Today I am so pleased to welcome J.E. Birk to Joyfully Jay. J.E. has come to talk to us about her latest release, Dating Ryan Alback. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!
Writing My First Rom-Com
When I first developed the premise for Dating Ryan Alback, I had just finished writing my novella The Worst Bad Thing. FYI for those who havenโt read The Worst Bad Thing: it is SAD. That book was my catharsis as I wrote through some horrible things that were happening in a community I loved very much. Writing that book got me through some incredibly difficult momentsโฆand Iโm pretty sure I cried on a daily basis while working on it.
Yeah. Lifeโs hard sometimes, as we all know. So I finished The Worst Bad Thing, got some catharsis, and then had to decide what I wanted to write next. I knew right away that I wanted to write a romantic comedy.
I have always loved romantic comedies, and I have a particular soft spot for the truly fluffy ones. The ones that allow you to completely escape and fall into a dreamy world where lifeโs hardships are overcome with comedy and the charactersโ happiness is often at the forefront. As much as I loved writing The Worst Bad Thing, and as much as that book will always have a special place in my heart, writing it took a lot out of me emotionally. I needed to write a story where even I, the author, could use it to escape into a world of wit and humor.
And so I began outlining Dating Ryan Alback.
Dating Ryan Alback is, by far, the least angsty novel I have ever written. Sure, the characters have problems and conflicts, but at the end of the day escapism is the name of this novel. Itโs a place to go when you want to laugh, spend some time with some sweet but misguided characters, and watch two very confused people fall into strange situations that eventually lead them to love.
In short: this is not that novel to read if youโre hoping for a good cry. But if youโve just come off that good cry and you want to spend some time smiling? I hope this will be the book for you.
By the time I finished writing Dating Ryan Alback, I was surprised to discover that writing it had actually become as cathartic as writing The Worst Bad Thing, but in an entirely different way. Writing Dating Ryan Alback reminded me of all the sweetness this world can offer. It reminded me the importance of humor and light in everyday life.
Will I write another romantic comedy? Honestly, Iโm not sure. Angst tends to come easier for me. But I loved writing this book, and the next time I need to cheer myself up, I will definitely look to the romantic comedy section of my โwriting ideasโ folder.
Blurb
Ryanย Albackย has almost everything heโs ever wanted: a successful acting career, a dog who adores him, great family and friends, and a life outside the closet. The only thing missing is a boyfriendโbutย Ryanโs been burned by Hollywood relationships before, and heโs not eager to try one again.
Jason Santos has almost everything he’s ever wanted: aย fulfillingย career teaching middle school,ย a house in a city he loves, and parents who support him in every way. Too bad he can’t seem to forget the ex-boyfriend who rejected his marriage proposal.
When a talk show host launches a dating contest to find Ryan a boyfriend and Jason accidentally wins, neither of them expect anything to come from it. Yet somewhere between a disastrous massage and a mud sinkhole, they both start to wonder if this date could be more than just a public relations stunt. But before they can move into the future, they’ll both have to learn to let go of the past.
Bio
J.E. Birk has been telling stories since she could talk and writing them since she was introduced to the alphabet. She hails from Colorado, where you can usually find her skiing, training for a 5K she wonโt end up running, or watching people run into each other on football fields and in hockey rinks. You can follow her ramblings on Twitter by looking for @jebirkwrites. Sheโs also been known to ramble on Facebook as J Elisabeth Birk.
Connect with J.E. Birk:
- Facebook:ย www.facebook.com/jebirk
- Twitter:ย @jebirkwrites
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Dating Ryan Alback, one lucky winner will receive a $10 Riptide Publishing credit and their choice of ebook from J.E.โs backlist! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 25, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and donโt forget to leave your contact info!
- By entering the giveaway, youโre confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- Winners will be selected by random number.ย No purchase necessary to win. ย The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
- If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
- All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Readers may only enter once for each contest. ย Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
- Void where prohibited by law.
Happy release day, JE! The cover and book blurb really draw me to grab this book. Looking forward to read it soon!
puspitorinid AT yahoo DOT com
Thank you! I LOVE the cover…L.C. Chase worked wonders with it. ๐
Congratulations on the new release, J.E. It sounds like a fun read.
tankie44 at gmail dot com
Thanks, Tanja! I had great fun writing it.
Welcome, J.E., and best wishes on the release of Dating Ryan Alback! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about writing this book and its angst laden predecessor. It’s always intriguing to learn the back story of a book.
Thank you, Kareni! I suspect people who have read THE WORST BAD THING will be shocked this book was the follow-up. They could not be more different…but both have special places in my heart. ๐
A good rom-com sounds like what I need!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I hope you enjoy it! As I’ve been joking often lately, this book is basically my homage to all the classic romcoms. ๐
There are many good things to say about a light romantic comedy…. Thanks god, not everything has to be angsty or life shattering. Your new release sounds really good. Congratulations, J.E.
susanaperez7140(at)Gmail(dot)com
Thanks, Susana! I so hope readers looking for a little escapism enjoy spending time with Ryan and Jason. ๐
Happy Release Day. I am looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you, Debra!! ๐
I absolutely adore romantic comedy. I don’t really find that many of them so I’m looking forward to giving it a read. ๐
aelnova@aol.com
Me too. I hope you enjoy Ryan and Jason!
Congrats on your first rom-com It sounds like a interesting read.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
Thank you so much!
I could use a good rom com. This sounds perfect. violet817(at)aol(dot)com
Thank, Toni! I hope you enjoy it. ๐
Congrats on the release! Sometimes a feel-good fluff is exactly what I want when the world gets to be too much.
legacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you , Lisa. I completely agree!
I agree totally! Sometimes you just need some happy fluff to keep you going in life and to keep a smile on your face! Thank you for sharing with us!
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks for stopping by, Ashley! ๐