Interview with Author Jennifer Rardin

Jaz Parks and her vampire boss, Vayl, have already fought demons, vampires, and reavers… curious yet? I certainly was and I wanted to know more, more about the Jaz Parks “Bitten” series and more about the author Jennifer Rardin.

I asked Jennifer to introduce herself to MSM readers, and this is what she had to say: “I'm a redhead, chocoholic, and author of the Jaz Parks series. {6^th book now released} My kids are nearly grown, hubby's a big kid at heart, and I'm on my second childhood, so we all get along pretty well. Except when we play Wii curling. Then the gloves come off, baby!”

I was instantly drawn in, after all, we all know that it’s a battle zone in the Wii curling world! ~smiles~ Jennifer’s wonderful sense of humour catches you right off- she is the kind-a girl you could hang with over a beverage and enjoy a few laughs. It was certainly my pleasure to get to know her, and I have a funny feeling you will as well.

MSM:

What's the single thing you want the listener/viewer to know about your books?

JR:

You're gonna laugh. Out loud. Probably in public, in which case you might want to have a good excuse ready. I suggest you tell people the guards didn't even see you slip through the barrier fence. You'll probably never have to share a seat on the train again.”

MSM:

What was the motivation behind the Jaz Parks series?

JR:

I've always loved vampire stories, so when hubby encouraged me to write one I twisted my arm behind my back and said, "Well, if you insist." Because I just can't say "no" to the man. He's cute.

MSM:

Why do you think vampire books are so popular?

JR:

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the rampant, graphic, stellar sex, since mine are doing well too. I've gotta say it's the lure of immortality. Because we all suspect we're going to be turned sooner or later. And we really need to know how to spend the next couple of hundred years without driving ourselves stark, raving mad. The answer seems to lie somewhere between gainful employment and eternal love.

MSM:

How do you plan on hooking new readers to give your books a try?

JR:

Bribery works wonders for me. Unfortunately I've nearly waded through my entire buyoff budget, leaving me with only pickle-loaf sandwiches and navel lint to tempt potential readers. So all I can do now is suggest you read the sample chapters on my webpage. And maybe talk to the fans who meet me there every day. They're the best in the universe. No contest.

MSM:

What three things does your book give the reader?

JR:

Laughs, Love, and Bubblegum

MSM:

Who is the author behind the pen?

JR:

I'm just a regular person with a head full of stories. It finally got to the point where I had to write them down or go nuts, and I found that once they transferred to paper I felt a helluva a lot better. My house is clean but not spotless. My family is amazing. And I can't shake the feeling that I don't quite deserve all this good fortune.

MSM:

What age group, gender have you found is attracted to your stories the most? Why do you think that is?

JR:

Jaz entertains a startling array of readers. My youngest (so far) has been an eleven-year-old boy and my oldest has been a granny. However, the writing does seem to attract mainly young women in their twenties which, when you realize that Jaz is twenty-five, you kind of understand how they might connect with her.

MSM:

Who is the force behind Jaz Parks? Where do you draw her traits from?

JR:

Jaz began as a voice in my head (a lot like her own inner character) maybe fourteen years ago, and got too loud to ignore while I was writing Once Bitten, Twice Shy. She grew, in part, out of reaction to all the heroines I objected to in my reading at the time. I thought they'd given up too much of their vulnerability and femininity in exchange for their power. Many of her traits also had their genesis in my daughter. But Jaz quickly became her own character, which is how every good heroine should develop.

MSM:

Do the books need to be read in sequence, or can a newbie pick up any one of the "Bite" books without having to read the one before?

JR:

The books are written to stand alone, and I reference previous action enough so that a newbie should be able to figure everything out no matter which book he/she picks up. However the characters and their relationships do progress as the series moves along, so I'd suggest you start at the beginning.

MSM:

Last thoughts/comments

JR:

One of the joys of being a writer has been interacting with fans. So please feel free to visit me on the web. I'm there nearly every day!

http://www.jenniferrardin.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Rardin/19356585468?ref=share
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/477469.Jennifer_Rardin
http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/
http://www.twitter.com/JenniferRardin

I highly recommend that you go to Jennifer’s website (http://www.jenniferrardin.net) and read a sample chapter of the Jaz Parks series, if you are like me, you won’t be able to stop reading, instead of getting your work done! So….if the magazine is late coming out…I am blaming it all on Jennifer!

Tilly Rivers

As seen in the April Issue of MSM

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