Hello, everyone! Welcome to today’s interview post. Today I get to introduce to you all Contemporary Romance author Jennifer Carr! The has two Christian suspense books out, and is currently working on a Contemporary Romance series called Real American Country.
Let’s take moment to check out her book first, then we’ll dive into the interview.
Still Holding Out for You will wreck you and put you back together.
They met chasing dreams on national TV.
What they found was something bigger than fame.
Austin Blake always thought ranch life was his future—until a chance encounter at a dusty Montana bar lands him a spot on Real American Country, a televised music competition that could change everything. When he meets Willow Gracin, a fiercely talented singer from Savannah with a heart full of lyrics and something to prove, sparks fly—on and off the stage.
As the cameras roll and the music plays, Austin and Willow find a connection deeper than either expected. But when the spotlight fades, life has its own rhythm—one that tests their strength, their love, and everything they thought they knew about purpose and passion.
When a tragic diagnosis threatens to silence their love song, country music stars Austin and Willow must fight for a future together in a way they never imagined. Spanning a decade of soaring highs and devastating lows, this is a story about the love you hold onto, the legacy you leave behind, and the music that carries you home, even after the last note has faded.
Expected Release Day:
October 21, 2025
Genre(s):
New Adult Contemporary Romance
| Goodreads || Buy Direct || Amazon |
Hello Jennifer! Welcome to Books Less Travelled! I’m glad to have you here with us today.
Before we get started, care to tell us a little about yourself and what you write?
Hi! I’m Jennifer. I am thrilled that Stephanie invited me to kind of take things over today. When we were setting things up, we both discovered that while we know building a platform requires this kind of collaboration, the best part is getting to know the people behind the platform. That’s probably one of my top three favorite parts of this whole career—right up there with book signings and getting random DMs from readers at 2 a.m. telling me I made them cry (in a good way).
But you aren’t here for that conversation, so I’ll get to the good stuff.
Haha, sounds good! Let’s do it!
1. In your opinion, what is the best part about being a fiction author?
For me, it’s the guilt-free daydreaming. I’ve always been a daydreamer, but when you’re a kid, teachers call it “not paying attention,” and when you’re an adult, people call it “wasting time.” Being a fiction author means I get to spend hours wandering through my imagination without anyone telling me to snap out of it. And not only is it allowed—it’s literally my job.
It’s also incredibly satisfying to take these wild, messy, sometimes half-baked ideas from my brain and shape them into stories that make other people feel something. There’s nothing like creating a character who’s so real to you that you start hearing their voice in the grocery store—and then having readers say, “Oh my gosh, I felt like I knew them.” That connection makes all the hours of talking to imaginary people worth it.
That does sound amazing! Wow, it sure seems like being an author is the best-of-both-worlds for you. Getting to daydream and literally getting paid for it, while also having something to your name, a book that you worked hard on and crafted yourself, that holds a special place in the lives of others too. Sounds like a dream come true! What a blessing!
2. How has your writing changed over time? (From writing your first book vs. your writing now?)
First, let me just say—I will always have a soft spot for my first book, No Matter What. Recently, I spent months working with an incredible narrator to bring it to life as an audiobook, which was a completely new adventure for me. It was like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in years—only to realize they haven’t aged a bit, but you have.
That reread was a mix of nostalgia and “oh… wow.” I noticed how much my style has tightened since then. Back then, I poured every word I loved onto the page—sometimes for a few extra paragraphs past where I probably should have stopped. My chapters were… let’s just say “generous” in length. Now, I’ve learned how to say more with less, how to let readers fill in some of the spaces, and how to keep the pacing snappier without losing the heart of the story.
I think my storytelling has grown up right alongside me, but I’m still proud of where it started. That first book taught me everything—how to write, how not to write, and how to trust myself to finish what I start.
I love that! Such a good outlook on life, and a reminder to be kind to yourself. Often when we look at something from our past, it’s with mixed emotions, but too often I think we get caught up in the negatives. I love that you choose instead to remember the good that comes with age and experience, and are able to look at your debut book and still love it, while also seeing how far you’ve come. There’s a powerful lesson in learning to appreciate the journey and not just the destination.
3. Care to tell us a little about your current series?
Oh boy… this is one of those, “Are you sure you want to ask that?” questions! Because I would absolutely love to tell you about my current series and I’ll TRY to keep it to “a little”.
“Real American Country” is a drama-packed New Adult Contemporary Romance series set in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. The series follows the lives of budding country music artists competing in a reality TV show, each book focusing on different participants whose paths cross in life-changing ways. This series blends intense personal stories with the allure of the country music scene.
Each book in a sentence:
Book One: Fall When You’re Ready, Jordan and Rachel – Childhood best friends make plans to chase dreams, but life pulls them apart until fate brings about the hope for a second chance.
Book Two: Wrapped Up in You, Nash and Cassidy – Anonymous online friends turned reality show competitors, their relationship evolves under the national spotlight.
Book Three: Let Me Love You, Wyatt and Kensi – A former Marine and a mob boss’s daughter find redemption and safety in music and each other.
Book Four: Still Holding Out for You (October 2025), Austin and Willow – As the cameras roll and the music plays, Austin and Willow find a connection deeper than either expected, but when a tragic diagnosis threatens to silence their love song, they must fight for a future together in a way they never imagined.
Book Five (2026): A Little More You, Rett and Harper – As the tour heats up, so do the threats—and the lines between bodyguard and something more begin to blur.
Book Six (2026): Who I Am With You, Charles and Lanie – As Lanie breaks free from her uncle’s grip and Charles fights to rebuild his life after hitting rock bottom, they must both confront the question: Can they find the strength to rewrite their own stories and embrace love and the music that once defined them together?
Oh, a reality TV competition. That’s an interesting series idea! I know of some music focused books, but don’t think I’ve heard of any about music and reality TV competitions, but I can see how they would go well together. The book descriptions really caught my attention too! Sounds like an interesting series!
4. What type of scenes do you find are the hardest for you to write? Which scenes are your favorite to write? Why?
Ooh, this is a great question—and I don’t think I’ve ever actually answered it before! For me, the hardest scenes are those “connecting scenes,” the ones that glue two big moments together. They’re like the duct tape of storytelling and they stress me out.
They usually involve everyday actions—traveling from one location to another, small talk between characters, or moments of downtime before the next big event. Necessary? Absolutely. Exciting to write? Eh… not so much. I’m constantly trying to balance keeping things realistic without slowing the pace to a crawl. And since I’ve already confessed I can get carried away with words, these scenes are where I have to rein myself in the most.
Now, my favorites? Hands down, suspense. Give me a moment where the reader is holding their breath, where you can practically feel the tension buzzing under the skin—that’s my happy place. No Matter What and its follow-up, The Lost and Found, are packed with suspense, and even in my Real American Country series, books 3 and 5 have some tense, high-stakes moments I loved writing.
There’s something intoxicating about building that edge-of-your-seat feeling, pulling readers along until they have to know what happens next. Honestly, I could see myself diving into a full-blown suspense series one day.
Interesting! I suppose it makes sense that the transition scenes could be troublesome, since as you mentioned they are needed, but also need to be kind of brief to keep things moving. And the suspense! That kind of surprised me a little, but hearing how you describe it, I get it! While not an author, from a reader’s perspective I love suspense, and for the same reasons your described. There’s just something special about a scene that can keep readers glued to the page, and keeps them guessing about what’s going to happen next!
5. Do you have a favorite writing or editing snack or drink?
I drink this red antioxidant drink called NingXia that I like to carbonate with our SodaStream (sidenote: fantastic investment if you like carbonated beverages). I’ll add a “shot” of zero sugar lemon-lime flavored syrup. It’s so good, especially around that mid-afternoon “brick wall hour”.
Of course if it’s morning I’m drinking my hot dark roast black coffee. Ther darker the better and yes, I might be a coffee snob.
Oh, I don’t think I’ve heard of NingXia, I’ll have to look that up. I have heard of the SodaStream though! We don’t have one, but it would be fun to be able to carbonate our our drinks. And, I don’t think being a coffee snob’s necessarily a bad thing, haha. XD
6. What are your top five favorite tropes, and one you don’t enjoy?
Least Favorite to Favorite but still all my favorite:
5. Opposites Attract
4. Forced Proximity/Stranded Together
3. Marriage of Convenience
2. Reality Show
1. Best friends to lovers
One I don’t enjoy:
I cannot stand the miscommunication trope.
Honorable mention (sorry, I know you said ONE I don’t’ enjoy)—third act break up. Break them up sooner with GOOD reason or not at all, that’s all I’m asking.
Agreed! I’m not sure I could like five favorites in any actual order (I love them all too much) but several of my favorites are in your list. And honestly, I think both of your ‘non’ favorites tropes sort of go hand-in-hand in a way. And I don’t care for them either.
The 3rd act break-up is predictable, and miscommunication (often the cause of said 3rd act break-up, what?) is so frustrating! Lol. I don’t mind the tension and drama, but it starts to just feel like a formula at times, and definitely gets old after a while. (Most tropes are a ‘formula’ but if the author is creative and good at making the story fall together naturally it reads different than one that was written just to be sure to include certain tropes. It’s so much better when they show up naturally in the story.)
7. What can readers expect to find in your upcoming book(s)?
This question terrifies me—haha but also seriously. Book four in the Real American Country series, Still Holding Out for You, comes out October 21, 2025, and while it’s absolutely part of a contemporary ROMANCE series, it pushes the boundaries of what some people expect from the genre. Maybe it even crosses the line a little. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about how readers will take it.
The entire series is already written and just waiting its turn in the editing pipeline, but the spark for this particular story hit me like lightning. I was driving home one evening, tuned in to the Y2Kountry station on SiriusXM like always, when “Still Holding Out for You” by SHeDAISY came on. I’ve heard that song a thousand times, but this time it landed differently.
The lyrics tell the story of someone stuck in that in-between place where your mind knows a person is gone, but your heart refuses to believe it. You keep doing things out of habit—swinging the door open expecting them to be there, chasing after a glimpse of them you know isn’t real—because some part of you can’t let go.
Halfway through the first chorus, I was crying behind the wheel. By the time I got home, I didn’t even say hello to my family. I went straight to my office, sat at my computer, and wrote what would become chapters 52 and 53. I spent the next several weeks building the rest of the book around those two scenes.
So, long story short (which is a skill I clearly have not mastered, HA!)—readers can expect a rollercoaster. You’ll get grit, determination, falling in love, chasing dreams, real life, grief, and new beginnings. It’s heartfelt, it’s raw, and it’s one of the most emotionally charged books I’ve ever written.
Wow. That’s so cool! Sounds like a great read, and I love hearing about where the idea for the story came from. Talk about being hit with inspiration!
8. What makes a good story?
For me, it all comes down to the characters. They will absolutely make or break a story. Plot can be brilliant, pacing can be perfect, but if I can’t see the characters as real people, I’m out. I want to be able to picture them—how they talk, how they move, the little quirks they don’t even know they have.
I also have to feel something for them. It doesn’t have to be love—it could be frustration, heartbreak, admiration, or even wanting to shake some sense into them—but there has to be a connection. If I’m indifferent to every single character, I’ll struggle to finish the book.
The best stories make you forget you’re reading fiction because the characters feel so alive that you half expect them to text you when you close the book. That’s the magic I’m always chasing as both a reader and a writer.
Ooo, yes! My favorite stories are the ones that make me feel, that push me and challenge me right alongside the characters. Often in unexpected ways, I find that I’ve learned something and grown right along side the characters. That only happens when I’m able to connect with them in some way, and begin to care for them. The ones feel like you’ve spent the day listening to old friends share their story with you by the time you’ve finished reading.
9. Is there a genre you would like to try writing that you haven’t yet?
I want to write a RomCom so badly it hurts. I think I’m hilarious (no really, I’m pretty funny) but all of these serious characters keep showing up and demanding drama. I don’t even know if my humor would translate to a book, but I really hope I get a chance to try it one of these days.
Oh, fun! I know it’s not the ‘norm’ for the genre but I have seen a bit more drama in RomCom’s lately. If you don’t get to dive right in, maybe you’ll get to a point where you can do a sort of cross-over, and see where you go from there? You could also always try out a short story or just a few scenes in a RomCom style to practice with, just to see what would happen? Might something be fun to try. 🙂
10. What’s one tip you can share to help others strengthen their writing?
I have three major pieces of advice or insight I think is beneficial that I’ve learned over the last few years.
1. Don’t let anyone tell you that being an author is not a real career option.
When I was graduating high school, pursuing a creative career wasn’t really encouraged. I had even taken aptitude tests that said the top three careers for me would be Actor, Writer/Director, or Teacher. Unfortunately, because the ones I really wanted to pursue were considered careers for the “special people,” I was expected to pick a traditional path that looked like everyone else’s. For a long time, I felt lost trying to fit into that mold. I floundered A LOT.
But when I started writing and eventually publishing my own books, it was like a floodgate opened, and I felt so free creatively. I hate that it took me until I was almost 40 to see that pursuing a passion is a viable option.
If a person will stay focused and embrace the hard work behind it, a creative career can absolutely lead to success. It’s possible to pursue passions and build a career that looks different from the norm—and thrive doing it.
2. Your first draft isn’t meant to be perfect!
It’s really just the starting point. Think of it as the foundation you’ll build upon through multiple revisions. The real magic happens during the rewriting and editing stages, where you refine your story, develop your characters, and polish the language. So don’t be discouraged if your first draft feels rough—it’s supposed to! Writing is a process, and each draft gets you closer to the final product.
3. Your book is not for every reader.
I wish that I had understood that I’m not writing my books for every single reader. Authors, especially self-published authors like myself, rely on reviews and word-of-mouth more heavily than any other form of marketing. What I knew but didn’t understand is that not every person who picks up my books is going to like them and rate them the way I would.
After my very first book (No Matter What) got its first (and so far only) 2-Star rating I heavily questioned if I was even cut out to write. That rating was amidst so many other good ratings and reviews. But it stood out and echoed loudly in my thoughts on repeat and I immediately doubted my ability to write a good book. So I kind of battled those rollercoaster emotions for a proverbial minute.
I had to learn to take my author hat off and put my reader hat on and remember that there are books that I didn’t enjoy that plenty of other people did. Now I write the stories that I love and I just hope that they find their way into the hands and Kindles of other readers who love them, too.
Great advice! These are things that I think every author probably faces at some point, and is good advice for those just getting started, and a good reminder to those more seasoned authors to remember came from. I love seeing people reaching back and helping others get started like this. It keeps us humble, while also lifting us up to help others, and then encouraging them to do the same. Beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!
For anyone interested in getting to know Jennifer Carr a little more you can follow her on social media or sign-up for her newsletter to received news and updates. While you’re at it, be sure to check out her current books and her upcoming release!
I’m Jennifer Carr. I’m a wife (married my best friend that I met when I was 13), homeschooling mom (1 teenage daughter who is an artist and looks just like her dad), social media addict (aka Queen of the Doomscroll!), and an avid reader (I’ll give anything a try).
I’m a lover of coffee, music, learning, animals, and writing. I have a degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage & Family Counseling, and certifications in Life Coaching, Health and Wellness Coaching, and am a certified Brain Health Professional. I also taught high school AP Psychology for several years.
Then I wrote a book… and my world shifted on its axis.
She also has some writing resources for authors on her website that you might find helpful (all free except the NetGalley Co-Op):
📚 Podcasts & Video Learning on Writing Realistic Characters
https://www.jcarrwrites.com/authors
📖 Downloadable Resources, Including a Detailed Character Development Workbook
https://www.jcarrwrites.com/free-resources
Ways to Connect –
| TikTok | Goodreads | IG | Facebook |
| Newsletter | Website |
Where to Buy –
| Buy Direct | Amazon |
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