Guest Star: Judi Fennell

Welcome Judi Fennell, this week's guest star author! She's just released a brand new novel, IN OVER HER HEAD and she's taken the time to answer some of my questions about her work.

Here's an overview of the book:

When Erica Peck, one terrified-of-the-ocean marina owner, finds herself at the bottom of the sea conversing with a Mer man named Reel, she thinks she's died and gone to her own version of Hell. When the Oceanic Council demands she and Reel retrieve a lost cache of diamonds from the resident sea monster in return for their lives, she knows she's died and gone to Hell.

When they escape the monster and end up on a deserted island, she amends her opinion - she's died and gone to Heaven.

But when Reel sacrifices himself to allow her to return to her world, she realizes that, Heaven or Hell, with Reel, she's In Over Her Head.

"Nora Roberts? Danielle Steel? Much acclaimed romance writers should step aside. There is a new romance writer in town and she is certainly causing a great splash with her debut novel, In Over Her Head."
-ABibliophile.com

"I truly found a pearl in my oyster when I read this delightful tale. I was surprised how good of a book In Over Her Head is. It is extremely well-written, the storyline flows and I was hooked from the first page."
-LongAndShortReviews.blogspot.com

And check out this awesome contest where you could win a romantic beach getaway!

To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com

1.How do you come up with the names for your characters?

All of the names in my stories mean something, whether they are a play on words, a twist on other characters, named for people I know, for a certain characteristic, etc., rarely do I just pull a name out of the air and assign it to a character.

2. When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate? If you’ve sold more than one novel, do you have a celebration ritual for subsequent sales?

I got an email first from my editor that she couldn't believe it hadn't sold yet and could I call her. So I had an idea going into the call. She let me know she was taking it into the editorial meeting the next day, so, again, not a total surprise. Then I got the email from the meeting that she wanted it AND the next two stories, and, yes, I cried. I think I squealed first, then I cried. Then I stood in my family room, flapping my hands and being speechless while the kids and Hubs laughed and cheered, then I calmed down and called my agent. Then after I made a few more calls, the emotions got to me an I picked up the book I'd been reading and parked my butt on the sofa and just read and read and read. Champagne and flowers followed over the next few days. It was a great time.

3. If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role?

I could see either Matthew McConaughey or Zac Efron for Reel, and Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson or Anne Hathaway for Erica. I don't know any stunt remoras, so I'll leave that up to the casting director. And if we could get Susan Sarandon for Ceto, the sea monster, that'd be great.


4. What was your inspiration behind your latest novel?

I was writing a series of twists to fairy tales: Beauty and The Best,Cinda Bella, and Fairest of Them All, and I wanted to twist The Little Mermaid. The best way to do it was to make him the Mer.

5. Desert Island time. You can bring one person and one "thing" what would you bring?

I'm bringing Hubs - he and I can use some uninterrupted time after the whirlwind since selling, so we need a vacation. As for what we'd bring, suntan lotion. If it's deserted, who needs clothes, but we'd need the lotion. And, hell, lotion? 'Nuff said.


For more information, check out Judi's website at: www.JudiFennell.com