Janine Amesta Exclusive (with Pippin and Hitchcock)!

Why do you write romance?

I didn't start off writing romance. When I studied screenwriting in college, I thought gritty thrillers were the way to go. The problem was that my characters bantered too much for a gritty thriller. This was the part of writing that I had the most fun with. After college I did different jobs in the film industry, but none of it was writing. In 2016, I started doing a lot of reading again and romance has always been a favorite genre of mine. I was struggling with depression at the time, and reading romance was a nice escape. In 2017, I woke up one day and decided I just wanted to try writing a novel. Because I didn't really expect to do anything with it, and it was just for me, I decided to write what I like best: romance. I was amazed to discover how much easier writing was when it was something I actually enjoyed. The words just flowed. Plus, I got to do as much character bantering as I wanted. It was like unlocking a treasure chest and I haven't stopped since. 

What do you think makes a good story?

I'm a "character first" type of writer. I like to spend time thinking about my characters and who they are even before I've worked out the plot. I feel that romance books in particular need to rely on the strength of the characters more than other aspects. In-depth character development can not only create believable characters but, more importantly, believable chemistry between the characters. You can have the most simple plot, but with good character development, you can still end up with a great book. Working with popular tropes is fun, but to me that's the icing. While eating a bunch of icing sounds pretty great in theory, it's better if you have some cake with it and there's more of a balance. I see my character development as the cake which makes the icing that much sweeter. 

What does literary success look like to you?

Because I started my writing journey just as an exercise for my own amusement, I didn't go into it with aspirations to become a published author. After I finished, I thought, well I might as well try to do something with this. I had no idea what I was doing at the time but jumped in anyways. Since my only goal was just to finish a romance book, which felt lofty enough, anything else I got on top of this was a bonus. So for me to get an agent and get a book deal with a great publisher feels like a dream and I'm incredibly grateful. At this point, I'd feel successful if my books found a group of readers who love my characters as much as I do. That would feel pretty amazing. 

What was your inspiration for your Love is in the Air series?

Not to brag or anything but I live in a really pretty area of the country...okay, maybe I want to brag a little. ;D I've been wanting to write a book that takes place in Central Oregon for a while and so happy that I got the opportunity to write a whole series here. The High Desert can look a little wild and untamed but there's something very appealing about it. But before I started drafting the series, I lost my father—so the books also provided a way for me to work through those feelings of losing a parent. Each book's prologue in the series (Love at First Flight, The Wedding Con, and The Love Feud) start very soon after the father has died. Each book is about one of the sister's of this hot air balloon business and they all had such a different relationship with the father and are affected by his legacy. While this sounds sort of sad and depressing, my books never stay there. It's about surviving any way you can, getting through to the other side, and then finding love as well so that life can still shift into something beautiful and keep rebuilding a family connection.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I want readers to feel all the things, the whole gamut of emotions. I want them to laugh and cry and sigh in happiness. I write not just to tell a story but squeeze out all the emotions I can. There's nothing worse than reading a book and feeling nothing. Getting wrapped up in a character's story and falling in love is so emotionally satisfying.  

What do you have coming next?

Both Love at First Flight and The Wedding Con are available now in ebook and paperback. The Love Feud comes out in March, and then in late spring I have another book planned for release. The latter will be a standalone adventure romance so be sure to keep your eyes peeled on my socials for news.

What's your favorite 1930's screwball romantic comedy?

It Happened One Night with Claudette Cobert and Clark Gable. Not only is it a very entertaining movie but the dialogue is very snappy and the actors play their roles to perfection. It also has one of my favorite tropes which is characters completely exasperated by each other. It's a lot of fun and I highly recommend it. Maybe one day I'll write a book inspired by it. 

Why did you name your pets Hitchcock and Pippin?

My cat, Hitchcock, was abandoned by his previous family when they moved away and he invited himself into my apartment by meowing incessantly at my door. He's clearly a very smart cat and he's all black with a regal profile. I've always been a fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies so his name comes from that. Pippin is a border collie mix that came from a rescue 2 years ago. My dad's favorite movies were the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I thought Pippin would make a cute name for a pup. It suits him as he's always looking for something to eat. 

Who is in your pet photo, and do they help or hinder your writing process?

Depends on who you ask. I think they're hindering and they think they're helping. Pippin likes to go in-and-out constantly so I'm always being interrupted to open the door for him. And sometimes he'll scratch to be let into the house but, as soon as I get up, he'll run to get his toy, thinking I'll come outside to play with him. He thinks he's helping by giving me breaks. Hitchcock will snuggle into my side under one of my arms, so sometimes I find myself trying to write with one hand. If I try to use two hands, he'd paw and grab the arm, holding it to his body so then I'm back to one hand again. I'm not quite sure how he thinks this helps but, he's a cat, so it's possible he doesn't care.

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Hadley Grey Update

Big News!

ARCs for The Christmas Secret go out today!

I can't wait for others to fall in love with Jack and Kelsey's completely obsessed love for one another. It takes place in the 1990's because it's all about the mother of Jace (a side character in Give in to Love), and how she falls in love. It's the reason Jace believes in "the one" and he'll get his own story in a novella early next year.

Also, I am working on revisions to Sages Start, the new Sci Fi Romance series that should also be out early next year and I can't wait to share it with you all!

Lastly I will be at two author events coming up so if you can be sure to stop by! On November 14th, I'll be at The Bookery in Cleveland, TN for their Indie Author Evening. It should be a lot of fun! Plus Santa will be in the mall so you can see him too.

Then, on December 2nd, I will be a guest at the Bradley County (TN) Local Indie Author Event, so if you want to meet and greet with a lot of authors, and get a chance to shop a ton of books, this is the place to be.

As always, thank you for much for your support and for stopping by! It means a lot.