Meet Jenn Hughes, author of Love at the Electric with Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the Name Before the Masses Tour for Love at the Electric by Jenn Hughes. I fell madly in love with this quirky romance and am sharing my thoughts and an excerpt with you. To add to the fun, Jenn took some time to answer some questions to take us deeper into the story and herself. Please leave her comments and questions of your own and then follow the tour for multiple opportunities to enter the giveaway.

Please note that affiliate links are present within this post. Should you make a purchase through one, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I also received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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What was the inspiration behind this book?

I started writing this story the day after Christmas. The holidays were a big inspiration, but since it was post-Christmas and I was in that zone of being “over it,” I created characters that weren’t initially holly, jolly types. Mix that with the fact that video games were high on wish lists in 2016, and a holiday story about a geek-in-designer-clothing who falls for an attorney across enemy lines was born.

Which character was your favorite to write?

Ravi was a lot of fun. He doesn’t have that emergency brake that keeps someone from blurting out socially inappropriate things, so he gets to say all the things I think from time to time…all the time.

What was one of your favorite scenes?

I laughed to myself when I was writing the scene where Lillian has dinner with Richard at the farm-themed restaurant. There’s this strange trend of restaurants serving food on everything but plates (they use shoes or bricks or shingles instead), so Lillian is not having it when her meal is served on a shovel. She would have been better off having popcorn at The Electric with Sam. :)

Will we see these characters again?

Absolutely. They pop up again in the second book in the Port Bristol series and join a new cast of characters who are just as entertaining. Besides, Sam and Lillian didn’t quite get rid of Preston Lavery in Love at The Electric, so he’ll be back to throw a digital wrench into everyone’s plans in the second book.

What do you hope people will get out of your book?

I hope it makes them smile. Best case scenario, they laugh out loud. It’s supposed to be a quick, fun read with a 100% happy ending, so I want people to enjoy it.

On what are you currently working?

I’ve finished the first draft of the second book in the Port Bristol series, and now I’m working on rewrites. There are two other separate series I have on the backburner that occasionally attempt to lure me away, but I’m on a deadline, so I’m staying focused on Port Bristol.

What is the best writing advice you ever received?

The best writing advice I received was to keep writing. I never thought I’d get published because it seemed like no matter what I wrote or how hard I tried, it didn’t connect with an editor or publisher or agent. From no responses to outright-cruel rejections, it’s not an easy industry for new writers. But, I kept writing because I enjoyed it, not the queries or submissions—the writing. And I improved. It took time, but eventually a story that I wrote for my own enjoyment and then rewrote numerous (15+) times ended up being my first published work.

What are you currently reading? Up next on your TBR?

The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux. I like historical romance, and this has been on my list for a while. I only have time to read when I’m waiting in the car pick-up line at school, so it takes me a while to finish a book. After that, maybe Kay Scarpetta #9. It depends on my mood.

When not writing, what can we find you doing?

Working. Working. More work. Okay, I’m not that bad. When not writing or working, I can be found cooking, spending time with family, repairing computers (that’s for fun, don’t judge), and I play around with mixed media artwork on occasion.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

Hmmm… I’m cross-dominant. That means I favor one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. I write with my left hand, but I throw with my right. It’s a problem in archery, but since I don’t have aspirations for a superhero secret identity involving a bow and arrow (or do I? *cue theme music*), it’s not a big deal.

Love at the Electric

Walking wildfire Sam Owens gets Lillian hot in all the right ways, but there's more to the software CEO than just a pretty face. And a great body. And… Oh, right. He’s the enemy, according to the contract she signed with his rival. So when they secretly meet up for movies at The Electric, Lillian can't get too involved with Sam. She could lose her job. Her reputation. And her heart.

Sam is in love with his company, his image, his video games, and his ability to avoid commitment--at least until he levels up with attorney Lillian Walker. With her love of campy horror flicks and a body that makes him want to howl like a cartoon wolf, Sam’s found his leading lady. Too bad getting close to Lillian means tangling with her boss, a supervillain in the making.

In the nights leading up to Christmas, movies at The Electric mean more than just mutant toads and cannibal fruitcakes. Between shenanigans with old flames and an arch nemesis out to destroy any future they might have, Sam and Lillian learn the hard way that falling in love isn’t as easy as it looks on screen. When the past gets in the way of a perfect “the end,” there’s really only one solution--if werewolf Santas can bring them together, zombie ex-girlfriends can keep them together.

After all, anything’s possible at The Electric.

Read an excerpt:

Beneath a tailored tuxedo jacket, Ravi wore a printed-on tuxedo T-shirt and an LED bow tie slowly cycling through a rainbow of colors. The left pocket of the coat bulged out, and Sam didn’t even have to ask why. Ravi slid his hand down into the pocket, deftly pulled out a chocolate chip cookie, and then took a bite out of it.

“Nothing illegal about it,” he mumbled, cookie crumbs tumbling out of his mouth.

“Isn’t the T-shirt a little redundant?”

Ravi held up a finger and swallowed his mouthful. “It’s ironic. And you know I hate dress shirts with cuff links. Makes my wrists feel—”

“Like they’re suffocating. Right. I know.” Sam turned back to the window and took another sip of his drink.

“Where’s Lillian?”

Sam tugged on his bow tie. “Not coming, I guess. It’s after nine, and not even the limo driver will text me back, so she must have changed her mind.”

A normal friend might have slapped him on the back and said, “Sorry, bro,” or something similarly empathetic. But if normal was a single color, Ravi was an LED rainbow. Sam looked over at him. They stared at one another for a few seconds. Ravi took another bite of his cookie, and twisted his mouth into an uncomfortable frown.

“You should leave,” he finally said.

“What? Why?”

“Because this is a party and you’re bumming everyone out.”

“Wow, thanks for the sympathy.”

“Sympathy. Such a human emotion…” Ravi deadpanned. He finally flashed Sam a grin. “Okay. Fine. I’ll simplify this for you—why are you moping around here when you could be moping around Lillian? Get outta here. Go get the girl.”

Available on Amazon

**My thoughts**

It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to this book, as I am not one who dabbles in sci-fi and other "geek" topics. But then all of a sudden, I found myself head over heels in love with it and didn't want to put it down. 

Sam and Lillian are two of the realest characters I have read in a long time. It probably helps that they are about my age, a group which seems to be often overlooked in romance books. They have their fancy jobs, but with each other are completely willing to drop the facade and just be themselves. It's how so many of us live our lives. Sam may take the dual persona a little farther than the rest of us would, but he can afford to do so.

They are a doomed couple in some respects. Sam tends to be a playboy and Lillian is eager to do anything BUT get her heart stomped on by another man. And they literally legally aren't even supposed to be hanging out with each other, as Lillian's boss Preston and Sam have a nasty history. But they are drawn to each other from deep within and share a love for strange, horrible Christmas-themed horror movies being shown at the local independent theatre. It's not often that you find someone who shares your quirky hobbies, so of course they want to spend time together, even if it's "accidentally" bumping into each other.

They play almost a sort of chess game, doing a bit of a dance back and forth subtly teasing and flirting with each other, while also being cognizant of why they shouldn't be together. At the same time, they find themselves saying to hell with it because they are most free to be themselves and give a hefty boost to each other's self-esteem. Isn't that what we all want in our relationships? I enjoyed watching them stumble along, trying to figure it all out and rooted for them from the get-go.

In addition to our quirky starring couple, with whom I can see myself being friends with in real life, you have their even more quirky friends and family who add another layer of entertainment to the story. And then there are the settings. The town of Port Bristol is a clash between old-fashioned charm and new convenient technology. And the restaurants that Lillian visits while hanging out with her ex-boyfriend Richard made me laugh out loud at their descriptions. But most important is that theatre. I just wanted to go there and hang out, even if it meant watching weird Christmas horror movies like reindeer fighting wars with each other while speaking reindeer language.

I found out that there is going to be a second book in the series, and I am so excited for it. I want to go back to this town and hang out with these characters again.

About Jenn Hughes

Jenn Hughes writes romance with a heavy dose of humor. A lifelong love of all things sci-fi, combined with her day job in marketing, IT, and graphic design, infuses her writing with tech-centric and geeky references.

When not reading and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and gardening at her home in North Carolina. You might also find her gaming, repairing computers and electronics, experimenting with mixed media art, or finishing furniture.

You can find her online at:

Author Website: jennhughesbooks.com

The Bristol Beagle, Port Bristol’s Trusted Source for News: portbristol.com

Twitter: twitter.com/jennhughesbooks

Instagram: instagram.com/jennhughesbooks

Jenn Hughes will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway