An Interview and Giveaway with Jenn Bennett

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Jenn Bennett as our guest today.

Jenn is here to discuss her book, Bitter Spirits, which was released last week, and is the first book in her Roaring Twenties series

Our review of Bitter Spirits is below this post.

Let’s meet Jen.



Hi Jenn!  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for your fans at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to learning more about the author behind the book.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Jenn:  It’s my pleasure to be here, so thank you for having me! For those who don’t know, I write the Arcadia Bell romantic urban fantasy series for Pocket Books (the fourth book comes out in May). BITTER SPIRITS is the first book in my new 1920s paranormal romance series with Berkley Sensation. In addition to writing, I’m also an artist. And I currently live in Atlanta with my husband and two (very) bad pugs.

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Jenn:  A few years ago, I decided I wanted to write a book. A year after that, I’d written a couple more, signed with a literary agent, and sold two books to a major publishing house. I’ve since sold six books and never looked back. I don’t think my story is the typical path to traditional publishing, but I like to think all the daydreaming I’ve done over the years finally got put to good use. Writing feels like what I was meant to do.

TRC:  You have a new series, Roaring Twenties.  How did you come up with the idea of this series? Any particular reason that drew you to the 1920’s as opposed to other historical time periods? Tell us a little something about the premise of this series…

Jenn: I’ve always been attracted to the 1920s, especially in America—Prohibition, flappers, jazz… But from a writer’s point of view, the most interesting thing is that it was a decade in which women broke social barriers and ventured into institutions that were previously regarded as Men Only. Women got their hair bobbed at the barbershop, smoked cigarettes, and sat at the bar alongside men. They moved to big cities to find work. Drove cars. Voted. They were pioneers, learning how to be independent, and that’s exactly the kind of heroine I like to write. And though I’ve seen a few romances written in 1920s New York, my series takes place in San Francisco, where the hills and fog and Pacific Ocean give things a very different flavor.

TRC: BITTER SPIRITS, which was released last week, is your first book in this series.  Can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Jenn:  Spirit medium Aida Palmer channels the dead on stage at the Gris-Gris speakeasy. She meets Winter Magnusson—a scarred, brick wall of a man known around town as the “Viking Bootlegger”—who is haunted by the ghost of a murdered Chinese prostitute and enlists her help to exorcise it. The mystery of why he is haunted draws the two of them together and takes them through foggy San Francisco, from luxury homes to the backstreets of Chinatown—during which, they fall wildly in love. It’s spooky, thrilling, erotic, and terribly romantic. (At least, I think so!)

TRC:  How many books are you planning for your Roaring Twenties series?

Jenn: Hopefully three, at least, and they all center on the Magnusson family. BITTER SPIRITS is Aida and Winter’s story, and GRIM SHADOWS is Lowe and Hadley’s story (Winter’s archeologist brother and a museum curator). The third will feature Bo and Astrid (Winter’s baby sister, who is secretly in love with his assistant).

TRC:  The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?

Jenn:  Aside from the countless hours I’ve spent online looking through San Francisco archival photos, I’ve amassed a small library’s worth of 1920s research material, including both original material (1920s magazines and maps of San Francisco) and secondary sources (books and films about Prohibition). Though gangsters like Al Capone snagged all the splashy headlines, I’m more interested in people like Roy Olmstead, a former Seattle cop known as “the Good Bootlegger,” who didn’t dilute his liquor or mass-murder his rivals to make a buck.

And yes, there are a couple of speakeasies here in Atlanta (Prohibition in Buckhead, Edgewood Speakeasy), but I’d really love to visit PDT in New York or Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco. Who’s up for a cocktail?

TRC:  You have written Urban Fantasy and now Paranormal Romance.  Do you have a preference of either genre?  Are there any other genres you’re itching to try? 

Jenn: The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?For me, it’s all about romance, no matter what I’m writing. My urban fantasy is a May-December love story between a magically gifted bartender and a sexy Earthbound demon, told over several books, with an HEA at the series’ end. The Roaring Twenties series is one couple/one HEA in each book. One day, I’d like to try my hand at contemporary romance. As long as I can write characters that fall in love, I’m happy.

TRC:  Please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2014?

Jenn: I have three books out this year: BITTER SPIRITS, BANSHING THE DARK (Arcadia Bell #4, May), and GRIM SHADOWS (Roaring Twenties #2, June). I’ve recently written a sexy contemporary young adult romance—no paranormal!—and am currently working on a 1940s young adult mystery/romance.

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you? Or how about writing fuel? Candy/coffee/cereal?

Jenn: I only need to know two things before I start a book: how it begins and ends. I outline a few chapters at a time and readjust the story as I create the characters. I do all my writing in my office, day and night, with lots of tea and Fox’s Glacier candy.

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Jenn:  My husband. He’s a copywriter, smart and creative, and he’s a terrific brainstormer. I occasionally use beta readers after I’ve written a first draft, but not always. My agent, Laura Bradford, is also hands-on with editing after the first draft and her feedback is invaluable.

TRC:  Your website details your extensive travels. What are some of your favorite places you visited?

Jenn:  Taipei, Taiwan. I love that city; it’s given me great stories about drunken karaoke with transsexual bar owners and insane, near-death cab rides. I also love Hong Kong—it’s vibrant and exciting, day or night.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Prosciutto, olives, and tater tots—but not necessarily all at once!

Favorite Dessert: Cake with French buttercream frosting

Favorite TV Show: Twin Peaks

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne

Last Book You Read: SHADOWDANCE by Kristen Callihan

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Lyra Belacqua

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Both, but I’m snobby: no Hershey’s!

Dog or Cat: My pugs are in earshot…so I’ll choose dog.

Thank you Jenn, for taking the time to answer our questions!  We wish you the best of luck with BITTER SPIRITS.  Please keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again!

If you want to learn more about Jenn, you can reach her at the following links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads


Jenn and her Publisher, have graciously offered to give One member of The Reading Café a copy of her new release, Bitter Spirits.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from January 15 to January 19, 2014