The Edge of Sanity by Jenna Byrnes

We’d like to welcome Jenna Byrnes to our interview blog this week. A very talented author, Jenna was one of our first interracial erotic writers. Her works include Edge of Sanity, which started as a chapter book series, and a story in Dream by the Fire anthology. She’ll have you sitting on the edge of your seat and reaching for your significant other at the same time. (grin)

Welcome, Jenna.

Thanks for having me today, Marci!

FB: What was your inspiration for Edge of Sanity?

Jenna: Romantic suspense has always been my favorite genre. I fancy a little mystery with my love stories. So naturally, I write what I like to read. I don’t recall a specific inspiration for Edge, just an idea rattling around in my head, a story that needed to be told.

FB: Joss is a strong woman, but Jake is a little put off by her at first. I find this interesting because he thinks her a little odd, and it seems to me that whenever someone does not conform to convention, that is how people react. What changes his mind?

Jenna: At first Joss comes across as strange because she claims her house is haunted. Jake gets a front row seat to the next scary chain of events, and his mind changes rather quickly. He’s also quite smitten with the woman, and we all know what that does to a person!

FB: Are there any aspects of Joss’s character that you wish you had more of?

Jenna: Joss is stubborn, strong in some ways, and delicate in others. I think it’s a nice combination. I could probably use another dose of self-confidence.

FB: Other than great fun to read, is there a message in this book you would like readers to walk away with?

Jenna: No message, as such, unless it’s that things aren’t always as they seem. That’s the best part of writing a suspenseful story- the twists and turns taken to reach the end.

FB: Would Joss or Jake like to add anything?

Jenna: Jake’s not real big on interviews and publicity type stuff, so he politely declines. He’s pretty busy these days, remodeling the house and taking care of Joss who’s expecting twins!

“High Maintenance” - Dream by the Fire anthology a story by Jenna Byrnes

FB: In “High Maintenance,” the story in Dream by the Fire, you touch on the subject of social class, or what some people perceive as class (To me, class has little to do with money and everything to do with the way a person handles themself.), and the stigma of weight and the expectations laid upon a woman and what this can do to her psyche. Again, you use the differences to show the humanity of your characters as well as a social commentary without hitting us over the head. There’s also a twist at the end, but I won’t divulge that because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. What inspired this story?

Jenna: Striving for something different, I guess. BBW heroines are becoming more in vogue, but traditionally, the heroines in romance are beautiful and tiny. I wanted to show that a woman could be more rotund, and just as sexy, even if she doubts herself. The issue of social class was a fun touch to throw in. I love messing with people like Deidre’s mother, who was concerned that her daughter was dating a ‘maintenance man’. It’s always fun to see people like that get set straight- or to know that other people are on to them, and they eventually will be set straight.

FB: Joss and Deidre, “High Maintenance’s” heroine, have strength of character in common. Do you relate to either of them more than the other?

Jenna: I can probably relate to Deidre more, since I’ve never been a tiny person. *grin* That’s a tactful way to put it, isn’t it?

FB: LOL Is there any one thing that influences your writing than anything else?

Jenna: My mood is the only real influence on my writing. Music, other things I’ve read, and people watching are all factors, but everything depends on the old mood.

FB: Are there any other genres you’ve considered trying?

Jenna: I really feel like I’ve tried all the genres I’m interested in. Most of the stories I write these days feature gay characters, I still write some hetero and have written some lesbian stuff. I’ve done paranormal with shifters and ghosts, both were a lot of fun. I’m not a fan of historical and am so-so about science fiction, so those are areas I shy away from.

FB: What are you currently working on?

Jenna: I’m writing a gay romantic suspense novel at the moment, and co-authoring the third book in a series with my friend and writing partner Jude Mason. The latest news can be found on my website, listed below.

Now for some fun questions:

FB: What about writing life/being an author took you by surprise?

Jenna: The amount of time it takes to handle the business end of things. Promotion and getting my name out there takes far more time than writing!

FB: Where did your journey as a writer begin?

Jenna: If you don’t count the notebooks I filled up in 5th grade, then probably about fifteen years ago when I decided to write in my spare time. That first novel started out as a 120,000 word tome and was eventually published as a 30K novella. Since then, I’ve learned to write tight! I began seriously attempting to get published in 2005 and saw my first book come out in 2006.

FB: If you could be any one, fictional or real, who would you want to be? Why?

Jenna: I’d have to take a pass. I’m a fairly realistic person. I know that everyone has issues, and the grass is always greener on the other side. I recall the old tale about a group of people who were able to throw their problems into the center of a room and choose out any problem they wanted. Almost everyone ended up taking their own problem back. So, rather than flippantly say I’d like to be Julia Roberts or Joan of Arc (um, that would be a bad choice, wouldn’t it?) I think I’m happier saying I’d rather be myself.

FB: Of the following men, which one (or two) would you like to see in his birthday suit: Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, or Johnny Depp?

Jenna: Hmm, no George Clooney? Antonio Banderas, then. I love a dark-haired man with a three day beard growth. And if I could choose two, I’d go with Denzel. Yum!

FB: You know, I didn’t think of George Clooney, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the running. He’s certainly hot enough. LOL Any last words? Um, for the interview, that is. (grin)

Jenna: I’ll end with a quote from my bio. This really sums up how I feel about writing.

Jenna thinks everyone deserves a happy ending, and loves to provide as many of those as possible to her gay, lesbian and hetero characters. Her favorite quote, from a pro-gay billboard, is “Be careful who you hate. It may be someone you love.”

Thanks for having me here today, and I hope everyone will check out my books among all the wonderful listings at Freya’s Bower!

You can find out more about Jenna by visiting her website and her blog.

Jenna Byrnes’s Freya’s Bower books:

“High Maintenance” - Dream by the Fire anthology a story by Jenna Byrnes

Edge of Sanity by Jenna Byrnes

This entry was posted on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 1:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.