Special interview: Jennifer Senhaji

My Life As a Writer interviewed me about self-publishing. Check it out.

Sea Breeze Release Day!

Today, I published my newest romance, Sea Breeze exclusively on Amazon. I’m ecstatic to bring you the story of Jordan, a flair bartender from Las Vegas who for the first time has a chance to chase her dreams. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who’ve supported me in my writing.

My editor and friend, Patricia, thank you for your advice, your encouragement, and all the hours you’ve spent working with me. You truly make me a better writer. My publicist, Samantha, thank you for your support, attention, and professionalism. You make this marketing thing look easy. My cover designer, Melody, who knows how to transform the images in my head into beautiful book covers. You rock.

Tami, Ashlynn, Jen Ray, Misti, Sheri, Keisha, Beverly, Anna, Katrina, Sonja, Grace, Christine, Hollie, Brenda, Colleen, Lauren, Quenby, Rachel, Michele, Rebekah, Barb, and all the my other Writing Wenches, including Michael, for teaching me more about writing then I would ever learn on my own. You are my tribe and I love you all.

Thank you Suzie, Eeva, Guy, Sandra, and all the other members of The Alliance for your support of me and other self-published authors.

Thank you Julie, Barb, Elayne, Kim, Tillie, Janice, Niels, Pam, Teri, Cheryl, and everyone else at work who has supported my writing.

Lastly, thank you to my husband, Zouhair, my daughter, Jasmine, my son, Tony for your love and understanding of my relationship with my laptop.

Happy book birthday to me!

Sea Breeze Available Now on Amazon (Free with Kindle Unlimited)

Jordan has never been in love, or been anywhere. Trapped in Vegas, she schleps drinks and dodges losers, while suffering under a burden only she can shoulder. Her life is an endless stretch of blah with no escape.

Until now.

Instead of looking back, she’s sailing forward.

Eric has left his family and friends in San Francisco to travel the world, tending bar on a cruise ship to fund his adventures. He can charm any coed who comes aboard, but Jordan sees right through him.

On the blue cobblestone streets of San Juan, everything changes. Food. Music. Exotic locations. Possibilities. Setting out to discover the world, will Jordan discover herself?

Sometimes, adventure can set you free…

 You can find me and all my books on my website at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

 

 

 

Excerpt from Sea Breeze, a summer romance

My new romance, Sea Breeze, releases May 27th and is now available for pre-order. Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite.

I finish off the rest of my sandwich as Eric talks. He’s so open and candid. I’m not getting any fake vibes from him now. He seems… Sweet.

“So you live in Las Vegas, but where did you grow up?”

“Vegas.”

“Really. That must have been… interesting.”

“Not really.” I look away, hoping he’ll change the subject.

“Not very talkative, are you, Jordan?”

“I can be. At least, I am at work.”

“Let me guess. You’re a bartender as well?”

“How did you know?”

“The tip. The best tippers I’ve ever seen are usually other bartenders. How long have you been doing it?”

“About four years. Before that, I worked as a waitress for a long time.”

“What are you, about twenty-five?”

I nod and take another sip of beer that’s getting warmer by the second. “You?”

“Twenty-seven. Are you done?” He motions to my pile of napkins and takes the last sip of his beer.

“Yes. Thank you. That was really good.” I stand up and dust off the back of my pants, adjusting my bag across my shoulders. “So what are you up to, today?”

“Oh, I was going to head over to The Cigar House to pick up a few cigars for a couple of friends who have to work today. It’s only a couple of blocks from here. Then I was going to wander. We could… wander together, if you’d like? Or if there’s something specific you want to see, I can take you. I know this area pretty well.”

He asks sincerely, without any trace of his flirty bartender persona. What the hell? “Sure. Let’s go get your cigars first. Boy, it’s hot. Hey, do you know where I can get one of those hats?” I point to the guy walking past us.

“Oh, a Panama hat, yeah sure. I’ll take you.”

On the cobblestone streets, the colors of the colonial style buildings with their wrought iron balconies draw my eyes upward. So beautiful and vibrant. It feels old, and yet looks new. The sidewalks are narrow, so we walk down the middle of the street. I fish a cigarette out of my pack along with my Zippo, but as soon I try to light up, Eric’s hand comes up to stop me.

“It’s actually illegal to smoke in most areas of Puerto Rico. So unless you want to pay a fine, I’d wait until we get back on the ship.”

“Really. Okay.” We get to The Cigar House and Eric makes his purchase. The place is huge and there’s a bar in back. I’m almost tempted to ask if we can go back for a drink, but I know that’s my cigarette craving talking, not me.

We walk down another block to a hat shop on the same street with a small doorway in an olive green building called Ole Curiosidades. There are handwoven hats everywhere in different sizes and shapes. A wall of ribbons is on the left, and different types of artwork line the walls closest to the ceiling overhead. A distinct odor of wood and glue permeate the air in this cramped space. Pictures and newspaper clippings fill in the gaps, and I’m overwhelmed with the choices. I want simple, fedora style with a black ribbon.

Eric shakes hands with an older gentleman he introduces as Guillermo. “My friend, the lady would like a hat, and I knew you would take care of her.”

“Por supuesto. Hola, niña. What can I get you?”

“Hola, nice to meet you. I’m looking for a hat.”

“Yes, I figured as much. See anything you like?” He chuckles and motions to the rest of the room.

My eyes scan the stacks and land on one with the same shape I saw on the man outside. I pick it up and place it on my head, gazing in the mirror.

“This is the one. Yep. I like this one.” It fits perfectly. I peruse the moccasin-like shoes and find a pair in black as Eric follows the gentleman over to the register. They talk for a moment, as he rings up a man with a similar hat as mine. Fifty-five dollars? Do I really like the hat that much? Yes. I do. I can afford it.

I head over with my pair of shoes, and pull out my wallet.

“That will be forty-five dollars, por favor.”

“I’d like these shoes as well, please.”

“Yes, already included in my price for Eric here.”

“Oh, well, thank you.” I smile at Eric and hand over a fifty dollar bill.

“Thanks for coming in, and I hope you enjoy San Juan.”

“Thank you.”

I stroll out of the store, my new hat in place and Eric following behind me.

“So, where to next?” He looks up and down the street in both directions.

“Let’s go to Casa del Libro. I want to see those letters to Columbus. Plus, it’s getting hot, and I wouldn’t mind staying inside for a bit, if that’s all right.”

“Sure, it’s about a block away.”

We stroll down the blue stained cobblestone street, keeping to the shade. I don’t know if the stones are painted or are naturally blue, but the effect is beautiful. A woman overhead stands on her balcony with a fan, people-watching. She quickly yells something in Spanish to someone inside and disappears.

“How long have you worked on the ship?”

“About two years. I worked another route before this one, down to Mexico. I’m hoping to transfer next year to a European route.”

“Really. You can do that? Transfer to different lines around the world?”

“It’s a big company. You have to wait for an opening. Put your name on a list, get a recommendation from your manager, and you’re good to go. As soon as a spot opens up.”

“Interesting.” What would it be like to travel the world like that on a regular basis? To see different countries and cities, places I’ve never dreamed of going… My stomach flutters. “What did you do before you started working for the cruise line?”

“I went to college and got a degree in business, but ended up working as a bartender in the city. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do and the money was good.”

“Yeah. Same here. I’m good at it, and it’s hard to walk away from income like that. You kind of get stuck.”

“Exactly. That’s why I left. I felt stuck. In any case, I’m not the type to join the military, and I didn’t want to work in an office. I needed a steady income, but wanted to travel. When I saw an ad for a cruise line hiring full-time, I immediately called. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

“So you like it?”

“I love it. I may settle somewhere someday, but for now I’m happy. It’s still a job and I work hard, but on my days off, I get to come to places like this. I’ve been all over Puerto Rico.”

“Don’t you ever get tired of schlepping drinks and dealing with assholes?”

Eric stops and turns to face me. “Yes, of course I do. But then I meet someone new.” He winks at me to drive home his point.

“I bet you get a lot of boat babes with that line.”

He rubs the back of his neck and chuckles. “Okay, yes, I used to. I was the bartender making drinks for the coeds going to Cozumel looking to party. You know what? It gets old after a while. Now, I stay away from the passengers as much as possible. In fact, why are you following me again?” He furrows his brow and his charming smile sucks me in.

“You’re following me, remember, Casanova.” I raise an eyebrow in his direction. He bows at the waist and motions me ahead of him and into the museum.

***

To read more head over to Amazon and pre-order your copy today.

Join My Dream Team for the latest news on book releases, sneak peeks, and my sweet and spicy tips for recipes, romance, life, and love.

Thanks for reading.

 You can also find me and all my social links at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

 

 

Clueless in love

Love this review of my novel, Sweet Dreams. Thank you Aussie Book Reviewer!

Aussie Book Reviewer

Available on Amazon:

Jen is the clumsy, bug phobic, music loving owner of
Sweet Dreams Café in the small town of Maple Grove. She spends most of her time
working, occasionally dating, and is generally content and happy.

When Jen unexpectedly finds herself in an elevator with
Jacob Walker, A-list actor and sexiest man alive, she catches her breath, smiles
politely, wishes him a good day, and amazingly keeps the encounter with the
megastar to herself.

Showing up a month later at Sweet Dreams, Jake orders a
coffee and blueberry muffin to-go from Jen herself, leaving her dumbfounded and
feeling like an infatuated fangirl.

The two form an unlikely friendship over coffee and
conversation while he films on location.

Knowing Jake won’t be in town forever, Jen keeps her
attraction and her feelings for Jake to herself. She knows once he finishes
filming he will leave, and life will go…

View original post 201 more words

SEA BREEZE COVER REVEAL and BOOK TRAILER PREMIER

 

Drum roll please…

Three…

Two…

One…

Whohooooo! I’m so excited to reveal the cover of my brand new contemporary romance, Sea Breeze.

I would like to thank my amazing cover designer, Melody Barber from PageCurl Publishing and Promotion for putting this together. The image represents the story so well. I Love it.

Here’s the blurb:

Jordan has never been in love, or been anywhere. Trapped in Vegas, she schleps drinks and dodges losers, while suffering under a burden only she can shoulder. Her life is an endless stretch of blah with no escape.

Until now.

Instead of looking back, she’s sailing forward.

Eric has left his family and friends in San Francisco to travel the world, tending bar on a cruise ship to fund his adventures. He can charm any coed who comes aboard, but Jordan sees right through him.

On the blue cobblestone streets of San Juan, everything changes. Food. Music. Exotic locations. Possibilities. Setting out to discover the world, will Jordan discover herself?

Sometimes, adventure can set you free…

 

I’ve also put together a trailer to tease you. Check it out.

 

You can PRE-ORDER Sea Breeze today on Amazon. Release date is May 27th. Thanks for tuning in.

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// You can find me and my books online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com