Jennifer Bryce Interview

H. Schussman’s interview with Jennifer Bryce, author of Haley's Song.

Heidi:

So, Jennifer, tell us about yourself.

Jennifer:

I’m a quirky mother of 3 boys and a full time nursing student.  I got my acceptance letter to nursing school and my book on the same day, I couldn’t choose which one to do, so I did both. I can’t wait to get out of school so I can write on a regular basis again. I have many interests from jiu-jitsu to baking.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

Jennifer:

Mostly young adult romance. Depending on the subject matter I’ve dabbled in time travel, speculative fiction, historical, and paranormal. I have a few non-fiction reflective essays published as well. My over active imagination serves me well in this arena…not so much with my anxiety.

Country Living

Heidi:

When did you start writing?

Jennifer:

I started writing about four years ago when I was put on bed rest with my last pregnancy. I had plenty of time and nowhere to go. I read so many books they became predictable. I also ran into some books that left me wondering why the rubbish was ever published. So…I wrote my own.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Jennifer:

I’m currently working on an adult speculative fiction about the Fountain of Youth and a guardian that keeps the secret safe. Of course, it’s a romance, but I also have a drug cartel adding some danger to the story for a little excitement—it balances out the ooey-gooey love junk.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Jennifer:

The problem is I love them all. They become like family, but if I had to choose one today it would probably be Ben from Haley’s Song. Margret and Ben’s story is coming together in my mind and I can’t wait to show the world of Ben.

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Jennifer:

I pictured myself as Sarah in Haley’s Song, but I also put little pieces of myself in each of my heroines.

Heidi:

Where do you write? Describe your workspace?

Jennifer:

Drum rolls…the kitchen table or the couch! I don’t have a fancy office or writing space. Sometimes if I’m feeling really adventurous I’ll occupy the front porch.

Heidi:

Who are your all-time favorite authors?

Jennifer:

Okay, this list might be really eclectic. Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre is one of my favorite stories. Pat McManus is an absolutely fantastic storyteller; my husband would read to me at night his hilarious stories would have my crying from laughing so hard. Erma Bombeck has turned her witty musings about motherhood into a fine art. Marcia Lynn McClure is my favorite romance writer because she makes really strong male romantic characters and the heroines have spunk and femininity. My favorite book of hers is The Fragrance of Her Name.

Heidi:

Did you find writing a query letter a challenge? If so, how did you overcome it? Do you think there was a key phrase or idea in your query letter?

Jennifer:

I went to a writer’s conference a couple of years back and Aprilynn Pike, author of a fabulous fairy series, helped me with my first query letter. Wowzars, she in a very kind and comical way told me that my query letter was junk, but then helped me figure the darn thing out. Pretty embarrassing, but I understand query letters now. I always put a hook line in my query letters like for my next book it’s, “Some secrets are better kept…” The key idea is secrets.

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Jennifer:

Same thing that author Donna Hatch told me…”Getting published is 90% work and 10% talent.” Also, develop a thick skin—editing that bleeds red on your manuscript and numerous rejection letters are the pits.

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their assistance and faith in you?

Jennifer:

Two people actually;

Jennifer Griffith, author of Big In Japan encouraged and taught me how to write more than any class I could’ve taken. I look up to her in every way. She is my writing Yoda. J Her writing “voice” is really something to aspire to. She helped me edit Haley’s Song and figure the ins and outs of publishing.

My husband has been so patient with this expensive little hobby of mine, even babysitting while I attended conferences and writing retreats. He is AMAZING, but that’s why I picked him.

Claire Fullerton, An Interview

Claire in Ireland at Kilmacduagh Monastery

H. Schussman's interview with Claire Fullerton Author of Dancing to an Irish Reel, and A Portal in Time

Heidi:

First, Claire, tell us a little about yourself.

Claire: 

I am proud to say I'm a Southerner; I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. I now live in Malibu, California, and spend a lot of time up north on the Monterey Peninsula, in Carmel-by-the Sea.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

Claire:

I write literary fiction that aims at portraying the beauty of the human experience in all its layered nuances and   manifestations.  I aim to encourage and inspire by pointing out that the seemingly ordinary in life is actually extraordinary!

Heidi:

When did you start writing?

Claire:

I began by keeping a journal around the age of eighteen; my writing career started there, in my opinion, yet it became official more than ten years ago when I began publishing poetry and short stories. A creative, weekly column in Malibu's newspaper coincided with magazine publications, as well as multiple publications in the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. I began writing novels five years ago.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Claire:

I am joyfully engaged in pre-promotion for the March 31st release of my second novel, "Dancing to an Irish Reel," which concerns a 25 year old woman who leaves the LA record business and moves to rural Ireland where she meets a famous Irish musician who won't come closer nor completely go away. I call this story a "near-miss" on the road to love.  Besides this, I am well into a third novel which is set in the Deep South.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Claire:

I am partial to Declan, who lives in "Dancing to an Irish Reel." He is a high-strung, plan making, twenty five year old from Derry, Ireland who heads the Galway Music Centre. Much of the drama in "Dancing to an Irish Reel" revolves around Declan's capricious personality, but he is also the voice of insight to the book's main character as she navigates the road to love as a stranger in the strange land of rural Ireland.

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Claire:

Oh, unequivocally yes! I am especially in the curious and whimsical character of Anna Townsend from my paranormal mystery,  "A Portal in Time." 

Heidi:

Where do you write? Describe your work-space?

Claire:

I turned one of our bedrooms into my sacred writing space! It has a hardwood floor and a view of the ocean from atop a perch on a hill. My cherry wood writing desk has a computer monitor the size of the great outdoors and a keyboard my husband tells me is swift as they come. I have 5 framed prints above my desk that I bought in Ireland, and a portrait someone did years ago of the house I grew up in in Memphis, which is positioned on the wall not far from a sketch of my mother in her golden youth! I have a cherry wood, sleigh daybed, a tall bookshelf with my favorite books surrounded by walls painted in a warm yellow ( the color of vibrant inspiration!) The other colors in the room are terra-cotta, which may sound conflicting, but to me, everything works harmoniously.

Heidi:

Who are your all-time favorite authors?

Claire:

Oh, I'm so glad you asked! I am a freak over Pat Conroy, who wrote "The Great Santini," "The Prince of Tides," and "South of Broad," to name a few.  He rings every nostalgic internal note within me of the Deep South. His fluid, beautiful, seemingly effortless use of descriptive language is currently unparalleled ( in my opinion), and I have learned much from the way his novels are crafted. Beyond Pat, I admire Donna Taart, who is another southern author, whom I think is in a league of her own.

Heidi:

Did you find writing a query letter a challenge? If so, how did you overcome it? Do you think there was a key phrase or idea in your QL?

Claire:

I am not intimidated over writing a query letter. I think the aim is to be concise and incredibly clear. A query letter is a writer's friend because it lends the opportunity to show the recipient exactly who it is they're hearing from, as well as what they're coming to the table to offer! The challenge will always be the cadence and the crafting of a query letter, but the exercise gives the writer the opportunity to shine!

Dromoland Castle, in Shannon, Ireland

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Claire:

Write what you love, write in as authentic of a voice (your voice) as possible, do your homework regarding publishers, follow the submission guidelines, and be respectful!

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their help faith in you?

Claire:

Yes, The powers that be because I listened and headed the call! I'm still listening!

Heidi:

Would you be willing to share your Facebook page and website with your fans?

Claire:

Of course!

Claire's  Facebook

Claire's Website

Getting Published

I finished my second novel El Tiburon about a year ago and began the laborious process of having it edited. Once that was completed I began looking for which publishing company would be the best fit for me.

Absolute Write is a tremendous resource for any writer. This is where I first stumbled upon the publishing company, Vinspire. Their website drew me in like a moth to a flame … that’s gross, how about a moth to a light bulb? Anyway they have a great tag-line “Your Travel Guide to Adventure”. As most of you know, I travel a lot. I also write a travel blog; A Dashing Bold Adventure.

El Tiburon takes you to Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. I read the Vinspire submission guidelines to see if they were interested in my genre (a must when submitting a query letter). They were, so I spent several days crafting my query letter and sent it off.

I was completely stunned when they asked me to join the Vinspire family! Since then it has been like starting a new job. They needed cool stuff like my acknowledgment page and biography. They also needed not-so-fun stuff like re-formatting my manuscript and tax info.

For me this is a major adventure. I get to read about what the other authors are up to … Jennifer Bryce, Terry Spear, Diane Wylie, and many others. It feels like sacred ground.