Spotlight & Giveaway: In Harmony by JN Welsh

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author JN Welsh to HJ!

Hi JN Welsh and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, In Harmony!

 
Hi!!!!
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

In Harmony is a story about doing things your way. Musician, Nyah Monroe who is living a dual life as a classical double bassist and an underground dance music DJ. She’s trying to manage two careers on her own but needs help. Enter super-agent Tommy “Boombox” Mills who not only wants to help Nyah but secure the career legacy he’s envisioned for himself. He needs her and wants to make her famous. The problem is, she makes the rules and flying under the radar is her sweet spot. On a deeper level the book explores some intense themes like coming to terms with the past, overcoming fears, growing bolder, claiming the inheritance, and loving through the imperfections and challenges.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

It’s too hard to pick a favorite!

What inspired this book?

In Harmony is a story about doing things your way. Musician, Nyah Monroe who is living a dual life as a classical double bassist and an underground dance music DJ. She’s trying to manage two careers on her own but needs help. Enter super-agent Tommy “Boombox” Mills who not only wants to help Nyah but secure the career legacy he’s envisioned for himself. He needs her and wants to make her famous. The problem is, she makes the rules and flying under the radar is her sweet spot. On a deeper level the book explores some intense themes like coming to terms with the past, overcoming fears, growing bolder, claiming the inheritance, and loving through the imperfections and challenges.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I know a few classical musicians, but also as someone who learned to play several instruments, this was my wheelhouse to research. In fact, anything involving music is a subject I can always find interesting characters and stories. Having been an avid fan of the dance music scene from disco to dubstep, In Harmony was a great place to play with these characters.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I love the banter between Nyah and Tommy. I especially like my heroines to really stand up to their heroes and stand out. I want readers to cheer for them, be invested in them, and maybe grab a snappy line or two to slip into their pockets.

“You scared me.” She clutched her chest.
“How?” he scoffed. “I just called you.”
She got a good look at him and dampness rimmed his open collar and his hairline. “Never mind that. Why are you all wet?” she asked.
“I needed to cool down. Cold water helped.”
Nyah felt her forehead crinkle. “I try to keep it at seventy in here because of the instruments. I can open a window to cool it down a bit—”
“The temperature’s fine in here.”
Her mind felt like it had just been pretzeled. If it was fine in her apartment, then why—oh!

What was the most difficult scene to write?

I didn’t want the book to end, so I crafted an ending that keeps readers wondering, creating, and keeping all the characters in the reader’s mind and heart.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I have been writing in this world for a few years but with all the books I become a better and better writer. This book showcases my writing for sure. My voice is quite clear. You know when you’re reading a JN Welsh novel.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

That the end is never really the end. Readers are free to dream and create the futures for these characters. In fact I highly encourage it.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m currently working on a soccer romance with a love triangle theme. I love the setting, the characters and the adventure of the story. I’m so looking forward to sharing that with you.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Win a set of all three books in the Back on Top series. US & Canada only. 

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Excerpt from In Harmony:

Queen Roe tried to get off the stage, but the fans hollered her back on for two additional songs, one of which had the fans crawling the walls, which Tommy assumed had to be an old favorite. She finally closed out her set and descended from the throne where her kingdom had crowned her queen, and her followers gathered to greet her. She posed for some pictures and signed whatever they wanted. Club security did their best to manage the mayhem but the normal handlers were nowhere in sight. She was as exposed as an artist could be. He watched her pull out her phone and take selfies with her fans like they were the ones who’d been up onstage. She hugged them and complimented their style while handing out small postcards and told them to DM her so they could exchange makeup tips and music tastes. After listening and normalizing herself with her fans, she maneuvered her way to the bar through a sea of people, chatting and high-fiving anyone who engaged with her. He had to meet her.
She shrugged into a snug black hoodie, draped the hood just behind her Afro puffs, and moseyed over to the bar where the bartender had two highballs ready for her, one filled with lightly iced water and the other the color of blood oranges. He placed a clear shot glass before her and filled it to the brim with vodka.
“Thanks, Nicky.” The hoarse melody of her voice made him want to hear more. Devices and electronics of all kinds continued to snap photos. With no VIP area to escape to, she kept her back to the crowd as she downed the shot and then focused on her cold beverages. Her fans hovered but left her alone. Tommy had never seen anything like it. Either she had some magical superpower or she’d trained her fans to leave her be once she’d given them every ounce of her energy.
Unfortunately, Tommy had no time to lose, so he scooted his stool closer to her, penetrating her Zen bubble. The perfume and sweat coming off her intensified the closer he got, and he had to drag his eyes away from the spread of her ass against the hard wood of her seat.
She offered him a huge helping of side eye in response to his presence as she sucked on a white straw, draining her water glass.
“What’re you drinking?” He could have slapped himself for that question.
“Uh, water?” She turned her head fully to him.
He cleared his throat. “You were great up there.”
“Thanks.”
“You really had the crowd eating out of your hands tonight.”
“It’s mutual.” She stirred her red drink.
“Paloma?” he asked, pointing to her glass.
She followed his point of reference. “Blood orange mojito.”
They were at a stalemate. He’d run out of aimless questions and she wasn’t offering much by way of conversation.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m—”
“I know who you are, Tommy Boombox. You’re Oscar’s cousin. I also know that the only reason you’re probably here, since you don’t come through often, is that you’re looking for new talent. Tell me which part is incorrect.”
He choked on what to say next for several reasons. One, she was right. He’d always been proud of his cousin and his club but he’d come into New York often and had only been to the club maybe once in two years. Two, yes, he was searching for new talent. However, what surprised him most was that her voice rang familiar and the visceral reaction of his body made him certain. He knew this girl.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Nyah Monroe has a secret.

Double bassist for the philharmonic by day, by night she’s Queen Roe—an underground DJ with a growing following. Nyah works tirelessly to keep her worlds separate, her names straight and her outfits square, but doing it all alone is overwhelming. When Tommy “Boombox” Mills offers his rep and experience in exchange for her underground cred, she agrees.

But she makes the rules. No big stages, no superstar fame. She knows what she wants out of her DJ career, and she’s not about to let some slick agent tell her different, even if he does have a smile that knocks her backward.

A powerhouse agent, Tommy knows the scene, and Queen Roe is on fire. Beautiful, sexy and talented, she’s exactly what he needs to secure his legacy. She was made to play on the big stage—all he has to do is convince her.

As they travel in close quarters, playing club after club, their partnership soon becomes more about pleasure than business. But when Nyah learns the truth about why Tommy recruited her, she’s forced to decide once and for all what she wants out of her career—and her life.

Back on Top

Book 1: In Tune
Book 2: In Rhythm
Book 3: In Harmony

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Meet the Author:

JN Welsh is a native New Yorker. She writes entertaining, often humorous, and provocative tales about strong, career-driven, multicultural heroines of color who are looking for love. Her punchy, flowing dialogue and big city stories are heartwarming and stick to your ribs. She is passionate about practicing self-care and mindfulness for body and spirit. When she’s not writing she can be found dancing, grillin’ and chillin’, wine-ing, rooting for her favorite sports teams, and/or indulging in countless guilty pleasures.
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