Bella, thank you for answering questions for me today. The first is a short and sweet one. I know how I want to say your last name (with kind of a French flair), but can you tell me and my readers how we’re supposed to pronounce it?
It’s Italian and I just say it like: “Jen-ees” (I use a pen name. If you want to know where the name came from, my grandpa always called me “bella,” which means beautiful. The last name is a friend’s maiden name.)
Yay! I was right! I love when that happens! 😉 You and I both write rock star romance, which is how we’ve become friends. Can you tell me how many rock star books you’ve written? What has inspired you to write in this particular romance subgenre?
I have eight that are published. Four more are complete but not yet released. It’s mostly about fantasy. Over the years, I’ve always been attracted to musicians. Maybe because I played guitar. That fantasy of meeting my favorite band turned into wanting to be a rock star. When that fell through, I wrote what I wished could’ve happened. Many of my books start out as one of my fantasies then it takes on a life of its own. Crystal lives out one of my dreams in Triple Threat.
Do you have a bestselling or “breakout” book you’d like to tell me about?
I guess my best seller is Wicked End. That is my kinkiest and most graphic. Not sure if that’s why it’s popular or because it has a secondary story line about a bisexual male couple. It has a sequel too (Sinful Needs) which sold quite well also. This band is a wild bunch. The book starts at a time when they have started to mellow a little, although there is a scene in Gasoline where Brandon (the lead in Wicked End) gets into a brutal fight. There is a lot of sharing and ménage in this one.
I have two books not in the Rockstar genre. One is a very dirty short story compilation (Insatiable Appetites). There is one rocker in it, but he is only on stage in the beginning. The others vary from meeting a famous actor, friends with benefits, making fantasies come true, and even a cougar story. The other book is the first part of a three book series about a group of college kids. From Pain to Pleasure (book 1) is about an abused girl who meets a wanna be football player when she moves into the dorm. This story is sad and violent, yet its also sweet and full of love. (No worries. It has a happy ending.)
It seems a good many authors struggle with writer’s block. How do you cope with that particular problem?
I hear it’s a problem for many. I am plagued with it as well. My solution is to work on another book until the characters start talking again. (I usually have four to five books partially done at any given time.) They sometimes it works pretty quickly. I have more issues with characters who won’t shut up. No matter what series I’m working on, certain characters want more and give me things I NEED to write down. I get most of my ideas while I am driving, blasting Avenged Sevenfold. That makes it complicated, but I have learned to repeat the idea in my head until I can type it into my phone. Once in a while, I can’t work on anything, but then I know something is wrong in the stories I’m in the middle of. I read them over and usually find a flaw that boxed me in. Then I talk to my betas about it. (Did I go off topic there?)
Any rituals you perform before, during, or after you write? Anything you do to get “in the zone”?
Not really. I write at home (loveseat, my room or sometimes whatever room my grandkids are in) or even at my day job sometimes. I do my best work when no one is talking and my feet are up. Funny thing, my kids can be there and I won’t even notice. They think it’s funny (no little ones).
Sigh… Yes, Chad of Triple Threat. He is my absolute favorite. If you pay attention, he shows up in almost every one of my Rocker books. He is impulsive and good hearted, but he’s also tall, strong, hot and loves to please. If I ever had a man like him, I’d never let him go. Then there is Tommy of Gasoline. He’s my #2. He’s cocky, sexy, charming and a good lay. These two are the voices in my head that never stop. If I remember right, Tommy is actually in every rocker book I have written in some capacity. No matter what my characters do, I can’t hate them. I understand them, so even dicks like Dean and Jake have a place in my heart.
How much of you can we find in your characters? Can you give us an example?
Oh, wow. That’s a loaded question. If you ask my ex-husband, Crystal IS me. In my opinion, there is a piece of me in all my female leads. Crystal and Mackenzie have more of my traits than any of the others. Some of the similarities with them all are quite personal, but that makes them more real to me. It’s funny, I’ve read comments in some reviews about something being farfetched or impossible. It’s always something that actually happened. So these ladies have gone through some of my real experiences.
If we had to read one book of yours, which one would you recommend and why?
Only one? Hmmm… hard one. They’re all my babies, so hard to choose. Well, the one I’m most proud of that is published would be Gasoline. So that would have to be my choice.
Tell me about something exciting or weird that’s happened to you since becoming an author.
The most exciting thing was to finally be published. I did find it weird when I found a post in a group about one on my books. (I stumbled upon it accidentally.) They were talking about a sex act in Wicked End that they didn’t think was possible. (I’ve done it, so I know it is possible.) So many people commented about this thing that I thought was common knowledge. At least more knew about it than didn’t.
What else do we need to know about you and/or your books?
All of my rocker books are connected in some way. The members of Triple Threat have met someone in each band (even if it’s not in the books.) Many of the bands know each other from tours, or share the same record company. You can even find crossover scenes that can explain something from another book. My mind works differently than most and my writing shows it.
Bella Jeanisse is the author of ten books and counting, mostly rock star romance. You can connect with her in the following places online:
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/Bella.Jeanisse.Books
Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/bella.jeanisse
Facebook fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/866525666714069/
Facebook street team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/339160419575295/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BellaJeanisse
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449103.Bella_Jeanisse
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Bella-Jeanisse/e/B009J0QN6C (Note from Bella: Please follow me on Amazon to get the latest book release info.)
Website: http://bellajeanisse.com/
Hidden hottie page: http://bellajeanisse.com/bellas-daily-hotties/
Leave a Reply