Please help me welcome Ohio Romantic Suspense Author Jennifer Lane To A Buckeye Girl Reads! She is the author of The Conduit Series: With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior.
I’ve found that writing fiction is a hell of a lot more fun than slogging through a psychology dissertation! While I write under the name Jennifer Lane, I practice as a psychologist in Ohio. But please rest assured I'm not analyzing you right now. The tales of healing and resilience in my profession have inspired me to write my own stories, planting the seeds for my first novel, With Good Behavior, as well as its sequel, Bad Behavior. I adore stories that make me laugh and cry. In my spare time I enjoy competitive swimming, attending book club, and hanging out with my sisters and their families in Chicago.
Can you tell us about The Conduct series?
It's a romantic suspense trilogy featuring two parolees falling in love and battling bad guys, inspired by TV shows like Prison Break and The Sopranos. Grant Madsen is a former Navy lieutenant trying to escape his crime family. Sophie Taylor is a former psychologist trying to rebuild her life after an ethical breach. They meet on their parole officer's doorstep and there's instant attraction, but neither knows their hidden connection threatening to tear them apart, mwa ha ha. With Good Behavior (#1) and Bad Behavior (#2) are currently available, and I'm writing On Best Behavior (#3).
What are your favorite type of bad guys to write about?
As a psychologist, I get to hear all day long why people do what they do, and there's almost always a good reason. I suspect it's the same with bad guys--there are sound reasons for their evil acts. (I'm not condoning their behavior, just trying to understand it). Therefore, I like bad guys that aren't purely bad; characters that are gray, not black or white. It's fun to explore the backgrounds of evildoers, figuring out what motivates them. For example, cousin Carlo is the baddie in With Good Behavior. Due to a history of physical abuse, Carlo's father didn't set any limits on his son, resulting in Carlo's sense of entitlement. But the defining event was when Carlo witnessed the murder of a boy at a young age. That event scarred him for life.
Your hero Grant and heroine, Sophie get sent to prison because of a mistake-was it hard to redeem them?
Grant and Sophie made egregious mistakes but they are full of integrity. Their redemption is a driving force in the series.
What makes Sophie stand out from other heroines?
Sophie has some insecurities, but ultimately she's a strong, intelligent career woman. She grapples with her role in romantic relationships--should she follow her fierce feminist principles or her sexy swooning heart? Her typical M.O. is to date wounded men in an attempt to rescue them, which hasn't worked out so well. Is Grant yet another troubled man who will take her down? Sophie's loved ones often tease her for how she inserts psychobabble into every conversation. Though she's lost her professional license, she can't turn off her inner psychologist.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can talk about it?
Besides working on book three of The Conduct series, I'm very excited about my first Young Adult novel, slated for release in March of 2012. The working title is Against the Tide, a military murder mystery immersed in my favorite sport of swimming. This story is dear to me and I can't wait to share it with readers. My editor at Omnific Publishing and I are working hard at polishing the manuscript.
Ohio Questions:
What is your favorite season in Ohio?
Though the humidity can get intense, I love summer. I love long days spent hanging out by the pool.
Do you have any favorite Ohio foods or drinks?
I grew up in Cincinnati and crave the massive chocolate chips in Graeter's ice cream. Buckeye candy is also yum!
Do you have an Ohio Sports team that you cheer on?
Oh yes, quite a few. My dad is a huge sports fan and often drags me, his youngest daughter, to Cincinnati Bengals and Reds games. I also cheer for Ohio State teams, but I'm most loyal to the swim team at Kenyon College (my alma mater).
Where is your favorite place to go in Ohio?
Coney Island in Cincinnati, at one time the "largest recirculating pool in the world". I practically grew up there, and it's where I started competitive swimming. I remember drifting off to sleep in the shade, listening to other children yell and splash. Ah.
Thanks for having me over to your blog, Colette!
Where to Find Jennifer:
Facebook: Jennifer Lane, The Conduct Series
Goodreads: Jennifer Lane
