Interview with romantic suspense author Jacki Kelly

Romantic suspense author Jacki Kelly joins me today to chat about her new novel, In Pursuit of Perfection.

During her virtual book tour, Jacki will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Men and women have always sought the promise that only love can offer. Jacki invites you into an intriguing world where romance abounds around every corner and down every street. You’ll be amazed at the crazy things we do and don’t do for the promise of love.

Jacki has been writing since her fourth grade teacher made her keep a journal for a grade. Now she does it to keep track of all the fascinating and heartbreaking moments that life throws our way. Poetry, personal essays, short stories and novels have all occupied space in her heart and her hard drive.

Jacki lives in the northeast where the winters are too cold and the summers are warm. But, she wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else, well maybe for a fabulous house on the sunny sands of Miami Beach in February. Her loveable husband and adorable floppy eared dog endure her long periods behind the computer creating happy-endings for her amazing hero and heroines. Romance makes the world go round and Jacki is enjoying the ride.

Welcome, Jacki. Please share a little bit about your current release.
The next man in Macy Rollins’s life must be perfect. She’s had enough impostors and isn’t willing to settle for anything less. All she has to do is get through the company contract negotiation season and she will get that promotion she has been working so hard for. Avery Malveaux – one of Philadelphia’s most eligible bachelors – has been hired to work with her as legal counsel for the company. From the moment they are forced to work together tensions are high and expectations are low. He questions her ability, she questions his intentions. After Macy is suspected in an accounting shortage, she accuses Avery of betraying her confidence. Has she once again been deceived by a man she thought she could trust? Can she clear her name and win her job back? And can there be any hope for Macy’s pursuit of perfection.

What inspired you to write this book?

I worked in corporate America for several years and I learned sometimes it took more than just doing a good job to climb the corporate ladder. So I wanted to show a heroine juggling work, office politics and a relationship.


Excerpt from In Pursuit of Perfection:

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. All her thoughts whirled around the hurt little girl her father left standing in the doorway. That was the 202 area code number that kept showing up on her phone. She sighed. Brian had been too young to understand the destruction their father had caused. But she couldn’t forget, and she couldn’t forgive.

What exciting story are you working on next?

My next book drops later this year. It’s entitled Trouble in Paradise, it’s the second book in the Sebastian Island Series. I’ve also begun the next book in the Pursuit series – entitled In Pursuit of Payback. So I encourage your readers to be on the lookout for both.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started writing poems, then moved to short stories. This was all while I was still in grade school. I started believing I could be a writer when I started making up stories for my sister and me when we played with our dolls. Writing is something I’ve always done. In 2012, I decided to get serious and see if I could get a novel published.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’ve been a fulltime writer since 2015. I usually sit down at my desk after breakfast and try to get at least one thousand words on the page. In the afternoon, I’m doing writing-related tasks – reaching out to readers, social media, marketing or plotting a new story.

When I’m not writing, I’m reading or drawing. When the weather is perfect, I’ll get out on the golf course and smack the ball around with my husband.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

My interesting writing quirk is that I won’t let anyone read my books until I’m sure I know where the story is going. I also won’t give the book a title right away.  Usually I wait and see what strikes me mid-way through the book.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a journalist, but my mother wanted me to do something that would get me a job when I graduated from college. So like a good daughter, I studied Business Administration. Now, I’m in full pursuit of something I’m passionate about – writing.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog today!

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