Guest Post: Author Jennifer Burrows

Have my Comfort Reads Influenced my Writing?

YES!  My comfort reads make me feel so passionate about the characters and what they are going through that I sometimes feel like I’m right there with them.  I tried really hard with A Shot in the Dark to have my readers develop a connection to my characters.  I love Josh and Laney’s story.  I can feel Josh’s need to control his life and I can feel Laney’s struggle to maintain independence.   It may be different from other stories I read, but the emotions are there, and that is what I strived for.

I think the sex scenes were what were most influenced by my comfort reads.  I had never written a sex scene before A Shot in the Dark.  I was scared and intimidated to write one.  I read several different sex scenes and figured out what I liked and didn’t like from each one to create my own.  I must have rewritten the sex scene twenty or thirty times.  It’s funny because some say it’s too steamy while others who’ve read it say it’s boring.  My dad was the one who gave me the most grief about it.  I felt awkward knowing he was going to read it, and I think he was just as shocked to know I could put something like that down on paper for millions to read.

Most of my comfort reads are quick reads.  I tried to make A Shot in the Dark the same.  From the feedback I’ve gotten, I’ve been successful.   People’s lives are generally too busy to delve into a long drawn out book.  We are a society of instant gratification.  And while there is a sequel, it’s still a quick read leaving the reader wanting more.

Some of my favorite books are not because of the story, but because of how the story was written.  Some writers are so eloquent with their words.  They use flowery words which you wouldn’t normally use in your everyday vocabulary.  They provide just enough detail that you can develop a vivid picture in your mind of what’s going on without going overboard.  A good writer will make me feel smart.  A Shot in the Dark has a lot of medical jargon.  This is important to the story since its set in primarily in a hospital.  I really worked hard to describe to the reader what everything was and not make the reader feel stupid.  I believe the reader will learn a thing or two and not feel overwhelmed with all of the details.  I believe that is a sign of a well written book.

My comfort reads help me to be creative and come up with ideas for future books and how I want to develop my characters.  When I’m not writing, I read as many books as I can to learn various writing styles that I can incorporate into my own writing.  I love this journey, and I love the comfort books that have helped me to get there.

Title: A Shot In The Dark
Author: Jennifer Burrows
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Number of Pages: 253
Genre: Romantic Suspense


Most of the patients that are brought to the trauma bay in the ER remain nameless, and for the most part, faceless. For Laney Pearson and the rest of the staff, this makes it easier to move past the senseless death and destruction that they see on an almost daily basis. But all of that changes for Laney when she finds herself trying to pump the life back into a young motorcycle rider who arrives by helicopter more dead than alive.

Skyler Smith has all the makings of the next great motocross rider, right up until he crashes while trying to perform the trick that will secure his future. From the time his motionless body is lifted off the track, the question becomes not when his next race takes place, but whether he will live to see another day. And now there is mounting evidence that the tragedy was no accident

Laney can never envision this boy’s crash and the ensuing investigation will have such an impact on her own life, but in the days that follow, she discovers a life within her she never knew existed. While the police sort through the mounting evidence from the crash, Laney has to sort through her own feelings for the handsome trauma surgeon that she previously never gave a second thought. Is he really as charming as he seems, or is there another reality hiding beneath the surface? And just how long has he been watching her?

Buy Links:
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Author Bio:

Jennifer Burrows is a Registered Nurse who holds a Master's degree in Nursing Administration. Emergency room nursing is her passion. "A Shot in the Dark" is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel "Into the Light."
Jennifer currently resides in Southern California with her husband and their three amazing boys, two dogs, too many fish to count, and a desert tortoise.

Where to find Jennifer:
Website | Twitter | Facebook

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