Blogiversary Version Guest Author & A Giveaway: Jennifer Bernard

Hi friends! I’m very excited to welcome back Jennifer Bernard as a guest to A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet! When I put out a call for people to participate she responded immediately <3 As a[nother] personal thing, I realized when copying and pasting I did an oops in the questions I sent authors and none of them have called me out on it. 😅 So a general shout out for not embarrassing me I guess. 😜 (Thanks!) Anyway, Jennifer chose to do an “interview” so I hope you enjoy!

Mine Until Moonrise by Jennifer Bernard book coverWhat was your favorite book as a child? (Why?) And what is your favorite book now?
I’ve been an obsessive bookworm practically since birth, so it’s honestly really hard to pick out one favorite. Maybe A Wrinkle in Time. Little Women was up there, and the Narnia series. The Witch of Blackbird Pond was one of my all-time favorites. Lisa, Bright and Dark had a huge impact on me. Obviously I love the books that I grew up with, but I also think I would have devoured the young adult books coming out today. Right now I’m reading Legendborn, which I would have just inhaled back then – okay, I admit I’m doing that now as an adult.

If you could create any movie mash up – which films would you combine?
This isn’t a movie, but I’m currently binging on Insecure (so so good!) so I’d mash that up with… hm, maybe Crazy Rich Asians, so Issa Dee could have a happy ending?

What inanimate object would you eat if it was safe to do?
The moon, so I could glow on demand.

What is the first thing you learned how to cook? Do you have a go-to dish? And/or a signature dish? (What makes it so?)
Popcorn! With lots of butter and salt. And we didn’t have a popcorn maker so I learned with a frying pan (and a few burns.) My signature dish is something we eat all the time because I live in Alaska with a freezer full of salmon. You chop up pine nuts and herbs and salt and pepper, clump it onto the salmon and saute it in olive oil.

Love at First Light by Jennifer Bernard book coverWhat was your first job? What is/was the most interesting job you’ve had?
My first job at the age of nine was picking strawberries at a farm in England. My sister and I got paid by the pint and spent all of our cash on the amazing strawberry ice cream they made there. The most interesting job is definitely the one I have now, which is pulling entire novels out of my brain whether it’s ready or not.

Which fairy tale would you most like to be in? And the least?
As an introvert, I’ve always thought that Rapunzel’s life sounded okay to me. A tower with a view, surrounded by books and projects and no distractions—what’s the problem? Cinderella, on the other hand, has terrible family dynamics. No one’s happy in that house. They need some major family therapy.

What is the most embarrassing thing to happen to you at a conference?
I was sitting at the hotel bar with friends when one of them whispered, “Isn’t that Nora Roberts?” She was having a drink in a booth, probably waiting for someone. I was just tipsy enough to decide I had to tell her how much I admire her work. Which would have been fine if I hadn’t tripped next to her booth and nearly dumped my wine all over her. I just kept walking and pretended I had no idea who she was.

What is the coolest thing that has ever happened to you at a conference?
I was lucky enough to have dinner with Eloisa James and Lisa Kleypas after we snuck out of a publisher cocktail hour. I got to listen to them talk about craft and business strategies and life stuff. I swear I learned so much in that one evening. Between the two of them, they have much knowledge and experience between the two of them!

Head Over Heels for the Holidays by Jennifer Bernard book coverYou’re an actor or participant in a TV show for a season. Which show are you picking and what is your role?
Insecure on HBO Max!!! I’ll take the role of Issa’s new neighbor who she decides to take under her wing as her new best friend and co-writer.

What is the most interesting or oddest “fun fact” you know? If you do research for your books, what’s the most interesting thing you’ve come across?
I do research on all kinds of random stuff, from how firefighters don their gear to how to fly helicopters. (Not enough to fly one myself, sadly!) While writing my current series, which is set in Alaska, I’ve dug up all kinds of fun facts that I didn’t know, even though I live here. For instance, there’s 1 bear for every 21 people in the state. And dog mushing used to be the main mode of transportation here.

You must become a mythological creature. What combination of 3 or more animals are you? How are you put together? And what would your new mythological creature name be?
I’m a mermaid on the bottom, a phoenix with wings on top, and overall a fairy godmother. I’d fly or swim around, granting wishes, and I’d be known as the Wisher.

Thank you so much, Jennifer! I loved these answers. 

I also want to note that as of the time of this posting, book 4 of Jennifer’s Lost Harbor, Alaska series, Wicked In Winter is free for kindle, so make sure you snag yourself a copy. And you know – the other books in the series too 😉.

Wicked in Winter by Jennifer Bernard book coverEveryone needs a fresh start sometime. For Gretel Morrison, that time is now, and the place is tiny, snowbound Lost Harbor, Alaska. It’s about time she learned how to rely on herself instead of her wealthy, controlling family. If she can survive the winter here, she can survive anything—although maybe not the lethally sexy and attractive next-door neighbor, Zander Ross.

Zander has his hands full raising his two younger brothers. The last thing he needs is distraction in the form of a spoiled rich girl who has no idea what she’s in for. He’d bet anything she won’t make it past the next blizzard—although he might not either, not with his sanity intact. With her dazzling smile and lighthearted style, she’s everything he’s not. And everything he longs for.

When a threat to the Ross family surfaces, Zander gets the shock of his life when Gretel steps up with an outrageous idea that might help them both. Can he trust her enough to take a chance? Or will Gretel’s mega-millionaire father find a way to ruin their amazing-but-fragile new bond?

Alaska winters are always wild, but this one is about to get wicked.

Now I know all of you want to know – what is Jennifer giving away and how do I win it? Well let me tell you! Jennifer is giving away a $20 gift card and to win, answer her question. She said: Moving to Alaska from sunny Los Angeles was a huge change for me. What’s the furthest away from home that you’ve traveled?

23 thoughts on “Blogiversary Version Guest Author & A Giveaway: Jennifer Bernard

  1. dholcomb1

    I’ve traveled in opposite directions in visiting Mallorca, Spain and Hawai’i (Oahu and Big Island) in the same year. I’m sure Hawai’i is farther than Spain.

    denise

    Reply
  2. Angie Bartley

    When I was 3 my mom married a man in the Air Force and we moved from Arkansas to Japan. I don’t remember a whole lot but I definitely remember the lizards on the walls.

    Reply
  3. Diane Sallans

    from the east coast to Hawaii is the farthest and that’s to the west – to the east the farthest would be the eastern border of Austria

    Reply
  4. flchen1

    Probably the furthest so far has been to China. We flew into Hong Kong, then to Beijing, and toured a bit before heading south toward Guangdong. It was the first time my parents had been back since they’d left decades ago. It was very special for our family to be able to make that trip together!

    Reply
  5. Lee Todd

    from Central Coast NSW to Blackwater Qld to meet an internet friend….it’s a full 2 day drive.
    Not sure it was the best idea we ever had as my now ex married her O.o

    Reply
  6. laurieg72

    Trip with my parents to see London, Amsterdam and Paris to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

    With my husband, 2 summers ago we traveled from Stuart, Fl to Tampa, FL to visit middle son, to central Wisconsin to visit my mom and daughter, to Rocky Mt National Park (Estes Park), to Logan, Utah to visit my oldest son in grad school at Utah State, to Olympic National Park, to Portland, OR to meet new granddaughter and youngest son, to Oregon coast Seaside and Astoria, to Glacier National Park to Wautoma, Wisconsin our summer home. over 7500 miles!

    We hope to visit more national parks once we receive our vaccines. Youngest is moving from Portland, OR to Cary, NC. We’re looking forward to exploring the NE part of our country.

    Reply
  7. Aliquis

    Hi Jennifer!

    I like your mythological creature you created. To answer your question, the furthest away from home I’ve traveled is Japan. Thanks for having the giveaway!

    Reply
    1. Jennifer Bernard

      I’m glad you liked my Wisher! LOL. I’m really hoping to go to Japan someday. It’s at the top of my wish list.

      Reply
  8. Tiffany

    I moved from Florida to Japan in 2018 for a job. With my husband and two boys 6 and 9. Still here for a few more years.

    Reply
  9. Limecello

    Hi Jennifer!

    Thank you so much for helping me celebrate ten years of blogging!
    😅 oops I thought I’d answered your question but guess not. (N.B. don’t worry everyone – I’m not trying to cheat and enter the giveaway!)
    The furthest away from home I’ve traveled is to Taiwan. I did a research trip there in college. 😀

    Reply

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