1--What is the title of your latest release?
IN HARMONY
2--What is it about?
It’s about musician, Nyah Monroe who is living a dual life as a classical double bassist and an underground dance music DJ. She’s trying to manage two careers on her own but needs help. Enter super-agent Tommy “Boombox” Mills who not only wants to help Nyah but secure the career legacy he’s envisioned for himself. He needs her and wants to make her famous. The problem is, she makes the rules and flying under the radar is her sweet spot. On a deeper level the book explores some intense themes like evaluating one’s legacy, inheritance, staying true to oneself, and loving someone through imperfection and challenges.
3--What do you love about the setting of your book?
I love that it takes place in some of the most simplistically enjoyable parts of New York; like Central Park on a summer day or even an apartment for one. Small underground clubs are the connective tissue of the city’s heartbeat and I wanted to highlight that scene because as the years pass, there are less of them around.
4--How did your heroine surprise you?
I love how she pushes her limits. I’m from a Jamaican family and one of the things we are known for is working…a lot. Having more than two jobs is not uncommon. It’s a stereotype rooted in some truth. My heroine, Nyah, isn’t Jamaican, but she works hard managing two careers, but as we can all attest to, you can’t do it all alone. You need help. I still salute her effort!
5--Why will readers love the hero?
Tommy is a man who is from outward appearances has a great life and career, but he feels unfinished in both areas. I think we all share that a bit where we’re like, “if I had just done this” or “maybe I can still do that one thing.” Even though the book covers to music scene, there are so many themes that are universal and many of those themes rest with the hero. His arc is pretty fulfilling to track.
6--What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?
I didn’t want the book to end, so I crafted an ending that keeps readers wondering, creating, and keeping all the characters in the reader’s mind and heart.
7--Do you look forward to or do you dread the revision process?
I actually look forward to revisions. For me, it’s where the magic happens because I know the characters and the story better. Plus, it helps me present a better overall product to the readers. In the beginning the characters and I are strangers to each other in a way. By the end of the first drafts, we’re intimately connected.
8--What’s your favorite snack to have on hand while writing?
Peanut M&Ms and Doritos. It’s the worst but now and days it’s just healthy meals
9--Where would you go for an ideal writer’s retreat?
Santa Fe, New Mexico is a great spot. Tuscany would be my ultimate, but Santorini, Greece strongly competes. However, if I went to Ghana for a retreat, I’m not sure I’d come back.
10--What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
You can’t edit a blank page, so finish the book.
11--Who is the fictional character you want to hang out with the most? (anyone in literature!)
Jessica Brent from LORD OF SCOUNDRELS.
12--What’s one of your earliest book memories?
My mother reading to me. I’d follow her finger as she pointed to the words. I believe the book was Micky Mouse Detective. I memorized the whole book based on her reading it over and over. It’s one of my best memories.
13--If you had to write in a different genre, what would it be and why?
I think it would be fantasy. I’ve dabbled in it as an educator, writing stories for my students to teach them vocabulary and keep them engaged with activities based on the story. However, none have ever seen the light of day. Maybe one day, I’ll sit down and write a fantasy novel or series.
14--What song will automatically put you in a good mood?
“Don’t Stop Dancing Girl” by Kaskade. It puts me in such a good mood! It reminds me that I love to dance and to keep moving forward toward my dreams and never stop.
15--What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
I try to get a massage or have a binge-watching day in bed. A day outside under the gazebo on a not too hot day with a gentle warm breeze is also relaxing for body mind and spirit.
16--What can you eat and never get sick of?
I think Haagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream. When I have ice cream it is still my go to flavor. I do get sick of everything eventually, even if I go back to it after some time off. :-)
17--Will you share a favorite, recent-ish book you recommend?
BEEN THERE DONE THAT by Hope Ellis. Such a slow burn but so worth it.
18--Do you have any hobbies?
I’m a grill master so I love to sear, smoke, and braise. Every year I acquire a new toy to play with. This year is a stovetop smoker (that I had to bring outside because it was suffocating everyone in the house). It also gets my friends to my house for feasts outdoors.
19--Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl who is always trying to be an early bird
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on a soccer romance with a love triangle theme. I love the setting, the characters, and the adventure of the story. I’m so looking forward to sharing that with my readers soon.
Back on Top #3
Nyah Monroe has a secret.
Double bassist for the philharmonic by day, by night she’s Queen Roe—an underground DJ with a growing following. Nyah works tirelessly to keep her worlds separate, her names straight and her outfits square, but doing it all alone is overwhelming. When Tommy “Boombox” Mills offers his rep and experience in exchange for her underground cred, she agrees.
But she makes the rules. No big stages, no superstar fame. She knows what she wants out of her DJ career, and she’s not about to let some slick agent tell her different, even if he does have a smile that knocks her backward.
A powerhouse agent, Tommy knows the scene, and Queen Roe is on fire. Beautiful, sexy and talented, she’s exactly what he needs to secure his legacy. She was made to play on the big stage—all he has to do is convince her.
As they travel in close quarters, playing club after club, their partnership soon becomes more about pleasure than business. But when Nyah learns the truth about why Tommy recruited her, she’s forced to decide once and for all what she wants out of her career—and her life.
Back on Top
Book 1: In Rhythm
Book 2: In Harmony
Romance Contemporary [Carina Press, On Sale: July 20, 2021, e-Book, ISBN: 9781488055218 / eISBN: 9781488055218]
JN Welsh is a native New Yorker and natural storyteller. As a child in school, she was a voracious reader who stole her older sister’s romance novels. She graduated to writing entertaining love stories for her friends and the writer was born.
Her love for romance continued to grow and she published her first novel in 2005. Her stories are entertaining and provocative, leaving her readers breathless and coming back for more.
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