Q&A with Jennifer Jakes

Thanks for being here today, Jennifer. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

After trying several careers—everything from a beautician to a dump truck driver—Jennifer finally returned to her first love, writing. Married to her very own hero, she lives on fifteen acres along with two beautiful daughters, two elderly horses, two spoiled cats and two hyper dogs. During the summer she does Civil War re-enacting and has found it a great research tool, not to mention she has continued appreciation for her microwave and hot water heater.

Jennifer was a 2010 Golden Heart finalist and grand prize winner of the Gateway to the Best Contest in 2009. Her first book, Rafe's Redemption, is available now.

Q Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

A Oh, good grief, no. I can talk to anyone. But I used to be shy, so hopefully I have some useful information for your readers.

Q Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

A The very first time I went to a writer's group. I hadn't even started telling people I was writing, so taking my work to be read in front of others was nerve shattering. Now the rest of the story is PROOF you can rise above shyness and embarrassment. I write erotic romance. The new group I went to ended up being mostly Inspirational writers. No, they didn't bill themselves as Inspy. Yes, I read my scenes aloud. No, they didn't have much appreciation for my genre. (Are you feeling my humiliation yet?) But I lived through it. I even got the best ever critique partner out of the deal. (She wasn't one of the Inspy writers.) And though I wanted to die once I found out what was being said about me, I didn't. So be brave! Chances are you'll get something great out of the experience:)

Q What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

A Start slowly. Say you're at a conference - make yourself talk to one person you don't know. Pick someone who looks friendly. It can be a short conversation. But make yourself do it. Then practice - one person at a time. And once that doesn't feel like a big deal, try introducing yourself to a couple of people or a small group. Eventually, it doesn't seem so scary and you will build confidence. Heck, before you know it you'll be giving speeches at conferences!

Q Where can my readers find you on the web?

A http://www.jenniferjakes.com/ on FaceBook as Jennifer Jakes and on Twitter as @erotichistory. You can buy Jennifer's new book, Rafe's Redemption, here.

Thanks, Jennifer, for your great answers!