An Interview with Jennie Rose Adams

I grew up in Hampshire, in the south of England. I have always loved reading and books, as my father is an avid reader and every house I grew up in had literally thousands of books! I studied German at university, which opened up German literature to me; however, like many other people, upon graduating, I had nothing more to do with my degree, although I like to keep up my language skills by reading German when I can.

I have always enjoyed plays on words and messing about with language, and so writing stories was a natural progression for me. I started writing short, amusing pieces based on things that had happened to me and shared them with close friends. It wasn’t until I hit my fifties that I wrote my first book, which will be the first in a series of nine! I was lucky enough to be offered a publishing contract with Next Chapter for my first two books, so here I am!

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

I have discovered that how I start writing is when a scene plays over and over in my mind and refuses to disappear! A couple of years ago, I had this scene replaying in my mind where a young woman was returning to her home village after her high-powered city career ends in failure, through no fault of her own, and the problems she encounters reconnecting with her family again. She also finds love and fulfilment where she least expects it!

I had the desire to write more and more about her, and somehow it became a book! I also wanted to inspire people that no matter how bad or difficult a situation is at first, there’s always a way through.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

My book is called Return to Rustmere, and it was quite easy to come up with the title. I did think of some other, fancier, titles, but somehow, simple seemed the way to go and described what was going on in the book perfectly, as well as introducing the reader to my fictional village. I have also always been a sucker for alliteration!

Describe your dream book cover.

I love pretty pastel colours, with titles that really stand out. I am attracted to cosy book covers, featuring bakeries or sweet shops, in bright, cheerful colours. Lots of pinks, soft blues and greens are perfect.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Faith of the Heart by Rod Stewart

Handbags and Gladrags by Stereophonics

King of my Heart by Taylor Swift

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I have just finished Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, which I enjoyed, but currently I am reading a thriller called The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara and a Christmas romance called Christmas Ever After by Jaimie Admans. Two completely different books, but I love them both!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

My day job is in facilities management and my background is in administration. My readers wouldn’t know that I support a disabled guy once a week as his personal assistant and also that when I studied in Germany, I took belly dancing lessons!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I had a strong desire to get the scene that was replaying in my mind out because it wouldn’t leave me in peace! I kept waking up in the night with ideas to expand the story and found it tremendously exciting to create a mini universe of my own and then populate it with my own characters. I have been influenced by lots of other female writers, like Christie Barlow, Jenny Colgan, and Cathy Bramley, and I love their work; it’s so comforting and enjoyable to read. I had a strong desire to create that same experience for my readers.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I like quiet when I write, so I like to write at a ridiculously early hour of the morning, lying in bed on my phone! I will also write in my room or occasionally enjoy a pot of tea at a local church cafe and write a couple of chapters there. Anything I do on my phone notes will later be transferred onto my laptop and the manuscript.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I would tell myself to have faith in my ability to write and create stories, to be persistent, and to develop mental toughness to deal with rejection constructively. A good thing for me to remember is that although my book is the most important thing in my world, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to other people! I would also advise myself to have a plan in place for the whole plot, which was not the case for Return to Rustmere. I’m glad to say that I did follow my own advice for the second book!

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope my readers get a sense of upliftment, joy, and satisfaction after they finish my book, and also that they know that whatever difficulties they may be going through, there is always a way out to the other side. I hope they also remember the amusing parts of the book and it makes them smile when they do.

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