Hello Jane and welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews. Your readers are curious to learn more about Jane Shoup.

Thank you! I’m thrilled to be here.

Jane, you have an impressive list of books out – Is there a particular one that you would like to discuss today?

Next month, I have two new releases, a thriller and an erotic romance, so I’d love to talk about those. In 2006, my novel, Pedestals, won the Eppie Award for best action thriller 2006 and Shadowplay is the follow-up novel. I say follow-up rather than sequel because, even though the main characters of Pedestals are part of the story, the real stars are Juliana Jordan, a beautiful but burned out public defender who gets thrown a last second death row appeal, and the death row inmate, Brenden McDaid, who may or may not be guilty of a grisly double murder. If you didn’t read Pedestals, this is a great time to do it! There’s a life and death race against the clock in both novels.

I write erotic romance under the name Elle Emriche (the reason why is kind of long and involved, but I explain it on my website if you’d care to know.) My June release, with Erotique Press, is called Whispered Intent. In that story, Jenny Oliver is so emotionally wounded following a bad breakup that she feels like the living dead -- until the day an anonymous note containing a proposition is slipped under her door. Despite the potential danger, she follows the note’s instructions and encounters the enigmatic author, although she never sees him. He approaches from behind, speaking in a whisper, and proceeds to touch, seduce and arouse her before disappearing as mysteriously as he appeared. It’s the beginning of a relationship that will unleash dark desires and passion and basically change everything -- for Jenny and her secret admirer.

You’re right, I have several books out there and there are blurbs, excerpts and reviews on all of them on my website. I’d love to have you visit.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

A lot. I really believe the key to a great story is to breathe so much life into the characters that they come alive and take over. (Now I’ve scared you, haven’t I?) By ‘giving a character life’, I mean I try and develop them completely – their history, their childhood, their successes and failures. I don’t write all that, because it wouldn’t be interesting, but I know it, and it really does make them so real that occasionally they take over the story. Suddenly a scene is going one way when I fully intended on it going another.

Occasionally in life, something is so profound and personal, you don’t much talk about it, but, as a writer, I can give that experience to a character. I did that in Pedestals with the key story, which was a real life miracle that happened to me. I changed a few of the facts, but nothing about the basic story. Talk about a powerful experience writing it!

When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

I’ve been writing for more than ten years, but sometimes I still feel at square one. Truthfully, for the most part, the world does not know I exist. So, I’m trying to get better and better as an author. I’m also branching out with some different publishers and trying to connect with the right agent. Unfortunately, I still get plenty of rejection and it always hurts, although it’s not as devastating as it used to be. The secret is not to take it personally. (And, yes, that is way easier said than done :-)

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

A first draft takes a few months, but I’ve learned I need to shelve it awhile after that and come back to it with fresh eyes. So many times, as an author, you’re not reading what’s actually on the page as much as what you think is on the page. You know the story so well, it’s hard to view objectively. So, getting some distance from it helps.

For the most part, I’ve been lucky enough to receive strong, positive reviews for all my work, but there was one reviewer who chewed me up and spat me out. It was an incredibly painful experience, but the man did make a point that stayed with me and I’ve tried to learn from it. He accused me of being an impatient writer. He meant I move too fast, but the impatience is true in another way. I get so excited about finishing a book and getting it out there, that I haven’t done the shelving thing. For me, it’s a crucial step, not only because I catch mistakes but also because with each go-through, the story gets richer, the writing tighter.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

If I’m not working at a job, (which I have to do periodically for that necessary evil called income,) I write from seven or eight in the morning until about three or four. Sometimes, I’ll come back to it in the evening. It really depends on how much competition there is for the ‘good’ computer, which I share with my seventeen-year old twin daughters and my 20-year old, too, if she’s home from college.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Good luck to me.

As to the flow question, if I’m writing, I’m flowing. That’s when I flow.

Do you have many interruptions after you begin writing?

It depends if I’m alone. When my daughters are around, obviously there are more. Although they are really good about letting me have my time and space. Of course, maybe it’s fear motivating them. I can be a bear when you get between me and my flow.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

My batteries are self-charging, at least where writing is concerned. It is such a release. It’s a privilege, really. That’s honestly how I think about it. I’m much better all the way around when I’m working on a novel.

What truly motivates you in your writing?

Sharing a great story. I want to draw my readers into a different place and time. That wonderful sense of escape that I experience as a writer, I want to pass that on to my readers. Does it sound strange to say I take my readers personally? They’ve given me a gift by reading a book I’ve written, by sharing a world I’ve created. I want to give back by making it an experience worth having.

Where do your ideas come from?

I was given a powerful imagination, (thank you, God) but I also get inspiration from all kinds of places, people and events … including the ‘beyond’. I’m a total believer in spirit guides.

Do you have any bad writing habits?

I can get too caught up in research. It’s frustrating to go after one little miniscule fact and then discover I’ve lost four hours because the answer either took that long to find, or because that one fact took me to another and then another and another.

What type of books would we find on your bookshelf?

There’s no one type. There are classics, mysteries, historicals, a section of books I’ve written, (which no bookshelf should be without  ) and more. I keep erotic romances stashed in my room.

If you could go back in time, what time and place would you enjoy visiting and is there anything you would change?

I’d love to go to England in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. The only thing I’d change is me. I’d be younger with more perfect features and a perfect bod. I’d like to look like me … only tweaked. A lot. A lot of tweaking. And if I’m stepping back in time and I have a new body, I think it’s only fair that I have money, too. Wealth. That would be a nice change. And a couple of men who are wildly obsessed with me.

Yes! This was a great question!

What really draws your attention to a good book?

You have to grab my short little attention span pretty quickly. I like passion, action, humor, flawed but likable characters, strong and yet vulnerable alpha males. Truthfully, I’m pretty wide open, as long as I like the main character(s). That’s a must.

Do you have a website other than http://janeshoup.wcpauthor.com that you would like to share with your readers?

My erotic romance website is http://elleemriche.com

Thank you so much for spending time with us today, Jane.

Thank you! It was fun.

Be sure to check out Jane’s website and discover stories that will captivate. It has been a pleasure Jane.

Interviewed by: Linda L.