Jennifer Lane is currently doing a blog tour, for her two Conduct series novels With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior and today it’s our day to celebrate Jennifer’s wonderful novels! Not only are we interviewing Jennifer right here, but we’ll be reviewing With Good Behavior and we’re having a giveaway, too! You can see all the details about Jennifer below and you can also view all of the stops on Jennifer’s tour so far!

1. Can you tell us about your two novels in the Conduct series, With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior?

It’s romantic suspense with a psychological twist, featuring two parolees who fall in love and battle bad guys. With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior are the first two in the series.

2. You’re currently working on the third Conduct series book, will that be the final book for McSailor and Bonnie?

The third book, On Best Behavior, will indeed be the final. Grant and Sophie aren’t done with the mafia yet, and Ben will play a bigger role. I like how you used their nicknames!

3. Your novels aren’t necessarily Chick Lit – since they rely quite heavily on crime – but as a massive Chick Lit fan, I loved With Good Behavior and feel Chick Lit fans will love it. Who were you writing the book for? Do you see it as a romance, or as a crime novel or a mix of both?

When I started writing, I had a dream to try to get this novel published, but I had no idea if that dream would be realized. I was writing more for myself than any particular group–it wasn’t till I finished that I’d realized I’d written romantic suspense! I’ve had some chick lit readers like Syrah from Chick Lit & Wine really enjoy it. I primarily see it as a romance, but there are also elements of crime, suspense, family drama, and psychology.

4. Generally, I don’t suspect that a book about two convicts would be likeable. You just don’t, do you? Was it hard to make sure that we the readers would fall in love with Grant and Sophie? Because love them I did, cons or not!

One wonderful thing about my job as a psychologist is that I get to understand multiple perspectives–how complex people are and why people do what they do. And people always have good reasons for what they do. I think convicts can be honorable just like Mother Theresa can be devious, and I love to peel away the layers to find out what makes them act in certain ways. I’m fascinated by resilience and redemption.

5. You’re a psychologist yourself, does it really happen that psychologists can and have fallen in love with patients? Is there many cases of it? If the opportunity presented itself, hypothetically, could you ever see yourself falling for a patient?

It can happen. One study I read in the 1990′s found that 10% of male psychologists admitted sleeping with their clients, compared to 1% of female psychologists. Fortunately I haven’t fallen in love with a client but I have been attracted to clients–it’s just human nature. I would NEVER have sex with a client. That act is so exploitative and unethical. Clients give therapists substantial power and I try to be respectful of that by avoiding “multiple relationships” like friendship or business ventures with my clients. I won’t accept expensive gifts from clients. My job is to take care of my needs outside the therapy office and let the therapy session be about the client’s needs.

6. How much research went into the crime side of the novel – Grant’s family, at least all of his family bar his Uncle are mafia, so was it a case of just watching movies like the Godfather, or was it a bit more difficult than that? (I assume it was, really, but you never know!)

Ha! I did rely on movies like The Godfather and Donnie Brasco, and TV shows like The Sopranos, but I also researched the legal aspects of the story. Fortunately my copy editor at Ominific Publishing (CJ Creel) is an attorney so she helped me immensely with the authenticity of the crime elements. One thing I haven’t seen a lot in media is Mafia types abusing their family, but for me that’s a no-brainer, and I wanted to examine that abuse coming from Grant’s father Enzo. Enzo is himself a wounded man in many ways.

7. What books do you enjoy reading when you’re not busy writing?

I like fiction, romantic suspense, men in uniform, and young adult. I’m part of two book clubs.

8. Finally, what would be your top 5 writing tips?

1. Read. A lot.
2. Write. A lot. I believe that the more I write, the better I get. My early writing is SCARY. And With Good Behavior is my debut novel, so I hope to keep improving.
3. Read free writer blogs for tips, and attend workshops and conferences. I get the Savvy Authors newsletter to learn about the craft.
4. Don’t be discouraged by naysayers. You don’t need a master’s in creative writing, a genre that doesn’t interest you, or flowery language to be a writer. I believe many people can become authors if they want it badly enough. But don’t expect writing to pay the bills, especially right off.
5. Don’t listen to me! Find your own voice and express it.

Thanks so much Jennifer!

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Bio for Jennifer Lane
After surviving the rigors of writing a psychology dissertation, the author known as Jennifer Lane has happily turned to writing fiction. She still maintains her psychology practice in Ohio, but please rest assured that she’s not psychoanalyzing you right now. The tales of healing and resilience from her career have inspired her to write her own stories: The Conduct Series. With Good Behavior began with two cons trying to make it on the outside: running from the Mafia, joking about sexy vegetables, and just maybe falling in love. Bad Behavior, the next in line, reveals that it’s not so easy to escape the past, but the plucky parolees once again strive to persevere. Jen is currently at work on the third and final installment of the series: On Best Behavior. She’s found that whether writing or reading, she loves stories that make her laugh and cry. In her spare time Jen enjoys competitive swimming, attending book club, and hanging out with her sisters and their families in Chicago.

Author information:
Jennifer Lane, Author
Romantic Suspense featuring Healing and Redemption
With Good Behavior (The Conduct Series #1) released July, 2010
Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series #2) released March, 2011
Summer Breeze Anthology (short story Swim Recruit) released July, 2011

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