BERNADETTE JONES ( Cont .)
MFRW : Why did you decide to write romance novels ?
BJ : I ’ ve been hooked on romance since the day I found my grandmother ’ s Georgette Heyer book , Black Sheep . I also love mysteries and figuring out who did the dastardly deed before the book finishes . Once I realized I wanted to be a writer , it was inevitable that I would become a romantic suspense author . MFRW : How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing ?
BJ : As a romance reader , I have always believed that romance novels have the power to teach and heal .
Romance writers can be brave and daring . Our stories explore love and hate . We traverse hardships and untethered successes . Our characters may rise up from humble beginnings to become the newest millionaire , or lose everything , becoming homeless . Through their achievements and losses , we take a trip of emotional discovery . The reader learns that hope is the great equalizer , that faith in ourselves can lead to opportunities we may never have expected . We teach about life , healing , and love .
We do that by drawing on our own stockpile of experiences or by holding witness to the trials and victories of friends and family . Writers , whether intentionally or subliminally , can not help but share what we have experienced or witnessed through others .
MFRW : Which comes first , the story , the characters , or the setting ? BJ : All the above . Every book I have ever written has come to me as if a movie reel randomly starts playing a scene in my head . Then my job begins …. Who ? What ? Where ? When ? Why ? I ’ ll give you an example . One night I woke up and a scene began to play in my head of a tall dark-haired man dressed in grey sweatpants standing on a muddy shoreline looking down at the naked body of a young strawberry blonde woman . I could tell he
INTERVIEW knew her by the anguish in his eyes . This was the birth
of Sleepin ’ Alone . I have no explanation . I have learned to go with the flow and to keep a pad and paper or recording device close at hand .
MFRW : What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels ?
BJ : Why not ? Seriously . It is a natural part of who we are as humans . If it is an important part of character development or romantic development , it needs to be part of the story . We talk about what food people eat when they ’ re hungry . We describe the clothes they wear , hairstyles , lifestyles , jobs , fears , wants , goals , etc . My characters range anywhere from twenty to sixty and I can guarantee they are thinking about , or actually having sex in those age groups .
Humans have three natural instincts : selfpreservation , procreation , and socialization . This should not shock you . We are animals . We were created this way .
We are writing romance , which is by definition a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love . MFRW : What can we expect from you in the future ? BJ : Dead bodies , angst , danger , suspense , love and hope .
I ’ m currently working on my newest Aspen Gold Series book , Another Night Alone which will be out in March . Deke Ward has been an important supporting character in my previous books and he finally gets his story . I am also revamping four other books that I wrote a few years ago .
5