The author, Jennifer Ann Shore, is one of my favorite indie authors. Not only does she represent the LGBTQ+ community in every single book, but she also does it so naturally that you don’t even realize it. It was so exciting when Jennifer agreed to do this interview with me. Read on to get to know Jennifer better.
The Nitty Gritty With Author Jennifer Ann Shore
You are the queen of the gay best friend. Do you have any plans for a fully LGBTQ+ main couple in the future?
What a title! That is very kind of you to say, but truly, I create characters and stories that are representative of the world I live in—and, also, the books I wish I could have read when I was a young adult.
I do have plans, but I’m not sure where things fit in the calendar quite yet.
I’ve always had an idea of writing a novella about Julian and Luca in my dystopian series, but I recently turned some of it into a free bonus scene that goes along with Rip Current (the second book). This spring, I did publish an adult romance (Nothing Personal for Breakfast) where the main character is openly pansexual and there’s a potential lady love interest.
That said, there’s no shortage of ideas in my brain! I just go with what in particular is calling for me when I start a new draft, and I go from there.
You have a lot of Easter eggs that point back to The Stillness Before the Start. Is there a reason you bring them back time after time?
The Stillness Before the Start is still—after almost two years of publishing it and writing more than fifteen books total—my favorite story I’ve ever told. The character development and “I am who I am, and I love myself for it” of Harper combined with the brooding and secret cinnamon roll Dylan is still IT for me.
I tend to include Easter eggs and little mentions of them in other books just because I love them so much, but I don’t want to write a full sequel. So, it’s a way to keep them alive and give readers a few updates. (And it makes me giggle to myself while I’m writing!)
I’ve done this with other characters, too! Olivia from In the Now makes a brief appearance at the end of Young at Midnight, and June and Jessica from Just for You will show up in another book that’s coming out this fall!
Many of your characters share a love of art. Apart from writing, are you also artistic? Is this why you feature art so prominently in your books?
This is definitely a “write what you know” kind of thing. While I’m not artistic in that particular way (I REALLY wish I was), I relate more to the creative types and am able to connect with characters who have an appreciation for words and paintings and the beauty in the world.
It’s funny because I actually tried to break out of my comfort zone for an upcoming adult second chance romance I’m writing. For the first draft, the main character was a writer, and then I second-guessed the decision and turned her into a flight attendant—and I’m about to sit down tomorrow and overhaul it back to how I originally envisioned her character.
I do try to step out of the box a bit, and it’s usually with things that I want to learn about or am interested in. In my latest book, Just for You, Violet is a science lover/STEM girl, which I don’t have an aptitude for, but I am obsessed with clouds and the weather and that sort of thing, so it ended up being her interest, too. And it also lent itself well to her being a baker for all the measuring and experimenting because I have sampled many, many desserts in my lifetime!
You recently published an audiobook for The Extended Summer of Anna and Jeremy. Why did you decide to go for the audiobook audience now?
I have wanted to publish one of my books in the audio format forever! Readers have definitely asked for it, but for me, it’s always kind of a backburner thing because I’m so focused on writing.
To be completely honest, I got the nudge because I sold the The Extended Summer of Anna and Jeremy rights to a publisher in another language (that I haven’t announced yet!), and the audiobook is included in the deal. I thought it’d be really weird to only have an audiobook in non-English, so I went for it.
The process of the audiobook creation was really cool. There are so many talented voice actors in the world, and I’m grateful that I got more than two dozen narrators interested in telling Anna’s story. I chose Stacy Birch because of her love for the plot and the way she told it, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
>>> Subscribe to Audible Now to listen to The Extended Summer of Anna and Jeremy.
Just For Fun
What is your favorite book?
Oh, wow! There are so many wonderful stories I’ve connected with over the years, but my true answer is probably Different Hours by Stephen Dunn.
All his poetry is incredible—and that word doesn’t even seem adequate to describe it—but this book, in particular, is so beautiful, and I come back to it again and again.
I will say that something I think is different from me than other writers in my genre is that I read a lot of poetry in general, and it definitely shapes the way I write.
Where is your favorite travel destination?
Before the pandemic, I used to travel all the time and really loved it—and miss it! I have big dreams of someday living on the road or being abroad more frequently, and while there are many places on my list, London is absolutely one of my favorite places in the world.
I love the city itself and how you can feel the history as you walk along the streets—and many other things about it!
Coffee, tea, or something else?
Tea for sure! I kind of wish I was a coffee person because there’s something romantic about waking up with a cup of it, but I’ve never had a taste for it.
Most writing days I’ll make myself an iced chai (with unsweetened vanilla almond milk) in the afternoon as a pick-me-up.
Favorite snack?
Definitely something sweet! A lot of the foods I’m craving or eating while writing actually make it into my books—like Tootsie Roll Pops in “Young at Midnight” and all the baked goods from “Just for You,” and s’mores in “Metallic Red.”
Music or no while you write?
Absolutely yes! Music has such an impact when I’m writing and it gets me in the right headspace—and I have shared a few playlists that I’ve created that either are part of the story or I listened to:
Anna’s Alternative Playlist in The Extended Summer of Anna and Jeremy
Eloise’s Fierce Woman Playlist in Metallic Red
The Islands of Anarchy Playlist from New Wave
Perfect Little Flaws Mix
Wrapping Up
I hope you’ve loved getting to know more about author Jennifer Ann Shore through this interview. I urge you all to read her books because they are amazing!
Have you read any of Jennifer’s books? Let me know in the comments what you think!
Loved this interview. Jennifer Ann Shore is one of my fave authors. I’ve read all of her books except for the Metallic Red and New Wave series. But those are on my TBR list. I love the characters in her stories. The girls are smart which I’m a big fan of. And she writes some great book boyfriends.
Thank you so much!! That is absolutely true about the smart girls and the great book boyfriends! My newest crush is Penn from Just for You, but Dillon from The Stillness Before the Start will always be my number 1! I started working with Jennifer a few years ago and my first novel was Metallic Red. I’ve read the series and loved it. I haven’t read New Wave or any of the adult novels yet, but they are on my list. 🙂