Spotlight Saturday: Author Interview with Jill Boyce

Welcome, Readers! Valentine’s Day may be over, but our love for contemporary romance is year-round. I have a special treat for you today on our Saturday Spotlight. Jill Boyce writes medical-themed inspirational romance, and her entire A Dose of Love series sounds so intriguing. Read on to find out more about Jill and her writing…

Hi, Jill! It’s a joy to have you on the blog today. Let’s chat a little about reading before we talk about your current series. This is a question I love to ask authors… what are your favorite books from childhood and why are they your favorites?

My absolute favorite books were the Sweet Valley High series. Something about the romance and drama drew me into their world. I write inspirational contemporary romantic fiction, so I guess I never left. 

I loved those books, too, and secretly always wanted a twin! I can definitely see that balance of sweet romance with drama in your current series. Okay, how about a dream book club? If you could add any author from past or present to form a dream book club, who would you choose?

My favorite authors are Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin, Carrie Turansky, Jane Austen, and Kristin Billerbeck. I’d invite all of them to be in the book club. These writers are successful, inspiring women who tell stories about real-life—not the rose-colored version. I appreciate their honesty and depth intermixed with romance and humor. One day, I hope to meet Kristin Billerbeck as her work made me want to write, and she sent me an encouraging note online once. She’s so talented and seems like a great person. 

I don’t know Kristin personally, but she does seem like a real cheerleader for other writers. I’ve overwhelmingly found that sense of camaraderie, instead of competition, in the Christian fiction circles I’ve navigated and am so grateful for it. You mentioned you like Kristin Billerbeck’s writing… any other books you’re interested in right now? What’s on your nightstand?

Right now, my to-be-read pile contains Once Upon a Prince, The Convenient Groom, The Queen of Hearts, and Room at the Top. I recently finished Carrie Turansky’s Moonlight Over Manhattan, which is a sweet novella.

Those all sound fantastic (and I’m adding a few to my TBR pile, as well!). Moving on from talking about others’ books… tell us a little about you. Where did you grow up, and do you find yourself writing about your hometown?

I grew up in a small town in West Virginia. I think it influences my writing because I love writing close-knit, small-town communities into my stories. All three of my novels include them as at least part of the setting. I enjoy exploring relationships in these communities and the idea that everyone knows everyone else. West Virginia is a beautiful state and features four seasons, which provides a variety of imagery for me to use in my stories. I’m blessed to have grown up and lived here.

I’m from the Midwest, but I grew up in a small town, too, and often find that I work different types of weather into my stories. It’s fun to play with that element. And it’s an element that would translate nicely to a visual art form, too, like film. I think every author dreams of having their book be popular enough to be made into a movie. That said, if you could choose to adapt any of your books into a film, what would you choose?

I’d pick Harte Broken because this story means the most to me. The story was inspired by my love of romance and losing my mother on the same day as my daughter’s birth. The book raises the question, “What happens when the best day is also the worst one?” My mother was my best friend and knowing that this book made it to the published list warms my heart. Who would play the main characters? Anna Kendrick for Amy Harte, because I love her. I think she’s smart, funny, and incredibly talented. And for Seth, I’d choose Andrew Walker. 

Oh, my, what a touching story. I hope to see your work on the silver screen someday! Jill, I know readers would love to know where to find you online. Care to share your social media links?

Facebook (Fun, faith, hope…and a little coffee)— www.facebook.com/jillboyceauthor

Website— www.jillboyceauthor.com 

Newsletter (goes out monthly)— www.jillboyceauthor.com/contact-1

Instagram— Jill Boyce (@jillboyceauthor)

Goodreads— www.goodreads.com/author/show/1726857.Jill_Boyce

BookBub— www.bookbub.com/profile/jill-boyce

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Thanks so much for joining me on the blog today, Jill! It’s been a pleasure to talk with you. Readers, if you’re interested (and I know you are!) in checking out Jill’s most recent entry in A Dose of Love series, just click the Amazon link below:

When past scars cannot remain hidden any longer, Marley must learn that beauty lies within.

Dr. Marley Bakersfield likes her life the way it is. She enjoys black coffee, long runs, and avoiding all things baked or sugary. Plus, she has a wonderful best friend and a great job. Working for the premier plastic surgery group in Washington D.C., Marley is close to becoming a partner—a longtime dream. She finds joy in building her patient’s self-esteem and understands how insecurity feels. She suffered an accident as a child that left more than physical scars. Marley’s never seen herself as beautiful, a fact not helped by the other kids in school. The pain of her past chased Marley away from her hometown of Blackstone Haven, but a family emergency forces her to return home for several weeks. Unfortunately, that means seeing the people she ran away from years ago, especially her childhood bully, Stacey Blackstone.

Benjamin Miller, a professionally trained patisserie chef, planned to work in a top New York restaurant once finishing culinary school. Instead, he came home to help his sick mother with the family bakery. After her passing, Benjamin inherited the business along with the mountain of debt it had accrued. Now, he must find a way to salvage the bakery or decide to sell it and leave Blackstone Haven. This choice becomes more complicated when the girl who’d captured his heart as a child—Marley Bakersfield–returns to town. 

Will Marley and Benjamin let a New Year’s Eve baking competition, the town’s Valentine’s Day dance, and Blackstone Haven bring them together? Does Benjamin have any hope of saving his mother’s bakery? Will they open their hearts to the possibility of love? Can Marley release her pain and self-doubt about the past and realize God can heal her heart and give her a wonderful gift—His love. Maybe then she will understand if she abides in it, she’ll always feel beautiful.

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If you want to start the series from the beginning, here are links to the first two books, as well:

Keep reading!

Shaen

*Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash