What happens when you skip doing your chemistry homework so that you can read historical romance novels? You might not learn about the substances of which matter is composed, but if you are Jill Shalvis it just might set you up to become a bestselling romance novelist.

What proof do I have (and man, I wish proofs were used in Chemistry and not just geometry so I could keep this comparison going)? Well, Jill is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has written more than fifty acclaimed, award-winning romance novels. She is a three-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award and has been nominated for the RITA Award and for Romantic Times’ Career Achievement Award. Her latest novel, The Family You Make was released on Tuesday, January 11th. 

How did she pivot from keeping track of debits and credits to being a bestselling novelist? What’s so inspiring about living in a small town? What happened when her dog had a celebrity death match with a porcupine? What famous rock musician drops in from time to time to play at a bar in her small town in the Sierra Nevadas? Listen in to uncover the answers to all of these questions as well as learn which accomplishment Jill is most proud of (here’s a hint, it has nothing to do with writing).

Happy Listening!