February is the month of love, which makes it the perfect time to feature my dear friend, Dana Hawkins, and her fabulous new release, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU (MAYBE). In this week’s Jen’s Jewels feature, Dana shares her thoughts in a fun lightning round, a heartfelt deep dive, a personal touch, and a look at what’s coming next. Trust me—you’re going to be hooked.
LIGHTNING ROUND
- In three words, describe the vibe of your book. Heartfelt, joyful, spicy
- What’s your ideal writing fuel: coffee, tea, wine, or chaos? Coffee and chaos always!
- Plotter, pantser, or “organized mess”? Definitely an organized mess.
- If your book had a theme song, what would it be? I need to stick with the theme of the title: I Will Always Love You.
- What time of day does your creativity peak? Very late at night—which doesn’t bode well for my day job!
THE DEEP DIVE
- Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”? There is a bit of a surprise in this book that originated in Book 1 (The Ex Effect) and carried on through Book 2 (Any Girl But You) in this series. I was about halfway through Book 1 when the lightning struck, and I knew who Book 3 was going to be about. I can’t give away much more than that without spoiling the surprise!
- Tell me about a scene you rewrote multiple times. What made it so tricky, and how did you finally crack it? There is a scene where the MC is speaking to her deceased wife. The MC is trying to let her go so she can move on. My heart was breaking as I wrote it, and I kept crying. So, I stopped writing the scene all together, finished the entire book, and then came back and wrote that scene at the very end.
- Setting can be a character unto itself. How did your location shape the story’s mood, and what personal connection (if any) do you have to that place? This story setting is so deeply personal, based in a fictional town in Minnesota (Spring Harbors) which I based on my love for Northern Minnesota. I tried to incorporate as much of the feel and beauty of the land as I could, and it is absolutely a character in itself.
- What theme or question haunted you while writing this book? Did you find an answer, or are you still sitting with the mystery of it? I am actually still sitting with it, probably because I have dealt with a shocking loss in my personal life. The theme is how to move on when your world is flipped upside down and learning to accept your new reality. I think many of us will struggle with that at some point in our lives.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
- I love hearing about authors’ reading lives. What’s at the top of your TBR pile right now, and what made you add it? Abby Jimmenez SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME. First, because I love every single thing she writes. Second, because the book is about a veterinarian, and my book is about a vet tech, and I’d love to compare animal notes.
- Share a behind-the-scenes detail that readers would never guess about this book—maybe a weird research rabbit hole, a strange inspiration, or a scene that came from real life. A strange (maybe terrible!) inspiration came for the meet cute of this story came to me when my own dog in real life needed ACL (human terms) surgery. Post-surgery the dog needs to be lifted into a vehicle because they can’t jump. I have a Saint Bernard, and my spouse and I struggled to get her into our Jeep after her surgery, and I kept thinking “how would a single person do this?” Which turned into the inspiration of the meet-cute where the MC needed help lifting her dog into her Jeep and the love interest was there with a (literal) helping hand.
- February is the month of love and connection. What’s your relationship with your writing practice—is it a passionate romance, a comfortable partnership, or something that requires constant wooing? It is a passionate—and honestly borderline obsessive—relationship. Besides my family, writing is my true love.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Without spoiling anything, can you give us a tiny peek at what you’re working on next? Even just the vibe or the question you’re exploring? Yes! I have a new book coming out in March called MY GIRLFRIEND IS NOT THE FATHER which is my most personal book to date, and loosely based off my personal experience of being a surrogate for my best friend. And then another super-secret one that is currently not announced and it was soooo much fun to write. The vibe is a gender-swapped bodyguard story (who says big burly men don’t need a female bodyguard?) More details will come out this spring!
- What’s the best way for readers to stay in touch and follow your literary adventures? (Website, social media, newsletter, carrier pigeon…) I would love if you could follow me on Instagram and my website.
Thank you so much for sharing your insights and creativity! I can’t wait for readers to discover your new release. Happy writing!
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU (MAYBE) by Dana Hawkins
Meet Cute in Minnesota
What’s worse than regretting a one-night stand? Being snowed in with her.
Since losing her wife six years ago, Colby has perfected the hermit lifestyle: secluded Minnesota cabin, golden retriever, weekly cupcake run. Zero complications. Until a chaotic, pink-haired vet tech arrives for a house call and—in one reckless moment—Colby lets someone in.
It was supposed to be one night. Then the blizzard hit.
Josie is a serial hobbyist who’s perfected the art of avoiding rejection. Pilates, painting, pickleball—anything but feelings. So being trapped in a cabin with no distractions and a gorgeous woman who clearly regrets last night? Personal nightmare.
But a lot can happen in a week. Stolen glances turn into lingering eye contact. Awkward silences become late-night conversations. And when the snow stops, both of them have to face the question they’ve been avoiding: what if the biggest risk isn’t opening your heart to someone, it’s letting her walk away when the roads finally clear?
A tender and emotional romance about finding love when (and where) you’re absolutely not looking for it. Perfect for fans of Ashley Herring Blake, Casey McQuiston.
Romance LGBTQ [ Storm Publishing, On Sale: February 12, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781837000654 / ]
Buy I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU (MAYBE): Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Dana Hawkins
Dana Hawkins is a contemporary romance author of fun and sparkly stories. When not searching the country for the perfect cup of piping hot Americano, she spends her time chasing her kids and rewatching 90s movies. After living for twenty years in Seattle, she trekked back to her hometown in Minnesota. She is a huge romance-genre book nerd and borderline obsessed with happy-ever-afters.
AMAZON
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen’s Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he’s better at napping than editing. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
No Comments
Comments are closed.