eBook/Novella Review and Author Interview with Jennifer Shirk

     

     No doubt love is in the air with Valentine's Day celebrations just a few weeks ago. If you weren't looking for love then, you'll certainly be seeking Cupid after reading Jennifer Shirk's novella       a little bit cupid.

     Wedding photographer, Phoebe Ward, believes she's content capturing love from behind the camera's lens.  Causing a ripple in her wall-flower lifestyl,. Cosmo E. Cupid III sets her on a hurried path to find true love in order to keep another realm's gods from destroying the love that exists throughout the earth. The catch - it's with her pre-selected soul-mate, Adam Lovello, the man she nearly sterilized with a scalding-hot latte.
   Phoebe, fighting the constant distractions of the gods, is relentlessly pursuing Adam. Struggling to keep her eyes on the goal of making cold-fish Adam fall for her in time to save the world, Phoebe accidentally finds herself in a lopsided love-triangle.

     This review has two firsts for me: my first contemporary romance AND my first novella.  I'm as tickled pink as Cosmo's business card that I got a chance to read it. Already a fan of Jennifer Shirk's blog, I am now a solid fan of her whitty, hilarious, and daring writing. Main character Phoebe's clumsy-quirky nature and her wide open heart won me over quickly. Not only will you find her character lovable, Adam and Cal will have you running for your squirt-bottle and fan to cool off. Even the cigar-smoking cabbie Cosmo will tug at your heart. You'll just have to read the novella to find out which one nearly breaks the heat dial for Phoebe.  Convinced Cosmo had a plan to hijack my blog and shoot his arrows from Reading, Writing, Raisin' Boys, I recommend you read a little bit cupid so you'll know how he works and who may now be after you to foil his plans.
     And if reading a spuzzy-spice novella on your Kindle, Nook, or Ipad over a few lunch breaks doesn't rock your world, Jennifer throws in a free sampler of Kissing Kendall as an encore. What more could you get for 99 Cents - laughs, heat, drama, even a bit of paranormal fantasy AND a bonus sampler.  Check out jennifershirk.com Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble to download a copy for less than the price of a cup of Phoebe's spilled coffee.

I give a little bit cupid   5 stars on quivers!

     And now onto my interview with the spuzz-master herself, I bring you Jennifer Shirk:


   Welcome Jennifer! I’m delighted to have you over at Reading, Writing, Raisin’ boys to talk about one of your new contemporary romance releases, a little bit cupid.

Thank you so much for having me today!!

I have to say, you had me just after “hello” with your pop-culture references that draw the reader right into the Phoebe’s perspective. You were also pretty daring with a few fun scenes. Do you always pump up your writing with these relatable metaphors  and taboo tidbits or does the shorter format allow you to take more risk with your writing?

I honestly just wanted to have fun writing this story, so I may have gotten a little nutty. So it really depends on the tone of the story for me and this one just screamed, "anything goes!" LOL

For those of us that think of the writer’s world as a mysterious realm, what differences are there in your creative process when you write a short story versus a full-length novel?

It was very bizarre writing this story because it was a novella and not a full length book. So in some ways, it was easier because I didn't have to go in depth with my internal conflicts, but in some ways it was harder because I couldn't do that in order to have readers really understand my characters. It was a challenge.

Onto the characters – do you have a favorite?

I LOVE Cal.

He was my favorite to write. He was funny but more the "straight man" to Phoebe's antics. I definitely think a little of that comes out in my writing too, because I've had a lot of people tell me they wanted more of him. (which is always nice to hear) :)

Characters typically do the opposite of what the reader wants them to do – what would you do if you hailed a cab and Cosmo started stalking you with a mission?

I'd call the police for sure and get him arrested! But then that wouldn't be much of a story. LOL

Just for fun – Let’s say you get a movie contract and you get to play Phoebe – who do you cast for Cosmo, Cal, and Adam?

Ooh, great question! Here's who I'd have:

Phoebe-- Amy Adams

Cal-- Channing Tatum

Cosmo- Danny Devito

Adam-- Ryan Gosling

Whoa! I'll take front row seats - thank you!

Do you think you’ll do another short romance in time for next Valentine’s Day?

Yes, I'm actually tinkering with the idea of doing Adam's story next. Nothing in stone though.

Lastly, but no less important – chocolates, bacon, or chocolate covered bacon?

I tend to eat more vegetarian so just plain chocolates for me! But LOTS of them!

This has been a blast! Thanks for writing such a fresh, fun-loving story and visiting with me for this interview. You’ve been such a busy writer that I’m watching for what next – the movie or another great read. I’ll be adding Kissing Kendall to my TBR faster than Cosmo’s arrow….

Yes!! This was so fun! Thanks for reading and for having me today!

I hope you all get to check out A Little Bit Cupid too! Only 99 cents!