Interview with Jen Winters

Author of Gob-Smacked

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

Originally I grew up in the desert Southwest, New Mexico and Arizona., but I’ve spent the last ten years in the Midwest.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

As a kid, my family spent a number of years moving throughout the southwest, but after I graduated high school, I spent about a decade in Texas. While I was there, my parents and brother moved to Nebraska, and after I started having children, I wanted to be close to them (I have a tight-knit family), so when the opportunity arose, I moved to Nebraska as well. Though now I don’t live too close to my family, I do still get to spend time with them every few months and my children have maintained their close relationship with their grandparents.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

My first book, Kissing Demons, came from the desire to be a stay at home parent. I had started reading paranormal romance as an adult just before my eldest was born and thought I could do that. It took about two years to write that book and it was a lot more difficult than I expected. My mother was the one who encouraged me to self-publish, and I am so very glad she did. At this point, I wouldn’t consider publishing any other way.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My books are primarily paranormal romance. My first duet, Kissing Demons and Falling Angels, lean heavily on the mythos from the ancient near east. My unfinished Dragonswan Sisters series explores a bit of Eastern mythology, and my most recent publication, Gob-Smacked, belongs in the fluffy-comedy-PNR category, and I write it specifically for my best-friend Veronica Del Rosa (also an author).

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

My fans are typically people who enjoy paranormal romance and urban fantasy. While I write to entertain, my goal is to bring the light of love into my reader’s lives. Before I started reading romance, I’d never read a book that helped me connect to my own emotions; I’d never read a book that made me feel like being a woman could be more than fantastic. I love romance because as a whole, the genre and all its subgenres empower the emotional voice of its readers. I want my books to show my readers that their emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being matter, which I think is the point of romance.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I’ve learned so much over the years that it’s difficult to pin down one thing. However, I think the most surprising thing for me is how many authors (aspiring and already published) have leaned on me during their own journeys. The author community is shockingly tight-knit. I’ve spent so many hours being the tack-board for tithed author’s story ideas and have helped flesh out plot lines that aren’t my own. I love being able to help an author realize their vision, and I love that I have friends who I can depend on for the same. I have mentored aspiring authors and alpha-read for prolific authors, and I can’t imagine what my life would be like now without those relationships.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Learn photoshop. Seriously. If I could do my own artwork…I have a book I want to insert manga-esque illustrations into and it’s a pipe dream unless I can get these dang YouTube drawing tutorials down, and then learn how to use GIMP or Photoshop to make my dream come true.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’d like to reach ALL THE PEOPLE!!! Actually, I want my readers to enjoy my books, so maybe not everyone everywhere…

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Ugh. I am terrible at the stick-to-it part. My current WIP count is ridiculous (50+), because I get really into some characters and write them out until about the last quarter of the book and then I just go on to the next set. I’ve actually written maybe 500k this year alone and have only finished two books, which I won’t be publishing until after I finish my current unfinished series. I have two pen names and haven’t finished the books I need to do for either of them as of yet.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

This is crazy, but I’m actually really good at editing. I know, authors hate editing, and I do too, but I’m really good at it when I buckle down and do it.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Marketing for sure. I don’t like doing the work, so I don’t. I have an email list and I depend on that almost exclusively for letting my readers know when I publish.

When do you think you will write your next book?

No doubt my next publication will be in February 2020. It will be the second Southwest Guthrie Crew book, and if I get it done, I may also put up the first of the Dragonswan Sisters full-lengths.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’m totally self-published and I wouldn’t ever publish any other way.