The Writing Life of: Jennifer Joyce
Jennifer Joyce
This week I am thrilled to be interviewing author Jennifer Joyce. Jennifer will be sharing with us details of her writing life, telling us all about her latest book ‘The Accidental Life Swap‘, which was released on 1st September 2019 and answering a few fun questions too. This post contains affiliate links.
Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Accidental Life Swap is out now.
1) As a child did you have a dream job in mind?
I always wanted to be a writer but I toyed with the idea of being a beauty therapist as a teenager (and even enrolled on a college course) even though I can’t stand feet – not ideal when pedicures are part of the job!
2) Who was your favourite childhood author (s)?
My favourite childhood book is The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann (and I still read it now. We have four copies of the book in the house – two are mine and my daughters have a copy each).
3) Was there a particular point in your life that you realised you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always scribbled down bits of stories, from as far back as I can remember, but when I was around ten, a teacher took my class to our local library, where a children’s author was doing a talk. As I sat there listening to him talk about his ideas book, I realised that one day I could be an author too. It became The Dream from then.
4) What is your average writing day like? Do you have any special routines, word count, etc?
I write on the sofa, usually with my Jack Russell sleeping next to me. Mornings are when I crack on with my latest writing project, but my motivation has usually dipped by lunchtime, so I’ll do other writing-relating things in the afternoon – updating my blog, scheduling newsletters etc.
5) How many books have you written? Any unpublished work?
I’ve had ten books published, but I wrote many, many cringe-worthy manuscripts before then!
6) Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Definitely a plotter. Sometimes I have a brief outline of what I want to write, other times I’ve plotted the entire book, down to individual chapters or even scenes. Characters and storylines don’t always stay on track, but I don’t mind that as I can always adjust my plans, but I do like to know when I start a book that I can see it through to the end.
Concerning your latest book:
Publisher – HQ
Pages – 384
Release Date – 1st September 2019
ISBN 13 – 978-0008348687
Format – ebook, paperback, audio
Sometimes one moment can change your life forever…
Rebecca Riley has always been a bit of a pushover. When her glamorous boss, Vanessa, asks her to jump, she doesn’t just ask how high… she asks if her boss would like her to grab a coffee on the way back down!
So whilst overseeing the renovation of Vanessa’s beautiful countryside home, the last thing Rebecca ever expected was to be mistaken for her boss – or that she would even consider going along with it!
Far away from the bustling city and her boss’s demanding ways, could she pretend to be Vanessa and swap lives, just for a little while?
7) How did you go about researching the content for your book?
I used Google a lot. Google is my friend.
8) How long did it take to go from ideas stage to writing the last word?
From plotting out the book to sending the manuscript back to my editor for the last time was around eight months.
9) How did you come up with the title of your book?
It was my editor who came up with the title, which is much better than the working title I had, very briefly.
10) Can you give us an insight into your characters?
Rebecca Riley is a major pushover, whether it’s her horrid flatmate helping himself to the groceries he never bothers to buy himself, or her demanding boss who constantly overlooks her skills. When Rebecca is mistaken for her boss, Vanessa, she knows she should rectify the situation. But she starts to enjoy the power ‘Vanessa’ wields and decides to go along with the subterfuge for just a little while…
11) What process did you go through to get your book published?
The Accidental Life Swap is my tenth book – and my seventh with HQ Digital – so I was able to submit the idea to my editor. Before publishing with HQ Digital, I self-published two novels (plus a third later on, as it’s part of a series).
12) What’s next for you writing wise?
I’m working on my eleventh book, which will be a festive rom com.
Fun Questions
1) If you could have any super power for the day which would you choose?
I’d love to be able to pause time, mainly so I could sneak in a bit more sleep when the alarm clock goes off!
2) Do you have any pets?
I have a dog called Luna, who is my writing companion.
3) If you decided to write an autobiography of your life, what would you call it?
‘My Fictional Characters Are Much More Interesting’.
4) Your book has been made into a feature film and you’ve been offered a cameo role, which part would you choose, or what would you be doing?
There are loads of delicious cakes in The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I’d be a customer, stuffing my face in the background.
5) Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Florida, in the autumn or winter so it isn’t too hot.
6) A baseball cap wearing, talking duck casually wanders into your room, what is the first thing he says to you?
‘You need to hire a cleaner.’
I would like to say a big thank you to Jennifer Joyce for sharing with us details of her writing life and for a wonderful interview.
Author links
Nice, love your interview.
Thank you, Elizabeth 🙂
She sounds fun and currently has a free book on her Amazon listing – I just snagged it.
Great interview!
Great interview. Thanks for sharing.
Awwww! Her puppy is adorable!
Great interview. Cute puppy.
Wonderful interview and I loved your review for The Accidental Life Swap so much I bought a copy.
Great post and a great interview Jennifer Joyce and her book are new to me, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.