GCC Author Interview: Judi Fennell

Today we've got a return guest! It's Judi Fennell, from the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit! She's here today to discuss CATCH OF A LIFETIME, the third in her Mer series.

What people are saying about Judi's work:

"Fennell's got detailed worldbuilding, creative secondary characters and an impressive use of mythology in this great read. While this title is part of a series, it works well as a stand-alone. Angel and Logan are both incredibly textured characters.

-RT BookReview Magazine 4 Stars

"Judi Fennell has extraordinary imagination and has certainly used it in creating this exciting and colorful story. Her characters are wonderful."

Fresh Fiction

About Judi:

Judi Fennell has had her nose in a book and her head in some celestial realm all her life, including those early years when her mom would exhort her to “get outside!” instead of watching Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie on television. So she did--right into Dad’s hammock with her Nancy Drew books.

These days she’s more likely to have her nose in her laptop and her head (and the rest of her body) at her favorite bookstore, but she’s still reading, whether it be her latest manuscript or friends’ books.

A three-time finalist in online contests, Judi has enjoyed the reader feedback she’s received and would love to hear what you think about her Mer series. Check out her website at www.JudiFennell.com for excerpts, reviews and fun pictures from reader and writer conferences, and the chance to “dive in” to her stories.

And of course, there's a contest!!

To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com

Phew! That was all a mouthful!! Let's get to the questions:

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

In Catch of a Lifetime, Angel Tritone, Mer princess, wants Humans to protect the Earth, but the last person Logan Hardington needs is a mermaid.

When did you first begin writing?

First grade is the one I can remember. It's a story about a raindrop falling from the sky and mixing with her friends in a giant puddle and floating out to sea together. Hmmm, guess I had a sea theme even then.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

For the third story in my Mer series, I wanted something completely different. In In Over Her Head, I had a Human going into the sea and discovering Mers. In Wild Blue Under, I had a Mer coming on land. This one mixes it up some, with both the Mer and the Human being fish out of the water.

What are you working on right now?

I just turned in the first book in my new series about genies and am working on the second. I Dream of Genies comes out January 2011..

What are you reading right now?

My RITA books, so I can't give you the names since that's against the rules of the contest. I will say I love discovering new authors whose work I wouldn't normally read. That's one of the best parts of judging the RITAs.

How do you fight writer's block?

I mud wrestle with the muse. :) Seriously, I have to push through. Sometimes I'll take some time off and write blog posts, or read, but mostly I skip the scene that's giving me fits and work on another one.

If your book were to become a movie, who would you cast?

Jessica Alba as Angel and Hugh Jackman as Logan. Anytime Hugh takes off his shirt is a good movie, imo.

[Judi, me too!]

What is your favorite part of writing?

Seeing the characters take over my keyboard. Least favorite? When they don't and you have to really focus to get the words on the paper.

What tips would you offer to aspiring writers?

Enter contests and get feedback. Listen to it, even if you don't agree; it's someone else's perspective of your work and what you might unknowingly be portraying. A new perspective never hurts, if just to reinforce why you wrote/did what you did.

How do you usually begin your stories with a character or with a plot?

I've found, especially now that I've started another series, that because I have to tie the books together, the characters take shape first, mainly because I usually refer to them in books other than "their" book. The tough part can be molding a story around what I've already created.

Do a quick character study on yourself: don't forget to add in the fun stuff, like favorite foods and things you love/hate!

My brain works quicker than I can write, so the voice recorder feature on my iPhone is invaluable. I love gadgetry and have now decided that roughing it - which used to mean a cabin in the woods with no electricity, now means a motel without room service. I need my internet.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Judi! I hope that you will all check out Judi's latest, CATCH OF A LIFETIME.

GCC Author interview: Judi Fennell

Today we've got a member of the GCC here to chat. It's Judi Fennell, whose debut novel, IN OVER HER HEAD, comes out this week! Publisher's Weekly called this story of a woman and a sexy merman "[a] playful debut... sincere wit." AND it's got a nautical theme, so it's perfect for summer!


Let's, uh, dive in, shall we? (Pun intended.)

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

In Over Her Head is the adventure of a woman who's afraid of the ocean and a Merman.

When did you first begin writing?

I was always telling stories - even before I could write, my imaginary friend Casper the Friendly Ghost made me go in the street on my bicycle when I was 2 1/2. I worked that story to keep myself from getting in trouble. I have my writing from kindergarten and all through school, including Mr. Magickal, the protagonist, defeats the zebra-striped alligator.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

I love all things fairy tale, especially Disney. I was working on a twist to fairy tales and wanted to do one on The Little Mermaid. To make it my own, I made the guy the mer. Voila, Reel was born.

What are you working on right now?

I'm editing the next two books in the series, Wild Blue Under which comes out in November, and Catch of a Lifetime for February 2010, as well as working on a proposal for the next books in the series.

What are you reading right now?

Linda Wisdom's series about 13 witches. They're a hoot.

How do you fight writer’s block?

I can't afford to have writer's block, but if I do, I find picking up another book helps unlock the creativity. There's something freeing about seeing that another person has pushed through it and made it work.

If your book were to become a movie, who would you cast?

I'd love Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock, but if not them, Zac Efron and Anne Hathaway could do a great job.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love when the story flows out of my fingers and it just takes off without me having to work for it. Least favorite? When it's not working and you have to push through it to get it to work.

What tips would you offer to aspiring writers?

Keep writing and put your work out there for people to critique. Enter contests. Join a critique group. Get feedback and be open to criticism and look at your work from their point of view. Work on craft. Divorce yourself from the emotion attached to it once it's written and be willing to look at the feedback with an eye to make it better. And don't stop writing. Don't give up. The one way to ensure you won't get published is to give up.

How do you usually begin your stories—with a character or with a plot?

Usually I get a line, whether it's dialogue or the opening line, or a situation. Every story begins differently for me, and I write each one differently. One can be written linear, another with a bunch of scenes that I tie together, yet another with the beginning and the end then filling in the middle. Different characters = different story = different manner in writing it.

Do a quick character study on yourself:

A quick character study? Ha. Okay, here ya go: I'm half Irish and half Italian. I'll be your best friend, but don't tick me off. Favorite color is purple, favorite gem is a tie between amethyst and diamonds, love animals, hate spiders. Terrified of what's in the ocean (seeing JAWS at a young age was a mistake).

Thanks so much for stopping by, Judi! We just know your books will make a huge splash! (Sorry, I just can't stop with the puns.....)