Jump, Shirley 1968–

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Jump, Shirley 1968–

(Shirley Kawa-Jump)

PERSONAL:

Born 1968, in MA; married; children: two. Education: University of Massachusetts—Boston, B.A.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America, National Association of Women Writers.

WRITINGS:

(As Shirley Kawa-Jump) Rex Trailer: The Boomtown Years (biography), Covered Bridge Press (Sherman, MS), 1997.

(As Shirley Kawa-Jump) How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publication Say Yes, Square One Publishers (Garden City Park, NY), 2002.

The Virgin's Proposal (romance fiction), Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

The Bachelor's Dare (romance fiction), Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

Her Frog Prince (romance fiction), Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY), 2004.

The Bride Wore Chocolate (fiction), Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2004.

The Daddy's Promise, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2004.

The Marine's Kiss, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Devil Served Tortellini (fiction), Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Angel Craved Lobster (fiction), Kensington Pub. Corp. (New York, NY), 2005.

The Dating Game, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Over 100 FAQs Women Asked about Writing: Includes Chapters on How to Write, Promotion & Marketing, Making Money, and the Business Side of Writing!, National Association of Women Writers (San Antonio, TX), 2005.

Kissed by Cat, Silhouette Romance (New York, NY), 2005.

The Other Wife, Harlequin Next (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

Rescued by Mr. Right, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2006.

The Bachelor Preferred Pastry, Kensington Pub. (New York, NY), 2006.

Pretty Bad, Kensington Pub. (New York, NY), 2007.

The Legacy, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Back to Mr. and Mrs., Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Married by Morning, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Miracle on Christmas Eve, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Something, Kensington Pub. (New York, NY), 2007.

Work represented in anthologies, including Chocolate for a Woman's Soul II; Chocolate for a Teen's Dreams; Finding Your Voice; Nudges from God; and 911: The Day America Cried; contributor of 3,000 articles to national journals, regional magazines, and newspapers; editor, New Homeowner; maintains a blog at http://shirleyjump.blogspot.com.

SIDELIGHTS:

Shirley Jump began her career in journalism and dreamed of working in television news. Early on, she was the host of two programs that aired on her local cable channel, and she also spent time cohosting a comedy show airing on late-night television. However, she also worked in print, selling her first article at just eleven years old. Jump continued to produce numerous articles on a freelance basis, and she wrote two nonfiction books under the name Shirley Kawa-Jump, Rex Trailer: The Boomtown Years, a biography, and the self-help book How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publication Say Yes. Eventually she gave up her idea of television stardom for the lure of a freelance career that allowed her to work from the comfort of her desk in her own home. However, it was only after marrying and having children that she discovered her love for writing humor. She began contributing funny articles on her kids' antics to various anthologies and eventually, finding herself drawn more and more to the humorous side of writing, began to write romance novels that allowed her to engage her funny bone regularly as part of her writing process.

In 2001, after numerous rejections from a number of major publishers, Jump sold The Virgin's Proposal to Silhouette Romance, and it became her first published romance novel. The title went on to win the Booksellers' Best Award for Best Traditional Romance of 2003. Follow-up books include The Bachelor's Dare, The Daddy's Promise, The Marine's Kiss, The Other Wife, and Rescued by Mr. Right.

Jump branched out into writing romantic comedies for Kensington Publishers' Zebra line in 2004, kicking off her new series with The Bride Wore Chocolate. Each of the titles bear a food reference, and Jump combines her love of writing with her love of cooking by including recipes over the course of the novels. In the inaugural volume, Jump recounts the story of chocoholic Candace Woodrow, who knows she is marrying the wrong man but cannot bring herself to call off the wedding, even after a night of drunken passion with Michael, a total stranger, mere weeks before her big day. When the wedding itself turns out to be an utter catastrophe, with everything from a fire to the DJ collapsing from a heart attack, Candace finally begins to suspect that even the fates are out to keep her from making a monumental mistake. Michael is the most determined of all, intent on chasing after Candace until she admits that she belongs with him instead. Shelley Mosley, in a review for Booklist, remarked that "humor abounds in this start to a promising new series," and went on to praise Jump for her inclusion of "chocolate recipes with very entertaining directions."

The Devil Served Tortellini is the next offering in Jump's food-inspired romantic comedy series. This story revolves around heroine Maria Pagliano, who joins a weight-watching group called the Chubby Chums for moral support as she attempts to lose pounds before her big high school reunion. Even meeting Chef Dante Del Rosso, who thinks Maria is perfect as she is and is more than willing to provide tasty treats to keep her that way, is not enough to derail her diet. Marilyn Weigel, reviewing for Romantic Times Online, found Jump's offering "a compelling and very smoothly written story with funny, sympathetic characters."

With The Angel Craved Lobster, Jump continues her series of food-related romantic comedies. Heroine Meredith Shordon moves to Boston from her small hometown in Indiana, looking for a change of pace that includes a fling so she can lose her virginity. Unfortunately, she sets her sights on Travis Campbell, who has recently determined he needs to swear off his vices—women and drink—after blacking out on too many of his dates. Together the pair explore a multitude of delicious seafood dishes as well as their own chemistry as Travis attempts to convince Meredith to risk a real relationship with him. Patty Engelmann, reviewing for Booklist, praised the title for including "more winning combinations from Jump that satisfy an eager reader's craving for fun and humor."

In The Bachelor Preferred Pastry, Jump features Olivia Regan, a pastry chef whose bakery is in danger of bankruptcy. In an effort to save her business, she bids on sexy bachelor Daniel Worth in a charity auction, hoping to feature him in a tempting new ad campaign that will increase her sales. From a wealthy, conservative family, Daniel knows Olivia's plan will infuriate his stodgy grandfather, but his admiration for her efforts has him turning his back on his inheritance in order to help her.

Jump told CA: "The most important lesson I have ever learned as a writer is to never give up. Perseverance is what has gotten me from those childhood dreams to the reality of all the articles and book titles under my belt. I did give up once, however, and thankfully my husband was there to shore up my confidence on a day when the realities of this business hit me hard. A week later, everything changed for me, and my career took a 180-degree shift. All the perseverance paid off, and my fiction dream became a reality. Hold on to your dream—and believe in yourself."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 2004, Shelley Mosley, review of The Bride Wore Chocolate, p. 72; August, 2005, Patty Engelmann, review of The Angel Craved Lobster, p. 2005.