Today, I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Senhaji to the blog to talk about her writing, and her new release contemporary romance Choosing to Dream.

1. Why do you write in your chosen genre or genres?

I love contemporary romance because the stories are relatable. I enjoy the escapism of fantasy, historical fiction, and sci-fi, but there is something about reading a story where the characters are people you can easily imagine knowing… When I read a good contemporary, I end up in the story as the heroine or maybe a supporting character, if the heroine is really different from myself. I hope that my readers feel like they become a part of my stories. That they either become the characters or feel that they know the characters personally as part of their reading experience.

2. Do you base any of your characters on real people?

Yes and no. There are traits from people I know in every character I write, but not solely based on one person. For example, Jasmine, who is Jenna’s best friend in Choosing to Dream, is loosely based on my daughter and a good friend of mine, and yet there are parts of her character that are completely original and have nothing to do with either my friend or daughter.

3. Who is your favorite character in the book you’re showing us today?

Jenna is my favorite character, but Jake is a close second. There is so much of myself in Jenna that makes her a deeply personal character for me. Jake is the perfect hero, in my opinion. Amy is a hoot and I love writing her. And Jasmine is also a really strong character. Ah hell, I can’t narrow it down. Sorry.

4. What’s your favorite scene and why?

My favorite scene is the surfing scene. With Jake’s help, Jenna learns how to surf. It’s something she is able to check off her bucket list. It’s something I would love to do as well. I can almost picture myself in that scene, riding a baby wave. Yeah. That was my favorite. It’s not a big emotional scene, but it’s empowering and fun.

5. What was the hardest scene to write and why?

There is a love scene that takes place in Denver, Colorado, when Jen and Jake finally get to see each other after a long separation. It’s full of angst and confessions, and it was hard to write. I wanted the reader to really feel their frustration. Feel their anxiety. I think I accomplished that. When I was reading the proof, if brought me to tears. It’s what I was going for in the scene, but it was difficult to get right. There’s a funny scene right after that, so we go from emotional angst, to silly fun. But I love those scenes together. They balance each other well.

Choosing to Dream

Jenna Morris and Jacob Walker have finally given in to the flames of passion licking at their heels. But they’re only allowed one, blissful week together before the responsibilities of Jen’s café and Jake’s new film wrench the new lovers from each other’s arms.

Struggling to keep insecurities at bay whilst involved in a long distance relationship with one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors is tough enough. Dealing with Bethany Phillips, ex-supermodel turned actress and Jake’s new costar is almost unbearable.

They say love can move mountains, but can it bridge the gap that fame, jealously, and thousands of miles between them has caused?

Choosing to Dream is book 2 of the Sunset Dreams series, and was released on 17 July.

Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B0103BEN9Y

Meet Jennifer Senhaji

Jennifer Senhaji was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, and is married with two children. If she’s not singing along at the top of her lungs to whatever is playing on the radio, you can find her making music playlists at home on her laptop. She works full time and splits her spare time between family, reading, blogging, and writing. Other than English, Jennifer speaks Spanish, Moroccan, and a little French. She loves to travel, but doesn’t do enough of it and will weave places she has gone or wants to go into her stories. Reading has been a passion for most of her life and she loves to write. She calls herself Your Sweet and Spicy Romance Author because she loves the sweet nuances of new love, but also is a bit of a voyuer and wants to be in the bedroom when the characters finally come together.

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