The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience How NY Times Bestselling Author Jayne Ann Krentz Writes: Part Two
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of romantic suspense, Jayne Ann Krentz, returns to speak with me about how she’s published over 120 novels, her advocacy of the merits of romantic fiction, and her latest mystery, THE SHOP ON HIDDEN LANE.
Dubbed “The Queen of romantic suspense” and a trailblazer of paranormal romance, Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of over 50 New York Times bestsellers. She has written contemporary romantic suspense novels under that name and futuristic and historical romance novels under the pseudonyms Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick, respectively.
Her latest novel is THE SHOP ON HIDDEN LANE (available for preorder from Berkley; on sale January 6, 2026), described as “... a romantic mystery filled with intergenerational family rivalries, paranormal suspense, tension-filled romance, and a pulse-pounding conspiracy.”
Jayne Ann Krentz was the editor of and a contributor to Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance, a non-fiction essay collection that won the prestigious Susan Koppelman Award for Feminist Studies. Krentz was also the inspiration for, and first recipient of, the Romantic Times Jane Austen Award, created to "honor those in the romance community who have significantly impacted [the] genre"
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In this file Jayne Ann Krentz and I discussed:
Overcoming rejection early on
Why she would caution new authors against launching multiple brands under different names
The rise of Romantasy
Her inspiration for the “paranormal twist with a psychic vibe”
Writing plots that don’t require forensic science
The importance of storytelling for future generations
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
The Shop on Hidden Lane – January 6, 2026 by Jayne Ann Krentz (Amazon)
Jayne Ann Krentz Amazon Author Page
Jayne Castle Amazon Author Page
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