BooksChatter: ℚ Spicing Things Up: Mill Pond [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Judi Lynn to talk about Spicing Things Up (21 March 2017, Lyrical Shine, 218 pages), a Contemporary Romance, book three in the Mill Pond series.

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Judi Lynn; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Spicing Things Up?

"I wanted to bump a man who’s confident and outspoken against a woman who’s quiet and introverted and see what happens. He loves adventure. She loves security. But they’re attracted to each other, so what kind of give and take happens when they try to make things work?"

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Like Daphne, I like a certain amount of private time and I love losing myself in writing—just like she loves losing herself in creating stained-glass art and quilts. If I’m having a bad day, I hole up in my writing room and the world looks better. Like Tyne, I love to cook. Food, for me, is social. It makes me happy to cook a person’s favorite meal. If it’s new and different, all the better! If it makes people happy, it was a success."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Spicing Things Up - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"This is a tough question. When I self-published my urban fantasies, I chose all of my own covers and worked with Michael Prete. He’s awesome. With my romances, Kensington creates them. They ask for some input, and then they do their own thing. The images they choose don’t always gel with the image of the characters that I had in my mind, but the mood is always right, and that’s important."

Why should we read Spicing Things Up and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I’ve thought about this—about what makes one writer unique from another. I’m new to romance, so I tried to write about characters who would appeal to me, people I’d like to know. And I wanted to add a little humor. I’m not funny or witty by nature, but life can be screwy, so it’s hard to take things too seriously. My characters are smart, but they don’t always make smart choices. I wrote book three because I’ve met women who have great careers and are independent who are inclined to fall for the wrong men. Daphne did, and in book four, he dumps HER. Go figure. Mill Pond is almost as much a character in the story as any other minor character. I wanted the town to matter, for the people there to support each other. I guess when it gets to the nitty gritty, though, each author is unique because of his/her take on life and her voice."

Can you tell us something quirky about Spicing Things Up, its story and characters?

"There are two scenes in this book that wouldn’t be there if not for my grandsons. Tyne is a hottie chef. He’s sexy, and he knows it. My older grandson is a people person. He loves to walk into a bar and get people up and dancing. He just wants to have fun. In college, it wasn’t unusual for him to be surrounded by a circle of girls. A friend of mine beta read SPICING THINGS UP and said, “Really? Tyne’s dancing with thirty women, and they keep touching him?” It’s entirely possible, and girls aren’t as well-behaved as they once were. My younger grandson, who has muscles on muscles and a cocky grin, went to a music festival downtown and came home bemused. A girl walked up to him, grabbed his crotch, and said, “Thought so.” First, he was surprised. Second, he couldn’t decide if he should be flattered or annoyed. For Tyne, it would depend on the girl."

Who would you recommend Spicing Things Up to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I’d recommend this to contemporary romance readers who like a touch of humor. There’s a sex scene, so it’s not for “sweet” romance fans. "

If you could / wished to turn Spicing Things Up and the Mill Pond series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I’d pick Woody Allen as a director just because I enjoy his movies so much. This isn’t really his style, but I’d live with that. Tyne is a little over six feet with dirty blonde hair, a scruffy look, and loads of sex appeal. Chris Hemsworth as a cross between Thor and the male secretary he played in Ghost Busters?

Daphne is classy and quiet with long chestnut hair. Maybe Keira Knightley? "

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I started out writing mystery short stories. When I wrote mystery novels, though, I wrote cozies, and they were out of style, so an editor asked if I’d try to write an urban fantasy. Which I did. I like reading and writing them—all the battles and kick-ass heroines. They went out of style, too, for new writers, though, so my agent asked if I’d send her a romance. I read some romances, but not enough to feel comfortable writing one. So I read more. Lauren liked COOKING UP TROUBLE and Kensington took it. My editor there likes all the food I put in my romances, so he asked if I could do a “food” mystery, so that’s what I’m working on. I’ve come full circle 😊"

What is your writing process?

"Fanny in chair almost every day of the week for about five hours. On Saturdays, I write a blog. On Sundays, I play 😊"

What is in store next?

"Mill Pond romance #5 comes out late in June. Miriam is Daphne’s best friend in SPICING THINGS UP. Book 5 is her story. Romance #6 comes out in November. And I’m at work on a mystery now. Not sure what comes next."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"We must have a sign painted on our house, WELCOME, STRAYS. We have a stray, orange tabby that comes for breakfast in the morning, sprawls on the carpet and sleeps during the day, expects more food at about 4:30, and then leaves to do his thing. We took in a stray chihuahua that yaps a lot, but we love him anyway, and a stray gray kitten who knows he owns the house."