NOT IN MY WILDEST DREAMS
MCKENNA SERIES #2
By: Jamie Hollins
Releasing February 7, 2017
Self-Published
Goodreads
It really sucks to be in love with someone who sees you as nothing more than a friend. Darcy Owens knows this from personal experience. From the moment she met Sean McKenna as a wary ten-year-old, he’s owned her heart. So when he asks for her help with an important construction project, she can’t say no.
Building a boutique hotel on Boston’s waterfront is a career-making opportunity, and Sean needs Darcy’s interior design expertise. She’s incredibly talented, and there is no one he trusts more. He knows he can always count on his childhood friend, but doesn’t know why he’s thinking about her tight skirts and blue eyes instead of tight deadlines and blueprints.
When Sean and Darcy’s excitement about their work turns into an entirely different kind of excitement, it’s a sexy surprise. But they soon realize that building a new relationship is more challenging than building a new hotel, especially when life-long habits and old insecurities create cracks in the foundation.
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW
I’m so happy to have author Jamie Hollins here today, on the blog tour for Not in My Wildest Dreams: Book 2 in the McKenna Series. Welcome Jamie!
Jamie: Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Aurora!
What does literary success look like to you?
Jamie: I define success simply as establishing a reader base. Sure it would be wonderful to make money or to become a NYT Bestseller, but when you self-publish, that’s a very tall mountain to climb. So I need to take baby steps first. At the end of the day, if I can reach some new readers, then I’m doing the best I can with the tools available to be successful.
What kind of research do you do for your books?
Jamie: Depending on the topic, I usually do research online. For instance, in NOT IN MY WILDEST DREAMS, my hero is a contractor and my heroine is an interior designer. I researched those professions, I talked with people who work in those professions. I try not to get too bogged down with tiny details, but I also try to learn enough about a topic to make it believable for a reader.
Do you think your career in Human Resources played a role in developing your characters?
Jamie: That’s actually a really good question. And I would answer, yes, without a doubt.
There were many parts of my career I enjoyed and there were some parts I didn’t care for, but one thing I learned was how to read people and how to motivate them. Everyone is different. Some people need their hand held to get a task done. Some people just need to be given some direction and they’re off and running. Some people crave praise. Some people can’t take constructive criticism. I’ve met and interacted with so many different types of people that when it comes to developing characters for my stories, I have a huge bank of traits, quirks and motivations to pull from.
How would you say publishing these books has changed your life?
Jamie: Through this publishing journey I’ve met so many awesome people who share my interests and passions. I met my critique partner through an online course and she’s now one of my best friends. I don’t know what I would do without her. So I’m not sure I’d say that I’ve been changed by publishing, but it’s allowed so many wonderful things to come into my life and for that I’ll be forever grateful.
What would you say your writing quirk is?
Jamie: Okay, promise you won’t laugh?
I really try to put myself into a scene when I’m writing it. So if I’m writing a scene that takes place outside a bar and it’s 11:00 pm at night, I have to shut all the blinds and pull the drapes so I can pretend it’s night time. I just can’t write a night scene with sunlight streaming through the windows!
Sex scenes have to be written at night with a glass (or two) of wine. No exceptions.
I know. It’s bizarre. I can’t help it!
Aurora B’s Book Blog would like to thank you again for taking the time to swing by to answer some questions. Best of luck with this newest addition to the absolutely amazing McKenna Series!?
About Jamie Hollins
Jamie Hollins was born and raised in rural Northeast Ohio. After graduate school, she embarked on a perilous career in Human Resources where she met plenty of real life characters. When she’s not writing or chasing after her toddler, she enjoys reading and golfing. Jamie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and their dog, Winston.
2 comments
Thank you for featuring Not In My Wildest Dreams today! Brandy, Tasty Book Tours
It was my pleasure!