Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenn Bouchard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jenn, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I hadn’t written fiction since probably middle school. That was a long time ago! When I was in my late thirties, I had just finished a two year stint as the president of my college’s alumni association. It was all-encompassing and wonderful in so many ways. When it was over, I had a big gap in my life. My kids were still young, and I was teaching full-time, but still, I longed for something else. The idea of creating something was very appealing to me. I began to entertain this idea of writing a novel. Why that, I’m not sure! Although part of me wishes I had started earlier–my debut novel was published when I was 44–I do think there was something to starting when I did. I write a lot abut human interactions and relationships. I may have needed to fully experience those for many years to write a good book.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My debut novel FIRST COURSE was published by TouchPoint Press in 2021. It is set on the coast of Maine and is a great summer beach read. Sisters Janie and Alyssa Whitman are back at their family’s coastal home in Cape Elizabeth after a series of tragedies and challenges. There they find their next acts amidst so much delicious food. It has won fourteen awards and continues to be picked up by book clubs and featured at events worldwide. It is reminiscent of Nora Ephron’s classic HEARTBURN.

My next novel PALMS ON THE CAPE will be published by TouchPoint in summer 2023. This book is set on Cape Cod in the Mayflower Beach area of Dennis. It centers around Rachel Sinclair on the verge of turning forty. She owns a successful upscale beach bar that gets turned upside down by a group of business school students who drop by one night. She also might be in love with her male best friend, but she further complicates her life by pushing those feelings aside and getting involved with a younger man with ties to a restaurant empire. I think of it as a cross between “Gilmore Girls” and “When Harry Met Sally.”

I consider both books to be women’s fiction novels with a strong food focus. I love to cook and incorporate it into all of my writing. I am currently drafting my first romantic comedy, tentatively called CONSIDERING US. It’s a campus novel, set on the grounds of a fictitious boarding school on the New Hampshire seacoast. It involves a scandal-ridden former private chef who takes over the school’s dining hall after they experience a debacle of their own. It is outrageous at times and so much fun to write. After the past couple of years, I wanted to work on something a bit lighter. Expect hints of “The Chair” and “Jerry Maguire.” I hope to have it fully drafted and ready for edits by the end of 2022. And then, well, I’m starting to have ideas for what’s next. We’ll see!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love connecting with readers and other authors. I have learned that readers enjoy opportunities to engage with authors, so I try to get involved with giveaways, features, etc on social media through various groups I belong to. I also continue to actively place copies of FIRST COURSE in little free libraries throughout the country. My goal in this is to expand my readership so that I can share my work with more people than would be possible otherwise.

I have found such a community of authors! Readers read more than one book, so when authors work together, we can help each other find new readers. I love working with other authors as part of in-person events, online interviews, and group giveaways. I have also found such support and great advice by getting to know other authors over the past couple of years.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

It has been a slow build, but also an authentic one. Engaging with my 2021 Debuts group was a great way to find other authors starting in 2020. I have also found the Women’s Fiction Writers Association to be a good place to connect with other writers. As I place my book or have friends place my book in little free libraries, I post pictures to social media to engage with readers in those geographic areas. I also encourage people to buy their own copy at a local indie bookstore, tagging that business in my post. Indies are always grateful for the shoutout!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jennbouchard.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennbouchardbos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennbouchardBOS/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennBouchardBOS

Image Credits
Andover Bookstore Hygge House Books