SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: 'The Marriage Bargain' by Jennifer Probst

Today It is my Pleasure to welcome NYT and USA Today Bestselling Romance Author  Jennifer Probst  to HarlequinJunkie Romance Reviews.

First off, a huge thank you to Sara for having me here today. I have adored the previous interviews and love the site!

The List that started it all...

Hers :
1) A Mets fan,
2) loves books, art and poetry,
3) believes in monogamy,
4) wants children,
5) knows how to communicate with a woman,
6) loves animals,
7) has a morale code of ethics and believes in honesty,
8) a good lover
9) has a strong sense of family,
10) has $150,000 cash available.




His :
1) a woman who does not love me
2) a woman I do not desire to sleep with
3) a woman who does not have a big family
4) a woman who does not have any animals
5) a woman who does not want any children
6) a woman who has an independent career
7) a woman who will view the relationship as a business venture
8) a woman who is not overly emotional or impulsive
9) a woman I can trust


Tell us about the inspiration behind writing"The Marriage Bargain"

Jennifer: The writing inspiration behind The Marriage Bargain came from the idea of two characters who were forced to be together and wanted completely different things. I love pairing opposites and then slowly revealing how they fit to their happy ever ending. I wanted to write a funny, heartfelt romance that had a big family, animals, baseball and characters that would linger!

Sara: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Jennifer: Sure! I have two boys aged 5 and 7, two rescue dogs, and the normal chaotic house. I live in a small town in upstate New York that I adore, love reading, doing day trips with my family, and helping out at the local animal shelter. I hate cleaning and cooking and love drinking wine!

When did you first start writing? Did it take a long time to get your first book published?

Jennifer:I began writing when I was twelve years old and penned my first young adult romance. I then proceeded to read it to my friends who passed it around the school! I wrote three more young adults books, and in my early twenties, decided to write an adult romance and get it published. Unfortunately, it ended up with rejections – many very encouraging – and  I kept at it. I wrote four more manuscripts, then finally sold my original one five years later! So yes, it did take a while!

What is your call story? 

Jennifer:The editor called to say she wanted to buy Heart of Steel way back in the day, and I was at home at the time with my parents due to lack of money or something – ha ha! I got off the phone and told my mom and dad someone had bought my book. They knew I had wanted to be a writer forever but I don’t think they thought it could happen. So they looked at each other and said they didn’t believe me! I had to convince them I really sold my book and would get money for it – they kept asking me how much I was going to pay the company! Hysterical. Then I just sat on the front porch for the next hour because I didn’t believe it myself. Pretty great when one of your dreams come true!

Take us through a typical day in the life of “Author”

Jennifer:Coffee. Check email. Check twitter. Check rankings. Write. Change DVD for son. Make breakfast for son. Check email/twitter/facebook. More coffee. Phone call. Write. Make lunch for son. Break to play or read with son. Check email/twitter/facebook. Eat. More coffee. Check rankings. Write. Pick up second son. Write. Make dinner. Bathtime, reading, playtime, etc. Check rankings. Check email/twitter/facebook. Drink wine. Write. Put kids to bed.And repeat.

  

How do you conceive your plot ideas? How do you get inspired for it?

Jennifer:I am constantly inspired by people and real life situations. I listen to conversations, daydream a lot, and am fascinated with life. I don’t have a regular process, I just find an idea that sticks more than the others and I start writing. I also adore writing fresh ideas on the popular tropes.

 How did you choose the genre you write in?

Jennifer:It chose me. I was in love with romance my whole life. The genre inspired me to be a strong woman, believe in love, hope and good things in life. I wanted to write those type of stories that made people smile and sigh at the end. So, I never had to struggle with what I wanted to write, and even did my thesis for my master’s degree on the happily ever after endings in romance novels!

How long does it take you to write a book? Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Jennifer: Four months is comfortable for me depending on how it’s flowing. Yes, I do experience writer’s block but I just blast through it. It sucks and it’s hard but I have no time for it, so I write junk for a while to relaunch myself and usually I find myself writing past it. 

What are 4 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?

Jennifer: Sunglasses. Kindle. Pen. Lip gloss.

Would you rather be ugly and loved or beautiful and lonely? 

Jennifer: Ugly and loved.

Find true love or be filthy rich? 

Jennifer: true love

Invent an item that everybody uses or a song that everybody hums? 

Jennifer: a song, as long as I don’t have to sing it.

Have a relationship with someone 10 years younger or 10 yrs older? 

Jennifer:older, please. Yum.

Be sentenced to death or 50 yrs in jail? 

Jennifer:jail – I can plan my escape

Sing in the rain or dance in the streets dance 

Jennifer:Dance because I’m tone deaf

 If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you? 

Jennifer: Rachel McAdams. I just love her!

If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time? 

Jennifer: Eat, smoke, give away my money, write letters to my children for them to open up over the years so it felt like I was with them, travel, drink lots of wine, and be grateful for every damn minute I had here.

If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money? 

Jennifer: Give most of it to my friends and family, open up a huge animal shelter,  travel and have fun!

If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have? 

Jennifer: Parmesan peppercorn ranch! Nice and creamy and calories be damned!

Where is the most romantic place you've ever travelled?

Jennifer:Italy. Everything about the country calls to my soul and I can’t wait to go back.

Share one of your favorite indulgences with us.

Jennifer:Massage! I LOVE getting a massage, and I used to save furiously for that one indulgence. Oh, ha ha, let’s not forget shoes. I LOVE shoes!

What is your favorite recent Mills & Boon, Silhouette, or MIRA title by another author? 

Jennifer: I read two recently I really loved. Wendy S Marcus The Nurses Not So Secret Scandal. AND Aimee Carson’s How to Win the Dating War – both were awesome!

Where and how can readers connect with you? 

Jennifer: Don’t forget - stalking is always encouraged. For real.

Website and Blog: http://www.jenniferprobst.com

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2965489.Jennifer_Probst?origin=

Author Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/jenniferprobst.authorpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jenniferprobst

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