About Jennifer Deschanel:
If one is going to query a publisher, Jennifer suggests not doing so in pink ink. Her first, written when she was twelve, was nothing if not colorful. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America in addition to being a writing mentor. Her passion lies in writing historical romances from forgotten pieces of history. In addition to her series expanding Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera, she writes romances set in the Regency and Victorian eras.
Writing from a tiny French nook, Jennifer admits to being country mouse with city mouse tastes and is constantly fighting to keep the little critters in line. She firmly believes in OCD awareness and organizations that support mental health research, and her books often explore such challenges. She can’t pronounce pistachio, hates lollipops with gooey centers, and thinks watermelon is the spawn of the devil. Most of all, she dearly loves to laugh. When not writing she enjoys spending spends time in the kitchen with her daughter, digging through antique stores for a quirky find, and entertaining the whim of her mischievous pug. Turns out, the pug has her well trained.
If asked for her motto, Jennifer points to the following quote upon her wall:
“Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood!” ~ Pablo Neruda
What inspires you to write?
In my youth I turned to writing as a means of escaping the pain of my father’s death. That escape turned to therapy as writing helped me control my battle with Purely Obsessional OCD. As I grew up with these challenges, writing turned into a true love. My passion lies in writing historical romances from forgotten pieces of history. I enjoy the challenge of crafting characters with obstacles to face. It was my love of Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera that lead me to expanding this classic.
Tell us about your writing process.
I write by the seat of my pants. Since I have OCD, and while that can present challenges day to day, it helps when being a writer. I see the world in pictures. I become my characters when I write. The scenes they live in are on a constant loop in my mind until the moment I know their world well enough to put it onto paper.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I’ve learned not to act out the voices of my characters too often as I write… it scares my pug.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never rush the process of writing. The world right now is filled with ways to obtain instant gratification. It’s fast paced and mobile. But writing takes time. Unless you are under deadline, there is no reason to push yourself. Enjoy the process, learn from it and other writers and always pay that knowledge forward.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I queried my first publisher when I was 12 in pink ink. Needless to say that didn’t get me far but I never stopped writing. Writing thrilled me. As I shared As I was blogging about my writing process on various social media platforms years ago, I thought to give publishing a true shot. Then it was then that process of finding a publisher, attending conferences, and even getting rejected that thrilled me as well. I am both traditionally and self-published and each process is equally amazing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I have been in the business long enough to watch electronic books become the norm and self-publishing to be more standard than traditional. I believe this trend will continue to grow, and, sadly, more and more brick and mortar stores will fade away. I hope that doesn’t happen, but in this digital age–its entirely possible.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: historical romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Jennifer Deschanel Home Page Link
Link To Jennifer Deschanel Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
