Hi Girls!
I have Judi Fennell on my blog today–she won a Prism award and her cover art caught my eye, and her stories look fun and imaginative. If you leave a comment on her interview, she’s offered to give one US reader a copy of her new book!
Hi Judi! Thanks so much for coming on the blog today! I love your cover art for your newest release! Tell us about Catch of a Lifetime.
Thanks so much, Lisa, both for having me and about my covers.
The only credit I can take for the cover is that I come up with the story, but I have truly been blessed by the cover gods—although I should say, Cover Goddess. Anne Cain has done all four of my covers and they’re all beautiful.
Catch of a Lifetime is the third in my Mer series, this time about Mer princess Angel Tritone, whom her family affectionately calls Jacques Cousteau. She’s a Humanologist – studies Humans and has always been fascinated by them. We first met her in In Over Her Head, her brother Reel’s story when he brings Erica, a Human, back to their underwater home in Atlantis.
In Catch of a Lifetime, Angel’s out to study the fishing habits of Humans when Hammerhead Harry shows up looking for a royal meal. The only way she can escape him once she finds herself on the end of a fishing hook is to climb aboard the Humans’ boat and hide.
Logan Hardington finds Angel on his boat the next morning. Naked. Without money, clothes, or anything to call her own. He gives her his shirt and is about to give her some money and a ride to the closest bus station when his six year old son asks for Angel to be his babysitter as his birthday present.
Angel can’t pass up the opportunity to get up close and personal, and, even though Logan doesn’t want to rotate new women through his son’s life, he can’t deny the attraction.
He also can’t deny that she’s a mermaid when he finds that out. To say it causes a bit of a problem, well, that’d be an understatement.
With a hammerhead who’s got a hankering for some fresh meat, preferably of the two-legged kind, and a sea monster with her own agenda, this story is anything but smooth sailing.
You tackle some pretty outrageous (and totally fun) subject matter. Mermaids, genies… Obviously, you’re not afraid to take risks. With scenarios that seem so wild and over the top–how do you pull it off?
They’re over-the-top? Really? Hmmm, they just sort of show up in my head and I write them down. Seem totally believable to me.
Seriously, though, for all the “fantasticalness” of my stories (if that’s not a real word, I’m coining it), I do what other authors do when creating their world, whether it’s fantasy, paranormal, suspense, inspirational, contemporary, etc… I try to make it as believable as possible. If I can get you to suspend disbelief, then you’re able to go with whatever I toss at you.
For me, the key is to start in reality. Readers meet my characters in their own world, where their normal is accepted as normal. If they’re talking to a shark, you’ll accept that sharks talk in my world. It’s about building a world that comes across as real to the reader.
It also has to make sense to the characters. For instance, when Logan meets Angel, she’s naked, which he explains away by being the “walk of shame” after a night out on the town. That’s believable. And she has legs, so the mermaid part hasn’t come into play. Little by little, I drop more of the fantasy world on Logan, so that eventually, you, the reader, buy his belief in the unbelievable. Even if it totally freaks him out.
Here’s the question I always want interviewers to ask me. What do you hope to inspire in your readers? What do you hope your books do for them?
I hope my books take readers away from their life for a few hours and make them smile. The books on my keeper shelves do that for me. I’m in the entertainment industry and I hope that I entertain the reader. As far as inspiration goes, well, my favorite authors inspired me to try to become published. It’d be great to know someday that I inspired someone to pursue publication.
Where can we learn more about you?
My website is: www.JudiFennell.com and my blog (where I tend to ramble on various and sundry topics, from Fabio Friday to Everything You Wanted to Know About Mer Sex, to What Judi Fennell and Johnny Depp Have in Common) is www.JudiFennell.wordpress.com. I host a Golden Heart/RITA Nominee Party every year and they’re on there, as well as photos from writer and reader conferences (yes, including Fabio), as well as links to A Novel Edit, my great friend Beth Hill’s awesome critique/editing service, and my friend Dana Marton’s book where I get to be the heroine—and a princess!
Short short answer questions
1. Two places that you go to over and over: Disney World/SeaWorld and Ocean City, NJ
2. Two favorite smells: Hyacinth and roses
3. Color socks you’re wearing: It’s 90 degrees – I’m lucky I’m wearing clothes. LOL. Flipflops today.
4. Two TV shows you like: Total reality TV junkie. I love Survivor and the Real Housewives. Both can be such trainwrecks.
5. Dream dessert: My homemade apple pie with Breyer’s vanilla ice cream.
Thanks so much for having me, Lisa! I have a genie series coming out beginning in January, with I Dream of Genies. The series was pitched as “I Dream of Jeannie meets Indiana Jones,” and I have to say, the stories have been one heck of a ride.
Have a GREAT summer!
Hi, Lisa! Rushing in after a long day at work–and not the writing kind, unfortunately. Have to pay those pesky bills…
Thanks again for having me!
Judi is a new to me author. The books sound like they would be a treat to read.
She is a new author to me too, but her book sounds like great fun, I would love to read it.
I have never read her books before either, but would love to. This book sounds like a great read!
Lisa, I am so glad that you had Lisa on your blog! The book sounds great and you can sure I’m going to check it out! I’ll probably give away my age when I tell you this reminds me of going to the movies with my husband to see Mermaid with Darryl Hannah (that was before TIVO and DVD’s) and we both absolutely loved it. Maybe I can finally get my husband to read a romance novel instead of just books from the history section of the bookstore!
She is a new author to me as well. I do like the cover of the book and it does look like a decent book. Do you have your books in Kindle format also?
Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by! My debut novel, In Over Her Head, just came out last June (2009), so I’m a new author to a lot of people. Wild Blue Under (the PRISM winner) came out in November 09, and Catch of a Lifetime came out in February 2010. I Dream of Genies comes out in January 2011.
And, yes, Jeanne, you can show your age because you can pretty much guess mine by the “I Dream of Jeannie/Genies” correlation. I loved that show. And Bewitched. And Addams’ Family. etc. etc. Definitely inspiration for the series. I did see Splash, but it’s been such a long time ago, I barely remember it. I should probably go rent it again, but I might be writing more Mer stories, and don’t like to see/read similar ones until I’m finished so I can come up with my own ideas.
Vicki – yes, the books are available in e-format, all of the popular ones: Kindle, Sony e-Reader, Nook, iBooks, etc.
Hi Judi, I have not read any of your books but I am adding you to my new author list and your mer books to my wish list. I love Mermaids and can’t wait to get my hands on my first book. I also love genies an don’t think I missed an episode of I Dream of Jennie. I love humor and it sounds like you do have humor in your books. Thanks for stopping by to chat with us.
Question: How did you come up with the idea to write about mers? and Genie’s? It is so refreshing to find books with new storylines other than the norm that most authors are writing.
Pls include me in the drawing and thanks for the opportunity to enter.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Hi Misskallie!
The impetus for the Mer series was as a result of another series I was working on. My tagline is “fairy tales with a twist,” and I was in the Romantic Times’ contest, American Title, back in 2006, with Beauty and The Best, which is the 2nd book in my fairy tale series. I’d started the 3rd, Fairest of Them All (If The Shoe Fits is book #1), and an idea for a twist on The Little Mermaid came to me, which eventually became In Over Her Head.
And, yes, there’s humor. I hadn’t planned it, but when the hero is named Reel and it turns out he has an older twin brother named Rod, and a suckerless remora fish friend named Chum, well, the puns just started flowing (see? water themes; they just sort of happen). And off the series went. I have ideas for more, so my editor and I are chatting about continuing that series.
I’ve always loved I Dream of Jeannie and, again, I just woke up one morning with this idea about a genie who’d been sentenced to her bottle accidentally getting free, and off it flew. (and now with the magic carpet puns…)
Reader feedback has been wonderful for the Mers, and there’s a lot of interest in the genies, so I am really looking forward to January. I do have an advanced reading copy of the book, and it’s just gorgeous. My cover artist is amazing!
Hi, Lisa and Judi!
That cover is awesome! I do love all things paranormal, but i have yet to read a mermaid story. This looks like to be a fun, refreshing read. I love your answer as to what your readers will get out of reading…..getting away from my life for a few hours. I think i will be giving this series a try
!!
Have been following these books as they came out. Wanted them all before I started reading the series. Saw CATCH OF A LIFETIME and grabbed it. I thought I had ordered book one from Amazon, but it turned out to be book two. So now I am waiting to put in another order to get book one or hope I’ll see it when I am out and about.
What I have like most in the excerpts I have read, has been the humor. Life is serious enough today. A bit of humor or dry wit makes things a bit easier to deal with. It also makes your characters more real.
And yes your cover artist is to be commended. All three covers are perfect.
librarypat AT comcast DOT net
Thanks so much, Christy! I had a lot of fun writing it. Sometimes the characters just took over my fingers and shouted out what they wanted to say.
HI librarypat! Can’t wait until you dive in to the romance!
Hi, Judi – you are new to me also. Looks like a good book. Best wishes with your writing.
Hi Judi. That is a beautiful cover. Your book sounds fun and interesting. Great interview.
dont enter me in contset for this book, i have it
i loved it! and how she interreacted with his son. and how new it was to read,
I have never read Judi’s books but they look like fun and I do agree that once I believe that the characters and their world exist then I am going to accept whatever happens.
Hi to everyone else who has stopped by. I hope you enjoy the books, and, tamibates, thanks so much for saying that. I really had a lot of fun with Michael in that book; he’s such a sweet little boy.
So……I gotta admit, I am kinda curious about what you have in common with Johnny Depp. Tell me Judi, cuz inquiring minds want to know. lol
Deidre
Hi Judi,
Your Mer series sounds fantastic!
Hi Deirdre! There’s a blog entry on my blog about it: JudiFennell.wordpress.com. It’s a little long to go into here.
Hi Chey! It’s definitely fantastical!
. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Judi, Sounds like you have great ideas for books. Genies and Mermaids make great characters in books. Can’t wait to read what you have done in your books.
Thanks so much, Mary. There aren’t too many Mers and Genies out there. You’ll have to let me know how you like it.
Hi Judi and Lisa,
Lisa I hope your wedding plans are going good…
Judi, I have not read your work yet but I’m very interested now. I love to read stories I can get lost in for a few hours. Its fun to visit another world and never leave your livingroom. All my favorite keeper books are like this so I have a large selection of them. I also write this way. If I can get lost in my stories I know my readers will or I hope they will.
Thanks for a great post. I can’t wait to read your book….
Heidi
Catch Of A Lifetime sounds like a great read. The interview with Judi Fennel was very informative. A mermaid -WOW!
Thanks, Heidi! I hope you enjoy them! Reviewers have all used words like “carried away” and “great world-building” when reviewing the books.
Enjoy!
Hey Judi congrats on the book can’t wait to read it-I would love to win a copy my E-reader needs new food.
Hi, Judi,
You’re new to me but hey, I can suspend reality long enough to read
about “Mer” life! Think about all the fairy tales we ( the folks of my
generation and my children’s generation) were brought up on! How
about all the comic book heroes and heroines! You are not terribly
too far out there, after all, there’s Sponge Bob and friends. Oh, and
don’t forget The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, Ursula, Flounder and Sebas-
tian! The grandchildren totally believed their story. I look forward to
reading your book.
Pat Cochran
HI Audra – I’m giving away a paperback copy; can’t do an e-version, unfortunately, though all 3 are available in many e-formats: Kindle, sony, nook, etc.
Pat – you’ll see quite a few familiar things in In Over Her Head. I’m a sucker for pop culture references.
And I love The Little Mermaid – though I guess that’s not a surprise. 
It is always a treat to read a new author. We all need some changes in our life. Now that summer is almost over. I can devote time to my favorite enjoyment..reading and your book sounds great.
Thanks to everyone for entering! And thank you, Judi, for coming on the blog!
this contest is now closed–a winner’s been selected and announced in my latest blog post.
Love to all!