Authors To Watch: 'Secret Baby, Second Chance' Jane Godman

JANE GODMAN worked in a variety of shops, bars, and offices before settling into a career as a teacher. She was born in Scotland and has lived in Germany, Wales, Malta, South Africa, and England. Home is now the Wirral, a beautiful English peninsula situated between Wales and Liverpool.   

    

Jane still gets the urge to travel, although these days she tends to head for a Spanish beach, or a European city that is steeped in history. Venice, Dubrovnik, and Vienna are among her favorites. 

When Jane isn’t reading or writing romance, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She is married to a lovely man, has two grown up children and has recently discovered the joy of becoming a grandparent. 

Jane writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne and SMP Romance, thrillers for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and self-publishes her steamy historical and gothic stories. 

Her latest book is the romantic suspense, Secret Baby, Second Chance.

                                                                                                    

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Title: SECRET BABY, SECOND CHANCE
Author: Jane Godman
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 288
Genre: Romantic Suspense

BOOK BLURB:

She’s alive! Vincente Delaney has finally found his girlfriend, Beth Wade, who disappeared a year and a half ago, alive. But he’s shocked to discover someone with her: their child, a little girl he never knew about! Once upon a time, lone wolf Vincente never expected forever with Beth, but now he must put everything on the line to protect her and their family.

Beth was forced to leave Vincente to protect everything she held dear. But now the threat to her loved ones’ lives has reared its ugly head again. As danger approaches, she and Vincente must delve into her past to cast out the darkness jeopardizing their future.

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We welcome you to My Bookish Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?

I’ve written for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I lived in South Africa, and my best friend and I discovered the novels of Kathleen E Woodiwiss when we were thirteen. We used to spend our evenings writing books in the style of ‘The Wolf and the Dove’. When I had a big birthday (let’s just say it had a zero at the end), my friend gave me an amazing present. She had kept one of the books I wrote when I was fourteen! It’s a medieval romance, hand written in felt tip pen. I’m very proud of it and it gave me the push I needed to start submitting my work to publishers. 

My first Harlequin book, Legacy of Darkness, was published in January 2014 and since then, I’ve written five books for HarlequinE, nine books for Harlequin Nocturne, and four for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. I’ve also written a series of six paranormal romances for SMP Swerve.

Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?

I have to provide my editor with a detailed synopsis, even though planning is not my natural style. I find that elements of the story evolve as I write, but I do have to remain within the constraints of that synopsis.

I write anywhere I can set up my laptop! Usually that’s in my own chair at home. I don’t have a study or a desk and I don’t have a writing routine. I’m a morning person, so I tend to be at my most productive when the house is quiet and no one else is awake. 

   

Can you tell us about your most recent release?

Secret Baby, Second Chance is the third book in the Sons of Stillwater series (there are more to come). It’s a romantic suspense story. 

Vincente is the third Delaney brother I’ve written about. He’s the bad boy of the family. Half-Italian, volatile, brooding, he’s never quite fitted into the small Wyoming town of Stillwater. The only person he ever felt understood him was his girlfriend, Beth Wade. When she disappeared, everyone believed she was another victim of the Red Rose killer. 

The story starts when Vincente discovers that, not only is Beth alive, she has been keeping a very important secret from him… 

How did you get the idea for the book?

The idea started with the first book in this series, Covert Kisses. In that book, a serial killer is targeting young women who all look similar. I decided to have one woman who looked like the others disappear, but for a different reason.

That woman, Beth Wade, is the heroine of book three, Secret Baby, Second Chance. Everyone in Stillwater, including her boyfriend and the police, assume Beth is another of the killer’s victims. But, although Beth is alive, she is in danger and the past is catching up with her. 

  

Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why?

In this book? It’s a dog! His name is Melon and he’s a Border Collie. Beth got him because she wanted a guard dog. The first time Vincente meets him, he tells her Melon isn’t a guard dog. In fact, he calls him “a likeable idiot”.  

What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?

Writing a series is always a challenge. Remembering timescales and backstories as well as the details of a setting like Stillwater takes a lot of organization. 

There’s also a balance between making sure, as a writer, that you tell the reader enough about what went on in previous books without overloading them with information. 

Names are also an issue. The more books there are in a series, the harder it becomes to find names that don’t sound like other characters!  

What projects are you currently working on?

I have three Harlequin Nocturne (paranormal) books coming out in 2018. They tell the stories of a group of rock star shifters who are taking the mortal world by storm in more ways than one.

I also have another Harlequin Romantic Suspense coming in April 2018. It’s part of the popular Coltons mini-series and tells the story of a search and rescue cop and his K-9 partner.

Finally, there will be more stories in the Sons of Stillwater series, but I don’t have release dates for them yet.

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?

About writing? It would be to write the books you want to read. It’s easy to try and please other people, but you end up pleasing no one. Write the book of your heart.  

About life in general? I have a brain tumor that was diagnosed while I was writing Otherworld Protector, the first of my Harlequin Nocturne titles. I’m one of the lucky ones. My tumor is low grade and slow growing. I was determined to finish that book and keep writing. I tell people about my brain tumor to give the message that everyone should go for their goals, no matter what life throws your way. Climb the mountain, run the marathon, paint the picture…write the book.