Thanks for having me today! It’s always a treat to talk about books and reading. I was a bookworm from an early age. In third grade I decided to read the entire fiction section at my elementary school library. (Hey, at least I had goals!)
I’m sad to say I got bogged down at the end of the A section. As I recall, I made it through four or five entire shelves before calling it quits. Fortunately, that setback didn’t deter me from devouring books.
Though my grandmother was a no-nonsense woman who baked and hugged and did all the usual grandmotherly stuff, she shared her house with her sister, my great aunt. Thelma Gertrude, or Aunt Trudie as we called her, was a lifelong smoker and had the oxygen tanks to prove it. With her various health issues, books were her salvation. Her shelves were filled with gothic romances and mysteries and almost any kind of novel you can imagine.
I remember sitting in the chair in her bedroom and talking to her when she was too tired or ill to make it out to the living room. Inevitably, I asked if I could borrow some of her books. She never said no and she never censored my choices. Of course, back then I wasn’t in danger of stumbling upon a steamy love scene, which was a good thing, because I was only twelve or thirteen at the time.
Probably the most salacious of the books I read from her collection were the thrillers. To this day, I remember a scene where the hero was tortured by having bamboo slivers shoved beneath his fingernails and set on fire. (Insert shiver.) Such is the power of a well-written book.
My great aunt and my grandmother died long before I wrote my first book. I like to think they would have been proud of me. Every day I feel ripples of their presence in my life, even now.
Each of us has life experiences that make us who we are. For a writer, the challenge is creating characters who are unique. It’s easy to write about women like me. But to stretch my comfort zone and portray a woman very different from me can be very hard work.
In my latest release, HOT FOR THE SCOT, three friends travel to Scotland in search of a once-in-a-lifetime romantic adventure. If you have a chance to read the book, see if you can pick out which woman is the most like me. Or maybe I left bits and pieces of my faults and insecurities in each of them.
Did you have someone who encouraged your love of reading? Please tell me about it…
In the meantime, here’s to a 2016 filled with friends, family, and wonderful books!
Happy Spring from me to you,
Janice Maynard
HOT FOR THE SCOT
In Janice Maynard’s sweet and sexy new series, three childhood friends with a shared passion for the Outlander novels and TV show decide to travel to Scotland looking for adventure—and their very own Highland heroes…
It’s a dream come true for schoolteacher Hayley Smith. No homework to grade, no students to corral, no social media, Internet or cell phone…just a month amid the heather and rolling hills around Inverness. A brawny alpha male in a kilt is probably too much to ask for. But Hayley is in heaven ambling around Loch Ness, gazing and then…falling into the icy water, before being rescued by a strong, chivalrous local hero…
Retired soccer star Angus Munro, aka Angus the Angler, is a little insulted and a whole lot intrigued when Hayley doesn’t recognize him. How long has it been since anyone saw beyond his wealth and fame? And how long before the macho athlete and his modern-day American damsel in distress act on an attraction that could make even the misty Scottish moors sizzle with heat? Long enough, maybe, for both to figure out if this is an affair to remember…or the start of something everlasting…
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About Janice Maynard
USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard knew she loved books and writing by the time she was eight years old. But it took multiple rejections and many years of trying before she sold her first three novels. After teaching kindergarten and second grade for a number of years, Janice took a leap of faith and quit her day job. Since then she has written and sold over thirty-five books and novellas.
During a recent trip to Scotland, Janice enjoyed getting to know the “motherland”. Her grandfather’s parents emigrated from the home of bagpipes, heather, and kilts. Janice lives in east Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling, and spending time with family.
Hearing from readers is one of the best perks of the job!
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