Interview with author Jamie Wesley and Giveaway

Meet Jamie Wesley, author of Tell Me Something Good.

Jamie Wesley has been reading romance novels since she was about 12 when her mother left a romance novel, which a friend had given her, on the nightstand. Jamie read it instead, and the rest is history.

She started her first manuscript, a contemporary romance, after she graduated from Northwestern University in 2002 and couldn't find a job. Life got in the way as it often does, i.e. she found a job, and she didn't finish the story. However, she never forgot about it and finally got serious about completing it in 2009. She’s been writing ever since.

Jamie holds a master’s degree in sport management (yes, that's a real thing :-) ) from the University of Texas at Austin, so it probably comes as no surprise that she loves sports and spends an inordinate amount of time rooting for her hometown Dallas’s pro sports teams and her alma maters.

She also adores Walt Disney World, shopping, and pop culture. Want to know if your favorite TV show is going to be canceled or what the newest Disney attraction is? Ask Jamie. She'll probably know the answer.

Find Jamie at:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
Hi! I’m Jamie Wesley. I love romance novels, sports, TV, and 80s movies, especially teen movies. And Disney World. Mustn’t forget the mouse. French fries are my favorite food. I hate cheesecake.

Did you always want to be a writer?
I’ve always loved writing whether it was fiction or nonfiction. When I was a kid, I had the great idea to write a book called Riches to Rag about a kid whose family loses all their money, and he has to adjust to his new normal. I never wrote it, which bums me out, but I was always proud of that title. Lol. When I was in high school, I decided to take journalism and join the school paper because that’s what Elizabeth from Sweet Valley High did. True story. I had the idea to write a romance after I graduated from college, but didn’t get serious about it until seven years later.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
I’m a pantser. I have a general idea of the plot before I start writing. For instance, I came up with the central idea of TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD before I started it. What if two radio show hosts who don’t like each other are forced to do a show together? I have a general idea of who the characters are before I start.

However, I could never be a full-out plotter because my creativity opens up as I write not as I think about what I’m going to write. If I plot too much, I get frustrated when I can’t think of what happens next. I just trust myself that what happens next will come to me as I write. So far so good!

Where do your ideas come from?
I love pop culture and sports, so I’m always on the lookout for story ideas from those worlds. TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD came about because I heard the song on the radio and thought it would be a great title for a book.

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
What do you do when you don’t get along with your new SMOKING HOT radio talk show cohost? Kill him? Or kiss him?

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
Contemporary romances are my favorite. Make me laugh, make me fan myself from the hotness, and make me root for the characters and/or want to shake some sense into them because I care about them so much. Do all of that and I am yours.

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
I’ll say it’s It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. It was the first sports romance I ever read, and it opened up a whole new world for me. Before that book, it had never occurred to me that you could combine my two loves – sports and romance – in one book. And it did all of the things I mentioned in the above question.

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
Probably love scenes, but not because I’m embarrassed by them. Far from it. By the time I get to them, I’m usually like “It’s about time!” But they are hard because I want to make sure I properly convey the emotion of the scene. These scenes aren’t just about the act. They’re about revealing where the characters are emotionally with each other and internally at that point in the story. I want the scenes to be hot, but also meaningful.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Only 3?!
Maya Angelou – She led such a fascinating life, but never lost her zeal for it or her desire to learn.
Louisa May Alcott – I loved Anne of Green Gables as a kid, and I would love to talk about how she came up with Anne Shirley.
Ann M. Martin – I credit The Babysitters Club for turning me into a reader. I loved those girls and the fact that there were so many books! I could just keep reading and reading…

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
Yes, the book I’m working on features one of the secondary characters from Tell Me Something Good.

Do you remember the book or author that turned you into a reader or specifically a romance reader?

Two radio show hosts. One show. Who will come out on top?

In a moment of restlessness, Tate Grayson sold his multimillion-dollar company and spun his love of sports into a radio talk show. Life, and love, is too short to take seriously—a fact he enjoys rubbing in uptight radio host Noelle Butler’s face.

After the death of her parents, a tragedy she blamed on herself, Noelle vowed to live a controlled, focused life. Now a psychologist, she channels her need for connection into her radio show. But when the arrogant sportscaster next door tells listeners men shouldn’t get married, she’s all too happy to yank the silver spoon out of his overprivileged mouth.

Their heated on-air arguments are a hit, but when the station director forces them to do a joint show for two weeks, Tate and Noelle object. They can’t stand each other, despite the attraction sizzling beneath every interaction. But if they can’t pull the struggling radio station back from the brink, they’ll lose their jobs. Or worse, their hearts.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 Kindle (US ONLY)
• 1 eBook copies of Entangled's August Lovestruck Titles

To Enter: 

• Please answer Jamie's question: Do you remember the book or author that turned you into a reader or specifically a romance reader?
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Jamie Wesley for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.

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