Saturday 5 November 2011

Author Interview: Jennifer Hendren



Jennifer Hendren has written By The Pale Moonlight.



1. What is your name and where do you call home?        
My name is Jennifer Hendren.  I hail from Lincoln, Nebraska.  (Go Huskers!)

2. Do you have a pen name?
Not at present.  I've considered using one, though, as I write both adult and young adult.  Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. :)

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My book is called BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT.  Twenty words...  It's a young adult mystery/suspense/whodunit with werewolves.  One very cute werewolf in particular. 

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I do.  I'm currently working on the sequel to BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT.  It's called WALKING IN SHADOW, and should be out in spring, 2012.   There will definitely be a third book, but I'm keeping that title under wraps until I begin working on it. :)  And you never know, there may be a fourth...

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I've been a writer for as long as I can remember.  When I was a kid, I made up really elaborate songs that I would spend hours adding verses to.  As I got older, I dabbled in this and that story, but really lacked focus when it came to seeing a story all the way through.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I got "serious" and finished my first novel.   I started mostly because I wanted to tell stories my way.  I'm one of those readers who get frustrated when things don't go the "right" way.  I figured that I could either write my own, or live with things as they were.  I chose to write.

6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
Yes, I do.

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I wanted to have something that was pretty and evoked a certain paranormal feel.  I found the picture online and ended up tweaking it a bit to get the purple tones.  Then a friend of mine helped put the entire thing together.  It was a do-it-yourself special, but it's exactly what I wanted.  Love the trees, and the hint of moonlight. 

8. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Honestly, it was the working title for the book.  I assumed it would've already been used by someone and that I would have to change it.  No one had, so it stuck.  I just remembered the line from the Batman movie with Jack Nicholson -- when he asked Batman (or was it Vicki Vale?) if he/she had ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight.    I love that line.  And By the Pale Moonlight was atmospheric without blatantly saying what the book was about.  I'm so glad I got to keep it.  It belongs to this book.

9. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
At this point, no.  There are limits to writing in first person, though, and at times I really wished I could jump into the head of one of the other characters to describe certain events/scenes.  I may actually explore some of those events in snippets that I'll post on my blog/website. It'll be interesting to write from the POV of one of the other characters.

10. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
Yes, you can view it here:  http://youtu.be/PO9dcdS-dwI 
I think book trailers are great--there are some really good ones out there that totally got me psyched to read the books. On the other hand, there are some that are poorly done and that have steered me away from certain novels.  I think it's important to try to capture the spirit of your book in the best way possible.  And if you can, I think book trailers can be a real asset to spreading the word about your book.

11. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I'm still addicted to book books.  I can't help it.  I'm old-school that way.  That said, I received a Kindle for Christmas last year and it's totally growing on me.  I'm using it more and more these days.

12. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Yes.  At this particular time, I felt it was the best choice.  I may choose to go traditional with my adult novels... then again, I may not.  I sort of like being my own boss, even though I'm a mean boss.

13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
Tons of books more than once.  I love the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld--read it/listened to it several times.  LOVE The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  I usually have to re-read the Harry Potter series every year or so.  Too many books, not enough time.

14. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I'm currently reading Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles--on my Kindle.

15. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Best advice, hands down, is to write...and then write some more.  It's hard work and every writer out there has something they can learn each and every time they sit down to work.  Don't get discouraged if you don't get everything right straight out of the gate.  It's a learning process; the more practice you put in, the better you'll get.    

16. Where can your readers follow you?

Blog:  http://jenniferhendren.blogspot.com and http://alltheworldsourpage.blogspot.com (where I co-blog with four other writers.  My scheduled day is Tuesday.)


Goodreads author page:

Twitter: @JenHendren

Other:  http://jenniferhendren.weebly.com (the site is currently under construction...watch out for debris)

Amazon:

Smashwords:



Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

1 comment: