Hey all!
Today we have a guest. I would say to be nice to her, but I'm pretty sure she can hold her own.
Meet Jennifer Wardell, author of Fairy Godmothers Inc., lover of bacon and all around instigator of trouble. The good kind, of course!
If
you could eat anything for breakfast, what would it be?
Bacon.
Glorious, glorious bacon.
Do
you prefer leather or cloth seats in cars? Why?
I
generally prefer cloth seats, because if I’m sitting on a leather
seat I’ve probably lost my mind and stolen some rich person’s
car. Since they probably wouldn’t let me have my laptop in prison,
I’d rather avoid getting arrested if I can help it.
If
you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
London.
I’ll be able to geek out simultaneously on Shakespeare, Sherlock,
and Doctor Who, and it’s the perfect place to feed my shameful
museum addiction. I do promise, though, not to harass the guards at
Buckingham Palace – they seem to get in enough trouble as it is.
What
is the most interesting job you've ever had?
Being
a journalist. I’ve talked to mixed martial arts fighters, watched
someone build a guillotine, roamed behind the scenes while they were
filming for a video game, and gotten an up-close look at mummies. And
that’s just been in the last year.
Tell us about a strange
writing habit that you have.
When
I really need to concentrate on a tough scene and the outside world
is too distracting, I’ll write in the dark. In the summer, I like
to go out on the front porch after the sun sets. If it’s cold
enough that hypothermia might be an issue, I’ll go into the
bathroom and sit with my back to the door.
What
is your favorite quote/saying about writing? What does it mean to
you?
I
collect quotes about writing like other people collect buttons or
stamps, so this is a tough one. I don’t think I can pick a single
#1 quote, but one of my favorites is by Barbara Kingsolver: “This
manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a
precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've
addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has
simply come back stamped 'Not at this address'. Just keep looking for
the right address.” I re-read it so many times when my manuscript
was making the rounds, and it never stopped being a comfort.
What
scene of this novel proved to be the most difficult for you to write?
The
first time Kate’s heart gets broken. I really felt everything she
was feeling, and at the same time had to struggle to explain it
precisely enough that everyone reading would understand why she was
so upset. Also, I understood what the person who had upset her was
going through as well, so I just felt bad for everyone.
What
scene turned out exactly as you imagined it?
Oddly
enough, the second version of the ending. My original version was a
little bit of a cop-out, and even though it was good I thought I
could do better. In the final version I amped up the action, gave all
of my lovely cast more room to play, and orchestrated everything with
a much more precise sense of timing. I re-wrote the chapter in a big
burst one morning, and it just flew.
What
aspect of your life has most influenced your writing?
My
reading. I essentially write the stories I wish were already on the
shelves, and they’d be right next to Terry Pratchett, Patricia C.
Wrede and all the other authors I’ve read and loved over the years.
Their words inspired mine, and I’ll be forever in debt to them.
Why should people read your book? What does it have to offer
them? (Besides the simple fact that it is awesome?)
“Fairy
Godmothers, Inc.” is funny, romantic, exciting, emotional, and like
nothing you’ve ever read before. If Terry Pratchett was a girl, he
would have written this (but please don’t tell him I said that.)
If
you could write a spin-off novel about a side character, who would
you choose?
It’s
not technically a spin-off, but I’ve already got the outline for a
sequel in mind that would give Lawton (Prince Jon’s friend) much
more room to play. He’s so sarcastic that he’s a delight to
write, and I have a sneaking suspicion there’s so much more to his
back story than he’s telling me. It would be fun to see how he
handled being shoved into the spotlight.
Tell
us why you love this story.
This
is the fairy tale for everyone who’s spent their lives being pushed
to the sidelines, who had to sit by and watch while the crowd’s
eyes were on someone else. Everyone who always felt the sidelines
were where they belonged, since only pretty, popular people deserve
to be the heroes.
I
wanted to show them how wrong they were. How wrong I’ve always been
to feel the same way. We all deserve a story.
This
one’s ours.
I dare you to read this book and not love it!
You can stalk Jennifer here:
