What is your first book PERILS OF THE HEART about?  
Perils of the Heart is about Evangeline Clemens, an English spinster who gets caught up in a pirate's mutiny aboard an American merchant ship. The captain, Austin Blackwell, believes her a spy out to sabotage his mission for the newly formed United States. Together they face danger, intrigue, and adventure, and can't help falling in love. Austin has had his heart broken by his failed marriage and fears that his sea-faring life is to blame. Evangeline senses that he loves this life, and makes him see he must not relinquish it for her or anyone else. They are made for each other from the first moment! I throw in a British spy (who will eventually have his own book) and some funny secondary characters to round out the story. 

What made you choose this setting and story line?  
I had been reading legends about women pirates, and my original thought was to make a pirate woman the heroine. But then I thought, what if a completely innocent and naïve young woman suddenly got swept up in this pirate woman's villainy? Thus Evangeline Clemens was born. She's an ordinary person caught in an extraordinary situation--the potential for fun in this caught my wicked sense of humor, and then the story just wrote itself. 

Tell us about getting "the call".  
I had been at the eye doctor, and my pupils were dilated. When I got home, I found a message on my answering machine from my then agent, telling me Leisure Books wanted to buy Perils. I couldn't see to write down the phone number, and spent an 
agonizing three hours trying to call my agent back. I was so excited and completely blind at the same time! 

Do you have any other titles scheduled for release? Can you tell us about them?  
I have been most fortunate to sell more books to two different publishers. I will be writing historical romances for Leisure, and a historical mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which I am very excited about.  

The next Leisure book will be a Regency called THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR, about a bad-boy pirate who inherits a viscountcy and moves into his London residence, right next door to a very proper young widow. This widow has decided she wants to remarry and has made a list of potential husbands--her first marriage was very painful, and she wants to get it right this time. So should she or should she not include the new viscount? He, of course, thinks he should be at the top of the list! Before she can decide, she finds her orderly life and elegant home overrun with pirates, pirate hunters, aristocratic spies, and a sexy hero determined to win her heart. 

My mystery series is also a Regency, featuring a cavalry captain back from the Peninsular War, who gets caught up in the dark underworld of Regency London. I will be writing this series under the name Ashley Gardner. Where my romances tend to be humorous, my mysteries are dark and edgy, but I think readers will love my hero. He's very close to my heart. 

When did  you start writing? Why romances?  
I started writing when I was eight. I lived in libraries and loved reading. My dream was to one day have one of my books in a library, which I am happy to say has come true! I at first wrote fantasy, because I loved sword and sorceress adventure stories, but I started wanting a little more romance in them. The ideas that came to me for stories always focused on a central couple with a romantic conclusion. So I thought, why not just write romance? So I did! 

What is SPOTLIGHT ON ROMANCE? How are you involved? Where can readers go for this?  
Spotlight on Romance is a radio show that I host on the Book Crazy Radio network on the Internet. Readers/listeners can go to www.bookcrazy.net and click the spinning globe to hear the shows. My show airs on Fridays. The shows for the day are played in a continuous loop, so Spotlight on Romance repeats several times, and again on the weekend. 

I interview romance authors, from bestsellers to the author with her (or his!) first book out. I talk to authors of contemporaries, historicals, paranormals, romantic suspense, and any other subgenre I run across. It's lots of fun, and authors often have some good advice and insight on becoming a published author. I am learning so much from these writers! It's a wonderful show for readers and aspiring authors alike. 

Do  you have a web site and/or contest you would like to share with readers? 
Yes, my site is www.jennifersromances.com. I usually have some kind of contest going on for readers. I love to give stuff away! They can also get to info. on Spotlight on Romance through there.