The Dark Side: Jennifer Ashley

The Dark Side aims to shed light on that deep, dark, mysterious side of an author, a face that she rarely, if ever, shows to the public. What secret is she hiding behind that enigmatic smile on her official photo (if any)? what juicy tidbit is she keeping from the world? What are some of the things that she liked, things we would never know, because it's not part of her bio?

Today, we have with us JENNIFER ASHLEY, author of LADY ISABELLA'S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE, who regaled us in a previous post with some fun facts about her book and an exclusive excerpt.

Remember, think dark, dark, dark... 

Imagine that for some reason, your lights suddenly went out! What would be the first thing you’d do or say? 
Dang it, I was reading! Oh wait, ebook reader is backlit.

Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?
I love the dark. I live in a very hot climate, and when that bright ball of sun goes down, it’s such a relief! Darkness to me means coolness and peace. I hate having a light on when I go to bed. I fuss until the house is completely dark.

How did you overcome a particular dark time in your life?
I went through a time in my life when I was very depressed. It turned out that part was caused by an illness (no one believed I was sick--they said it was “stress” and “all in my head”). I recovered by 1. surgery, and 2. appreciating the simple things in life: Music. Good books. Paying attention to beauty around me. Avoiding people who highly stressed me. Planting flowers. Planning fun things. Reading books that made me laugh. Just letting go.
 
What can you say to someone who is experiencing his/her own dark time now?
Focus on the small beauties of life.
 
What television series featuring dark themes did you enjoy the most? Why?
I like True Blood, because it’s funny. Darkness and funny go together so well.

Lightning Round

white or dark chocolate :  DARK
milk or coffee : Milk
night or day : Night
coke or 7-up : Neither. Yuck.
New York cheesecake or black forest cake :  Cheesecake!
vampire or werewolf :  Werewolf. Love those shifters
football game or candlelit dinner :  Can I have a candlelit dinner while at a football game?
ebook or print :  both
spring or autumn : both
sweet or salty :  sometimes one, sometimes the other
kitten or puppy :  awww, I have to choose?
cook or take-out :  Love to cook, but good take-out is heavenly

Jennifer Ashley's LADY ISABELLA'S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE is now available at Book Depository (print). This title is also included in the list of giveaways for our ongoing contest.

The first book in the series: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie