Jessica Dee Lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two sons. When she’s not crazily running after kids, cleaning the house, and putting in yet another load of washing, she loves to lose herself in her writing. As far as she’s concerned, there’s nothing better than that butterflies in tummy, breathless sense of falling in love. Having the luxury to spend her free time creating romance is a dream come true.

You can find out more about Jess at:
http://www.jessdee.com
or
http://www.myspace.com/writerjessdee

Jess’s latest book, Ask Adam, is due for release in September from Samhain Publishing:

Lexi Tanner’s facing a major dilemma: AJ Riley, the man she’s about to approach for a hefty donation, turns out to be the same man she unwittingly shared an incredible night of hot sex with less than a week ago. How can she now ask him for money without it seeming like he’s paying for sexual favours?

Adam Riley has a tragic past that prevents him from loving again. Yet Lexi Tanner’s threatening to break through all his previously erected barriers. What can Adam do to protect his battered heart, when all his instincts are telling him to give her a chance?

Welcome sensual romance author, Jessica Dee, to Love Romances & More. We are excited to have the opportunity to speak with you and learn more about your work.

Hi Dee. Thanx so much for inviting me to Love Romances. It’s great to be here.

How long have you been writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I’ve been writing seriously for about four years now. I’ve always loved the idea of being an author, but when I tried to write my first book, almost 20 years ago, I was truly clueless. The book was terrible! Fortunately, my skills have improved a bit since then. :-)

What influenced you to get published? How long did it take you to get your first book published?

At the same time I started writing Photo Opportunity I joined both the Romance Writers of Australia, and a writer’s critique group. The members of my critique group were extremely encouraging about submitting Photo Opportunity to a publisher, and RWAus provided the information I needed to go ahead and do it.

I am (unofficially) the world’s slowest writer. It took me over two years to write Photo Opportunity. However, it took only a month after submitting the book to before I was offered a contract. (Woo hoo!)

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

Spending time with my husband and kids. My boys are still young, so when there’s free time, we’re always busy doing family stuff  digging on the beach, playing cricket, lots of picnics outdoors with friends.

Often a writer’s first book is the toughest to write. Was this true for you? If so, what helped you get through it? If it wasn’t the first, which one was the most difficult to write? The easiest?

The toughest book I’ve written to date is the one I’m busy with. It’s way more dramatic than the rest, and the traditional “Happy Ever After” seems very far away at the moment. The main characters are enduring huge amounts of torture to be together.

The easiest was Visiting Paradise, a novella from the Boys Down Under Anthology (temporarily unavailable). Because it’s a short story, it didn’t take too long to write. Besides, it was such a blast working with the other Aussie authors, it took all the hard work out of the effort.

Do you usually outline your stories before you write, or do you "go with the flow"?

I go with the flow. I always have a basic idea in my head, and I work from there. If I do have an outline before hand, I find my characters don’t particularly like sticking to it. They’re all so stubborn and pig headed, they insist on doing their own thing. So the outcome is always different from my planned end.

Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?

YES! I am an avid reader! However, I get so little time nowadays, snuggling up with a good book is a real indulgence. My all time favorite romance writer is Karen Marie Moning. I absolutely love her Highlander series. Then there’s one of my favorite books ever, “the Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger. As far as anyone influencing my writing  I guess that would be have to be Silhouette Romance as a whole. When I was younger, I used to devour all their romances. They are the reason I started writing my own books.

Congratulations on your latest release in the anthology BOYS DOWN UNDER from Triskelion Publishing.

Thank you! Unfortunately…as of the 20th of June, we were informed that Triskelion is shutting it’s doors. And so, alas, for now, the anthology is unavailable.  **SIGH**

But we are searching for a new home for the book! We’ll keep you posted…

Could you tell us how this project came about; were you excited to be part of an anthology with so many talented authors?

Working on Boys Down Under was such a treat. I had a great time meeting, and writing with, the other Australian authors at Triskelion. We laughed a lot! The project all started when I tentatively mentioned the idea to Maggie Nash. From there it just steam rolled into existence. The four other authors have become wonderful friends and a great source of support. My favorite part of all is doing chats on the loops with the four of them. I spend the entire time laughing, because the girls just crack me up.

We worked so well together, we’re hoping to do another anthology soon. The problem is we’re all so snowed under, finding a time when we can all focus on the same project is almost impossible!

Your contribution to the BOYS DOWN UNDER anthology is VISITING PARADISE. Could you tell us a little about the story and its characters?

Ah, Joe and Beth. Beth has learned from past experience NOT to get involved with men she works for. However, Joe, her new boss, will stop at nothing to get what he wants  and he wants Beth. He’s secretly arranged for her to take a private, luxury cruise around the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. What Beth doesn’t know, is that Joe will be her captain  and the only other person on the yacht!

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY, which was also released by Triskelion publishing, is the first in a series about the Tanner siblings. Could you tell us a little about this sexy story and your plans for the series?

Oh, I am so glad you asked this question. There are such exciting things happening with these books!
Photo Opportunity and Ask Adam form a two-part series about the Tanner siblings, Daniel and Lexi.
Photo Opportunity is a fun, sexy tale about friends falling in love  and the lengths Daniel Tanner will to go to, to ensure his best friend, Amy Morgan, falls in love with him.
Ask Adam (available Sept 07 through Samhain Publishing) is a little more serious, and a lot hotter: Lexi Tanner’s facing a major dilemma: AJ Riley, the man she’s about to approach for a hefty donation, turns out to be the same man she unwittingly shared an incredible night of hot sex with less than a week ago. How can she now ask him for money without it seeming like he’s paying for sexual favors?

The VERY exciting news about Photo Opportunity, is that Samhain has agreed to re-publish it. I’m absolutely thrilled with the knowledge that Lexi and Daniel Tanner have found a home together at Samhain!!!
(Did I happen to mention how much I love Samhain???)

Your characters come to life in your books. Do you feel each of your characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over a part of your life? Can you name an example?

Oh, yes. The characters become so real to me. Often I’ll be somewhere, on the beach, for example, and just like that, I’ll see the characters from my current manuscript sitting/walking/standing next to me. I’ve even dreamed scenes from my books. Dreams so vivid, I have to write them down ASAP, so I can capture the feelings and atmosphere of the scene immediately!

Do you find it difficult at times to write love/sex scenes?

I used to! Until I started writing erotic romance. Before, I was never sure when to shut the bedroom door. Now, I love the freedom of not worrying about that. In fact, more often than not, there isn’t even a bedroom door to close (LOL). As long as I’m alone, and I don’t have to worry about anyone walking in while I’m immersed in writing a love scene, I have no problem.

Have you ever suffered from "writer’s block"? If so, what did you do to get out if it?

Often. But never in a big way. While I’m writing sometimes, I’ll just reach a point where I cannot think of another word to add. It is SOOOO frustrating. But then I‘ll usually take a break, do something completely different, and come back refreshed. Or I’ll try write the scene from another character’s perspective. That often breathes new life into the book.

Your work so far has been in the contemporary romance genre. If you could write and publish any genre of book, what would it be?

I used to think I’d enjoy writing fantasy. But honestly, I’d feel compelled to go into so much detail and explanation, the books would just be boring. I’m enjoying contemporary so much right now, I haven’t even thought about trying another genre for a while.

Are you working on anything right now? Can you tell us a teaser about these projects?

Oh, yes! I’m half way through the second book of a two-part series about three close friends.
A little teaser hmmm? Okay:

Katelyn Rosewood is facing a moral dilemma. He’s six-foot-two, sexy as sin…and he’s her fiancé’s best friend. Tyler Bonnard is back in Sydney, and Katie’s carefully reconstructed world is about to turn upside down.

Please wish me luck with this series. It’s different from anything I’ve written before, and I hope Samhain will like it. **GULP**

Any final advice to aspiring authors?

Only one thing: Have fun. Writing is a wonderful way to spend your time. Enjoy every minute of it!

Thank you so much for spending time with us at Love Romances and More. We wish you the greatest success in all of your future endeavors.

Thank you so much for having me!