For this week’s Author Spotlight, I’m joined by the wonderful Annabelle Jacobs. We talked about her brand new Christmas romance, her soft spot for friends to lovers, and being more productive in the morning.

Over to you Annabelle…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Annabelle Jacobs, and I’m a UK writer, living in the south west of England. I have three kids, three cats, and a mischievous black labrador. Yes, my house is chaotic most of the time, but I like it that way 🙂

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I write both contemp and paranormal, and both tend to be third-person, past tense. My contemp romance tends to be low-angst and almost always involves an animal or two. But my paranormal books are so far the other way. I like a lot of action, fighting, bloodshed, and way more angst in my shifter books.

Describe your books in only three words.
Paranormal – Plot, Action, Blood
Comtemp – Fluff, low-angst, cats

What’s your next book about and when is it coming out?
My next book is A No-Strings Noel, and comes out on November 18th. It’s a holiday story about two recently single guys, on holiday on their own, who meet and decide to have a week of no-string fun then part ways. No complications. What can go wrong?

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
Probably Defiance (Rebellion #2), because I started writing it and then had some awful things happen in my personal life that meant it got put on hold for over a year. It was hard to get back into writing afterwards and to get that book finished, but I was so happy with how it eventually turned out. It felt like a huge achievement.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
I think it’s more the volume of books I read, rather than one particular author. I try and read in a variety of sub-genres and I think it helps tremendously with my own writing. 

What inspired you to start writing?
Hmm, probably a combination of discovering fanfiction and finding I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands (I’d just been made redundant whilst pregnant, so getting another job right away wasn’t really an option).

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I try to write as soon as I get back from the school run as I’m way more productive in the morning. 

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Plot. Always. I tend to come up with one scene, (this usually happens when I’m somewhere without a pen or paper) It can be the start, end, or a pivotal point in the story, and then build the rest around it.

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
The Captive Prince. That whole series is just wonderful.

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Ooh, um… I do have a soft spot for friends-to-lovers so maybe that one. I love the pining involved when one friend is oblivious. 

What would be your three desert island books?
Just 3? I’m not sure I could possibly choose! I guess it would have to be The Captive Prince Trilogy.

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
I think Not Just for Christmas would make a great holiday movie. 
Ben – Hero Fiennes Tiffin (From After We Fell)
Jason- Theo James (Divergent)

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
I read. A lot. And walk the dog. No secret hobbies for me unfortunately!

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Velociraptor

ANNABELLE JACOBS lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

For more information on Annabelle and her work you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.