About the Book

Book: Wrapped Up in You (Real American Country Series Book 2)

Author: Jennifer Carr

Genre: Sweet New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release date: October 1, 2024

Nash Montgomery is always up for a good time. But when a senior prank goes too far, his baseball scholarship is put at risk, threatening the future everyone expects him to follow. The consequences earn him community service at a local youth center where he discovers a passion that defies the path he thought had been laid out for him.

Cassidy is a talented musician trapped under the weight of her mother’s ambitious dreams for her. Desperate to carve out her own identity, she struggles to find her voice amidst the noise of others’ expectations.

Their worlds collide in Nashville when both earn a spot on Real American Country, a new reality TV competition for aspiring country stars. As they navigate the pressures of the spotlight, they’ll have to decide if they’re chasing their own dreams—or someone else’s. And along the way, they’ll discover that getting wrapped up in the right person can bring out the best in themselves.

Wrapped Up in You is a heartwarming tale about breaking free from the expectations of others, finding love, and discovering that the best path is the one you create for yourself.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

I’m Jennifer Carr. I’m a wife, homeschooling mom, baker, part-time farmer, social media addict, and an avid reader. 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.

I’ve always loved writing. Complete transparency alert – I never set out to become an author. I know, that probably sounds unlikely considering, but it’s true. I sat down one day and decided I wanted to write a story because I needed to know how a dream I’d awoken from ended. It snowballed and turned into chapters and eventually into an entire book. When I finished that book, I needed to make sure my characters were OK and thriving so I wrote the second book.

It was at that point I realized that being an author was something I could see myself doing for a really long time. So, I’m still writing and loving every minute of it. When I’m not writing, there’s a good chance I’m reading and drinking coffee!

More from Jennifer

Wrapped Up in You is book two of the Real American Country Series. But don’t worry, it can definitely be read as a standalone! The series follows a reality television country music competition and some of the contestants as they pursue their dreams of becoming country music recording artists. This book follows the story of Nash Montgomery and Cassidy Raye Stanton as they each navigate the pressures of the spotlight. They’ll each have to decide if they’re chasing their own dreams—or someone else’s. And along the way, they’ll discover that getting wrapped up in the right person can bring out the best in themselves.

Wrapped Up in You is a heartwarming tale about breaking free from the expectations of others, finding love, and discovering that the best path is the one you create for yourself.

One of my favorite things about writing this series is coming up with custom playlists for each book. If you love country music or just want to see what all the fuss is about, here’s the playlist that goes along with Wrapped Up in You: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2hXjkRFytj9tPFpitHRdEf?si=d0209225ac1f41e0

Interview with Jennifer

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Complete transparency alert – I never set out to become an author! I have always loved writing. I was scribbling really bad poetry on paper as early as fourth grade. I actually stumbled across some of it when we cleaned out our attic a few years ago and it was embarrassing and hilarious to say the least. And no, it will never see the light of day again! HA! HA!

But, writing has always been a natural way for me to process my thoughts and emotions. I entered and won multiple writing and oratorical contests all throughout middle and high school. I did not, however, know that I could write a book and love doing it until 2021.

I sat down one day and decided I wanted to write a story because I needed to know how a dream I’d awoken from ended. It snowballed and turned into chapters and eventually into an entire book (No Matter What). When I finished that book, I needed to make sure my characters were OK and thriving so I wrote the second book (The Lost and Found).

The rest as they say is history!

How long does it take you to write a book?

It really depends on the book and what all is happening behind the scenes for anything I’m trying to market or my podcasting schedule! Fall When You’re Ready (Book 1 of the Real American Country Series) was started June 1, 2023 and was officially published in February of 2024. Wrapped Up in You was started in October 2023 while I was waiting on edits for Book 1 to be completed and wasn’t published until October 2024. But, I’m not writing one book that entire time.

I think it’s safe to say that all told it takes about 4-5 months to write the first draft and the rest of the time is editing and polishing!

What is your real-life work schedule like when writing?

I am so blessed to be able to work from home as a full time wife, mom, author, and podcaster (in that order). If I’m in “the zone” there is a really good chance my daughter and husband are fending for themselves and we’re living out of laundry baskets for a week or two. But we have a great team ethic in our home so grace is always given when needed!

What are your favorite books to read?

Romance is my number one go-to genre. I just finished Once Upon a Boy Band by Jenny Proctor and loved it. I also really enjoyed The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center.

I want to read books that have strong characters that feel real. I want to be able to insert myself into the story and get lost in it with them.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I started writing No Matter What in 2021 so I was just one month shy of turning 39. And I wish all the time that I had started writing sooner. BUT, I also remind myself that the stories I have written and love so much today would likely not exist had I done so.

How do you create your main characters?

The characters are where all my stories start! Even though my first book started because of a dream, I wanted to know more because the main character (Jess) had these special abilities that practically made her a human lie-detector. I wanted to know HER story.

For the Real American Country Series, I was listening to a song on Spotify when two characters appeared in my imagination and said, “This is ‘our song’. Write our story!” The first book of that series (Fall When You’re Ready) happened and then somewhere along the way in that book we get a glimpse of Nash and Cassidy and I needed to know their story. That’s when I wrote Wrapped Up in You (Book 2).

The rest of the series happened in a very similar fashion and what’s funny is that even though I’ve written what is supposed to be the last book in the series (Book 5), there are still characters from the other books trying to get my attention. I haven’t decided if they’ll get it any time soon or not.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

That’s such a great question. From the technical writing side I will say cutting scenes that I love that my editor or beta readers don’t! I want to tell you (the reader) EVERYTHING about everything that happens in my imagination. Unfortunately, that’s usually way more than the average reader cares to know. We cut about 10,000 words from the manuscript of Wrapped Up in You in the final edits!

From the business side of writing a book, marketing is by far the hardest part. If an author wants people to actually read the work they’ve poured their heart and soul into, they have to put on their marketing hat. And let me tell you, that is not my best hat. I’ve learned A LOT in the last three years and I still feel like I don’t have it down. It also makes me even more grateful for blogs like this one who will let me gush about my books!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Do I give the predictable answer???

I love to read. If I’m in the writing zone I might read a book or two a week. If I’m on a break I can put away 4 – 6 books a week.
I also host a podcast for creatives (Connected Conversations for Creatives) where I interview different kinds of creatives and talk about their creative journeys. And on Thursday nights I co-host a podcast for authors (The Authors’ Dilemma) where we talk about things authors deal with. So if I’m not writing I have plenty of things filling my time!

What does your family think of your writing?

My husband is my number one fan and biggest cheerleader.

My daughter thinks it’s pretty cool that I write books but she’s an audiophile so until my books make it to audio she’s probably out haha!

Do you base your characters on real people?

I don’t–at least not on purpose! Authors can’t help but write from what they know, but I never intentionally write characters based on real people!

A funny story from my first book, No Matter What: One of the main male characters (Bryan) is a cybersecurity guy in the Army. My husband (Rob) is also a cybersecurity guy (not in the Army). That’s really where the similarities end. As Rob is making the way through the book he asks me while feeling flattered if I’ve based Bryan on him. I just smiled nervously and said, “Not really…” So a few days later he comes to me and says, “Well, now I’m glad you didn’t base Bryan on me!”

You see, Bryan didn’t fare well in the book.

I guess that could provide some advice for anyone who is friends with an author. Be careful, you could end up as inspiration for a character! It’s not always the best thing!

Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?

When I am dealing with what I call creativity block (because I always have words just not the right ones), I have to walk away from the project I’m working on and focus on something else. When I was writing Fall When You’re Ready I had written the beginning and the end but the middle was eluding  me. I sat down day after day and basically wanted to bang my head on the keyboard. Finally, I walked away from it – worked on a completely unrelated book for a month before going back to FWYR. When I did get back to it, I finished it in a matter of days.

Your brain can get so wrapped up in what it thinks it needs to do and forget that creativity needs space to run free. It’s OK to take a step back and reset.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I can write a book! I know that sounds kind of silly but it’s true! It never once occurred to me that anyone can sit down and write a book if they wanted to. So I never tried. Which is kind of unfortunate because over the years there have been numerous stories come and go from my imagination and now they are just lost to the catalogs that are the “hidden files” of my long-term memory!

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written ten books (four are currently published, the rest are in the queue with my editor), and there are seven actively in the pipeline, all in different states of progress!

Most authors would say that choosing a favorite is akin to saying you have a favorite child. I don’t feel bad because I only have one child and she’s definitely my favorite haha! It’s a toss up for my most favorite book I’ve written (to date). It’s a tie between Book 3 (Let Me Love You – 2025) and Book 5 (Who I Am With You – 2026) of the Real American Country Series.

Book 3 is a little different and has a suspense element woven into it while Book 5 is a redemption arc that will probably change some minds about one of the characters labeled as the antagonist since Book 1!

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Real American Country is a New Adult Contemporary Romance series set in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. The series follows the lives of aspiring country music artists competing in a reality TV show. Each book focuses on different participants whose paths cross in life-changing ways. This series blends intense personal stories with the charm and nostalgia of country music.

You can read more about each book here: https://www.jcarrwrites.com/real-american-country-series

And all of my books are available on Amazon, Kindle, & Kindle Unlimited. Signed copies available at jcarrwrites.com

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

Stay tuned for more Real American Country and its spin-off series Montana Hearts (working title) by subscribing to my Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/iaqFlb) or following me on all socials @jcarrwrites!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 15

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 16 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, January 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 17

For the Love of Literature, January 18 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, January 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 20 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 21

Blossoms and Blessings, January 22 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 23

Artistic Nobody, January 24 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 25

Stories By Gina, January 26 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, January 26

For Him and My Family, January 27

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, January 28 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a 6-Month Kindle Unlimited Subscription and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54131