1/13/2016

Janet Lee Nye--Harlequin Superromance Debut Author!!


Janet Lee Nye is a writer by day and a neonatal nurse by night. She lives in Charleston, SC with her fella and her felines. She discovered the romance genre as a teen with books she “borrowed” from her grandmother. She renewed her love affair with the genre after stumbling upon Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series.

SPYING ON THE BOSS
A difficult childhood left Sadie Martin more interested in work than anything else, including romance. But she’d be a fool not to notice that her newest employee is scorching hot. As long as he works for her, though, he is off-limits. Her company – sexy guys who clean houses – comes first. So why are Wyatt Anderson and his adorable niece always on her mind? When attraction turns into more, suddenly everything is a lot more complicated and frankly, a huge mess. What Sadie and Wyatt need is a clean slate. For understanding…and love.


READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?
Janet Lee Nye:  As frequently as I can! I tend to binge read. If I find a new to me author, I’ll buy up everything and wallow in her books.

Jan: I’m also a Janet Lee, which might make this interview extra confusingJ  Did you toy with writing under a different name?
Janet Lee: For a while, I toyed with the idea of writing under Leigh Nimitz (how I wish my middle name was spelled and my mother’s maiden name). We have so many amazing writers here in the Charleston, SC area (Dorothea Benton Frank, Mary Alice Monroe, Sue Monk Kidd, Beth Webb Hart to name a few) that it’s a bit of a local joke that you have to have three names to be a Lowcounty writer. So I started using all three in fun, but then got to be known for it, so I’ve just left it as is.

Jan: Tell us how you got the idea for this story?
Janet Lee: This was truly a lightning bolt from the sky moment. I work as a neonatal nurse and just over a year ago, the hospital was changing its patient care model and it was very stressful for all the departments involved. I would joke with my Fella about different jobs all the time. “I’m going to quit and become a nutrition counselor.” “I’m going to quit and go work at Walmart.” One night, I was on Twitter and several of my writer friends and I were teasing another writer because her cleaning service had sent over a cute male maid. We were trying to get her to sneak a picture of him. I said to the Fella, “That’s IT! I should quit and start a cleaning company with all gorgeous men.” He came over, kissed me on the forehead and said, “You don’t know anything about running a cleaning company, but you do know how to write.” Within two hours, I had the basic storyline plotted out. (And I’m still a neonatal nurse at the same place and very happy now that all the chaos of change has settled.)

Jan: It was love at first sight when I met Mr. Wonderful. What about you?
Janet Lee: No! We met in a writer’s workshop and I thought he was SOOO stuck up and I did not like him at all. But then, a few months later, we were working together on a project to write, film, and edit a short movie in 48 hours with several other people. It was then that I realized he was really amazing, just very introverted. So far, it’s worked for the last 12 years!

Jan: What snacks always occupy your writing space?
Janet Lee: I used to be addicted to jellybeans (I gave this addiction to Sadie in Spying on the Boss). I really only snack while watching TV and then it’s salty stuff. Potato chips, nuts. But if there’s chocolate in the house, I will go for that. 

Jan: How long had you been writing before selling your first book to Harlequin?  
Janet Lee: Well. If you count from the time I first sat down and wrote a full length manuscript, it is 15 years. If you count from when I got serious and joined RWA and began to learn how to craft a storyline, it is just under four years.
  
Jan: Favorite place to vacation?
Janet Lee: We have a thing where we try to go to a place we’ve never been before when we do a big vacation. (Yearly RWA convention eats up a lot of our vacation budget!) I loved Utah. Love it. Such beautiful country. Usually, we head up to the Western North Carolina mountains around Brevard and the Pigsah National Forest for hiking.

Jan: I know you work as a nurse on the nightshift. Does that make it difficult to keep your days and nights straight? Do you sneak in writing on your *cough* breaks?
Janet Lee: I’ve been working night shift for almost 20 years now, so I’ve got it down to a fine science. It does cut into my writing time because I work 12 hour shifts. I lump them together so I have a switch to nights day and a switch to normal day.  I can’t write on the job. It’s a totally different mindset. Plus, I’m happy if I get a bathroom break some nights much less time to write!

Jan: What one book from your childhood is your favorite?
Janet Lee: I’m not sure I can answer this. I was one of those kids who read anything with words on it. I’m old, so many may not remember these, but I started with the Bobsey Twins, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries. Loved Little Women.
  
Jan’s GOTTA ASK:

Janet Lee’s GOTTA ANSWER: *hides* I don’t eat dairy, so no ice cream. I do love some sorbetto those. Blood orange is my favorite. Bonus: take a scoop of blood orange sorbetto and put it in a wine glass, splash some nice, dry white wine (or champagne if you have it) in there and it’s a delicious twist on a mimosa.


Thanks so much for joining us today, Janet Lee!  As a special bonus, she will be giving away an autographed copy of SPYING ON THE BOSS to one lucky reader!(Open to International readers:) Click on the Rafflecopter below for your chance to WIN!!

FIND JANET LEE NYE:
Contact: janlnye(at)Comcast(dot)net
Website: www.janetleenye.com
Facebook: Janet Lee Nye, Romance Author
Twitter: @JanLNye


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Night Nurse Photo credit: mrrobertwade (wadey) via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA

14 comments:

  1. Thanks, Jan for inviting me! Always fun to meet new people. *waves at the people*

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  2. Great having you here for the release of your FIRST BOOK! Congratulations!

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  3. Hello Janet and Jan I'm living in NYC and it's a melting pot of all different traditions and cultures however I'm drawn to a little restaurant in my neighborhood amidst all the fast food giants which serve the most ahhhmazing seafood you could think of and it's always my first choice over the other food outlets thanks for the chance

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    1. Natasha, I was in NYC for the first time last summer and loved it. We were near Hell's Kitchen and walked down there for lunch/dinner every day. We had Brazilian, Afghani, Greek, Russian, Morroccan. The food scene there was amazing!

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  4. Congrats on your debut!!! :) There are few places I enjoy going to depending on my mood... a great little Chinese restaurant that has this terrific lunch deal that fills me up for the rest of the day... such delicious food!!! Two pizza places that have such yummy food... now I am hungry! :)

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    1. It's always those little hide-away places with the best food, isn't it?

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    1. If I were being honest, I don't either. I have a favorite for Thai. I have a favorite for BBQ. I have a favorite for Tex-Mex. I have a favorite for soul food....

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  6. Congrats on your debut. Last time we were in Charleston, we ate at Poogan's Porch. At home in Charlotte I like a steak at Longhorn Steakhouse.

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    1. Mmmm...Poogan's Porch...haven't been there in a while.

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  7. Love that you are a slacker like me! Will any of your books have nurses as the main characters?

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