The Secrets of Hawthorn Place
Purchase Link - https://bit.ly/HawthornSecrets
Author Q&A
Favorite childhood memory
involving books?
My first real memory is my dad bringing me
home Mr Men books and making me read the title before I was allowed to have the
book. I remember Mr Impossible being impossible! My dad really encouraged my
reading when I was little, and I remember complaining to him once that I had
read every single book on my very large bookshelf, so he lent me his copy of
the Hobbit – which I really enjoyed. Great memories.
Did you want to be an author when
you grew up?
I always enjoyed creative writing at school
but didn’t think about being an author until my children were little. (I
foolishly dreamed of being an actress when I was younger.) After I married, I
had four boys in three years and read A LOT of books to escape my busy life. My
friend suggested we wrote a love scene for fun, as we’d been criticising one in
a book we’d just read. It that was a light-bulb moment for me because a whole
story formed in my head and I realised that writing was what I wanted to do. It
then took me nine long years to get published, but I persevered, and am so glad
I did.
If you had to describe yourself
in three words, what would they be?
Friendly, tall, humorous.
What’s one movie you like
recommending to others?
Just Like Heaven with Mark
Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon. It has everything: comedy, drama, sadness,
romance and a little bit of magic… and is so uplifting. I must have watched it
twenty times. It’s also one of the few films my teenage boys will watch with
me, so that’s a bonus.
How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
Optimistically, it takes about 6 months to write a book
before it begins the editing process with the publisher. I’m not a fast writer,
probably because I rarely plan, and because I take the research very seriously.
I love adding tiny details to my books that show the reader that I know the
subject, so will spend a long time looking at chairs, for example, so I can
have an Edwardian lady sit in an Elm lathe-backed Windsor. I get lost down
research rabbit-holes and do a lot of reading around the subjects in my books.
Plus, I’m the queen of rewrites.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Ooo, yes, lots! I’m such a fan of encouraging new writers
because I know how hard it is. Firstly, I would say finish the book. Don’t give
up halfway through and start something new. It’s really important to write to
the end as you will learn so much if you do. Most authors will tell you every
book reaches a stage where they hate it, but I guarantee pushing through will
reap rewards. Also, surround yourself with other writers, both online and in
real life, because only they will truly understand the frustrations of writing.
They will be able to guide you and will be fantastic cheerleaders when success
starts to come your way. Lastly, keep reading, and not just in the genre you
want to write it. You will absorb so much from other authors without even
realising.
Tell us 10 fun facts about yourself!
1) I’m part of a disco formation dance team.
2) I have four teenage sons who are now all taller than
me - and I’m 5’9”.
3) I also have four cats, one of whom has no eyes and is
called Seymour.
4) I’m part of the Romantic Novellists Association and
would not be published without their support.
5) I live in the beautiful Suffolk countryside with no
central heating!
6) I enjoy fancy dress, and have been a penguin and the
TARDIS in my time.
7) I was an extra in the beach scene of Richard Curtis’s
film “Yesterday”.
8) My first book “The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker” was
shortlisted for two awards.
9) Elizabeth Talbot of Bargain Hunt and Flog it! fame,
helped me with my auction house research for “The Unlikely Life of Maisie
Meadows”.
10) I was a children’s nanny in London for a while and
lived opposite Rick Astley and round the corner from Mick Jagger.
Do you listen to music when writing?
Sometimes, because I need to block out my noisy family so
I put headphones on and play music. Occasionally, I play emotional songs to
help get me in the mood for a particular scene. However, I need silence to
edit, so it varies.
What sparks your creativity/how do you get your ideas?
Ideas for books ping into my mind ALL THE TIME. If I’m
watching a film, I’m constantly thinking of twists I would introduce, or
tweaking ideas from the storyline. Sometimes my dreams will give me an idea – I
have quite random dreams... Everyone I meet is a potential character, and every
conversation I have can lead to the germ of an idea. I think most authors are
the same, questioning everything around them, and are forever asking “What
if...?”
Author Bio –
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract
flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her
antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master
the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it
remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing
commercial women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere,
with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than
she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a
disco formation dance team.
Social Media Links –
Twitter @JenniKeer
Instagram jennikeer
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Thanks so much for having me on your blog. Brilliant questions. I had so much fun x
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! And thank you for the interview. Love the movie recommendation. Just Like Heaven is a great film. :)
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