Before I had the privilege of calling Jayne Ann Krentz my friend, I used her as my invisible mentor. She guided me through my long journey to publication. I even used her fabulous book Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of Romance for the basis of a paper I did in college (got an A!). From Jayne I learned the value of finding one’s core story and keeping one’s sense of humor.
Here’s a brief conversation she never knew we had.
Q. Jayne, do you really think I can make it as a writer?
A. ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY.
Q. Really?
A. Yes,TRUST ME.
Q. Sometimes I’m not sure I have what it takes.
A. Don’t worry Dara, you have HIDDEN TALENTS.
Q. But I’ve had so many rejections.
A. DON’T LOOK BACK.
Q. Sometimes being a writer can be so overwhelming. There’s so much to do (besides write), how do you keep your business running?
A. You’ve got to find PERFECT PARTNERS.
Q. At times the industry likes to indulge in such doom and gloom about the future. How do you handle all the dark clouds?
A. I look at the SILVER LININGS.
Q. You’ve had a long and varied career. What keeps you going?
A. GRAND PASSION. Doubting yourself is DANGEROUS. Balancing your drive and fear will create HARMONY.
Q. Any more advice?
A. Do your homework. Some people in this industry are SLIGHTLY SHADY.
Thanks Jayne!
For those die hard Jayne fans I’m sure you spotted her many titles in my answers (for those new to her
work, the words in capitals are titles of her books under her three different names: Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle). Her newest release (out now!) is COPPER BEACH the first book in her new Dark Legacy series.
Find out more about this book and other upcoming releases on her website or visit her on Facebook.