IndieView with Jenna Ives, author of Snow White and Her Seven Lovers

I think every writer borrows traits from people we know. The trick is not to let them recognize themselves in the character or they might get upset with you!

Jenna Ives 21 June 2012

The Back Flap

What’s a girl to do when she wakes up poisoned in the ER and finds that she’s lost her memory, her family, and very nearly her life?

That was me. Three months ago. With no identity, no money, and nowhere to go on the day I was discharged from the hospital, I gratefully accepted my gorgeous ER doctor’s offer to move in with him and his equally gorgeous six friends – the ones who’d found me unconscious in an apple orchard. My plan was to stay until my memory returned, and I could figure out who I was and if someone really had tried to kill me.

Together with Doc, these were an amazingly diverse bunch of guys, but there was something about each of them that attracted me powerfully enough to want to explore it. The policeman with his clever handcuffs. The cunningly linguistic librarian. The disciplinarian teacher. The virgin computer whiz who loved to play sex games. The engineer who created shotgun orgasms. The wildly imaginative baker.

Becoming intimate with these seven men completed me in ways I suspected discovering my name never would. That is, until the fateful day a man showed up claiming to be my fiancé…

About the book

What is the book about?

My latest is an erotic novella called Snow White And Her Seven Lovers, a modern-day retelling of the classic fairy tale, with lots of humor and a very sexy twist.

The amnesiac heroine is the victim of a failed murder attempt. When she’s discharged from the hospital still with no memory, she has to create a new life for herself.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing the book in early 2011, before I knew 2012 was going to be the Year Of Snow White, with movies like Mirror Mirror (Julia Roberts, Lily Collins) and Snow White And The Huntsman (Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron).  Releasing the book in 2012 was a no-brainer!

 How long did it take you to write it?

I’m pretty much a chapter-a-week girl, so since this story is a novella, it took me about three months.

 Where did you get the idea from?

I think I originally started writing it after a “call for submissions” by Samhain Publishing for a fairy tale anthology.  It didn’t make the cut at Samhain, so I self-published it.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled? 

Believe it or not, no. The most fun I had writing this book was coming up with believable “day jobs” for Snow White’s seven guys, and I think their professions really work well for the characters.  I had my critique group partners laughing for three solid months while they were reading my chapters.

What came easily?

Well, the character Doc was the easiest, since he was the doctor who saved Snow White’s life after she was she was brought to the ER poisoned.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I think every writer borrows traits from people we know. The trick is not to let them recognize themselves in the character or they might get upset with you!

 We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

My tastes are very eclectic. I read just about everything, but the one thing I’ve learned from all my favorite authors is: story is all. Tell a good story, and readers will find you.

 Do you have a target reader?  

Since I write mostly erotic romance, my target readers tend to be women. And the biggest compliment I get from my female fans is that “their husbands are very happy,” which means I’m, um, writing the sexy parts really well!!

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I still have a day job, so I don’t have a set writing process in terms of time or place. Most of my writing is done on the weekends, or whenever I can carve out some time in the evenings.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences? 

I’m a ‘pantser’ not a ‘plotter.’  I know how the story starts and ends, but I usually write by the seat of my pants. Plotting tends to take the fun out of writing for me. However, sometimes when I get stuck I really, really wish I’d been born a plotter.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished? 

I usually edit as I go. I know most writers say ‘just get the story out’ before worrying about editing or polishing, but I’m loath to give my critique partners rough pages.

Did you hire a professional editor? 

No, I edit the story myself. I come from a television news background, so I’m a pretty good editor. (And obsessive about grammar stuff.)

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I’m ‘old school’ when it comes to writing. I need absolute quiet and a place where no one will bother me. It’s so hard to get in ‘the zone’ when writing that I don’t want to do anything that might interrupt it!

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I already have an agent.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I’m dipping my toe in the indie waters with Snow White And Her Seven Lovers.  Up until now I’ve been traditionally published (I also write under another name).  I have a full length novel that I may indie publish as well (since it was rejected by NY publishers), but I’d like to keep a foot in both traditional and indie publishing.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself? 

I had the cover for Snow White And Her Seven Lovers professionally done.  I picked out the stock photo picture of my ideal Snow White, but the cover artist did the rest. I’m very happy with my cover.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I’m trying to be systematic about marketing.  I’ve submitted Snow White And Her Seven Lovers for reviews, I’ve done guest blog posts, contests, tie-ins with the two Snow White movie releases, etc.  Every time I see an opportunity for publicity I try to take advantage of it.  I have 14 incredibly positive reviews just on amazon.com alone!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?  

I think the most successful indie authors right now are the ones with big backlists, so just keep writing and putting out books!  If a reader likes you, they’ll want to read more.  That said, I think the incredible phenomenon of indie publishing will also allow authors with non-traditional stories (stories that would not necessarily be contracted by traditional publishers) to also achieve success, by reaching readers directly. The publishing industry is undergoing a seismic shift right now, and I’m awed by the power of self-publishing.

About You

Where did you grow up?

New York

Where do you live now?

Near Orlando, with a dozen fabulous years spent in Southern California in between.

What would you like readers to know about you? 

I love writing erotic romance. There’s nothing better than a reader telling me her love life/relationship has benefitted from reading one of my stories! That said, I write under a pseudonym so that my poor mother (who used to read sweet Barbara Cartland romances) won’t have a heart attack over how sexy modern romances have become.

What are you working on now?

I have an erotic romance called The Initiation Of Isabella that readers might enjoy.  It’s a case of mistaken identity that fulfills all of one lucky woman’s fantasies! You can read an excerpt on my website.

End of Interview:

For more, visit Jenna’s website.

Snow White and Her Seven Lovers can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.