Tell us about your publishing journey.
Feels like a million, billion years when I started this journey. I started my first book at nineteen, finished by twenty-one and that’s when I began looking for agents. I didn’t get one until age twenty-six, got a publishing deal at twenty-seven, and the book didn’t come out until twenty-eight. Almost ten years. Ten years of rejection, and going to conferences to pitch agents, and query letters. Natural stubbornness and tenacity spurned me along. It is not for the faint of heart.
What part of being a writer do you love most?
The commute. Three steps to my desk, and I can work in my pajamas. I also love getting to play God. It’s a great job for a control freak like me. This character’s pissing me off? Uh oh, eaten by werewolves. *Evil Laugh*
Which part do you hate most?
I don’t know if I hate it or I’m just crap at it, but the marketing stuff. I’m a private person by nature, so talking about myself, especially having to draw attention to myself, and selling my product just do not come easily to me. I’m proud of my work, I’m told it’s quite good, but I’d rather be alone with my imaginary friends than tooting my own horn.
If you could be a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
A time and space traveler. Basically Doctor Who but not an alien. Sick of our modern world? Travel to Regency England and stalk Jane Austen. Need some cash? Go nick a Picasso painting and bring it back to make millions. Just have to make sure I don’t step on any butterflies or Benedict Cumberbatch might never be born and that would be a massive crime against nature.
Vampires – scary monsters or romantic leads? Which do you prefer and why?
I’m a fighter, not a lover so I love scary more than romantic anything. With my vampires I try to have them walk that fine edge. They can be scary, they are killers after all, but they can fight against that if they so choose. I wouldn’t shag one though. I just couldn’t get past the no pulse thing. Ick.
If you had a time machine, what era would you like to visit and why?
I’d go meet Charlotte Bronte. I’ve been obsessed with her for years and read every biography I could find. I’d just want to meet her. See what her life was really like. So if I had a time machine, I’d get my stalker on.
What life advice have you been given, that you wished someone had given you sooner?
“Fuck them.” Don’t let anyone ever tell you who you should be or what your life path should be. Just because everyone else does it, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Like what you like, love who you love, and as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, do what you want. Once you stop caring what people think about you, life becomes a trillion times better.
If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?
Sherlock Holmes because of…reasons. And I’d feed him cake because who doesn’t love cake?
Who are your favourite authors and why?
Without question Janet Evanovitch, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Jennifer Crusie. From Evanovitch I learned how to incorporate humor, mystery, and sexual tension while keeping a quick pace in the story. Hamilton showed the perfect was to combine two genres effectively, thriller and paranormal, and that a heroine doesn’t have to always be a sweet, perfect woman. She can have a hard edge and still be likable. From Jennifer Crusie, I learned the art of a romance novel without a clear formula. Her characters aren’t perfect, they meet in strange ways, and struggle with real compatibility issues. I just hope I did my heroes justice.
What are you working on at the moment?
Werewolf Sings the Blues, the second in the Midnight Magic Mystery Series just came out so I’m doing the promotion for that. Next year the third in the series, Witch Upon a Star, comes out in 2015 so I’m doing the edits for that. I’m also fixing up my first in another new series, a steampunk romance entitled Verity Hart Vs. The Vampyres, which should be out sometime this year. Also sometime this year will be the fourth in my F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad series, High Moon, and I pray that by the end of the year the final in my superhero trilogy The Galilee Falls series, Fall of Heroes will also be out. Damn, I better get back to work, huh?
Where can fans find you online?
http://www.jenniferharlowbooks.com
http://blog.jenniferharlowbooks.com Tales From the Darkside Blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jenharlowbooks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.harlow.52
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4708453.Jennifer_Harlow
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jenharlowbooks/
Barnes & noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jennifer-harlow?keyword=jennifer+harlow&store=allproducts
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jennifer+harlow
Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/181-2330828-3468069?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jennifer+harlow&x=0&y=0
Nicky Peacock - YA & Horror Author 
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