Sunday, August 30, 2009

Jill Sorenson - Day 1

Please welcome fantastic author, Jill Sorenson, to the island!

Jill Sorenson was born in a small town in Kansas, but she moved to San Diego with her family when she was twelve. After twenty years, she hasn’t lost her appreciation for sunny weather, her love for the Pacific Ocean, or her fascination with Southern California culture. She still lives in the most beautiful place on earth, San Diego, and currently holds the best job in the world, writing romance novels. When she isn’t daydreaming about characters or chasing after her adorable daughters, Jill enjoys going to the beach and taking long walks with her husband.

(Katie Reus) Please tell us a little about the genre you write and why you love it.


(Jill Sorenson) I love all kinds of romance and read across the genre, but I write romantic suspense because I think it fits my voice. I like a certain amount of realism, and I’m attracted to the thrill ride aspect of two people falling in love amidst danger. Maybe I’m a bit of a sadist, because I always torture my characters. They have to go through a hellish ordeal to get an HEA.


(KR) Your first single title was featured in Cosmo. That’s got to be huge for any author! How tumultuous was your writing journey? Did you get a lot of rejections before receiving ‘the call’?


(JS) Thanks for mentioning that! Yes, the Cosmo feature was a very lucky break. Second only to being offered a contract with Bantam Dell in the first place! I think most authors would say the journey is tumultuous. Getting published is difficult. We have demanding day jobs, growing families. I collected dozens of rejections, and wrote five complete manuscripts before I got my first offer.


(KR) What would you say has been your most significant accomplishment as a writer?


(JS) Good question! I’m not a fast writer, so finishing a novel always feels like an accomplishment. Finishing Set the Dark on Fire was probably the most significant. I started it in 2007, just after my second daughter was born. She was a difficult baby (constant ear infections), and it was a tough year for our family.


Of course, I’m also proud of my other books. Readers have responded really well to Crash Into Me, so that’s very satisfying. It makes my day when I get an email from a fan. A few months ago, Maya Banks contacted me to say that she loved Dangerous to Touch, my debut for Silhouette Romantic Suspense. It blew me away!


(KR) What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?


(JS) Getting rejected. Still happens, still hurts.

Amen to that!

(KR) What are you currently working on?

(JS) I’m working on my next single title for Bantam Dell.


(KR) Tell us something about yourself that we might not know.


(JS) I’m a high school drop out and a valedictorian.


(KR) If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring with you?


(JS) Food, water, and a tent. (Or am I supposed to say pen, paper, and my favorite book?)

You can bring anything you want, but don't worry about the tent. I'll share my cabana ;)

(KR) What drink would you bring with you to the island?


(JS) My favorite drink is a cantaloupe licuado. So refreshing and delicious!


(KR) Anything you’d like to add for your readers and/or aspiring writers?


(JS) For my readers: THANK YOU. For aspiring authors: stay on a schedule, accept criticism, and don’t be afraid to submit.

(KR) Briefly tell us about your latest release.


(JS) Set the Dark on Fire features a sexy wildlife biologist and a straitlaced city-boy sheriff who team up to investigate a suspicious mountain lion mauling in Tenaja Falls, California. Sparks fly. Tensions smolder. Passionate fires rage out of control! (Excerpts and blurb will follow Wednesday)

Blurb from Dangerous to Touch, today's book giveaway
All her life Sidney Morrow had tried to repress her disturbing psychic visions. Until a vision of murder shattered her fragile serenity. She had to go to the authorities—make them listen. But Lt. Marc Cruz didn’t trust her one bit. In fact, the sensual homicide cop treated her like a suspect. And sent her senses haywire….

The dark-haired beauty knew something about the serial killer Marc was after. But he was certain “visions” had nothing to do with it. Determined to be her constant shadow, Marc wasn’t prepared when desire blindsided him—and put them both in the path of a relentless killer.

That's it for today! Don't forget, one lucky commenter will win a copy of Dangerous to Touch! Click here to read an excerpt!! Come back tomorrow and hear Jill talk about cliches in romance novels and for another book giveaway!

18 comments:

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

Hi Jill and the DIK ladies,

Great post and interview!

"Dangerous to Touch" sounds like a book I would love to read!

Thanks for the great author and contest!

donnas said...

Great interview. Both Dangerous to Touch and Crash Into Me sound great. I will have to keep an eye out for them.

Sarah said...

Cool interview and I love those covers. Gorgeous! AND I think putting characters through the mill and making them work for their HEA is a grand idea. :)

Lea said...

Good morning Jill and Katie!

I have to second Sarah's comment and say - beautiful cover art!!

Romantic suspense is one of my favorite sub-genre and "Crash Into Me", is now on my TBB list. (I read about it last week.)

Thanks for a wonderful meaningful interview. I will look forward to your visit tomorrow.

Best
L

Anonymous said...

Hi Katie and Jill!

What a fantastic interview, that was really interesting. I am writing those books down to make sure I get them.

:o)

MsM

Dara said...

Good interview. I've heard so many good things about Crash Into Me. It's definitely on my short list.

Suzanne Rock said...

Great interview. Congrats Jill, on your new release. The cover is fantastic!

Joanna Chambers said...

Hi Jill! *waves*

I agree about your covers. I am very fussy about covers - you seem to have been blessed by the cover fairy.

Kaylea Cross said...

Hi Jill and Katie! Great covers, Jill. I love reading RS, and I'm impressed that you managed to write these books after your second was born. I bet you're a time management expert!

Jill Sorenson said...

Thanks for all the cover love! I've been extremely lucky with covers. I was so relieved when I saw the cover for Dangerous to Touch. Some of those category romance covers/titles are not quite as...tasteful, LOL.

Set the Dark on Fire is the best cover yet!!

Jill Sorenson said...

Kaylea, I wrote Set the Dark on Fire after child #2 was born. The other two were written before. I was pregnant when I wrote Dangerous to Touch, actually. It's very hormonal book!

Time mgmt expert, I wish. : )

Tracy said...

Jill! So good to see you here! I really liked your first book and have already bought your second which I'm looking forward to reading this week. I would love to read Dangerous to Touch as well.

So you're a high school drop out and a valedictorian? I think I need that one explained to me. :)

Jill Sorenson said...

Hi Tracy,

I dropped out of regular high school and transferred to a continuation school, where I graduated early. As valedictorian. I didn't get a college-prep education there, so it was a really dumb thing to do. I probably shouldn't tell people I did that. Never mind!

Tracy said...

lol Of course you should tell people you were a valedictorian! Definitely something to be proud of.

Thanks for explaining. :)

Unknown said...

These books have caught my eye since I heard about Crash into Me and I'd love to wind a copy of Dangerous to Touch.

It's so great that you were featured in Cosmo - you know, when I got back into reading romances after college, I got my first recommendations from Cosmo. So I can tell you, the publicity definitely works! That must have been an amazing feeling!

Thank you so much for the wonderful advice about writing and submissions - rejection is definitely hard, but you just have to keep going. Oh, and don't feel bad about the drop out/valedictorian thing - we all take different paths in life to reach our goals. The fact that you completed your education is what's most important. :)

wv: mates. how fitting :)

Pamk said...

great interview. Touch sounds like a great book. I love books with h/h when the have a little something extra and this one sounds great.

Renee said...

Welcome Jill! So glad you're here on the Island. :-)

Congrats on your new release! I so enjoyed Crash Into Me, and can't wait to read Set the Dark on Fire.

I'm so glad you brought my attention to your category! I'm definitely going to be looking out for it!

Mary G said...

Awesome interview. I love romantic suspense. If you're heart's not jumping from the sex it's jumping from the suspense. No rest for the wicked!!

Copyright © 2008-2011 Desert Island Keepers All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP