1--What is the title of your latest release?
COWBOY EVER AFTER
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A romance writer travels to Montana to research life on a ranch and meets the real-life cowboy replica of the hero in her book.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I love Montana. My husband and I moved to the small town of Ft. Benton right out of college when he took a job there as the lead river ranger, and we just fell in love with the town and the community. We only lived there about four years before coming back to Colorado, but Montana will always live in our hearts, and I love writing stories set in small towns like Ft. Benton that capture the spirit and community of that life. The town of Bartlett in Cowboy Ever After is inspired by Ft. Benton and is a combination of it and Washington, KS, the small town I grew up in.
4--Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely. Kaylee is timid, but she’s also a lot of fun and has a great sense of humor. We’re both writers, so I’m sure we’d have tons to talk about. Plus, I really want to cuddle Gladys, that pudgy corgi of hers.
5--What are three words that describe your hero?
Hunky, Swoony, Heartbroken
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That even though Corgi’s have short legs, they can still jump onto sofas and up into truck cabs.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
Both. But I mainly edit as I draft. I usually start my day by going through and fixing what I wrote the day before, and I will often stop to research or figure out a detail before moving forward. Then when I’ve finished, it only takes me two or three full 8 to10-hour days to go back and do another round of edits before I turn the book in. This is often because I’m butting up against my deadline, so I don’t usually have the extra weeks to go back and do a deep dive of edits. I often finish a book with only a few days to spare before it’s due, so it works much better for me to have the majority of the editing done as I go along.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Either Cheetos (although I indulge in them often-lol) or a Chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard from Dairy Queen (which I usually get as more of a treat).
9--Describe your writing space/office!
Creative chaos. Lol. I’m a bit of a saver, and a stack-filer. But I swear, I know where everything is, and which pile has the papers/notebook/books I need. I’m one of those that thinks if it’s in sight, I won’t forget about it, plus I have a hard time getting rid of things, so my desk is a bit cluttered. I took over my son’s bedroom for my office after he got married, and we painted it pink (Yay!) and brought in white bookshelves (that are completely chock-full), and I put all my awards on the walls and have a dedicated space for all my books that I take to signings. And it is full of all my favorite writerly things—like lots of pink and teal notebooks and purple pens and photos of author pals from conferences and things that are blingy and my favorite inspirational quotes like a post-it on my desk from one of Jodi Thomas’ keynote speeches I heard early in my career that says ‘Success Comes Through Perseverance’ and my new favorite, a teal blue sign that has my favorite line from my favorite show from my favorite grumpy hero—Roy Kent’s famous line, “Don’t You Dare Settle for Fine” (awww—swoon!)
10--Who is an author you admire?
There are so many. The ones that come immediately to mind are Jodi Thomas, Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Brenda Novak, Debbie Macomber, and Michelle Major
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Again—there are sooo many! Doesn’t every book change us in some way? I guess the one that immediately comes to mind is The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood. The way that book delved into the main character’s mother’s life really changed the way I saw my own mom and gave me a different perspective to her life and the things she went through.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
I got the call for my first published book back in 2013 and it was all I could do to sound normal and not to let my new editor know that I was practically bawling. Lol. But I got the call from my agent about getting this deal with Hallmark on my birthday while I was pampering myself with a rare manicure and the manicurist wouldn’t let me answer the phone until she had finished my hand. Gah! So, I had to wait like ten minutes to call my agent back…and then, you can probably guess, more crying ensued.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love reading a lot of different kinds of books, but I guess my favorites are always going to have a mystery of some kind, and I also love women’s fiction and books that make me laugh (like my fave-the Stephanie Plum series).
14--What’s your favorite movie?
I can’t even imagine picking one favorite. Some movies I’ve seen a million times are Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Every rom-com with Hugh Grant, Parenthood, Harry Potter, The Avengers, Pretty in Pink… Geez….it seems that my 80’s are showing…haha!
15--What is your favorite season?
Summer!! My perfect day is spent at the pool with a great book, an icy Diet Coke, and a bag of Cheetos.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is a few days before Christmas, so it’s always such a fun time of year. And my family teases me because I tend to have a birthday WEEK—spreading out the fun all week by going to lunch with friends and my mom and sisters and doing fun things all week, like shopping or getting a pedicure. But on my actual birthday, I celebrate with my family, and we go out to eat then to the movies (I LOVE going to the movies) then when we get home, I make them play board games with me and they have to do it and not complain because it’s my birthday.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
My two favorite books last year were Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne—loved both of them! And the two series that I always recommend are The Queen’s Gambit (loved, loved, loved) and Ted Lasso (makes me laugh and cry almost every episode….and did I mention how much I love Roy Kent). Oh, and Yellowstone, of course…quite a bit darker, but cowboys…and wow…do I love Rip Wheeler!!!
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Does Macaroni and cheese count as a cuisine? If not, then I’d have to say Pizza. Or Italian food. I’m not very good at decisions, or cuisines, apparently, haha!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I’m unclear about the question, I’m a writer, I don’t really have free time-LOL! But when I’m procrastinating writing or have finished my word count for the day, I love to read for fun and absolutely LOVE playing volleyball! I’ve played in a summer volleyball league for the past twenty years.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
NEVER ENOUGH COWBOY is the 4th book in my Creedence Horse Rescue series, and it comes out in July. These books are all chock full of hot cowboys, witty banter, heart-wrecking emotion, feisty heroines, friendship, quirky small-town characters, cute animal antics, and some steamy sexy times. Fair warning if you’ve only read my Hallmark books, these are a bit steamy (did I mention the ridiculously hot cowboys?). This book is about a single mom librarian who falls for a sheriff’s deputy, but the secrets of her past keep her from giving him her heart.
She’s writing a romance novel…
and he’s just like the hero in her story!
Enjoy the delightful cowboy romance from Hallmark
and USA Today bestselling author Jennie Marts.
Kaylee Collins, a shy city-dweller, is writing a Western romance—and getting the details wrong. Her editor insists that Kaylee learn more about country life by spending a week at a working ranch. Kaylee reluctantly agrees as long as she can bring Gladys, her slightly overweight Corgi.
To rustle up her courage, Kaylee channels the spirit of the fearless heroine of her story. But she’s shocked when she meets Luke Montgomery—the spitting image of her handsome cowboy hero!
As far as Luke’s concerned, Kaylee’s books are pure fantasy. Love hurts, and he should know: he lost his wife a few years back. But he finds himself amused, and then enchanted, by this woman who bravely tries new things and whose heart seems to be as big as the Montana sky. Can they both dare to start a new chapter together?
Romance Western [Hallmark Publishing, On Sale: June 28, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781952210600 / eISBN: 9781952210617]
Jennie Marts is the USA Today bestselling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. She is living her own happily ever after with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies, in the mountains of Colorado.
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