Heart to Heart with Jenna Hartley

T Gephart is a USA Today and International bestselling author from Melbourne, Australia.

With an approach to life that is somewhat unconventional, she prefers to fly by the seat of her pants rather than adhere to some rigid roadmap. Her lack of “plan” has resulted in a rather interesting and eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history. She’d tell you all about it, but the statute of limitations hasn’t expired yet. But all those crazy twists and turns have led her to a career she loves—writing romantic comedy.

When Tina isn’t filling pages with sassy and sexy characters with attitude, she’s living her own reality show in the ‘burbs of Melbourne with her American husband, two teenage children, and her fur child—Woodley.

Tina was...I don't think I've laughed so much in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her about romance--both in fiction and real life. Plus the importance of guilt-free downtime, and the power of red lipstick. And you won't want to miss her crazy story about getting married in a convenience store!

Learn more about T Gephart and her books: https://tgephart.com/

Follow T Gephart on Instagram: @tinagephart

Racquel Sarah Henry fell in love with words when she began reading at the age of three. She graduated from The University of South Florida with a B.A. in both criminology and creative writing. Racquel has an MFA in creative writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and she has dedicated herself to writing as well as teaching other writers.

She co-founded Black Fox Literary Magazine where she remains an active co-editor. And founded the Writer's Atelier, which offers classes and workshops to teach writers about the craft of fiction. She enjoys eating cake, music of all genres, crunching leaves and has a slight case of OCD.

I so enjoyed chatting with Racquel about the craft of writing, how she balances editing/writing/teaching, and the importance of having a growth mindset.

Show Notes: 

Racquel's Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Racquel-Henry/e/B0819GT38X

Racquel's favorite craft books: https://writersatelier.com/blog-craftbooks/

The Write Mindset Podcast: https://anchor.fm/TheWriteMindset/episodes/Ep--15-Write-State-of-Mind-with-Alys-Murray-eo21ug

Jenna’s episode on the The Write Mindset Podcast: https://anchor.fm/TheWriteMindset/episodes/Ep--19-Write-State-of-Mind-with-Jenna-Hartley-eu7ap3

Trello: https://trello.com/en-US

Jen Morris writes sexy romantic comedies with heat, humor and heart. She believes that almost anything can be fixed with a good laugh, a good book, or a plane ticket to New York.

Jen was lovely, and I loved hearing about writing in tiny homes with toddlers and the power of stories on the path to self-discovery and awareness.

Learn more about Jen Morris and her books: https://www.jenmorrisauthor.com/

Follow Jen on Instagram: @jenmorrisauthor

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Amy was an inspiration, and I loved hearing about working with family, setting boundaries, and the struggle to overcome self-doubt when you feel like you’re not enough.

Learn more about AL Jackson and her books: https://www.aljacksonauthor.com/

AL Jackson's ANDLO planners: https://shopandlo.com/

Follow AL on Instagram: @aljacksonauthor

Mika Jolie lives in New Jersey with her Happy Chaos--her husband and their energizer bunnies. She's a lover of words, wonder, an old-fashioned, and the whimsical delights of everyday living. When she's not writing swoon-worthy, sexy relatable romance, you can find her on a hiking adventure, beachin' it at the Jersey shore, apple, blueberry picking, or whatever her three men can conjure up.

Mika was so incredibly lovely, and I enjoyed chatting with her about the drive to produce, the value of taking time off, and the power of support.

Learn more about Mika and her books: https://mikajolie.com

Follow Mika on Instagram: @mika_jolie

Brene Brown podcast: https://brenebrown.com/podcasts/

Lea Coll worked as a trial attorney for over ten years. Now she stays home with her three children, plotting stories while fetching snacks and running them back and forth to activities. She enjoys the freedom of writing romance after years of legal writing.

Lea Coll was delightful, and I loved swapping notes about our legal backgrounds, sharing tips for writing with children, and her writing process.

Learn more about Lea and her books: https://www.leacoll.com/

Follow Lea on Instagram: @leacollauthor

Stacy Travis writes contemporary romance novels with strong female characters and the men who love them for their badassery. When not writing, she is probably dashing about in running shoes and complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or she’s on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game. Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks.

Stacy was lovely, and I so enjoyed chatting with her about her love of Paris and how that’s translated into her books, as well as her experiences at an all-girls school and the idea of granting yourself permission.

Learn more about Stacy and her books: https://stacytravis.com/

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty contemporary romance titles (with Romantic Comedy being their jam), Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they've found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

Max and Monroe were absolutely adorable. We chatted about friendship, leaving your ego at the door, having a team mentality, and the importance of being able to pivot.

Learn more about Max Monroe and their books: https://www.authormaxmonroe.com/

Follow Max Monroe on Instagram: @authormaxmonroe

Hailing from the Nation's Capital, Q.B. Tyler, spends her days constructing her "happily ever afters" with a twist, featuring sassy heroines and the heroes that worship them. But most importantly the love story that develops despite inconvenient circumstances.

QB was absolutely adorable, and I so enjoyed chatting with her about building that delicious tension between characters and the importance of celebrating your successes!

Learn more about QB and her books: https://authorqbtyler.com/

Roxanne grew up in New York City, where she studied theatre, stage management and screen writing. Her passion for writing and storytelling started very young. She now enjoys writing contemporary romance, creating realistic heroine’s with relatable rising actions. I so enjoyed chatting with Roxanne about the differences between screen writing and writing for romance novels, as well as the importance of crafting relatable heroines that resonate with readers.