AAD Author Spotlight: Nicole Peeler

After completely glutting myself on a binge read of the Jane True books, I sent off these burning questions to the amazing Nicole Peeler. She was kind enough to take some time to chat with me about the series that I am now totally in love with. Check it out:

Jen:  How many books do you plan to write in the Jane True series?

Nicole: I've got six planned and six sold, then I'll cap the series. I'm a firm believer in capping Jane's type of character-driven series, even though it'll be sad to see it end.

Jen: For the love of all that is holy, please tell me that Jane and Anyan are finally going to sleep together in Tempest's Fury.

Nicole: I would tell you, but I'd have to kill you. ;-)

Jen: No. Seriously. I think I need it as much as she does at this point.

Nicole: I know, and I apologize to both you and Jane. ;-) My goal was to see how far I could take sexual tension. I took it right to the tip, as it were. The good news for you and everyone else, including Jane, is that I physically can't take that tension any further.

Jen: Why won't Caleb wear a loincloth? Is he a voyeur AND an exhibitionist or what?

Nicole: We discover at some point in the series that Caleb does, in fact, have at least one of the tendencies you've listed above. But my intention with him and his haunches was to call attention for Jane to how different Supernatural society is from her own. Supes are fine running around sans pants, while Jane's been raised human, for which you have to go to special beaches to do that. ;-)

Jen: These books are so funny. And at times, they are super sexy. Which is more fun to write: Jane's rockin' internal dialogue or Jane's rockin' love scenes? (And why?)

Nicole: I think what's so fun about Jane's sex scenes is that they're also humorous. I share Jane's inability to see the seriousness in any situation, and that includes sex. I think I'd be doing a disservice to her as a character if, when she had sex, she was suddenly this really proper, intense person she never is at any other time. So I like writing funny sex, even though not everyone gets that. The people who do get it love it, and I think that's the fun in writing a really vivid, quirky character like Jane.

Jen: Other than Jane, who is your favorite character to write for?

Nicole: As for other characters who are fun to write, Grizzie's obviously very fun. And I got a huge kick out of writing Salim, as I had a hairdresser back in the day who was just like him. Writing Salim really took me back.

Jen: Have you ever considered writing a side story from one of the other characters' POV?

Nicole: I am actually writing a short story and hope to write more about Capitola and the other ladies of Triptych that you meet in book three. They're super fun and very different from Jane, so it's a nice challenge.

Jen: I read that you teach a class in Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. Do you get many fans in your class?

Nicole: I teach in a whole MFA dedicated to popular fiction. But no, my students tend to treat me like a professor rather than an author. Every once and a while I hear about a student of someone else's who is a fan, but I've not had one.

Jen: Which authors do you like to read?

Nicole: I read loads, and very widely. Too many to list here, but I blog about a lot of the people I'm reading at the time and really enjoying. So following my website is always a good way to find a new book or six.

Jen: What are you looking forward to most from AAD in New Orleans?

Nicole: New Orleans itself, to be honest. It's one of my all time favorite cities in the world.

Jen: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. I love, love the Jane True series and I'm so excited about the convention this summer! Can't wait to see you there.

Nicole: Thanks, Jen! I feel the same! See you soooon!

You can find more from Nicole on her website, Twitter & Goodreads.