Interview with Judi Fennell, author of Magic Gone Wild & Giveaway (US/Canada)

I’ve got an interview with Judi Fennell, author of Magic Gone Wild, for you all today.  Yesterday I posted my review of Magic Gone Wild (my review) and as usual I really enjoyed Judi’s imagination and story telling.  It’s a great read for those who like romance mixed with some hanky panky and magic!  I hope you enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the giveaway at the end of the post as well.

Hi Judi, welcome back to Peeking Between the Pages again! I always love having you here. To start off today can you tell us a bit about your newest book, Magic Gone Wild, which was just released at the beginning of August?

JF: Hi and thanks so much for having me back! Magic Gone Wild is the story of an inept-but-trying genie with a heart of gold who can’t seem to make things happen the way she wants them to. Especially when it comes to falling in love. Or cleaning the house. Or fixing Zane’s family’s reputation. But when Zane Harrison kisses her, she realizes that love is all the magic she needs.

I love the Bottled Magic series, which Magic Gone Wild is a part of… It’s one of my favorites! Where did you get your inspiration for this series?

JF: A few years ago when I was shopping my Mer series to publishers, I’d wanted to have another series in mind in case Rod and Reel and their sisters didn’t get picked up. It’s always good to have more ideas in the works. So I thought about what I like to read or watch on TV and I always came back to the sitcoms of my childhood: Bewitched, The Addams Family, and I Dream of Jeannie. There were already a fair number of witch books, I couldn’t figure out how to make Gomez Addams sexy (that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped trying!), but not many people had done genies. And, seriously, was there any young girl who wasn’t half in love with Major Anthony Nelson? That was a no-brainer. When I started thinking about the first book, all I could hear was the Indiana Jones theme (and, yes, Harrison Ford might have had something to do with that–you do see Zane’s last name, right?). So I decided the overall theme to the series would be “I Dream of Jeannie meets Indiana Jones.” My publisher, editor and the director of sales loved it and, voila! The series was born.

What made you want to become a writer, Judi?

JF: I get this question a lot and have tried to analyze the answer, but, really, it comes down to: you don’t want to become a writer; you are a writer. Writers write and before I even knew what a writer was (and that you could make a career out of it), I wrote. I have stories from elementary school. Every year, I’d write fantastical stories about talking rabbits or mystical men who lived in the sewers with zebra-striped alligators. What made me start writing with the idea of becoming a money-earning author was the very simple (or complex, depending on your take) fact that a story popped into my head one day about 9 years ago and wouldn’t leave me alone. Actually, the characters wouldn’t shut up until I started to put them down on paper. Once one story started, the next started coming, and, luckily, they haven’t stopped.

Do you have any set routines of when you like to write or where? Do you have a special spot where you do your best thinking?

JF: I don’t have that luxury. I write whenever and wherever I can. Right now, I’m writing this interview 35,000 feet in the air in some wicked turbulence coming home from a conference. I wish I could say that I write for X amount of hours every morning sitting in my favorite coffee shop then go off or a spa day and a two-martini lunch. Sadly, that doesn’t happen.

Can you share with us a bit about your other books, Judi?

JF: I have my Mer series, which readers have called the Tritone Trilogy, but I’m hoping it doesn’t remain a trilogy. There are two other siblings in the Tritone family and I have started their books, plus at least one more character who’s talking to me. More recently, book 1 in the Once-Upon-A-Time Romance series became available. Beauty and The Best is a light paranormal contemporary romance about personal-chef-by-day/aspiring-romance-author-by-night Jolie and reclusive, widowed artist Todd Best who hasn’t been able to paint since the death of his wife. But with the help of a guardian-angel-turned-kitten, Jonathan, these two find their happily-ever-after. Book 2, If The Shoe Fits, should be out in late September. And, at the end of this month, book 1 in the BeefCake, Inc. series, BeefCake & Cupcakes, will be out: Magic Mike has nothing on Gage and his guys. Even baker Lara agrees, but she’s not sure what a guy like him could see in a woman like her–unless he’s only after her cupcakes. I also have a series of birthday-gift themed erotic romance short stories available under the name Raven Morris. The first in the Tied with a Bow series, JACKED, is available free online.

Do you have a favorite book or character from all the books you’ve written?

JF: Each book is like a child: you like them for certain things, don’t like the for others, but always love them. And just like with kids, you really can’t pick a favorite. I love all my heroes the best as I write them—which is a good thing because if I don’t love them, how can I expect readers to? And, of course, I love my heroines. And the secondary characters are always fun to write—mainly because those are typically the characters for the author’s sarcasm/humor to come through. It’s where I get to say things that just wouldn’t be appropriate for the H/h to say and it’s very freeing.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

JF: Be with my family. But they’re getting older now and don’t want to hang out with mom so much, so that’s tough. A bit of a transition. I have a group of girlfriends who have been getting together once a week every week for the past 12 years, so I do that. But I find I’m doing a lot more writing as readers are asking for more stories. It truly is a labor of love.

Finally, what’s next, Judi? A new series or a return to an old one? I’m always excited to see what world you’ll create next!

JF: Well, if you see above for the new series that are releasing, you’ll have new stories to explore. The problem I’m running in to now, is that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want! But I’m trying hard…

Thanks for being here today Judi and taking the time to answer all my questions!

JF: My pleasure. Thanks, again, for having me and I’m so glad you’re enjoying my work!

About Magic Gone Wild

Every Time She Uses Magic Something Goes Terribly Wrong…
Vana wishes she hadn’t dropped out of genie training. Now she’s determined to get a grip on both her genie magic and her life. But the harder she tries to fix things for her intriguing new master, the more she drives him crazy…

Except There’s Nothing Ever Wrong About Him…
Pro–football player Zane Harrison finally has control of the family estate and is determined to put to rest his grandfather’s eccentric reputation. Until he discovers that behind all the rumors is a real, live genie who stirs feelings in him he’s never known before. The more Zane tries to help Vana harness her powers, the more her madcap magic entangles his heart…

Buy at: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N, and IndieBound

About Judi Fennell

Judi Fennell is the award-winning author of six light paranormal romances, including a trilogy of Mermen-inspired love stories, and three genie-inspired romances. Wild Blue Under won the PRISM Award for Best Light Paranormal from the Paranormal Chapter of Romance Writers of America. A former corporate meeting and convention planner, Judi now writes full time around the hectic schedules of her husband and teenagers. She lives in suburban Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please visit http://www.judifennell.com.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Magic Gone Wild byJudi Fennell up for grabs.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do just let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
• For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, September 1/12.  Good luck!

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