Lucky Number 7: Jill Shalvis dishes on IT HAD TO BE YOU, pets & sexiness

Janene Cates Putman had a chance to talk to New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis about this and that, you know, mostly about her pets, hot men and Lucky Harbor.

FF: Congrats on your Career Achievement award for Contemporary Romance from Romantic Times! How was the 2013 Booklovers Convention for you? (I was there & was terribly bummed not to have run into you!)

I would have loved to see you! It was my first time at the Booklovers Convention. I was a Booklovers Convention virgin! But I had a fantastic time, and the award was the icecream on top of the cake. :)

FF: Lucky Harbor novels – set to have 10 by next year – WOW! How do you feel about this series ending?

A little sad, to be honest. Lucky Harbor has defined my career and brought a lot of goodness into my life. I have such a soft spot for all the characters that it's really hard to move on. :)

FF: From IT HAD TO BE YOU: "It's okay. I've got you." Thank God. For just this one second, someone had her.

Isn't that one of the sexiest things a man can say? What else is sexy to you?

I find a hero with a sense of humor, a strong loyalty, and a big heart to be just about the sexiest thing ever.

FF: Favorite book or series you've written? Favorite book you've not written?

Favorite book just might be IT HAD TO BE YOU, which just came out. I think Luke shot to the top of my favorite hero ever when I wrote the scene above that you quoted.

FF: Misplaced City Girl blog excerpt: "I'll be here taking a badly needed nap. And also eating an entire bag of Pepperidge Farm's Mint Milanos." What are some of your other tried-and-true writing techniques?

Writing is a great job. I can work in my bunny slippers on my deck while eating cookies. But it's also a really hard job that requires discipline. I'm not all that good at discipline, and I have ADHD. So I have to force myself to sit still to write. It's not pretty. I bribe myself. Write a page and you can check email. Write another and you can have a cookie...

FF: Tell us about your cat, Satan – er, Sadie – and your other furry writing partners & how they inspired your involvement with Read Humane 2013.

Animals have always been a huge part of my life. We've rescued plenty of them over the years. And they've all inspired me. There's nothing like writing with a cat on your legs making them numb, and a dog on your feet chewing on your favorite slipper...

FF: My favorite from your Question of the Day (paraphrased): What does your Alpha Man call you? And what do you WISH he would call you?

Alpha Man calls me a variety of things depending on his mood. :) Sometimes it's honey, or babe. Sometimes it's "hey, woman!"

FF: What is the favorite vice you possess – that you will admit to?

Ha. There are many. Cookies. Bad TV reality shows. Trashy magazines... Stealing my teenagers cute sundresses.

FF: How many books do you write a year? (My guess would be "a boatload" but that's not really a number... )How do you keep your writing fresh?

I write three full single titles a year and sometimes a novella or two. I still have lots of stories in my head so apparently I'm not done yet!

FF: Do you have a good-luck charm – something you keep with you when you write? If so, what is it?

My dog, Frat Boy. :)