A Coffee Date
with author and her editor, Holly West
“Getting to Know You”
Holly West (HW): What was the first romance novel you ever read?
Jennifer Honeybourn (JH): I’ve always been a big reader, so I can’t remember exactly what the first romance novel I ever read was, but Susan Elizabeth Phillips made a big impact on me when I was a teenager. I loved her books. (Still do.)
HW: Who is your OTP, your favorite fictional couple?
JH: I would have to say Anna Oliphant and Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I love love love both of those characters! But a very close second would be Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls.
HW: Do you have any hobbies? Other than writing, of course. I don’t think writing counts as a hobby when you are a published author.
JH: Reading. I would almost rather read than do anything else in life. There is nothing like getting lost in a really great book.
HW: In Wesley James Ruined My Life, Quinn dreams of visiting England. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you visit?
JH: So many places! I’d like to go back to Europe; there are a lot of countries there I have yet to see. I would also love to road trip through the southern U.S. And I am dying to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida.
HW: And my favorite question, if you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
JH: Probably time manipulation. It would be great to speed up time when I’m really impatient (like commuting in heavy traffic) or slow it down when something great is happening, like extending a moment you don’t want to end.
“The Swoon Reads Experience”
HW: How did you first learn about Swoon Reads?
JH: I came across Swoon Reads on Twitter, actually. I was following a bunch of literary agents and one of them retweeted Katy Upperman’s announcement for her book, Kissing Max Holden. Katy’s book was chosen by Swoon Reads, and I found the crowdsourcing model of discovering new books really interesting and exciting.
HW: What made you decide to post your manuscript?
JH: Well, as I write YA romance, I felt like my book might be a good fit with the Swoon Reads imprint. I don’t have an agent and the doors to traditional publishing are usually closed without one, so I really appreciated the opportunity to submit my book directly. I also loved that I would have the chance to get reader feedback on my manuscript.
HW: What was your experience like on the site before you were chosen?
JH: Posting on Swoon Reads was such a great experience. It’s a very supportive, positive community. And I really liked how Swoon Reads involved the readers, whether it’s through rating and commenting on manuscripts or voting on cover designs. Working with the Swoon Reads team behind the scenes has been just as wonderful. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it all.
HW: Once you were chosen, who was the first person you told and how did you celebrate?
JH: I told my husband and daughter. I may have jumped up and down a little (or a lot). Publishing a book has been something I’ve dreamed about my entire life, so I’m still wrapping my head around it (and still pinching myself).
“The Writing Life”
HW: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
JH: I think I was in the second grade. I’ve been writing off and on since then, but it’s only been in the past six years or so that I’ve dedicated myself to writing YA.
HW: Do you have any writing rituals?
JH: Not any rituals, really, but I do write on my phone quite a bit. Sometimes when life gets busy, I have to sneak writing in whenever and wherever possible and that often means ten or fifteen minutes on my phone. I can get a surprising amount done in those ten or fifteen minutes, if I need to.
HW: Where did the idea for Wesley James Ruined My Life start?
JH: I went to a Renaissance Faire a few years ago. I loved the atmosphere, the idea that these people participating in the Faire were so committed to dressing and acting like they were living in England five hundred years ago. I thought it would make a great setting for a book. And I wanted to write about two people who have feelings for each other, but who sometimes rub each other the wrong way, sort of in the vein of Sam and Diane from Cheers. (I know, I know! This totally dates me, but what can I say. I grew up in the eighties.)
HW: Do you ever get writer’s block? How do you get back on track?
JH: I don’t really get writer’s block, at least not for a long period of time. I think it’s because I write in my day job, so I’m used to deadlines and just getting it done. If I’m struggling with a scene, it often helps if I step away and move on to another part of the story and then go back to that scene later. Some days, if I’m tired or just not feeling creative, I take a walk or focus on something else and that usually helps me recharge.
HW: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever heard?
JH: Write what you want to read. I love YA books, so that’s what I write. I’ve tried to write in other genres, but nothing gets me as excited or seems to fit my voice as well as YA.
“The Swoon Index”
HW: On the site we have something called the Swoon Index where readers can share the amount of Heat, Laughter, Tears, and Thrills in each manuscript. Can you tell me something (or someone!) that always turns up the heat?
JH: A really well-written kissing scene! Jenn Bennett does love scenes very well in The Anatomical Shape of a Heart (one of my favorite books).
HW: What always makes you laugh?
JH: My daughter. She’s a naturally funny kid. Oh, and Ricky Gervais in the British version of The Office. British humor in general, actually.
HW: Makes you cry?
JH: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. That book, I can’t get through it without crying. And the movie Beaches destroys me every time.
HW: Sets your heart pumping?
JH: Anything that makes me feel connected to the world or another person—usually it’s something creative, like through a book, a movie, or a play.
HW: And finally, tell us all what makes you swoon!
JH: Happy endings!