Badass Basic Bitch

From Pandemic Layoff to Romance Bestseller: Jennifer Hartman's Writing Journey

• Brianna Dunbar-DeMike

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Can a global pandemic become the launchpad for your wildest dreams? For Jennifer Hartman, being laid off alongside her husband during COVID created the perfect "now or never" moment that transformed this shy, introverted mom into a bestselling romance author with 14 books in just four years.

Jennifer pulls back the curtain on her meteoric rise in publishing, sharing how her fourth book "Still Beating" – a dark romance about two people chained together in a basement – unexpectedly caught fire online and is now being adapted for film. With refreshing candor, she discusses the emotional vulnerability of sharing her words with strangers and the surreal experience of seeing her books on Target shelves. Her creative process might surprise you; each book gets its own unique Spotify playlist that helps spark inspiration when writer's block strikes.

What's most touching is how Jennifer's stories have profoundly impacted readers' lives. She recounts a tearful encounter with a woman who credited one of Jennifer's books for giving her a reason to live during a dark period. These connections remind us why storytelling matters. Meanwhile, at home, her family dynamic has evolved beautifully as her husband transitioned from corporate life to becoming her business partner and stay-at-home dad, handling everything from book covers to household management.

Whether you're harboring secret dreams of authorship or simply love hearing how ordinary people achieve extraordinary things, Jennifer's journey proves that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to unimaginable success. As she puts it: "It doesn't matter how big or wild your dream seems, it is absolutely attainable. You just have to do the steps to get there."


On this episode, Jennifer Hartmann

More about Jennifer!
Jennifer Hartmann is a celebrated romance author known for her captivating storytelling and heartfelt narratives. With a passion for crafting love stories that resonate with readers, she has captured the hearts of romance enthusiasts around the world. Through her engaging characters and vivid settings, Jennifer transports readers to worlds filled with passion, emotion, and the timeless allure of romance.

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Speaker 1:

What's up, batty Bees? I'm Brianna, mom, wife, serial entrepreneur and host of the Badass Basic Bitch podcast. Each week, I sit down with a seemingly ordinary woman who's doing extraordinary things and I get to share her story with you. So let's go Buckle up, as we're going to get real and dive into the shit nobody talks about. Welcome to the Batty B Club.

Speaker 2:

Just be brave, step outside your comfort zone. That, I think, has been the biggest thing for me, is because I think people just like trap themselves into these bubbles and feel like they're only capable of so much. It doesn't matter how big or wild your dream seems, it is absolutely attainable. You just have to do the steps to get there. That was the biggest stepping stone for me Making connections Like I'm not someone that reaches out to people Like I. You know I feel shy and awkward about it, but sending that email, you know, making that comment to someone that you know you never know where it could lead and mine has only opened up new doors that I never thought I'd be able to get through.

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of Badass Basic Bitch. On today's episode, we are diving into the world of romance literature with author Jennifer Hartman. Known for her storytelling, Jennifer has captured the hearts of readers worldwide, so join us as we explore her life inspirations and creative process, uncovering the magic behind her heartfelt narratives and the timeless allure of romance. Thank you so much for being with us today, Jennifer.

Speaker 1:

Hi, thank you so much for having me Really excited to be here so before we get started, can you tell our listeners a little bit more about who you are and what you do?

Speaker 2:

Yes, so I am a wife and a mother. I live in Northern Illinois and I've always wanted to be a writer, but I never really thought it was something that I could achieve, but I just I went for it. My husband's like just you know why not? And so one day about four years ago, I just decided to publish my first book I had been working on for probably a decade prior. And, yeah, it just kind of spiraled after that, and so it's only been about four years and I have 14 books out right now. So, yeah, it's my life, I absolutely love it and it's been great.

Speaker 1:

I did not realize that you've only been doing this professionally in that sense, where your first book was out four years ago. That is insane to me.

Speaker 2:

It's been very surreal. I did not anticipate. So basically my husband and I had both been laid off with COVID. This happened in 2020. And it was just kind of like now or never situation. If I'm going to do it, might as well do it now. So, yeah, I just kind of tackled my first book. Yeah, you know, I got some good feedback and then I wrote two more after that and then it was my fourth book, still Beating that just kind of like caught a buzz on the internet and the Facebook groups and it's just been. You know, it just took off from there.

Speaker 1:

So what inspired you to start writing? I mean, obviously you said that you both were laid off and it was COVID time, but I mean, someone just doesn't wake up and be like I'm going to write a book, or maybe they do, but usually those people aren't successful. So where did this all start from?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I devoured historical romance novels probably earlier than I should have, like in my teens my young teens probably and so I really just had a voracious love for reading and I took that to writing. I would write poetry and short stories. I loved English class in school and I actually started kind of writing my own stories in the fan fiction world back in the day and one day, like maybe in 2009 or so, I kind of transformed one of those fan fiction stories with like my own made up characters and I got pretty far into it, maybe halfway through the book, and then I started having kids. I settled down. I just didn't think I had time for it, so it was just on, you know, in the background, and yeah, it was like maybe end of 2019.

Speaker 2:

My husband's like I think you have something here because he read what I had written. He's like you should go for it and I was like I don't have time, we both work full time. Then and yeah, and then COVID hit and I just I actually had time on, you know, my husband was watching the kids, he let me work upstairs and I just dove into it and I haven't stopped.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, and then, like what did you pick? Like romance literature, because you've just been passionate about that. You always found it most fascinating. So you're like, might as well write what I love to read and what I know.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I don't know why, but I, even with movies and TV shows, I always just latch on to that. You know, the romance, the love story that you know in a lot of shows and that kind of with books as well, it was. That's just my driving force. I love just seeing like two characters defeat the odds and that's why I kind of put my characters in these like forbidden or tragic situations, cause it's just it's really fun to see them get to the other side and have the happy ending.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I, oh my gosh, I just think that's so. I still can't get over the fact that this was like oh, I'm just going to do it because you've had, like I was looking at some of your books and there's some books that have like tens of thousands of just reviews, which means hundreds of thousands of people, and you've been named bestseller and top 25 and all of that. So how did you because it was such a little bit of time and it seems like some of your books really went viral for lack of better words how did you handle that transition from oh, like I just write for fun and but to now people are demanding it and wanting it and there's this expectation that you have to fulfill that? Like, how did you handle that transition, or how are you handling it?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, as fun as it is, it's also it's also difficult because I'm very like, I'm a sensitive person, I'm kind of introverted, so it's very vulnerable to put your words out there and that expectation. People say it gets easier with every book. For me it actually gets harder because as my audience grows, so do those reader demands, and I'm such a people pleaser that I wish I could just please every single reader and that's impossible. So yeah, it's harder. When you start writing a new book you kind of overthink things like oh well, this person's like this and so on and so forth. So it's hard to kind of navigate those like self-limiting beliefs that you know the demand, expectation versus like just writing what you love and being passionate about you know the stories you're writing. But I think when you find a balance is when you can really thrive.

Speaker 1:

And what about writer's block? Like there's got to be moments when you feel creatively drained, right, how do you handle that? Because I think that's really relatable, because people may not relate to the fact of being a writer but work life getting out and about, like you have this like draining or depletion, like how do you handle that?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. My stories are always very emotionally draining. I write very angsty, lots of like tragic stories. They end happily, but there's a lot of you know stuff that goes down in the middle. So it's hard.

Speaker 2:

Time management is difficult. Having three children and a husband and a household. You just really have to kind of buckle down and focus, and that's never been a strong suit of mine.

Speaker 2:

I'm a big procrastinator but, for whatever reason, writing like I feel like I'm not complete if I'm not, you know, contributing to the writing process at least a little bit every day, even if I'm not actively writing, I'm usually brainstorming or for writer's block. I think that I've looked into so many things, I've tried everything and for me it's just a waited out. Sometimes there's just a lot of traveling going on or, you know, stressful life situations and I don't want to force anything. Um, because I feel like I can tell, and readers can tell, if it's not authentic and my mind wasn't in it. So, um, I think the best thing for me is music. I really gravitate towards, um, just putting, you know, my, my Spotify playlist on and I have one for every book, so I'll just kind of listen to the songs and it helps kind of get me, you know, ground me a little bit and get me back in the zone.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh, I love that. So do you develop your? Okay, I'm just like this is more for, like, personal curiosity. Do you develop your Spotify playlist based on, like, the type of book you're writing, or do you have one list that you listen to no matter what you write?

Speaker 2:

No, everything is individual to every book, so on my.

Speaker 2:

Spotify there's literally a playlist for every story. It has the story title on there and the song. Pretty much all the songs are different. Occasionally there's like one or two songs, but it's just like my favorite songs that end up on every playlist. But yeah, I kind of go by a mix between mood and lyrics and if they just mesh, it gets added to the list and I just my daughter, she's 14. She'll be like, well we know when mom's writing a new book, because we hear the same 10 songs on repeat over and over in the car or whatever. So yeah, I'll just kind of have those. You know, they're just in the back of my mind and they really just help inspire me.

Speaker 1:

And then, what about your experience with, like publishing? Because I could imagine when you're writing your first book, there is a lot of things that you have to go through without even knowing is this going to be successful? Is this even going to be worth the money? So maybe someone's listening and they've always wanted to write a book or publish a book. I would love to hear from you like advice for aspiring authors, or just like your experience of there was a lot of roadblocks that you had to get through.

Speaker 2:

Yes, author life, you have to wear many hats. I was never good at the marketing and promoting or anything like that. I'm definitely not an analytical type. So like ads and all that, that's just like not my wheelhouse. So I mean first I would say, just write the book. So I know a lot of people stress over the after. You know what you do afterwards, but just get the book written first.

Speaker 2:

And then there's so many groups out there I would say it. I mean it takes a village. I don't think I'd be where I am if I didn't have like a really great group of people, a support system. People I've met online. I've made like a best friend just through the author journey, like truly best friend. She lives states away but we still visit, we talk daily my husband and just other writers that are in the same position as you. It's like they're the only ones that kind of understand what you're going through and everybody has been really helpful. I know people see negativity a lot online but there are just really good people that are eager to help. So ask questions there's no question, that's, you know, too silly Do research and then just kind of latch on to some good people that have the strengths that you lack. So my husband is very analytical, so he helps me with that side of things and yeah, it just you kind of combine your strengths until you get it right.

Speaker 1:

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Speaker 1:

Have you ever read the book who Not, how? I have not. Okay, it's a really interesting book, but it kind of makes me feel very similar to what you're saying now. It's like you have all of these things that you have to get done and a lot of people tend to focus in on how am I going to get that done, right? How am I going to sell books? How am I going to write this book? How am I going to do all these things? But this book who, not how? Really has you focusing in on the who? Like, who is going to help you, right?

Speaker 1:

I recognize that it's not my strength for ads or publishing or whatever it is. Who are the people in my you know, three touchpoint network or whatnot that I can pull from that can help me accomplish this, because I can't take on everything. It's super fascinating and I think once you it sounds like you had that mindset of instead of like, oh my God, how am I going to do all of these things myself. It's just more of like how am I going to pull to help me get those done? And I think that's like super relatable to really anything that people are trying to do. So I would love to hear this is an interesting question in the sense of some people want to be influencers or content creators or advocates or want to get in certain community aspects or volunteer. How do you engage with your writers and fans and like how did you build that network for yourself?

Speaker 2:

So a lot of authors do things differently. A lot of them are kind of behind the scenes or they have someone else kind of take over their social media. I have always loved just interacting with readers and fans. I guess you could say it really fills my cup. So I try to just be out there and I try to respond to like every single comment I can, you know, every tag. I try to share a lot of stories because it makes me happy and it like I just appreciate everybody that, because it's time, time-consuming, making videos and reels and content and people aren't necessarily getting anything out of it aside from just the joy of reading and sharing. So that means a lot to me and so I try my best to just be really I guess, hands-on, you can say and put myself out there.

Speaker 2:

I think with any business you're not just selling your brand and your product, you're selling yourself too. So I really just try to be my best self and put my you know, try to stay positive and put my best foot forward when it comes to social media. Because you know, I mean, as everybody knows, negativity and stuff that really is like stuff that trends and it's, you know, it's that I don't like that. So I mean you'll never really see me talking about anything controversial or negative or getting in on any of the drama. I try to stay out of that because I really just want my space to be, you know, a safe space and a positive space.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, have you had any like really touching or inspiring fan interactions?

Speaker 2:

I have and those are the ones that like, keep me going If I'm honestly, if I'm ever just struggling or in a block or something that like readers reaching out to me, it's great when they say I love your book, it was so entertaining.

Speaker 2:

But when you can touch someone on a deeper level I mean I've had people say they, you know their life was changed reading their. You know one of my stories this is a little bit personal I met this person at a signing, face-to-face, and she was crying and hugged me. And one of my stories the wrong part kind of, deals with suicidal themes and overcoming that. And she said she was close to doing that. And she said she read the book and completely just had a whole new outlook on life and like she's like this is why I wanted to live again and I'm recognizing all the little things in life and you know I call them starting points in the book and she's like it really just opened my eyes and she thanked me and like that you can't replace that. I think everybody wants to touch the world in some way and to leave, you know, their mark. So the fact that I can touch so many people through words is just the most fulfilling thing.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing, oh my.

Speaker 2:

God.

Speaker 1:

I couldn't even imagine that, like your words and your stories that you're sharing real or not, real way, or inspired or not inspired is having such an impact, and a lot of the times you probably don't even know that, but in this case, this woman came up and said that to you, which is, like I, just so incredibly special. Let's talk about some of your books, because you had mentioned that Still Beating was the one that really took off. Is that right? Yes, that's the one, mm-hmm. So maybe give us a high-level overview of which one came out first, because I know you have Lotus, the Wrong Heart, june 1st. There's a bunch, so maybe you can just talk about the history and what was so different about Still Beating.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so Still Beating the premise of the story. So this is my one, really truly kind of darker romance. It's a survivor story. But I really kind of go dark with the beginning of the book and this was just a little nugget I had in my brain a long time ago and I'm like I'm never writing that. That's so depraved. Like if my parents read this book, oh my God. So I'm like I'm never going to do it. But then one day I was I'm like why not? And I almost did it under a pen name because I was very nervous about putting that out there after I.

Speaker 2:

My last three books before that were just kind of like contemporary romance. But yeah, this one is two characters who've never gotten along. But yeah, this one is two characters who've never gotten along. They're kidnapped by the same man, they're chained in a basement together for three weeks and then they kind of have to work together to survive and just a lot of terrible things happen. And I was going to kind of end it there and just leave it as just this dark, twisted little novella. And I sent it to a couple of friends at the time beta readers and they're like you have to keep going. And I was like you're right, like I really want to see how these two people overcome this and get to the other side. So I would say two thirds of the book is actually the healing journey after the captivity and so it's very it's kind of a bit like a bit of a trauma bond and all that.

Speaker 2:

But it I don't know, it just kind of took off and sometimes I do think it's luck, I mean just getting the right book out there at the right time. And when I did publish this, like the darker romance was really kind of getting a buzz and I also my husband and I shot the cover of the book the original cover in our living room we were photographers at the time, so we had our arms chained together and the cover, the story behind the cover, also kind of took off. So it was a little bit of a mix of things. But yeah, that's my one book that's really kind of gotten a lot of traction on, you know, like TikTok and things like that. So that's really cool. And it got picked up for to be a movie by Passion Flick last month. So I'm excited about that. Yes, good to see it come to life.

Speaker 1:

A dream come true, that is so cool yeah, when you're doing that, when you're seeing that some of your like your actual book is moving towards a movie or getting picked up like what participation do you have in that?

Speaker 2:

So it's different for all studios. The reason why I felt so comfortable and had a lot of faith in this particular studio with Passion Flicks is because they give the author a lot of creative control and I know this book was, you know, very it's very special to a lot of readers and some sensitive topics that I wanted to do it justice and I know sometimes you could hand it over to like a big studio or Netflix and then it's really out of your hands and it's kind of you leave all the creativity to them and so it's nice that I get to I have control over, like the final script revisions. I get to be on set the whole time, um, get you know, have a say in the casting and everything. So that was really important to me and um, so yeah, that's why I feel so comfortable with it and I'm very excited to see what they can do.

Speaker 1:

So that's so cool, so you get to be on set the whole time, like, what do you?

Speaker 2:

how do you feel about that? Oh my God, it's surreal. So this is honestly my bucket list dream. I, when I was in community college, I actually studied screenwriting. So movies were that was kind of my end game. Um, originally I loved writing, but I liked writing in script form. So just the fact that you know I I gravitated more towards, you know, storytelling in books, but just seeing that kind of come full circle is amazing. So it really was my ultimate dream going into writing, like it would be so cool to see a movie, you know. So the fact that it's happening is amazing.

Speaker 1:

What were you like as a kid? Were you like so into books and writing and creativity?

Speaker 2:

I was. I was a little bit of a bookworm. I was very shy and introverted, um kind of insecure I mean I still carry a lot of that with me to this day just very sensitive, and you know, um, I definitely wasn't, you know, like the star of the cheerleading squad or anything like that. I was just kind of like a wallflower, I guess. So, um, yeah, so this has been different to like kind of put myself out there and, um, like I said, I was a photographer for a long time too and I was like, oh, I was comfortable behind the scenes, you know. But to be kind of, you know, getting your, your stories and such like an intimate part of you, like your words to, to share them with just complete strangers all around the world, is very, um, it's scary but it's very satisfying at the yeah, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

I can only imagine. So, what is some advice that you would give people who want to follow in similar footsteps? And it doesn't have to be romance novels. It could be a business book or or biography, or whatever it is. What's some advice that you would give people?

Speaker 2:

Um, my ultimate advice is to just be brave, to step outside your comfort zone. That, I think, has been the biggest thing for me, is because I think people just like trap themselves into these bubbles and feel like they're only capable of so much. But I think it doesn't matter how big or wild your dream seems, it is absolutely attainable. You just have to do the steps to get there. So, just being brave with whatever it is you do For me it was just writing that story. I never thought I could actually get up. You know, put out there. That was the biggest stepping stone for me. Making connections, like I'm not someone that reaches out to people Like I. You know I feel shy and awkward about it, but just, you know, sending that email, you know making that comment to someone that you know you never know where it could lead and mine has only opened up new doors that.

Speaker 1:

I never thought I'd be able to get through. Can people self-publish? Because it sounds like you went through a publisher the first time. Can people self-publish?

Speaker 2:

No, actually I started off as indie, so independent, you know, self-publishing, basically. So I just kind of latched onto Amazon. It was KDP. Everyone was like that's the way to do it, it's the biggest platform. So I started there. I only got a publisher at the end of 2022.

Speaker 2:

And I actually reached out to them. I was just it was one of those things. I'm like you know what, why not? So I just messaged one of the editors it's with Bloom source books and I'm like, hey, this is a long shot, don't mind me just creeping in your inbox here, but what are the chances? And it was just like fate, because she had just read my book June 1st, and she's like, wow, I just read this. This seems like perfect timing, it seems like it's meant to be, and I was thinking about reaching out to you. And yeah, the rest is history there. So they have published three of my backlist books Still Beating, lotus and June 1st. And then I have my next release they call it the Frontline the book I wrote for them and that's coming out in just a couple of weeks Catch the Sun. So, yeah, it's very exciting. So I have my toes dipped into both avenues. They call it hybrid, I guess, and it's been fun to experience both sides of it.

Speaker 1:

Is self-publishing on Amazon hard. What are the steps that you take?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, it's not hard. They make it very user-friendly, which was great for me starting out, because I didn't know what I was doing, and I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat. So it's a really great platform. I mean, they even can do your cover for you. You can just do like a little like mock-up cover Not that I recommend it, but yeah, they make it so simple and you can just pop your manuscript in and hit publish and that's that. So, yeah, it's been a great avenue.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so okay, Obviously you spend a lot of time writing, but I'm curious what are some things that you do when you're not writing?

Speaker 2:

I do with my life like 10 years ago, like trying to think back to all the stuff I did, because writing is, like it kind of has taken over my world. That used to be my main hobby. But yeah, I mean, I feel like I'm pretty ordinary. I love spending time with my family, I love going for walks, I love nature, I love animals. I used to work in pet care for like 13 years, so you know, I just kind of like I obviously love reading, so that's probably my biggest hobby, I guess, but nothing too crazy. You know I'm not out there surfing or you know anything like that. So I'm just kind of like typical mom in suburbia with the family and just getting by and holding down the household.

Speaker 1:

What do your kids think about your career and your books?

Speaker 2:

They're very excited about it. My oldest is 14. So she, my next book coming out is geared towards YA, young adult. So like she's like, oh, my friends heard that your book is coming out and they can actually probably read it. I'm like, no, you can't read it. But yeah, they're very excited and the first time saw one of my books at Target, I think that's when it set in for them Like, oh, this is more than just mom is just hanging out in the bedroom writing all the time. They actually saw it Like, wow, mom's book is at Target. So yeah, I think it's surreal for them too that it's not something that always happens. It's kind of like rare, exciting thing that I'm glad I get to experience with them.

Speaker 1:

And then you said that in COVID time your husband lost his job. Is he back to work or is he more?

Speaker 2:

ahead of a household. How has his role changed with your success? Yeah, so we are absolutely a team. We work together with the business.

Speaker 2:

He did go back to work for, I think, about a year and a half or so and then he took an early retirement because it was just kind of getting too much for me so to do on my own to write and manage the household. So, yeah, he does my book covers, he does a lot of my stuff that I'm not good at, like my ads and stuff like that, and, yeah, just holds down the fort like stay at home, dad, while I'm writing, and he loves it because we have a little one too. He's six now, but I mean I think it's a rare thing where you can kind of see your kids grow up, where you're not leaving the house nine to five to go to work every day. So it's really special and I'm glad that you know I'm able to allow him to do this too and you know he loves it. He's my number one support and I don't think I could do it without him.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that. I'm curious, though has the roles or the way that you guys work together changed at all? Because I know that's something that's very common. When women see some success, their partner I see it two ways. It's either like someone who's like super supportive, but then also like sometimes it's a struggle, because there's this feeling of potential, like inadequateness or not being able to fulfill those shoes. So I'm curious what has your experience been?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean I think when it first started maybe there was a little bit of that, because it's a bit of a role reversal, so I mean there's kind of like it's strange, it's not something that everybody experiences. So I think there was a little bit of a learning curve. But it really just comes down to acceptance. And yeah, luckily my husband is just like completely accepted everything. He's super happy for me. He does all the signings with me, so when I go to all the book signings he's my assistant and I think it, you know it makes him just as happy as it makes me, you know, to watch me succeed. And you know he has his own hobbies. He's a musician, so he has a band, so he still gets out and gets to experience. You know his own, you know hobbies and everything.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, we just like we work really well together and I know that's not always the case, so I feel very, very lucky in that aspect.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, when it works, it works, and I think it's really interesting to see some men that are finding themselves in this position have the realization of, like, if I pour into this, then we're both successful, we both get, and it's like a choice of either having some resentment and battling it and then pouring in, because when you pour into something, you're both getting back in return, and it sounds like you guys have figured that out, which is awesome. So what about balancing with your kids? Are you able to still find the balance? And, because it sounds like you have a six-year-old, you have a 14-year-old, I'm sure you've got maybe like a 10-year-old somewhere in there, because you have three, 11, I figured it was somewhere. Has being more of a business owner and a brand owner been able, like, allowed you the ability to be the mom that you want to be and show up when you want to show up, or do you find it being more conflicting with being able to show up how you want to show up?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's, um, it's definitely double-sided, I feel it's. I think it's harder to just go into the office and write when the kids you know now that it's summertime they're just like hanging out in the house and I then I get the mom guilt. When they're at school it's a little bit easier, but it's definitely. I mean, it's nice that I can just pop out and take a break and see what's going on, but at the same time it takes a lot of discipline and that's very tricky for me. So I think it's easier sometimes when you do have an outside office and you're leaving in the morning, and I feel like I wouldn't feel as bad if I was like okay, this is work, even though it is work. But it's just different when you're at home and you feel like you're kind of missing out on something that's just on the other side of the door. So it's been hard to navigate that a little bit.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, sometimes you're really stretched thin, so you can't really do everything at once and you have to make sacrifices. If I have a deadline that's due, then I really have to buckle down and be like I promise I'll make it up to you guys, but if you do like, right now I do have a little bit of time to spare. So I am trying hard to just really be very present with the household and the kids and summer activities, and then knowing that I have to dive back in and kind of just be absent for a little bit. So yeah, it's hard, especially with traveling, cause I've been able to go to a lot of cool places, but you know I can't always take the kids because you know they're in school or whatever. So that's hard too. So I'm like oh, I promise I'll make it up to you, we'll go somewhere fun, but yeah it's, it's tricky.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's finding that the juggling between it all. So obviously you talked about this movie. You have a new book coming out. Remind us what that is and then also tell us any other things that you have coming up in the next year or so.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So my next book is called Catch the Sun. This is a little bit it deviated from my normal books, because I normally write adult romances and this was kind of just like an accident. I'm like, hey, I always need to be writing something different. And this was kind of just like an accident. I'm like, hey, I always need to be writing something different. I'm not one of those authors you can kind of put in a box which is hard for marketing, but it is what it is.

Speaker 2:

So this time I was like I kind of want to write younger kids like not kids, but like 18 in high school. And so it's still like my typical story, like I have a slow burn. It's very angsty, there's twists and turns, heavy topic, but yeah, it's just yours for a little bit of a younger audience maybe. So it was really fun to write kind of like a sarcastic, moody heroine and it's a friend to lover story and she has a brother that was put on death row for committing a crime. So she kind of comes back to the town that she had left, reconnects with the boy that she loved when she was little and it's just this slow burn friendship. But then, like about halfway through the book we take a turn into kind of Amesville and I don't want to spoil anything, but yeah, it gets a little bit darker and grittier from there.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, I love that. Where can people find you or your books? I mean I want to read that Still Beating book that I mean I want to read that still beating book that sounds amazing the way that you're describing it, but I would love to have you share, like where can people find you or where can they download or buy your books?

Speaker 2:

Sure, so all my books are on Amazon, so that's an easy place to find them. My traditionally published books are with Bloom, so you can find those anywhere. A lot of them are in Barnes, noble and Target, walmart, places like that, somewhere at airports. But yeah, there's. I have a link in my. I mostly post on Instagram. That's my primary platform, so I post. I'm there the most and I have all my like little link trees and all that stuff, so you can find more about me there.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. And then I always ask this this one piece of advice you'd give to listeners from today's episode.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, I would say just if you have something that you're passionate about and you feel like you can't do it because of other things, just make time for it and even if it's a slow process, if it's baby steps, if you just every day work towards your ultimate dream, your ultimate goal, like I promise, you will get there. But it takes a lot of discipline and focus and you just have to want it bad enough. But yeah, nothing is too small, just little tiny stuff, little goals along the way, and you'll get there.

Speaker 1:

I like that. Thank you so much, jennifer, for being with us. Really appreciated today's conversation, of course.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for having me. It's been great.

Speaker 1:

As always. Thank you for listening. Check us out on Instagram at badass basic bitch and thank you to saw and sign our production studio. We'll see you next week. We'll see you next time, Bye.

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Brianna Dunbar-DeMike

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