Monday Author Interview with Jan Irving

This week we have a dear friend of mine and fellow Total-E-Bound author, Jan Irving on the couch. Welcome Jan! We’re so glad you could be here. Why don’t we get started? Do you have a specific writing style?

I can write in different voices. What I usually do is decide what emotion I want to channel. Do I want to laugh and experience a light hearted book or do I need to write something that feels deeper? And then a story that feels like a good vehicle comes from that basic seed feeling. It might be m/m or m/f or ménage, it might be “I” voice or third person. It might be contemporary or historical. When I do a series, such as Uncommon Cowboys, I have a familiar feeling that comes through the books, so if you like one, likely you will enjoy another.


Cool! I can’t wait to get my hands on them. Speaking of theme, is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

With my series Uncommon Cowboys the theme of forgiveness, balance and finding love are in all the stories. One of my readers pointed out that all the heroes in that series have to go through a healing process. It’s very strong in a book like Wounded Cowboy.

That’s very cool. All the books are on my TBR list. Speaking of the books, are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

At the moment I’m writing a cowboy story set in Italy, so fragments of a trip are coming up, kind of like when you dig pebbles up from under clear water on a beach. Some attract your eye that you might not see if they weren’t shiny and sparkling. I’m never quite sure what bit of detail will come into play. It’s like taking a trip all over again with my heroes.

I feel totally immersed in my stories when I’m writing, so I get you. What are your current projects?

I’m working on a new Uncommon Cowboys book set in Italy and I’m also playing with a new book that came to me because I was craving something light and frothy, like a summer beer. It’s called The Viking in My Bed, and it’s about a young college student who wakes up with—you guessed it—a Viking in his bed.

Sounds exciting. I can’t wait to read it. Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Travel opens the mind and takes you out of your rut into new experiences. It’s not always comfortable but I feel better for doing it. Looking at a broken Roman column or a Greek temple will somehow seed itself in you and come out at some unexpected time.

Great way to put that. What animal do you think makes the best pet and why?

I have a dog named Cadfael. He does what I call ‘twirlies’ where he will spin on his leash if something walks or drives by he doesn’t like. He’s a Sheltie so he’s naturally a guardian. Since he’s so small this is sometimes funny. He sees himself as mighty.

I’ll bet he’s adorable, too. Are you a morning person or a night person?

Naturally a morning person. I’m not sure if it’s because my sign is Aries, the first sign in the zodiac. I try to do my writing in the morning if possible since I’m at my best, clear and focused. I tend to prefer doing things like yoga in the evening.

Sounds like fun. Do you like thunderstorms?

I love thunderstorms. I experienced one in the middle of Turkey once when I took shelter in an ancient Roman bake house. The lightning was striking all around us and the rain came down like we’d be different people after being washed under it. It was exhilarating.

Cool! If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

I’m thinking of writing some challenging things in future, so I’d like some clarity. When I practice yoga, I also practice asking the universe for help in some aspect of my life. I might ask for abundance if I have a lot of bills, or I might ask for support if I am dealing with something difficult. It really works, it’s amazing!

Uncommon Cowboys Book Four.

Book four in the Uncommon Cowboys Series


When Charlie Danvers finds Luka, a beautiful scarred man with silken black hair and feral green eyes, naked and freezing in an April snowstorm, he takes him home to his lonely cabin, unaware the man who can’t sleep in a bed or use cutlery is far more than he seems.

Luka is dying. He survived captivity and abuse from the brutal pack that killed his family, holding out because of dreams of a man with big, gentle hands. When Charlie Danvers finds a beautiful scarred man with long silken black hair and feral green eyes, naked and freezing in an April snowstorm, he takes him home to his lonely cabin and will do anything to heal him.

At first, Luka is afraid, even of Charlie. He has nightmares and can’t sleep in a bed like a normal person and he can’t even figure out how to use a knife and fork at Charlie’s table. But Charlie’s patience is rewarded as Luka slowly comes out of his shattered pain, helping Charlie take care of the other wounded creatures on his nature reserve.

Now that we’ve captured you with the blurb for Wounded Cowboy, I know you want to know more about Jan Irving. Well, here’s more:

I've always been a super creative person, from painting silk to making porcelain ceramics, to interior design, but writing is my passion. My perfect day I'm writing a chapter and also painting a yoga mat or dyeing silk with marigolds. I knit, I garden, I study ceramics.

My website is here: www.janirvingwrites.com