Jeneva Rose Interview - One of Us Is Dead ~ JeanBookNerd

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Jeneva Rose is the Amazon Charts, Apple Books, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of The ~~Perfect~~ Marriage. It’s been translated into a dozen languages, and the film/tv rights were optioned by Picture Perfect Federation. Her upcoming suspense novel, ONE OF US IS DEAD, releases April 26, 2022 by Blackstone Publishing. Jeneva is represented by Sandy Lu of the Book Wyrm Literary Agency and Lucy Stille of Lucy Stille Literary.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I think most everything has influenced my writing in some way or another—from the books I’ve read, to the shows and movies I’ve watched, to the people I’ve interacted with. I couldn’t pinpoint one thing or one person or one event that has solely influenced my writing.

Greatest thing you learned in school.
The greatest thing I learned in school was to read and write, because I’ve made a career out of it. Reading and writing have always brought the most joy.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Storytelling is so important because it’s how we communicate and how we have throughout the history of mankind—from stories around a campfire, to hieroglyphics, to modern day writing. It’s how we share lessons, connect across generations, entertain, and teach.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book?
This has always been such a difficult question for me because I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. I have loved so many books for so many reasons. For example, Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella made me fall in love with reading. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan made me fall in love with the thriller genre at a young age. I adored You by Caroline Kepnes and The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson so much, it made me want to try writing thrillers myself.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
I recently turned in my next thriller titled, You Shouldn’t Have Come Here, which centers around an Airbnb and a fast romance that’ll end in an outcome worse than heartbreak. It’s a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when you open up your heart and your home to a total stranger. I’ve also just completed a thriller novella titled The House Across the Street, about two families that come together for a dinner party, but each one is harboring a deadly secret that’ll surely be revealed before dessert is even served.

In your newest book; ONE OF US IS DEAD, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it.
One of us is Dead centers around an upscale and exclusive salon in Buckhead and the wealthy clients that frequent it. When one wife is replaced with a younger woman, power shifts between the group and each interaction becomes more explosive. Dark secrets are revealed as the women vie to remain relevant. Caught in the middle of it all is salon owner, Jenny, who spends her days taking care of her clients and trying to keep the peace between them. When one of them ends up dead, it’s only Jenny and her collection of town gossip that can help the detective solve the murder.

What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
I write commercial fiction that is meant to entertain. I’ve received hundreds of messages from readers thanking me for writing The Perfect Marriage, because it was a book that they got lost in and made them forget about the things going on in the world around them. I hope One of us is Dead provides that same level of entertainment and a total escape as well.

What part of Shannon and Crystal did you enjoy writing the most?
These are two women that have been pitted against each other because one is the ex-wife and the other, the new wife. Their relationship is complicated and explosive right from the start. I most enjoyed writing their interactions, because they evolve and change as the two get to know one another and realize they might not be the enemies they thought they were.

If you could introduce Olivia and Jenny to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I’m just going to go with Joe Goldberg from You—simply because he’s on my brain from an earlier question, and I think it would be quite interesting to see how the three would get along or perhaps not get along.

What did you do for your last birthday?
My husband had to work, so I spent the day getting a massage, eating sushi, and reading by the pool. He and I went out for dinner and then enjoyed champagne and conversation.

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I would go back to the last time I saw my mom, right before I left for college. I would hug her a little longer. I’d memorize every inch of her face, the tone of her voice, and the sound of her laughter. I’d make sure she knew how much I loved her, and how proud I was to call her my mom. And I also wouldn’t have left for college. I would have stayed and soaked up the rest of the time I had with her.

Best date you've ever had?
My first date with my now husband. He took me to a Milwaukee Buck’s game. Coolio played the half-time show, which was a blast. That night, I updated my Facebook status with “The Buck’s lost, but I won 😉.” I knew from day one that I would marry him (sounds borderline creepy), but we’ve been together for over nine years now. When you know, you know.

If you wrote a journal entry today, what would it say?
I’d put things in perspective for myself and write about all the things I’ve accomplished, all the things I’m proud of, and all the things I’m grateful for. I tend to be my own worst critic, and I have a hard time remembering how far I’ve come because I’m so focused on the mindset that ‘I can be doing more’ or ‘I could be more accomplished.’ So, my journal entry would center around self-reflection in order to be kinder to myself and put my mind at ease.

First Heartbreak?
The day I found out Buffy the Vampire Slayer was canceled. Kidding, sort of. But it would probably be when I was sixteen, and my first boyfriend broke up with me, which he did by ghosting me. At the time, ghosting wasn’t even a thing, so I didn’t believe it and kept thinking ‘wow, his phone has been dead for over a week.’ The break-up was confirmed though when he immediately started dating someone else.

Where can readers find you?
I absolutely love interacting with readers. They can find me by visiting my website or connecting with me on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, or Twitter.

Jeneva Rose on Writing Behind the Scenes
I’ve been writing novels seriously for six years now and over the years, I’ve developed habits and processes that work very well for me. They allow me to draft quickly, averaging around three months for me to complete a first draft. I, myself find learning about other author’s writing processes very interesting, so I’d like to share ten parts of mine.

1. I never start writing a book until I can summarize it in a sentence or two. This ensures the novel is high-concept and commercial, and it keeps me focused on the stakes. One of Us is Dead was summarized as—“when a salon owner’s wealthy client is found dead, it’s only her and her accumulation of town gossip that can help the police solve the murder.”

2. I also will not start writing a book until I have setting sketches and character sketches compiled. I research locations where I want the novel to take place and write up a paragraph describing the setting. Then I’ll think of the places where each scene will take place and write up short descriptions. I do the same for characters, selecting names, personality traits, physical descriptions, backstory, hobbies, etc.… this gives me something to easily refer back to while drafting, so I don’t have to stop and think about what name I want to give a character or how I want to describe their house.

3. How do I choose character names? Sometimes I name them after people I know. If it’s a main character, I spend time really thinking about it. Does the name fit their personality? Their age? Where they live? For smaller characters, sometimes it’s just the first name that pops into my head.

4. There are things I need when I write like coffee, a lit candle, my laptop, a daily walk, my notes, a pad of paper, a Pentel R.S.V.P pen, and highlighters.

5. I set wordcount goals when I sit down to write, and on average I write 2,000 words per day Monday-Friday. Sometimes I end up writing more and sometimes less, but I try to stick to 2,000. If I happen to not hit my goal of 10,000 words per week, then I’ll find myself writing on a Saturday or Sunday to catch up.

6. I’m a mix of a “pantser” and a “plotter”. I like to have a general idea of where the story is going but a lot of times the story surprises me too, because it goes in a direction I wasn’t intending it to or a character does something I hadn’t planned. These types of surprises typically come about during writing sprints.

7. Speaking of writing sprints, they’re my favorite habit that helps me draft quickly and explore new areas of my stories. I set a timer for 15 minutes, and I write as quickly as I can. I mark down the number of words I’ve written, take a short break, and then reset the timer and try to beat my last word count. When I write, I do a mix of word sprints and just normal writing.

8. I didn’t used to do this, but I’ve picked up the habit of editing my last chapter or two before I start a writing session. This has helped me to have a much more polished first draft and cut down on the numbers of drafts I have to write.

9. I’m an underwriter and a binge writer. My first drafts always end up being anywhere from 60k – 65k words, essentially the bare bones of a story. With draft two, I beef it up and add a lot of description and flesh out characters. I’m also either going to write a book in a few weeks to a few months or not write a book at all. The shortest time it took me to write a book was three weeks and the longest was 3-4 months.

10. Writing is all about self-motivation, so I think rewarding yourself is so important. When I complete a first draft, I celebrate with a bottle of champagne. When I complete edits, I might treat myself to a massage or a mani/pedi. Sometimes when I’m really struggling the rewards are more frequent—like if I hit my wordcount goal for the day, I can buy a new book or try a new restaurant.

These are the habits, tricks, and quirks that go into my writing process and what works well for me. What works for some might not work for others, because there is no right or wrong way to write a book. There’s just your way.

The highly anticipated new thriller from the bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage.

Opulence. Sex. Betrayal … Sometimes friendship can be deadly.

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

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