Lora - Janice would you tell our readers something about yourself and how you became a writer?

Janice - I’d be happy to, Lora. I’m a native Floridian, and I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve never wanted to do anything else. I became a romance novelist quite by accident. In 1994, I sent Odyssey Books the manuscript of a book that in 1996 became AFFAIR OF THE HEART, my first published novel. Odyssey Books was restructuring and could not publish it; however the publisher believed in my abilities as a writer and she was kind enough to forward it to Kensington Publishing in NYC. Then editor, Monica Harris liked my voice and offered me a two-book contract. I’ve been busy as a writer ever since.

Lora - While you are an established writer, what other writers do you enjoy?

Janice - I enjoy many writers for different reasons. When I want to read something deep and poetic, I turn to Toni Morrison. When I want to read something exciting and thoroughly engrossing, I read Dean Koontz. He’s been the biggest influence on my style of writing. I also read Gwynne Forster. She’s marvelous. Donna Hill, Margaret Johnson-Hodge. Both consummate professionals. Other writers I enjoy are Walter Mosley, Philip Pullman, Zora Neale Hurston, Barbara Kingsolver, and Tina McElroy Ansa. Like most writers, I choose authors I believe can help me improve my craft.

Lora - Share with us the titles of the books that you have written.

Janice - AFFAIR OF THE HEART, 1996; LOVE LETTERS, 1997; ALL THE RIGHT REASONS, 1997; OUT OF THE BLUE, 1998; FOR KEEPS, 1999; A BITTERSWEET LOVE, 2000; A VERY SPECIAL LOVE, 2000; A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE, 2001; THIS TIME FOREVER, 2001; SISTER, SISTER, 2001; LOVE IN BLOOM, 2002; FOR YOUR LOVE, 2002.

Lora - Which book is your favorite and why?

Janice - OUT OF THE BLUE is my personal favorite because it was the first romantic suspense novel I was lucky enough to have published. Plus, it had a subplot that featured extra-terrestrials - Shapeshifters. The science-fiction fan in me was thrilled to have been allowed to publish a book like that. The readers have gotten a kick out of it. My favorite letter from a fan concerning OOTB was from a marine biology student who told me heroine Gaea Maxwell’s life mirrored her own. That meant my research was not done in vain. I love it when a project comes together.

Lora - What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a writer and why?

Janice - July 2002 marks my sixth anniversary as a published author, and I have 12 projects under my belt. That is my greatest accomplishment. My 1999 novel FOR KEEPS won an Award of Excellence from Romance in Color. Then, in 2000, my novella THE KEYS TO MY HEART was named Novella of the Year by Romance in Color . That same year I was nominated for a Career Achievement Award by Romantic Times. Still, I believe it’s the work itself that matters most, not the accolades.

Lora - How do you develop the personalities of the characters in your books?

Janice - Some characters come to me fully realized, as Gabriel Merrick did in THE KEYS TO MY HEART. I knew he would be a college professor and that his appearance would belie his profession. One would expect a professor to be conservative, however he wore dreads, had a killer bod, and a disarming manner. Rupert Giles in FOR YOUR LOVE, on the other hand, was more mysterious. I had to dig for his personality. Which means research. We know that he was a spy in a former life, but what about his life before he was a spy? What exactly happened to shape his present personality?

Lora - Do you ever use real life situations that have happened to you or to people that you know in your books?

Janice - Very rarely. My stories are my escape. I want to get as far away from my real life as possible. Just like my readers. They’ll pick up my books because they’d like to get away from reality for a while. I use that same approach when I sit down to write.

Lora - How do you select the states and countries where your stories take place?

Janice - That’s easy, I simply choose a place I’d like to go myself. Or it could be a place I’ve visited and absolutely loved and wouldn’t mind revisiting. I’ve written about exotic locales and small towns in America. I enjoy them both.

Lora - Dr. Solange DuPree and Rupert Giles are the main characters in your latest book FOR YOUR LOVE. They made their first appearance in A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE. What made you decide to give them their own story?

Janice - I addressed a note to readers at the end of A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE, asking if they’d like to read Solange’s and Rupert’s story. I got an overwhelming response. Readers wanted to know more about them, especially about Rupert whom they’d fallen in love with. I give my readers what they want.

Lora - I found it interesting that your latest book starts with a historic item that relates to a biblical tale, yet you were able to spin this topic into a romantic interlude with a twist at the end. How did this plot develop?

Janice - I received a letter from a reader in 2000 telling me how much she’d enjoyed A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE, and that she was an archaeologist! She jokingly said, "Why don’t you send Solange, who is an archaeologist, after the Ark of the Covenant. If Indiana Jones can do it, so can Dr. Solange DuPree." I thought it was a fabulous idea. However, in doing research about the Ark of the Covenant, I uncovered information that led me to Ethiopia. Apparently, according to Ethiopian legend, the country has been hiding the genuine Ark of the Covenant for hundreds of years. It came to them through Menelik, son of Solomon by Makeda, the Queen of Sheba. We’ve all heard the biblical tale of King Solomon’s relationship with the Queen of Sheba. However, the Ethiopians supplied the ‘backstory’. How King Solomon sired a child by Makeda, and that child brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia when he was sent home after an extended visit with his father. Fascinating.

Lora - What can our readers expect from you in the future?

Janice - I’m working on a multicultural time/travel. In it my heroine is sent back in time to ancient Nubia where she becomes part of the Kindake’s, or the Queen Mother Candace’s, court. It’s sort of a twist on Mark Twain’s "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court." The story begins in modern-day San Francisco and goes back to 250 A.D. Needless to say, I’m doing lots of research, but I’m enjoying every minute of it!