Coffee with Tess Gerritsen
Coffee with Sandra Brown
Kensington Author Jennnifer Apodaca
KATE: Good morning, Jennifer. Welcome to Coffee with Kate. I'm thrilled to meet you.
JENNIFER: Thank you, Kate. I'm honored to be here and to meet you!
KATE: Thanks! Let's begin with you telling your fans what books you have out at the moment, and upcoming releases as well.
JENNIFER: Dating Can Be Murder, the first book in The Samantha Shaw Mystery series, is out in paperback this month. Dying To Meet You, the second book will be out in hardback May 2003.
KATE: Congrats! Would you care to tell us a bit about the books?
JENNIFER: Sure! Dating Can Be Murder starts off with Samantha Shaw going to work at her dating service and encountering a "client" who demands a half million dollars that he insists she stole from him. Sam has only days to find the money. In the second book Sam stumbles onto her friend's dead body and must find the killer before he finds her.
KATE: Sounds great! So these are obviously suspense books. I understand there's some terrific humor in them as well.
JENNIFER: Humor is a big part of the books. Sam is in the process of becoming pro-active in her life, and that attitude often gets her into hilarious situations. Plus, humor is a good way to relieve the stress in suspenseful situations. I have to say, though, that my books don't have the level of hot suspense that yours do! I loved Darkling, I Listen!
KATE: Thanks. I appreciate that. Yeah, that was rather a hot book.
JENNIFER: It's the truth! I heard that book talked about everywhere I went for months. Very hot. I loved it!
KATE: So how did you come up with the idea for the series?
JENNIFER: Well that was really a bit of a process. I loved the idea of creating a woman determined to control her own life after a bad marriage. It sort of grew out of that. And I love humor so that came naturally.
KATE: What sort of proactive changes does Sam go through in the book?
JENNIFER: She starts early in the book when she is faced with the man demanding money. Rather than relying on the police, she begins investigating with her PI friend to find out what was going on. By the way, the PI Friend is a male, a HOT male.
KATE: Oh, very good!
JENNIFER: I figured you'd like that! We do like to read about hot men!
KATE: So when and why did you decide to write novels? Something you had always wanted to do?
JENNIFER: I loved writing in high school, but set it aside. Later after I was married and had my children, my sister gave me her old computer. I started toying with writing books and was hooked. Completely hooked!
KATE: How long did you write before you sold your first book?
JENNIFER: I wrote for eight years. I wrote several historical romances that almost sold. The truth is that I have a more contemporary voice. The first mystery I wrote sold--and boy, was I surprised! It turns out that I'm better at murder than love!
KATE: Yeah, writing straight romances is a lot harder than people think. Don't you agree?
JENNIFER: I totally agree. The character development in romances is intense. It's a really good place to learn how to develop characters who grow and change.
KATE: Exactly! Has your family been supportive in this endeavor?
JENNIFER: Oh yes. They've been wonderful. My husband always believed in me and it turns out, is a good editor. I was pleasantly surprised at how good he is. Sadly my mom passed away before my first book was published, but she was my biggest fan before being published.
KATE: I'm so sorry to hear that. I know how important it is for a writer to have the support of family, especially the spouse. It is great that he's a terrific editor! We need that.
JENNIFER: Really important. We need to have a "team" in place to keep us focused. And you are right about needing good editors.
KATE: Did you land an agent before you began submitting your books?
JENNIFER: No. I sold without an agent and I still do not have one. I am going to get one soon, I think. It's not a path I recommend but it's worked for me.
KATE: Yeah, I'm on the fence when it comes to agents for new writers. While it might get you in the door a bit quicker, a good book is going to sell whether you have an agent or not.
JENNIFER: That's true. I think it's easier to get an editor's attention than an agent's. But it's a tough business and a good agent can really be an asset. A bad agent is another thing altogether.
KATE: That's the truth! There are a great many kooks out there passing as agents. You certainly won't have trouble finding an agent now!
JENNIFER: Thanks, I will be looking into getting an agent soon. And I know what you mean about kooks - there are some sharks posing as agents looking for easy prey.
KATE: So how many books can we expect in your series?
JENNIFER: Right now I am contracted for four books. I'm just beginning the fourth, and once I finish that, we'll see if the publisher wants more.
KATE: Who is your publisher?
JENNIFER: Kensington Publishing. They do a lot of mysteries, among other genres.
KATE: I'm very familiar with Kensington. Who is your editor?
JENNIFER: I started with Amy Garvey and am now with Kate Duffy. Love them both!
KATE: Ah, I know them both. I did a Christmas novella with Kate. She's a great editor.
JENNIFER: You did? That's great! I adore Kate, not only is she a great editor, but she has a killer sense of humor. Really wicked.
KATE: She's a hoot!
JENNIFER: She is! And she's a good woman to have in your corner. Not shy about getting what she or her authors want!
KATE: What is the toughest part of writing for you?
JENNIFER: Worry. I want to be really good and I can question every word I write. The idea of letting down readers is hard for me. I have to block all that out to write.
KATE: Yes, we're very tough on ourselves, aren't we? Always striving to be better and better. It never gets easier.
JENNIFER: I'm learning it gets tougher.
KATE: Do you have a set schedule when you write?
JENNIFER: I try to. I try to start first thing in the morning, or after I go to the gym and work until lunch. After that I do promotion or whatever has to be done, then back to writing until around dinner time. Of course, with kids there are all kinds of interruptions.
KATE: Yes, there are. Two of my kids were in diapers when I started writing. Now they're grown, married, and expecting babies of their own. I can't believe it.
JENNIFER: Wow! You are an amazing women. Kids in diapers are a full time job! I really admire how you have built your career. While you obviously have tons of talent, it takes a lot more than that!
KATE: Thanks. As you know, there are a great many sacrifices that go along with building a career. Do you enjoy the self promotion aspect of it?
JENNIFER: I'm slightly uncomfortable with self-promotion. I'm still in the process of figuring out what works for me. I love signings and chatting with people, but I'm not very good at sending out press releases and that kind of thing.
KATE: I'm understand. I'm a major introvert. It's still hard for me to meet new people even after 20 years.
JENNIFER: Really? I would imagine the people meeting you are a little awed. But it's nice to know that you feel that way too.
KATE: Are you interested in seeing your books made into movies?
JENNIFER: A reader from Sony Pictures was looking at it for her producer, but you know what a long shot that is. It would be fun to see the books made into movies, but my main interest is writing.
KATE: Do you find you write a bit from experience? Is there some of Jennifer in Sam?
JENNIFER: My husband swears Sam is me! Truthfully there is some of me in Sam. She's the woman I might have been if my life turned out differently. I've been happily married for 20 years, while Sam was in a bad marriage that ended when her husband died after thirteen years. Also my humor is prominent in the book. I have never flashed a thong though!
KATE: That's great!
JENNIFER: Thanks! Sam has a few...shall we say...underwear accidents!
KATE: Okay, Jen, this has been terrific fun. I wish you continued success and look forward to many more of your books.
JENNIFER: Thank you so much Kate! It's been a delight chatting with you!
KATE: You too! It has been real pleasure!
