Interview with Jennifer Minar-Jaynes

I'm very excited to feature author Jennifer Minar-Jaynes on my blog today!  Jennifer is the author of Never Smile at Strangers. 

Here is the synopsis - WHEN TEENAGE GIRLS VANISH in what was once considered a safe, Louisiana bayou town, the lives of four desperate young locals take unexpected turns, begging the crucial question: Do you every truly know those closest to you?

When nineteen-year-old Tiffany Perron vanishes from rural Grand Trespass, Louisiana, best friend HALEY LANDRY's relationship with her boyfriend becomes increasingly strained. To make matters worse, her impressionable younger sister BECKY has begun idolizing an impetuous, seductive 15 year old who's encouraging her to do dangerous things.

Meanwhile, ERICA DUVALL, a reclusive 19-year-old aspiring writer, befriends Haley. Ten years earlier, Erica’s mother abandoned her, leaving her with the womanizing used car salesman father she loathes. She’s decided to write a novel based on Tiffany’s disappearance; a novel that she hopes will lead to a reunion with her estranged novelist mother.

RACHEL ANDERSON, a 36-year-old mother of two, is having trouble coming to terms with her husband, TOM’s, affair with the missing girl—a relationship that supposedly ended shortly before Tiffany’s disappearance. What’s more, she comes to the blood curdling realization that someone is watching her through the large back windows of her house.

A DISTURBED MAN also lives in the area. Ever since his mother’s murder four years earlier, he’s been raising his insolent teenage sister, ALLIE, who sleeps with truck drivers for money. He considers women to be dangerous—and his world revolves around his fear and hatred for them. He’s terrified of his sister, knowing she’s intent on pushing him over the edge.

1. I saw on your website that you previously had a job in publishing and editing. Did your job inspire you to write a book of your own? Actually the opposite is true. I wanted to get into publishing and editing because I loved to write--but didn't think I could make a living at it. I was in publishing and editing for well over a decade before finally taking the plunge to write full-time.
2. Was it hard putting yourself in the killer's shoes in your book to write from his point of view? No, it felt very natural. It was easy to get inside his head and see the world from his perspective. I'm not sure what this says about me. :) Also, despite all of the horrible things he's done, I have a soft spot for him because I understand that he never really had a chance.
   
3. Any more books on the horizon? What's next for you? The second thriller in the Grand Trespass series, "Ugly Young Thing," will be out in paperback and e-book at the end of May 2013.
   
4. Your boys are adorable! What do you love about parenthood the most? Thank you! I love EVERYTHING about parenthood. There's absolutely nothing like being a mother. The boys are 2 years old right now and are learning something new every day. They're bright, funny, curious, mischievous and often confusing--and such unbelievable joys. Seeing the world from their eyes is so interesting. It's almost like reliving my childhood.
5. Running project Jennifer, work, your children, being a wife and managing writersbreak.com - you are wearing so many hats! How do you balance it all? I'm not sure I'm balancing it all as well as I would like to be, but as soon as "Ugly Young Thing" launches, I'm going to put the brakes on the writing for a little while and catch up on everything that's been placed on the back burner. The kids always come first, so I'm pleased with the way I've balanced the kids and my writing, but there are so many projects that I've left unfinished that need to be completed. I will say, though, that when I have to fit eight hours of work into a two-hour slot (which happens a lot!), my $5 egg timer is my best friend. I pull together a to-do list, give each task a certain amount of minutes, turn off the phone and close browsers, tune out every non-emergency, post a sign on my office door, then knock everything out as efficiently as possible. It keeps me very focused and productive.

To order Jennifer's book Never Smile at Strangers, please click HERE
To visit Jennifer's website please click HERE
To visit Jennifer's Facebook page click HERE 
To order my new book Murder on Kilimanjaro, CLICK HERE
For more information about the Summit Murder Mystery series, CLICK HERE
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