An Interview with Judi Fennell, Author of, 'In Over Her Head'

I'd like to introduce everyone to my cyber friend, Judi Fennell, Author of: IN Over Her Head

Hey Judi, how are you doing today?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:00pm EDT

Umm.... Where are you, Judi? You must be running over on that Podcast interview.

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:05pm EDT

Just finished my podcast  - it ran a little over. Thanks for having me!

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:06pm EDT

I figured as much.

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:07pm EDT

Hi Carl!

Thanks so much for having me today! It's been a hectic morning with all the promo for IN Over Her Head's launch.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:07pm EDT

Hey Judi,

I can only imagine How busy you are. I've been looking forward to this, and it's so nice to have you. So, a repeat of the first question... How are you doing today?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:08pm EDT

I'm doing well, very busy morning. I have edits I'm working on for Catch of a Lifetime, as well as lots of promo for the release of In Over Her Head, and a workshop that I'm giving on Wednesday, as well as three book signings this week.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:09pm EDT

Busy, that's absolutely great. I know you've been asked many questions by fellow Gatherer's. Here's one from Nancy L. She asked: Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote? What was it?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:11pm EDT

The first thing I ever wrote... I have a story from first grade that was about a little raindrop and how she fell from the sky and went into the sewer then on out to the sea. Hmm... I guess I've been writing about the sea for a while!

It was on that thick lined yellow paper with the dashed middle line and I still have it.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:15pm EDT

That is so awesome. How did you select your genre and would you ever consider writing in another genre? What would it be?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:17pm EDT

I didn't necessarily select it - it's what I like to read, so it was a natural progression when I set out to write a story. My first romance story is a time travel romance entitled, Through The Leaded Glass. I'm hoping time travel will come back into vogue in the Romance genre and maybe there is hope for it.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:18pm EDT

You never know...? It could happen, (and you know how you have to watch what you wish for) Do you have a favorite author or a favorite book (besides your own)?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:20pm EDT

I'm always discovering new authors. Jill Barnett wrote my favorite book ever, Bewitching, but I love many different genres. Julia Quinn's When He Was Wicked is amazing, Diana Holquist's Sexiest Man Alive, Cindy Gerard, Karen Rose, Stephanie Julian, the authors who have provided quotes for my books... and that's just in the Romance genre. The list could go on and on.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:22pm EDT

What is your greatest challenge as an author and how do you deal with it?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:23pm EDT

Greatest challenge... Selling on proposal and writing to deadline were biggies. Before you sell, you're writing for yourself. Once you sell, and if, like me, you sell the rest of the series on proposal (3 chapters and a synopsis), as well as having a deadline imposed, all of a sudden, it's more than something you enjoy doing; it's now a job. What if they don't like the next book as much as the first? What if you can't meet the deadline? What if the story doesn't follow the original synopsis?

How I deal with that? Write. That's all you can do. Put your butt in the chair and write the best book you can. I, luckily, have a wonderful Gather friend, Beth Hill, who gave up enormous amounts of her time and editing expertise to read what I'd written and point out where it needed work. Beth will be opening an editing business and I highly recommend her services. She's a genius.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:25pm EDT

Help from friends on Gather is huge, (I know... Been there and still getting it) Another Gatherer question, this time from Walker Bennett: What prodded you to actually begin writing?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:28pm EDT

I've always written, but life got complicated with school, job, marriage, kids, etc. A few years ago when my youngest started school, I finally had the time and a story just popped into my head. It wouldn't go away or stop waking me up until I started writing it. Once the floodgates opened, that was it. I had to write. There wasn't a choice; the story demanded to be written.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:28pm EDT

It is a passion, isn't it? I hope it never stops waking you up at night. (Haha!) Vivian A. asked: What drove your writing from an idle pastime to a serious endeavor? Challenges? Support? Advice?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:32pm EDT

Once I'd written the story that opened the floodgates, my husband found Romance Writers of America and my local chapter for me. He encouraged me to go and when I came back and told him about the national conference RWA has each year, he said, "You're going." I did and haven't missed one since.

Challenges - Time. Family. Once you sell, it becomes a job and if you have a job, this is now another one, so time becomes a factor. Balance.

Support - get involved with writing groups, be with other writers who "get it." Don't give up.

Advice - if you want to make this a career, invest in it. Go to conferences, join the national organization, read the industry information, follow blogs. Meet the people who are involved in the business. As with any business, it's a lot about who you know and contacts you can make. Of course, you have to have the story, so be sure to learn craft, open your work up to critique and be willing to make it stronger.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:33pm EDT

Good strong advice that makes sense. How did you devise the theme of your trilogy? Did you know they would all happen or did the first beget the second and third?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:35pm EDT

Originally, In Over Her Head was written as part of another series - my fairy tale series: Beauty and The Best, Cinda Bella, Fairest of Them All. Once it was "out there" in the contest and when I saw the feedback, how people responded to the world I'd created, I knew I could keep going with it. There was no question that Rod would get his story and Angel is just such a character in the first book, that she deserved hers too. I'm hoping to get the chance to tell the rest of the family's stories as well.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:36pm EDT

Interesting.... Have you ever written yourself back into a hole? How did you get out? Toss everything, rework, or something else? Part of this relates to pantser or plotter, which are you?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:38pm EDT

I don't know that I've written myself into a hole, but I've definitely made some plot choices that have made it tough. Sometimes I've had to tear things down or apart and reconfigure. I've pulled out scenes and added some after it was all done. Having a critique partner (or Beth) is an unbelievable help.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:40pm EDT

A critique is priceless. Kimber L. asked: Tell ussome about the process of selling - what did you find most challenging about it.

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:42pm EDT

It's a process. You have to query. It's nice these days as many editors and agents are accepting email queries. I don't remember what I spent on postage but it was a big chunk of money. Other than that, it's all part and parcel of the process. I don't know that anything was actually really challenging. I was prepared for rejection (good thing), and the reason I joined RWA was to increase my chances for becoming published. I liken it to someone who wants to be a doctor. You need a certain skill set; same thing with writing. As much as it's a creative process, it's also a business.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:43pm EDT

How many rewrites did you have to do before you and publisher were both satisfied?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:45pm EDT

My editor is fabulous - she gets to the heart of the story and gives me an editorial letter with all the points. So far, we've only been through the one letter. I try to get the manuscript as clean as possible before turning in.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:46pm EDT

Trish A. asked: What is your writing schedule like?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:47pm EDT

Write all the time. As much as possible. I was on a tight delivery schedule with the 2 nd and 3 rd books, so I was always writing. If I'm not writing, I'm thinking about it, thinking books ahead, promotion, etc. It's always on my mind.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:52pm EDT

Is there any person or are there any people who you consider your writing mentor/mentors?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:54pm EDT

All the authors who've written the books I've loved. It created a love of reading and I think the best training an author can get is to read. A lot.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:56pm EDT

Would you be interested in your books being turned into movies? If so who would you imagine playing your main characters?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:57pm EDT

I challenge you to find an author who wouldn't like their stories turned into movies. LOL. Sure, I'd love it. Who I'd like to see in the title roles: Matthew McConaughey as Reel with Sandra Bullock as Erica, or Kate Hudson. If Matthew can't, Zac Efron and Anne Hathaway could do them just as wonderfully.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 12:58pm EDT

What's life like after being published?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 12:59pm EDT

Busy.  I have to do major time management to be sure to do the promo as well as the writing. And, of course, work time in for my family.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:00pm EDT

I'm sure you meant to say work in time for the family first. Another Gatherer question, this time from brojer n. who asked: Did you start writing as a lark, or do you feel compelled to write?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:02pm EDT

Once the floodgates opened, they haven't shut yet and I'm so thrilled the stories are there, I don't want to risk the waters drying up. The stories still wake me up at night and I have to write them down or I'll lose them.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:03pm EDT

How much proof reading did you do before submitting to publisher?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:05pm EDT

I make my manuscripts as clean as possible. Why give them a reason to reject? Spell check, grammar check, all loose ends wrapped up... you only get one chance to make a good impression and with all the submissions editors and agents get, they don't want to keep seeing the same manuscripts over and over.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:06pm EDT

Kathryn E  asked: You studied business I think in college. Did you also study English? 

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:07pm EDT

I was a Spanish major in college with a business minor - I have a love of language and love to play with it in my writing: double entendres, plays-on-words, puns, etc.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:09pm EDT

Did anyone try to convince you NOT to become a writer or to study writing or creative writing?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:12pm EDT

I never set out to become a writer, but once I started pursuing publication over the last few years, my father did ask me how long I was going to do "this writing thing." Um... forever?  LOL.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:13pm EDT

Did you go to workshops in your earlier career - or in your career recently?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:15pm EDT

I've gone to conferences ever since I joined RWA - and took copious notes at the beginning in the craft classes. As those classes helped and made my writing stronger, I started going to the Career Track workshops instead of Craft. Last year was my first year at the national conference as a published author, so I was eligible to go to all the PAN (published author network) track workshops - and took copious notes once again. There's always something to learn.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:15pm EDT

If you had to do it all over, would you have chosen to be a writer?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:17pm EDT

I don't know that you choose to be a writer. Either you listen to the voices in your head and put them on paper, or you ignore them and they eventually die out.  I love writing so it wasn't really a choice.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:18pm EDT

Last queston, and it's from Erin O'Riordan: What are your favorite literary websites?

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:21pm EDT

For all that I love to read, I was never one to go online and find an author or contact them, so I don't really follow websites. I've gotten more involved with blogging and there are certain sites I go to to find out certain things. Media Bistro, Publisher's Lunch and Galley Cat are great for industry info. Brenda Hiatt has information on advance $ and sell-through info by publisher on her site, Karen Fox has great listings of agents and editors, as well as Sale information. Predators and Editors is a MUST for people looking for representation, Agent Query is another great resource. RWA has wonderful resources for its members, everything from Publisher and Agent listings to Booksellers and publications writers can use at all stages of their careers.

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:23pm EDT

Judi, thanks for taking the time. I truly enjoyed this opportunity. And congratulations.

Carl "not ready for prime time" Lee Jun 1, 2009, 1:26pm EDT

Thank you too, Carl, for having me and, thanks, too, to everyone at Gather for your support and encouragement. I would not have entered First Chapters Romance if not for all the emails everyone sent asking me to. I may still have gotten published, but then again, maybe not. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback everyone who has read the book has sent. It really means a lot to me and I'm so very glad the story lived up to what you saw in the contest.

As a thank you to my readers, I am raffling off 3 romantic beach getaway weekends; 2 at the www.AtlantisInn.com in Ocean City, NJ and one at the www.HibiscusHouse.com  in West Palm Beach, FL to coincide with the release date of each book. Register once to be eligible for all 3 drawings. All information is available on my website: www.JudiFennell.com

Judi F. Jun 1, 2009, 1:29pm EDT

Thanks Everyone for stopping. It is appreciated and I hope you enjoyed.

Here are Links to previous Author Interviews