Author of the Month~September

Hello everyone! It's another new month and with that comes a new Author of the Month. This will consist of a post that includes an interview with the chosen author, along with featuring them in my sidebar for that entire month.  New feature I started on my blog in September (Refer HERE if you would like to see the original post & if you would like to be apart of this as an author).

September's Author: Jennifer Wilson

As a child Jennifer loved getting lost in the stories of others, but struggled greatly with reading. A notoriously slow reader who stumbled with words and spelling, Jennifer shied away from books, leaning heavily on musical theater and movies to get her inspirational fix.

It was not until in her mid-teens, when a persistent friend convinced her to read the Harry Potter series, that Jennifer found her love for the written word. J.K. Rowling’s books opened doors not only to the fascinating world of a young wizard, but to a life filled with a multitude of literary friends and fantastical worlds. Once a timid reader, Jennifer now devours books and loves getting lost in a new series.

When Jennifer is not writing, she is enjoying life in Colorado, rock climbing, camping, exploring new foods, playing with her golden retriever, Duke, and sharing her life with her wonderfully supportive husband.

Connect with Wilson through:

   

Sabrina: Hello Jennifer! It’s super great to have you here on my blog. It’s also awesome to have you as my September author of the month. You’re actually my one-year author. I started this lovely feature back last September!

Jennifer: Hi Sabrina!! First off, congratulations on your one-year anniversary and thank you so much for having me here! I cannot begin to express how excited I am to be doing this interview with you. I adore your blog and am honored to be your one-year anniversary author.

Sabrina: Who are some authors you have begun to admire over time?

Jennifer: There are numerous amazing authors out there who I admire and look up to. That list includes, but is certainly not limited to: J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Rick Yancey, Dan Brown, Cassandra Clare, Alexandra Bracken, Marie Lu and very recently added to that list Leigh Bardugo.

Sabrina: What inspired you to write a YA dystopian novel?

Jennifer: YA is my absolute favorite genre both to read and to write. It has infinite possibilities and more sub-genres than most writers could ever dream about. YA is generally also packed full of emotions and desires that readers of any age can relate to. The YA perspective tends to focus on pivotal points in both the readers' and the characters’ lives—when they are truly figuring out who they are and who they want to be. I find so many of these books both inspired and inspiring. I only hope my books are perceived the same way.

As for the dystopian side of it, my biggest inspiration was Phoenix herself. I could see this girl racing on rooftops, hiding in the shadows, being kind of a badass. The opening scene in the first book is the moment Phoenix was born in my mind, a dark shadowed figure standing on the ledge of a building as her hair whipped around her face in the wind, the city below her in ruin. The world just spiraled out from there, shaping around her.  I wanted to write about a girl who could take care of herself, who was just as tough as the boys and preferred to rescue herself rather than be recused. But of course she is not without her flaws. It was important to me that she—and all of the other characters—were still human, relatable and made mistakes. 

Sabrina: In three words, how would you describe the New World series?

Jennifer: Dark, brutal and hopeful.

Sabrina:  Which character has been the easiest to write, and which one has been the hardest to write?

Jennifer: Great question! Phoenix was the easiest character for me to write, because she is the one I related to the most—there is a lot of me in her, the volume is just turned up a little. One of the hardest characters for me to write was Maddox. He is so dark and so grotesque at times…it is not easy to get into his mindset. If you have read New World Ashes, Gage and Fandrin were equally as difficult to write.

Sabrina: What is your favourite tribe amongst your crafted groups within the series?

Jennifer: Without too much foreshadowing, my favorite Tribe would have to be the Wraiths for reasons I can’t completely disclose (wink, wink *clears throat* coughs “Inferno”), but also for the purely selfish reason that when I did the Author In Role photos, the Wraith photos were my favorite costume.  

Sabrina: How long did it take you to draft the world in your series?

Jennifer: Unlike most series, there were two main evolutions of the New World, one for Rising and one for Ashes. Within this series two connected, but distinctly segregated worlds had to be developed and brought to life. The draft for each world took many frenzied nights of crazed note scratching and even then, the worlds grew and developed further with each word written, each chapter completed. Truthfully, Phoenix’s world is still growing and evolving every day.

Sabrina: What is a quote you wrote that you are proud to say you crafted?

Jennifer: That is a hard one because even now it feels like a daydream to see my own words as quotable. If I had to choose one, I think it would be from Triven. “If we keep punishing people for what their parents or their ancestors have done, the world as a whole can never move forward.”

Sabrina: Do you require anything in order to sit down and have a good writing or editing session?

Jennifer: Like the true book-nerd I am, I create playlists/soundtracks for my books. So I generally hunker down with a large cup of green tea and headphones to disappear into my worlds for a while. When it comes to editing however, quiet and coffee are my best friends.

Sabrina: When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Jennifer: I spend a lot of my time outdoors—camping, rock climbing, paddle boarding, hiking—usually with my trusty sidekick and furry-friend, Duke. If I am not doing that, you can usually find me in the garage painting or building something.

Sabrina: What have been your favourite YA books or books series so far?

Jennifer: Harry Potter—Always. Also on that list are Legend, Red Queen, Six of Crows and The Mortal Instruments.

Sabrina: It has been so lovely having you be a guest on my blog today! I can’t wait to see what future writing you bring! Especially after that New World Series! Thanks again Jennifer.

Jennifer: Sabrina you are absolutely fabulous and thank you for having me! It was truly my pleasure. Let me close with saying how inspired I am by you. I am eternally indebted to you and every other fan out there posting blogs and sharing love for my series. Every post you put on your blogs, every video on your Youtube channels and every image on your Instagram accounts are life-altering for me. The web so often jostles and pushes us little known authors to the side, and you have made my words heard. You inspire people to read, you speak your minds and you bravely put yourselves out there for the world to see. You are the trendsetters, the voices of a new generation and soul mates to every author striving to be heard. Thank you for your amazing amount of support, honesty and energy.