the characters. I think that makes this trilogy special. 

TRB: How long did it take to take write If I Were?

If you take into account the years of my fiancee bugging me to write it and the simmering idea and the editors desk -- forever! I’ve never had a story I let simmer so long but I think in this case that made the characters more alive to me. I knew them well. 

LRJ:  Now to a few random Questions:

What do you prefer: Ebooks or Paper books? Why?

Audio. I listen at the gym and its the only way with my writing schedule I get my book fixes. I work out a lot so its my escape from the pain. 

TRB:  Do you listen to music while writing? If Yes, what kind, and who?

LRJ: Absolutely. It really is part of my writing. The book impacts the kind of music.When I wrote IF I WERE YOU there was lots of Lifehouse and even Staind. I need dark and gritty. When I wrote my November Blaze Winning moves which is love lost and found -- I did a lot of country music. 

TRB:   Any advice for aspiring writers?

LRJ: Never, ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do this. I had plenty who tried and if you don’t believe in you no one will. There are so many ways to get into this industry now that didn’t exist before. Find those options and get educated so you don’t get taken advantage of.

Doesn't Lisa just sound awesome! And what about her new book??!!  LOVE IT!!! I AM SOOOO excited for book 2!!

Lisa also has been gracious enough to offer a giveaway for my lovely readers!!

Through The Romance Bookie, Lisa is giving one lucky reader a boxed set of her bestselling Tall, Dark, and Deadly series (which you can read more about HERE!), a Yankee Candle, and 1 journal!  The journal is perfect for anyone looking to write something exciting, like in the case for the inspiration for Lisa's awesome novel If I Were You!!

Pretty awesome prizes right!! So just fill out the rafflecopter form below!! :)

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The Romance Bookie :)