I am so very happy to have brand new author Jewel Amethyst at my blog today. Jewel is a fellow member of the Dorchester Publishing family who launched into this crazy publishing world with both feet, having her debut novel, A Marriage of Convenience, and a novella in the anthology Holiday Brides (you’ll notice a familiar name on that cover) hit bookshelves within a couple months of each other.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jewel!

First thing's first, when did you start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was seven years old. My first book was written in ink on 3 x 5 scrap paper, stapled together and covered with clear plastic. It was for my sister’s 10th birthday and it was all about princesses and happily ever after.

Since then, I’ve written poetry, short stories and other novels none of which were published until “A Marriage of Convenience.”

What is “A Marriage of Convenience” about?

In a nutshell, it is about a woman, Tamara Fontaine, who after being ditched at the altar and jilted by a con-artist who leaves her broke and in debt, becomes desperate enough to enter a pre- arranged green card marriage with a Ghanaian. It is a business deal where he gets his green card and she gets the financial help she so desperately needs. All seems to be going fine until Tamara finds herself falling in love with her husband, Kwabena Opoku, and Kwabena starts pushing to consummate the marriage.

What gave you the idea for this novel?

As an immigrant you hear stories of people entering marriages for the sake of attaining a green card and remaining in the US. But a few years back a friend of mine entered into a marriage strictly for the sake of obtaining a green card. Somewhere between the wedding and the interview, they fell in love and now years later are still happily married.

I realize your lead character is not your typical romance novel heroin, and being a “more to love” woman myself, I was happy to see it. What inspired her character?

You know, after reading one too many romance novels where the women are tall slim, shapely and extremely beautiful and the men are outrageously handsome and rich, I had to ask myself: “Don’t ordinary people fall in love?”

So Tamara’s is short and overweight. She loses weight and gains it back throughout the book, yet the focus is not on her weight, but on her inner beauty. Like me, she is very light skinned and has some issues with that. Yet she is smart and confident and witty. Physically and emotionally, I would say Tamara is a complex amalgamation of several people who have touched my life, including myself.

“A Marriage of Convenience” has been given a 4 star rating by Romantic Times and has received great reviews. Any tips for first time authors on successful novel writing?

Stick with it, and have a great editor. Monica Harris was my editor. She is excellent. Like most authors, “A Marriage of Convenience” was not the first book that I tried to get published. After receiving a thousand and one form letters of rejection, I decided to write a different novel and try to get it published. That too came with tons of rejection as many in the industry are unwilling to invest in new untried authors. But then just when I began contemplating self publishing, I got the call from Monica Harris that Dorchester publishing was interested in the book. The point is, no matter how many novels it takes you, keep writing them until one gets accepted. Have your friends or close associates read and critique your book, and use those as pointers for improving your writing.

So when can we expect more of your work?

“From SKB with Love” part of the Holiday Brides Anthology, featuring novellas by Stephanie Worth and Farrah Rochon, and Jewel Amethyst will be out on September 29th. It is a great read for all who believe in the happily-ever-after of romance. I also have a few WIP up my sleeve.

Jewel, thanks so much for sharing some of your story with us. I can't wait to delve into my copy of "A Marriage of Convenience.”

To celebrate the release of Holiday Brides, I'm going to give away a copy of the book to a lucky poster today!

Good luck!