Rae: Thank you so much for hanging out with me today.

Jamie: Thank you so much for having me!

Rae: If we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a peppermint mocha with Coconut Milk. 🙂 ! What would you order?

Jamie: I’m a tea girl. Irish breakfast tea with milk and sugar is delish!

Rae: Congratulations on your new release, tell us everything. Ok, not everything, perhaps where this sets up in your Officers Ex-Wives series. If a reader hasn’t read the other books, will it stand on it’s own or should we start reading the other books now?

Jamie: Thank you! My new release, Sweet Serendipity, is a standalone novella in Melanie Shawn’s Hope Falls Kindle World. It’s loosely related to the Officers’ Ex-Wives series—when Wyatt isn’t vacationing in Hope Falls, he’s in the military, and he’s newly re-assigned to (the fictional) Gellings Air Force Base, where the Officers’ Ex-Wives Club series is set. In Sweet Serendipity, Skye is Wyatt’s best friend’s little sister. He’s had a crush on her forever, but she’s never really liked him at all. But when they end up sharing a vacation house in Hope Falls, anything goes!!

The next official Officers’ Ex-Wives Club romance, Her Rebel Heart, is coming in March! It’s a full-length prequel novel featuring a sexy military cargo pilot, a feisty and unpredictable physics professor, and some awesome Southern (redneck) fun. (The phrase “Want to touch my catapult?” may or may not be used as a euphemism in Her Rebel Heart… *whistling innocently*)

All of my books can be read by themselves, but I love to put in Easter eggs for loyal readers with crossover characters and world-hopping.

Rae: For those who are not familiar with your work can you tell us a little bit your books? 

Jamie: I write lighthearted romantic comedies with heart. The Misfit Brides series is set in the “Most Married-est Town on Earth,” where the primary economy of the town revolves around the wedding industry. They’re goofy, campy fun, but they also have some emotional threads that I hope will ring true for readers.

And the Officers’ Ex-Wives Club is a funny look at the reality of military family life. I love my Misfit Brides, but my Officers’ Ex-Wives hold a special place in my heart because they come from so much truth in my life. Including the funny parts – in the name of research for this series, I’ve fired potato cannons and gotten a fire ant infestation in my car.

Rae: What can we expect to see on the bookshelves in 2017? Do you have any new series in the works that you can give us a tease?

Jamie: 2017 is starting with a lot of fun! Both Sweet Serendipity and Her Rebel Heart are coming this winter, and I’m planning another Misfit Brides book for this fall. In the meantime, I’m working on a secret project that I’m not ready to talk about yet. (But I promise it’ll be lots of fun.)

Rae: As a military spouse what challenges do you face as a writer? Is there a favorite city that you hope to return to before your husband retires?

Jamie: Hands down, the biggest challenge is moving, followed closely by missions that take the hubby away for weeks at a time. When we move, I’m typically out of commission for writing for at least a month, if not longer depending on all kinds of variables from timing of the move to the childcare and housing and school situations on both ends of the move.

And I would love to get back to the Gulf Coast one day! My oldest was just a year old when we first moved to Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle, and my youngest was six months when we left, so we basically had babies the whole time we were there. I’d love to go back and enjoy the beach more. (Plus, they have Publix. I love Publix grocery stores!)

Rae: Your series is on audio-book, were you able to select who narrated your books?

Jamie: Funny story – my narrator, Karen White, actually picked me! When my first book came out, she read a review and reached out and asked if I’d sold audio rights. I listened to some of the samples on her website, and when I realized she narrated for Julie James and Jill Shalvis, I was totally hooked. I’m so thrilled to have Karen narrating both the Misfit Brides and the Officers’ Ex-Wives Club series. Her narration adds a new dimension to the stories, and I absolutely love it.

Rae: I must say I love the jumping brides on the cover of your book. That’s one shot I never took at my wedding – clever idea.

Jamie: Thank you! The covers were so fun to design, and Jaycee at Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs did such a fabulous job with the concept.

Rae: It was so much fun having you here today!  

Jamie: Thank you, Rae!! I had a great time stopping by!

***** Tasty Tidbits *****

1. What is a must read book and why? The Count of Monte Cristo. I love the complexity of the plot, the deep human desires, the romance, the ethical questions sparked by Edmond’s quest for vengeance, all of it. It’s such a remarkable book.

2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? Since I’m in the DC area right now, I’m going to say Mount Vernon. It’s historically rich and it sits on such a beautiful patch of earth.

3. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? I was an engineer before I was a romance writer.

4. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? Back to Morocco. The people and culture and food fascinate me, and I’d love to put it all in a book one day.

5. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate. Always chocolate. 🙂

6. Binge watcher or weekly viewer? Which show(s)? Total binge-watcher! I’m binging Mysteries of Laura right now and eagerly awaiting a new season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. (And now I have the theme song running through my head and I’m giggling.)

7. What’s your favorite movie of all time and why? The Princess Bride! Because it’s inconceivable that I pick any other movie as my favorite. 🙂

8. What is the one thing you can’t live without ? My imagination. I live there more than I live anywhere else.

9. Do you love to cook or go out to eat? I love cooking and eating homemade food, but I also love having someone else chop the vegetables and do the dishes.

Rae: Thanks again for hanging out! Time for another Peppermint Mocha  🙂  Happy Reading Dear Readers. Happy Writing Jamie

Jamie: Thank you so much, Rae! I had a lovely time, and I’m looking forward to another cup of Irish breakfast tea! Happy reading, everyone!

Author Info:

 

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