2017 - New York Times Bestselling Author, J. Sterling

Goodbye 2017 and Hello 2018!

New Years has always made me happy. It's one of my favorite times of year. No matter what else is going on in my life, I always look forward to the hope and the joy that New Years Eve brings. There's something utterly magical about a New Years Eve night.... a time when dreams come out to play and all our hopes and wishes for the next year are conceived.

Each year I pick a theme that I center all my goals around. This year will be no different. I know exactly what I want. And my wish for you is that you'll be happy; truly, genuinely, purely happy. That you'll find what brings you joy and you'll get the opportunity to do it. And if you're already living that life, that you'll continue doing what makes you smile and fills you up inside. I believe that everything happens for a reason, no matter how much it hurts, or how badly it sucks at the time. It's usually the most painful events that give us the most soul growth. I hope that you'll choose to grow and that you'll remember that the hard times won't last forever. I pray that you'll be better off than you were before.

When Oprah left her daytime talk show, she ended it with a magnificent speech. Parts of that speech touched my heart so deeply back then - and when I found the words again - I realized how deeply they still resonated within me. So I wanted to share them with you. I hope her words light a spark that lead to a fire in your soul and in your heart.  

"What I knew for sure from this experience is that we are all called. Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. 

Every time we have seen a person on this stage who is a success in their life, they spoke of the job, and they spoke of the juice that they receive from doing what they knew they were meant to be doing. We saw it in the volunteers who rocked abandoned babies in Atlanta. We saw it with those lovely pie ladies from Cape Cod making those delicious potpies. ... We saw it every time Tina Turner, Celine, Bocelli or Lady Gaga lit up the stage with their passion. 

Because that is what a calling is. 

It lights you up and it lets you know that you are exactly where you're supposed to be, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. 

And that is what I want for all of you.

To live from the heart of yourself. 

You have to make a living; I understand that. 

But you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world."

I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you for being a part of my life. I can't wait for 2018!

Adios Pantalones Update

Ryan Fisher's book is coming! If you've already pre-ordered it on Amazon then you might have gotten a notification email about it. I pushed the release date back a month because I'm not quite finished yet and I don't like to rush my stories. You guys don't like it when I rush either, so.. Ryan's gotten a little delay. :) He will now be released on March 7th.


Click here to pre-order on Amazon now:
http://amzn.to/2iI8XxF

I'm so excited about this book you guys! Ryan is.. well, he's Ryan. He's so damn loveable and the brothers are all so funny when they're together. I absolutely love being in their world. Plus, this is the first time I've ever written about a single mom and that seems so crazy to me, considering that I was one for so many years.

I absolutely love writing about things I know, things I've experienced and things I hope for. Writing a single mom is making it very easy to do exactly that- even if I want to smack some sense into her character at times. lol

I know you guys are going to love this story and I can't wait for you to read it. You know, once I finish it. HA

Until then, I hope you have a great holiday. I hope that you are surrounded by love, friends, family and all the things that make you happy and bring you joy (aren't those the same things? I think they are lol). 


Books on sale!

Amazon has put The Perfect Game AND The Game Changer on sale for only $1.99 each this holiday season!

All 4 books in the series are FREE if you're a Kindle Unlimited member (there's also a free 30-day trial). 

Click here to meet the Carter's!
http://amzn.to/2jQNp1U


Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note to tell all my stateside peeps, Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm not sure what you do, or how you spend the holiday, but I hope you are surrounded by loved ones (in all capacities-  siblings, friends, etc).



I hope you are thankful. It's so easy to lose sight and focus on the things that we don't have-  to get caught up in all the things we're still fighting for - all the goals we still want to accomplish or achieve. It's so easy to feel bad. But do me a favor, will you? Right now.. take a breath... hell, take one more and let all the things that you DO have fill your thoughts. Think about the people who love you. Think about the people who support you and want to see you happy and successful.

Stop beating yourself up. Let all of that negativity go. Love yourself. Love your life. It's not always perfect and it's definitely not always easy... but it's yours. No one gets your life but you. Make it great. Even when it's hard. :)

Signed paperback's updated and available!

I just got a huge shipment of paperback's in because I know how you guys like to have signed books for your collection! Trust me, I get it. I treasure all of the signed copies I have!! 

Plus, they make great Christmas gifts-  for yourself, or for the book lover in your life!  :) 

Head on over to my STORE and get your shop on! NO BAD DAYS and GUY HATER are both available (even though they aren't shown in the picture). 

Happy shopping!

My love for baseball

For those of you who don't know, I'm a HUGE baseball fan!  Mainly, my boys in blue... The Los Angeles Dodgers! So unless you've been living under a rock, or you really, really, really, hate sports, then you know that my boys are currently playing in the World Series.  #LA #ThisTeam

These games are giving me heart attacks! They're some of the best played, most stressful ball games I've ever sat through and watched. It's the highest of highs, followed by the lowest of lows- but it makes for some amazing baseball.

With that being said, if you love baseball the way I do and you want to combine your love of sports with your love of romance reading, then you have got to read The Perfect Game series! Jack F'n Carter is the hottest baseball player in the game. Have you met him yet?  Go fall in love today with my most favorite loveable screw-up. :)















#23 on the field, #1 in your heart.

Choosing to be happy

If you've read Guy Hater (if you haven't, what the heck are you waiting for???) then you'll notice a theme that runs throughout the story. This isn't a spoiler, so you can keep reading. LOL  I wrote a lot about finding your happiness. About realizing when you're no longer joyful anymore and finding the courage to do something about it. Because you see, I know all too well what it's like to wake up day after day and feel like being happy is an illusion.... something no longer meant for you. 

And honestly, what kind of shit is that?!   

As humans, I think we tend to settle. We settle in our jobs. We settle for a paycheck. We settle into routines. We settle into what's expected of us. We settle into obligations. We settle in our relationships. We settle into roles we think define us and we stay there for way too long because we're afraid to rock the boat and make a change. Why? Because what's on the other side of everything we've settled for is the great unknown. And the unknown is scary as hell.

We get used to being unhappy. Let that sink in for a second. We. Get. Used. To. Being. Unhappy.
It becomes a part of our daily lives and in essence, a part of who we are. We're comfortable in our misery. It's always there with us; in the morning when we wake up, in each breath we take during the day, at night when we close our eyes. We know we're not happy, but we accept it. It's not that bad, right? Sure, it could be better, but it could also be worse. Thinking about making a change feels super uncomfortable. Even if it's the right thing to do. Even if it's the best thing for not only yourself, but for everyone else as well....  change is scary. 

What if we're wrong? What if we make a mistake? What if our misery is only an illusion? And then, what if I'M the problem here? What if it's me?

These are all questions we ask ourselves in the midst of our fear. And the answers can never truly be revealed to us until after we've done the hard thing. We can't know how we're going to feel about a situation until we've changed it. 

Sometimes you have to put yourself first. And that's okay. It's okay to want to be happy. It's okay to want to find joy in your daily life and to release the things (and people) who no longer bring you that. I had to learn this lesson. It wasn't easy. 

Being happy is a choice. Settling in a relationship that no longer makes you feel good, or no longer brings you joy... is a choice. Staying for all the wrong reasons... is a choice. And we're so overrun with guilt over every single decision we make that we forget who we are while we're busy living for everyone else.

I've said it a million times before, but I'm not sure I've ever said it here on my blog, so here goes:
It's easier to stay in a relationship that has run its course (marriage, dating, business, school, etc) than it is to leave. Even if you're so damn unhappy and just getting through each 24-hour period one hour at a time... it's still easier to stay. You know what to expect when you stay. It is so much harder to leave. You can know it's the right thing to do- you can feel it in every part of your body and soul that you need to leave before it basically kills your spirit, your drive, your ambition-  and still, you'll struggle to say the words out loud... you'll struggle to find the strength to walk away.... you'll struggle in your decision to fight for yourself. 

Sometimes our lives truly begin on the other side of those choices we're too afraid to make. But we'll never know if we don't try. You have to fight for your happiness. No one else is going to do it for you. They can't. They're too busy trying to remember to fight for theirs.  

And I know it's not easy. Trust me, I know. But I also know that at some point you'll look back at your life and see clearly all the time you've wasted wondering if things were going to change when you knew in your gut that they never were. And you'll find yourself grieving the loss of that time because you can never get it back. You can only move forward. Even if it's just one tiny step. *deep breath*  You've got this.    




Drake's on sale

Okay fine, Drake isn't REALLY on sale. I mean, I don't own him, so how can I put him on sale? I wish I owned him. lol

This Drake obsession is real y'all.  So you all know that I love me some Drake. But did you know that I wrote a whole book on said love?

Seeing Stars is my Drake inspired romance. And right now it's only .99 for a limited time!  Who is your celebrity crush?  Who would you write romance books about?  :)  <3

AMAZON:  Click here to buy Seeing Stars


Now FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Guy Hater is now part of the exclusive Amazon family!  If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can read all about Frank & Claudia for *FREE*  And if you're an amazon/kindle user, you can of course download Guy Hater to your kindle device like normal. 



The reviews so far are amazing and I'm blown away by all the love.  If you haven't met Frank yet, I hope you will soon. I know you're going to love this sexy Fisher brother. <3

Guy Hater is LIVE!

Frank Fisher is a man who is torn by the wants of his heart and the obligation of a past promise.  What would you do?

Guy Hater is LIVE today and I'm so excited for you to read this story!

























Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterAmazon

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074WP8GZ1

Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterAU

Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterCA

iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHateriBooks

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterBN

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterKobo

Pre-Order Guy Hater Today!

Guy Hater, Frank Fisher's story is coming October 9th!



You can pre-order it from all your favorite retailers right now! :)

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterAmazon

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074WP8GZ1

Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterAU

Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterCA

iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHateriBooks

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterBN

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/GuyHaterKobo

The post where I encourage stalking

I want you to follow me.
I want to be friends.
I want to see you EVERYWHERE I am!
Creepy?  Good.  lol  Get your stalk on. Do it. All the cool kids are.  :)

My private facebook reader/friend group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePerfectGameChangerGroup/

Follow me on Amazon and you'll get a notification when a new book goes live:

Follow me on BookBub to never miss a deal/sale/etc through them: 

My personal Instagram: 
@ RealJSterling

My twitter: 
@ RealJSterling 

Writing update

A lot of you have been emailing me to ask about certain books and when they'll be out. I want you to know that I'm working on Frank Fisher's story right now (Guy Hater) and that will be my next release. Followed by Ryan Fisher's story (Adios Pantalones). I can't WAIT for you to get to know the Fisher Brothers even more. I might have a little bit of a crush. :)  

I know I still owe you Losing Stars (the last stand alone story in the Celebrity Series) and I promise that it's coming- it's very emotional and it's a little hard to write, but I'll power through it and get it to you soon(ish)!
There is so much more coming down the line too that I can't wait to share with you. But first, my son's college baseball team just got back from the State Championships where they came in 2nd place! That makes them #2 in the entire state of California- which is pretty awesome if you ask me.  :) 
Until then, I hope you have a great weekend and thank you for all your support.  Don't forget if you're a Kindle Unlimited Member on Amazon, 10 of my books are *FREE* for you to read right now! You can also try out KU free for 30 days. Don't miss out on all this epic freeness (totally not a real word)- just click the link below. 
My FREE Books on Amazon

And also make sure you sign up for my newsletter- that way you'll never miss a new release or a sale or anything else! You can click the link below to sign up.
Newsletter Sign- Up

Happy Reading,
Jenn

You can win SO MANY THINGS!

Hi everyone! 
There is an amazing promotion going on that i'm a part of and I wanted to share it with you. No, you don't have to buy anything. All you have to do is click to follow me on Amazon and/or BookBub and you're entered to win a Mega Spring Bundle of New Adult Romances, 1 of 20 $25 Bookstore Giftcards, PLUS a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet!

Wow, right?! 
Your chance to win is SO easy. So, so easy. All you have to do is click the link below for all the details. Good luck and feel free to forward this opportunity to your friends or enemies. LOL 


Finding my joy

Someone asked me today when the last time I felt "pure joy" was and I had to sit there and think about it.

I HAD TO SIT THERE AND THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

The answer didn't come screaming at me like a bright shooting star in the dark nights sky.
The answer didn't present itself with a beautiful bow atop sparkly paper.
No.
The answer eluded me.
It fucking ELUDED me.

And I had to say that I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure when the last time that I felt pure joy was. I couldn't remember the last time when I felt truly happy, without other thoughts or fears muddying it all up. And it pissed me right off because there's no reason on God's green earth why I shouldn't be ridiculously happy every moment of every day. There's no reason at all for my inability to pinpoint the last time I felt joy....

...I am a good person, with a good heart, who runs a successful business, has a dope son, who is a great baseball player, and I have the cutest dog in the history of dogs. I love what I do. I mean, I really, really, love what I do. I love my car (don't laugh, my car is important to me lol). I am super blessed and I am super grateful.

But apparently those two things don't equal joy.

So what the hell is my problem?

Is it the lack of love in my life? The one thing that I always said I didn't need or want? Is the lack of true love robbing me of my joy?  No, it can't be that. It can't be. I mean, I suppose it could be a part of it, but it can't be the whole thing. There has to be something else going on inside of me, but I can't seem to figure out WHAT it is exactly.

Listen, I'm not depressed or walking around all solemn, so please don't worry about me or take this blog post the wrong way. It was a just that a simple question was asked of me and it paved the way to something bigger in my mind.
And I want to fix it.
I do not want to be joy-less. I have no desire to live an unhappy life. That's not me at all.
I am all about the happy. I am all about finding your truth, following your heart and living a life that makes you truly fulfilled.

I want to live in JOY.
I want to find my JOY.
I always want to be truly happy.

So tell me...  what brings you joy? Have you found it? Where did you find it? Or do you feel like yours is missing too?  Maybe we can find our joy together. Opinions and suggestions welcome... unless you're going to call me crazy, cause tell me something I don't already know. lol :)

Another giveaway!

You can win over 60 New Adult Romance books AND a kindle fire just by entering!

bit.ly/new-adult-rom


This collection of books is fantastic! I want to win them all!  lol  No Bad Days is included!  :)  Good luck and tell your friends!  The contest ends March 20th!

Self Discovery and Lists

I am on a journey right now. It's true. I'm on a serious journey of self-discovery where I am desperately trying to clear out all the negative crap in my life. It's funny because if you know me at all, then the last thing you'd ever associate me with is the word negative.

I am not a negative person.

But things in my life lately have sent me down a path where I'm being forced to look within myself- I mean REALLY look within myself. I want to break old cycles and put a stop to the patterns that have become so normal to me I don't even see them anymore.

Are you with me at all or am I totally speaking jibberish here? lol

Alright, example time... let's just go straight for the gusto- right to the heart- and talk about love (again). I've never been the type of person to think that I was really messed up when it came to love and relationships. Don't get me wrong, I knew I wasn't perfect, but it's like I never took the time to see the things that really affected me, my choices, my decisions and how certain behaviors made me feel or why they made me feel certain ways. Basically, when you fall in love with someone it brings out a lot of fears. Falling in love makes you feel vulnerable and if you're anything like me, feeling vulnerable is very foreign and super uncomfortable. You fight against it. But have you ever wondered why?

This past weekend, I sat down with a notepad and started writing a list. To be honest, the first list I made was in regards to my books and the themes that recurred within them. I realize that I wrote all the stories in my novels, but it was still interesting to me to see the things that I wrote about over and over and over again. It was like I channeled some deep hurt from within me and I was trying to get over it by writing it out in different ways or something?! I'm not entirely sure, but the messages and themes were clear.

I tend to write a lot about guys messing up, screwing up, doing the "wrong" things for what they think are the "right" reasons, keeping their feelings to themselves and shutting the girl out, leaving the main girl in the story (God, my guys ALWAYS seem to leave- abandonment issues anyone?), and then **SPOILER ALERT** the guys always come back, they right their wrongs, make grand gestures to prove their love, admit where they screwed up and the couple lives happily ever after- after she forgives him of course- because forgiveness is key and he absolutely refuses to quit on her.

So I read over that list a couple of times and I started breaking down my feelings about love and relationships. Why did I continually write these specific actions and themes in my books? Where were they coming from? Before I knew it, I was making another list. And this one hurt to write. Because I was trying to figure out my authentic feelings about love and my own worthiness, or lack thereof.

Look, I know we all have fears when it comes to romantic love. The greater the love grows, the greater the fear of losing that love becomes. We all have issues. We all have baggage. But we don't always realize just how heavy that baggage has become because we're so used to carrying it. Our emotional scars become a part of us that we simply expect whoever loves us to accept them, instead of trying to work through or resolve them if possible.

This new list horrified and surprised me, but I wrote it all down anyway. If it entered into my thoughts, I put it on paper. You must understand that I do not see myself as a weak person. I do not consider myself a victim of any kind. And I would never choose to think of myself as someone who wasn't "worthy" of real love or true happiness. Ever. (I think i'm awesome and should have all the awesome things in the world. lol)

But holy shit you guys, I think I figured out that somewhere deep down inside of me, there was this belief that I wasn't worth fighting for. I believed that I wasn't worth sticking around for- that I would truly never be enough for someone. Somewhere along the line of my life, I had accepted as fact that anyone who loved me would eventually leave me. That whatever words they had told me throughout our time together would cease to matter or hold any weight because their actions would say everything. My list was long, filled with short sentences that were truly eye opening. Did I really believe that I didn't deserve to be happy?

It was on the list.
I had written it down.
Who the hell doesn't deserve to be happy???

I didn't even realize that I'd been crying the whole time I was writing that list until I finished writing it.

I sat there for a little while longer, reading over the list and asking myself where those feelings had come from? I wanted answers. I mean, if I was going to do this kind of work, I wanted it all figured out so I could fix it. I'm super patient. lol  But really- why did I not feel worthy of the fight? Why was I so convinced everyone would eventually leave me? I got my answers pretty quickly. I discovered exactly where the feelings had come from initially and how they had been reiterated throughout my life so many times that I started to believe them, simply accepted them as fact instead of a possibility.

I couldn't stop thinking about how gratifying it was that I had done the work to see these things within myself, but I hated that they were sitting there on paper, like they were the bullet points to who I was as a person. I didn't want this list to define me. I didn't want this list to define my heart. I didn't want this list to define my thoughts, my beliefs or my feelings about myself. Everything on it was so negative. There was nothing self loving on that list. Not a single thing. It was all woe is me, no one loves me, no one stays, no one fights for me, i'm not worthy, i'm not deserving, etc etc. And when I read it again later that night, it bothered me. It bothered me so much that I knew what I needed to do.....

I flipped it!
I flipped the script!

I took that piece of paper and I ripped it out of my notebook. And I wrote the exact opposite on another list. I even gave it a title: "Positive Affirmations in Self Love." And that list said things like I am worth staying for. I am worth fighting for. I am deserving of true happiness and authentic love. I give myself permission to give and receive love. And as I wrote down each thing, I did it with a smile on my face. I couldn't stop smiling. This felt so right! This is how I wanted to see myself when it came to love, relationships and my place in them! This is how I wanted to live my life!

I set the original negative list on fire and I watched as the ashes flew away into the night, hopefully letting them go for good.

I'm not sure why I felt so compelled to share this with all of you. To be honest, this is a really personal journey that I'm on and admitting to anyone (especially myself) that I didn't feel worthy of anything is weird for me because I truly try not to see myself in ways that aren't positive and loving- but like I said in the beginning, I think our baggage becomes a part of us that we don't recognize we're carrying it anymore. Maybe I just hoped that if any of you are going through the same kind of thing, you could relate? Or maybe my list idea might spark an idea of your own?

Would love to hear your thoughts or if you think i'm crazy in the comments. Be gentle though, apparently i'm sensitive.  lol  :)

-Jenn  

Do you lead with your head or your heart?

I mentioned a few blog posts back that my girlfriends recently pointed out to me that I let my head overrule my heart when it comes to relationships and love. They said that if I didn't think it was good for my heart.... I could literally talk myself out of anything, no matter how badly I wanted it or how strongly I felt about it. They made it real simple for me- they broke it down into two sides- you either led with your heart or your head. It was one or the other and they were adamant that I was purely head based. They told me how they would follow their hearts no matter what, no matter the cost and I sat there shaking my head in vehement disagreement. Follow your heart no matter who you hurt? No. Follow your heart no matter the consequences? No, no, no.

Shit. Maybe they were right?

It sounds funny to say out loud, but I had never realized that about myself before. I write romance novels for fucks sake! I consider myself a pretty emotional person. I feel things so deeply at times that it causes me physical pain. How could someone who was capable of feeling that strongly not do everything from her heart? I'd never even considered myself the type of person who was more logical than emotional when it came to love. Isn't love, of all things, supposed to be completely heart based?  Everything else I do in my life seems to come from my heart- the decisions I make, the way I write, the stories I tell, where my soul leads me.... it all comes from a place of love and not always logic. You know?

So I sat on their observations for a little bit and let them sink it. They gave me examples. They compared me to themselves. And I absorbed their words. I thought about situations I'd been in in the past, situations I was currently in, the way I saw things, etc... And you know what?

They were right.
They were absolutely fucking right. 

I really do let my head talk me out of things, but there's a reason for it (lol). If I don't think it's the right thing to do, then I'll walk away. Or at least I'll try. I'm pulled to do the right thing, to do unto others and I'm always thinking about all the people in situations as opposed to only thinking about myself. Now that's not to say that I've never hurt anyone or made a bad decision because I'm human and sometimes I make decisions out of my own selfishness instead of the greater good. I know that it can't always be helped- that sometimes the pull to another person is greater than all the logic in the world. And I know that even the best person, with the best of intentions, can falter when it comes to love.

It's a powerful thing, that emotion. The most powerful thing ever, I think.  It's always the exception. Or maybe the right person is always the exception? I don't know. I'm still figuring it all out.  But what I do want to know is which are you?  Do you lead with your heart when it comes to love or your head?  

Talk to me in the comments!  Have a great weekend. <3 


 

I hate Valentine's Day! I think.

HA!

For as long as I can remember, I've always claimed to hate Valentine's Day. It's stupid. It's cheesy. It's dumb- I would say to anyone who listened.

But I think the truth is that I don't hate it. At all. It's just that I've either been single whenever the day rolled around, or I've always been disappointed. And there's nothing worse than a shitty valentine's day when you have a damn valentine. You know?  (Yes. there's plenty worse. I know that. Just go with me here).  So yeah, you have a valentine, you have have a husband, a wife, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, whatever... you have someone in your life... and with that comes expectations, whether you intend to have them or not.  You expect that your Valentine's day will be the stuff of dreams... the kind of things people like me write about in our books. Or you at least expect flowers. Or candy. Or a romantic dinner somewhere. Or something! God, ANYTHING!

And then it doesn't happen. For whatever reason. It's not romantic. You don't get roses. You don't go out to dinner. You don't feel special on this hallmark holiday. And even if your brain gets it, rationalizes it, knows this day means "nothing"... your heart doesn't. A part of you still wants that romance. You want to feel special. You want to feel thought about. And even though you know that everything is three times more expensive on this day than on any other..... you want to be worth the extra money. I know I do. I absolutely do. One of the least romantic things someone can do is make you feel like you weren't worth it. And you know what? I'm tired of that. I'm tired of the excuses for why I wasn't worth shopping for, buying something for, for being thought of, etc.  When guys insist that it's a bullshit holiday that's made up, it's just their way of getting out of getting you something.

I want more than that.
I deserve more than that.
And I sure as shit give more than that.

So yeah. I don't hate this holiday at all. I think I've always pretended to hate it so that I wouldn't feel so disappointed when it didn't live up to my expectations. And trust me, it never did. You get tired of being let down all the time. I do. I have. I'm over it. I'm starting to realize that I've lacked A LOT when it comes to the real life romance and passion department. I have a lot to learn. But you know what?  I'm excited about what's to come. Because I'm not settling anymore.

So tell me... do you love or hate, or just pretend to hate, this holiday?  Talk to me in the comments!  :)


Where do my stories come from?

People are always asking me where I get the inspiration for my books. They want to know how much of what I write is real and/or how they can help inspire my next one (that's usually from dumb guys. Shocking, I know. HA).

It's a simple question and I totally get the intrigue. Some books leave you desperate for all the non-fictional truth. I've sent numerous author friends emails before asking things like, "WAS THAT PART REAL?" "DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?"  "TELL ME WHO THE REAL <insert character name here> IS RIGHT NOW!"

So see... I'm just like you.  :)

But to answer the question about where my inspiration comes from...
I write what I know.
I write what I've been through.
I write what I've seen.
I write what I've experienced.
I write what I wish would have happened.
I write entire stories based around one real life event.
I write what's in my heart.

There are plenty of authors who can create entire worlds from scratch just from the confines of their beautiful mind. I'm not really one of them. lol No really. I tend to draw my inspiration from things that have happened in my life. I base characters off of people I know and relationships I've had (even if they were a million years ago). Now that's not to say that there isn't a lot of fiction in my books because trust me, there is. It's just that what pulls me the most to write are the experiences I've gone through and the emotions I felt.

I think it's our human experiences that connect us. My biggest hope after I finish writing a book is that you'll read it and be able to relate to it on some level. I want my stories to feel like something that could either happen to you or someone you know.  I want them to feel real.

I really hope that they do. And I hope that you love them.

Do you have a favorite type of romance novel that you read? Do you like them to feel real, or do you like getting totally swept up in a fantasy world?

Chat soon,
Jenn 

Going Back To My Roots

Most of you probably don't know that before I started writing books, I was a blogger. I was one of the first "mommy bloggers" before we got saddled with that title. And even though the majority of my blogs weren't really even about being a mom, I was still considered a mommy blogger because I had a kid.

I was also one of the only bloggers who never wanted to write a book. LOL No really, it's true. While all the other bloggers were talking about writing books, getting book deals, defining writing outside of the blog as one of their biggest aspirations... I always looked around and thought "I'm happy writing my blog posts! I don't want to write a book. Y'all are weirdos!"

Now look at me.

But here's the thing... once I decided to start writing novels and making that my career, I immediately let go of blogging. It was the first thing I shut down, turned off, and stopped giving any attention to. Which is kind of weird now that I think about it-  because blogging IS writing and why would I stop doing what I so clearly love to do?

I suppose looking back I assumed that blogging would get in the way of the stories I wanted to tell. I'm sure I believed that I only had so much creativity inside my brain and if one of the outlets had to go, it would be the blog. I was also in a really difficult time in my life back then, so I'm sure I also felt tapped out and at the end of my rope. But more on that later....

You might be asking what my point is....  and well, here it is.... I miss it. I miss blogging because it connected me to other people. It connected us to each other. Blogging was my personal outlet where I talked about all the things that plagued me. And so much of the time, they were the things that plagued you as well. We bonded. We emailed. We talked to one another in the comments. We supported each other.

Blogging created connections.
And I want that back.

So, I've decided to start blogging again. But i'm doing it here, on my author blog because I want to get to know you all. And I want you to know me. I realize that that isn't typical author behavior, but I've never really been one for doing things the way you're supposed too. I'm not afraid to talk about personal things. I'm not scared to bare my heart and soul to you.

I'm still going to talk about my books, what I'm working on, the people and things that inspired them, but we'll also talk about life-  and love-  being mom's and anything else that comes up!  I'm open to questions, personal and business ones. Anything you want to talk about just post it in the comments!

First things first though ... Introductions:
Hi! I'm Jenn! I'm a single mom, My son's name is Blake. He's 18. He's a baseball player and he's awesome. I'm divorced. I want to believe in the things I write about in my books, but it's really hard sometimes. I want to say i'm a hopeless romantic, but I don't think I am. It was recently pointed out to me that I allow my mind to talk me out of ANYTHING I don't think is good for my heart. I never realized that about myself before, but it's so true. All of my stories are based on real life and things that I've been through, experienced or witnessed. I write contemporary romance novels and I really, really hope that you read them.

Now it's your turn!  Tell me a little about yourself in the comments and if there's anything we should address or talk about here... let me know!  :)

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you,
Jenn

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Good luck! (the perfect game is included)

Where to buy No Bad Days

It's finally here!  The release of NO BAD DAYS!  You guys, I am so excited for you all to meet Nick & Jess.  If you loved (and miss) the old school new adult romance stories from back in the day, then you're going to love this one.  If you enjoyed my book, The Perfect Game, then you're going to enjoy this one too!  It's a standalone romance that is filled with angst, laugh out loud moments and plenty to swoon over.

Are you ready?



#1 NYT bestselling author, Abbi Glines said, "This is what New Adult was meant to be... Sterling has gone back to her roots..."

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